Tag Archives: CITI fm

Bringing Bruce Springsteen to Winnipeg: An Idea that’s Born To Run.

Anyone who has read this blog for any length of time will know almost instantly that I have three over-riding passions in life. I am crazy for our local sporting scene, being a huge supporter of the Winnipeg Jets and a Winnipeg Blue Bomber season ticket holder. I crow endlessly about Winnipeg food and the mavericks that slave day in and day out to feed this fickle city.  But one thing trumps both of those my love of live music and the ongoing spectacle that is Rock and Roll.

In fact the very reason that I began writing this blog is due to a trip Darlene and I won to New York City 4 years ago. We were lucky enough to win an all expenses paid vacation to see two nights of concerts honoring the 25th Anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Two stellar nights of shows spanning the entirety of rock and roll as we know it.  One man was part of both nights, a singular rock and roller with gravel in his voice, hammer and anvil guitar style and Arlo Guthry in his soul.  I’m talking about the one and only Bruce Springsteen.

Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello Belt out The Ghost of Tom Joad. (Photo Credit - Rolling Stone)

Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello Belt out The Ghost of Tom Joad. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concerts.  (Photo Credit – Rolling Stone)

As a devotee of rock and roll, I’ve seen more acts than most people will see in a lifetime, but I’ve never seen anything the likes of Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. As concert time approaches random cheers and whistles grow into a single unified voice “BRUUUUUUUUUUCE” the people exclaim! Even now into his 60’s Springsteen is powerfully built yet charismatic and kind, like a favorite uncle who sits you on his knee to tell you a story. He commands not only his band but also the audience with a gentle iron fist. From the first second he strides on stage you know why he’s called “The Boss”.

Bruce Springsteen Working Hard as Always (Photo Credit Brooklyn Vegan.com)

Bruce Springsteen Working Hard as Always (Photo Credit Brooklyn Vegan.com)

Last week I was approached by Diane Geddes who is heading up the Springsteen2Winnipeg campaign, a drive of like-minded people who are rallying to bring Bruce and the E-Street Band to our city on the prairies. She asked me to add my voice to the growing number of Springsteen fans to spread the word Winnipeg Loves the Boss. How could I possibly say no?

There will be the naysayers among the crowd who say that Winnipeg is too small, too flat, too boring to have a hope in hell’s chance of attracting The Boss. These of course are the same people who said the Winnipeg Jet’s would never ever be back and that the Blue Bombers would never get a new stadium. I like to call those people WRONG! Just sitting here writing in my basement I can think of tons of reasons why Bruce would love to visit Winnipeg and why I think he would get just as much out of a visit as the fans. In fact I think I have enough for a top ten list!

Top Ten Reasons Bruce should bring the E-Street Band to Winnipeg.

10. Winnipeg is a blue-collar town. We work hard for our money, suit and tie is not the dress of the day. Bruce is an outspoken supporter of the working class.

9. Winnipeg is a Rock and Roll town. Radio stations like 92 CITI FM have been around for 35 years and show no sign of slowing down.

8. Howard Mandshein the Godfather of Winnipeg rock radio would lose his mind… Seriously!

7. Winnipeg is really just a collection of small towns.  People know their neighbors and friendliness is a way of life.  Our license plates say “Friendly Manitoba” for a reason.

6. Winnipeg has great food. From a plateful of North End Perogies to a Steak Dinner at 529 Wellington Winnipeg will feed you well.

5. Little Steven can shop for some new headscarves in the Exchange District. Stars from all over the world love shopping for trinkets at Ragpickers.

4. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is opening next year. Because Bruce’s Rock and Roll has a conscience, always has always will.

3. Investors Group Field is a great place to feel the love. Rock Royalty and Bruce’s buddy Paul McCartney just played to a packed house here.

2. Our Summer evenings last forever. In the Summertime the sun doesn’t set till almost 11:00!

1. Winnipeg Loves Bruce and the E-Street Band. From humble beginnings the Springsteen2Winnipeg movement is growing and growing.

Bruce wows the crowd. (Photo Credit - American Songwriter.com)

Bruce wows the crowd. (Photo Credit – American Songwriter.com)

We need everyone to jump on board here and make noise, tell your friends, tell your family, hell tell your dog and cat. Kevin Donnelly is listening, The E-Street band’s management is listening and Bruce Springsteen is listening. The time to act is NOW! Be vocal, be active and be proud to live in Winnipeg. Together we can bring the E-Street Band to Winnipeg, if only we believe!

