Posted: May 31st, 2010 | Author: Blackbox Squeezebeard | Filed under: Show announcements and recaps | Tags: Allan Macinnis, anniversary, Carnival Sized Cinnamon Hearts, Chloe Ziner, Deet Street Productions, Dennis Pimm Jamtacular Experience, drawings, Flogged Round the Fleet, Georgia Straight, Lara, Railway Club, Tamara Nile | No Comments »
The morning of the Cabaret of Wonders! we awoke to strange and marvelous news: the recording which we had debuted last June had garnered a positive review in Vancouver’s free weekly arts paper of record, the Georgia Straight!
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Attendees of early Creaking Planks shows—say, at the first Vancouver Zombiewalk after-party, where Rowan “Blackbox Squeezebeard” Lipkovits (accordion) and Lee Shoal (ukulele, kazoo) did somewhat halting covers of songs like the Kingston Trio’s “Zombie Jamboree”—could be forgiven for thinking the band a joke. A funny joke, and certainly an in-joke, but not a group you might turn to for the pleasures of polished musicianship, even of the jug-band variety.
Well, here’s a surprise: as if to illustrate the truth of the saying that a fool who persists in his folly shall become wise, the Planks have benefited from playing innumerable shows locally and throughout the Pacific Northwest. While still richly swathed in irony, the traditionals on this CD (European and/or Yiddish folkie fare like “Tanz Tanz Yidelekh” and “Moscow Nights” and the absurdly deadpan covers—including a new recording of Lipkovits’s delightful arrangement of the Minimalist Jug Band’s “Dead Man’s Pants”—are, in fact, quite beautifully conceived and credibly played. |
That night, at the gobsmacking
Cabaret of Wonders!, we sold our last two remaining copies of the suddenly-in-demand disc. Perhaps a reprinting will be in order — though we may have seen the last of the limited-edition stylish metal containers.
But enough resting on our laurels! Moving on from past glories, an increasingly rump Planks (blasted summer travels — and I’m up next!) will be wigglin’ and groovin’ tonight at the Railway Club (579 Dunsmuir Street) from 9:15 on with our Deet Street friends, including the slam poetry of Lara, the “folk/rock/blues stylings of the Dennis Pimm Jamtacular Experience”, and our favorite — a puppet show entitled “The Tragic Tale of Pierrot” presented by Carnival Sized Cinnamon Hearts. $7/5 for Railway members!
Bonus! A doodle from Chloe Ziner of the Mind of a Snail puppet troupe!
Posted: May 23rd, 2010 | Author: Blackbox Squeezebeard | Filed under: Show announcements and recaps | Tags: Blackbox Squeezebeard, Cabaret of Wonders, Dave Moses, Dr. Steelhand, Ehren Salazar, Flying Not Falling, Little Mountain Gallery, magic, Melody Mangler, Sean Covernton, variety show, vaudeville | 1 Comment »
Back to the Little Mountain Gallery (195 E. 26th) for the second time this month, this time for a considerably more substantial bill — hark, hark, the Cabaret of Wonders has come to town! This concerted return to vaudeville was spearheaded by our magical slide guitar player Dr. Steelhand and