To join the cause visit Springsteen2Winnipeg.ca

Here’s a little Snippet from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert that I was lucky enough to have been to.  Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello with the Ghost of Tom Joad.

Tom and Joe latest victims of SNTS.

We Winnipeg radio listening folks suffered another huge loss today at the hands of SNTS.  Yes folks that’s right, Shiny New Toy Syndrome has struck again.

Tom, Nesta, Bubba and Joe at the Garage Giveaway we attended last week.

This morning as I arrived at work and enjoyed my morning coffee before my shift I as always perused the local newspapers and found that the morning show at Power 97 had quit en masse in a contract dispute with Corus Radio the parent company of the station.  Tragic as this seemed I took it with a grain of salt, if three reasonable adults choose to better their situation in live and quit over contractual issues more power to them.  In reality it would have little impact on my life as I have been a life long listener of 92.1 CITI FM.  The station that sent Darlene and I to New York and started my blogging hobby.

Things were going well at work until a great co-worker of mine bounded in with i-phone in hand asking me if I had heard the radio news?   Sure I said the Power 97 staff quit.  No, that’s not all he said they are taking over the morning show on CITI.

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!

In a heartbeat, a morning team that had been in my life for the better part of 20 years was over.  That great morning team, already handicapped by the loss of Kathy Kennedy casually discarded less than a year ago.  The loss of K.K. was tragic enough, but now Tom and Joe are gone too, turfed for a shiny new toy in the form of Wheeler, Philly and Rena.   The friendship, the loss of Joe’s wife Alana to cancer, hearing about Tom’s many children growing up all flushed down the shitter with the promise of  crappy phone gags and toilet humor.

Colour me not impressed.

I guess that’s what executives in flashy suits like though, shiny new things they can brag about to their friends.  Fuck history, fuck on air friendship. We got us a bunch of potty talking radio jocks.

OH JOY! I can hardly wait, talk radio here I come.

Meet and Greet Canadian Style: Bryan Adams

In case any of you have caught a few of my comments in the blog this week you may have guessed that Dar and I have scored again on the concert ticket scene.

Tonight we are off courtesy of 92.1 CITI FM in Winnipeg on another great rock and roll adventure.  Darlene having the proverbial horseshoe up her ass came through on tickets for tonight’s extravaganza.

Bryan Adams Live in Concert

We are off for dinner at the MTS Centre, then backstage to meet with Bryan Adams and the band.  Given exclusive tickets at the front of the house and a swag package to boot.  WOW!

The only thing I have to get straight in my head is what I am going to ask Bryan when we get face to face.  I had considered asking him about Princess Diana, being that they were close friends before she taken from us.  But Dar vetoed that saying it was just tacky.  So being that we have just experienced Roger Waters and The Wall here in Winnipeg I suppose I could ask him about his experiences performing Young Lust  with Roger in Berlin after the fall of communism.

In any event we are sure to have a stellar night, stay tuned for yet another great concert review in the coming days.

Rock On!

Bob

CRTC Reconciders: Money For Nothing Back on the air.

It’s a great day in Canada today, the forces of good and the sensible have prevailed over one single voice that tried to staunch our freedom of expression.

Mark Knophler of Dire Straights (Shaughn Butts, Edmonton Journal)

As I wrote many moons ago the Dire Straits song Money For Nothing was pulled in its unedited form from the Canadian airwaves.  My local station, 92.1 CITI fm, took a hard-line on this fiasco and simply refused to play the song in any form due to the censorship debate.  Afternoon DJ Shadoe Davis summed it up perfectly in my opinion.  “We at CITI fm refuse to alter in any form the artists original intent, so when a song is banned in its original form we simply will not play it.”

I for one am glad that people like music director Frank Andrews and Shadoe Davis have stuck to their guns on this one.
As I gave frequent example in my earlier posts It’s only rock and roll and they don’t like it and Money For Nothing Revisited I went on ad nauseum about the frequent slurs and vocal images portrayed on today’s hit radio that go completely overlooked.  Then for one person to complain about a song released in the freaking 1980’s to have a classic yanked.

Needless to say I was a bit upset, come to grips people. The gay rights movement has made substantial gains since the late 20th century. So why pick on a song that was in no way mocking a gay person.  The satire of the song, should you choose to listen to it is that a dullard is expressing his beliefs on the rock and roll industry.

That’s the point of the piece people!!

So lets all just relax a little and lets see that little jem from the creative minds of Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits again, shall we.

UPDATE

I did some more digging so Mark can tell you himself where the song came from.  It’s a great interview but the Money For nothing part starts around the 8 minute mark.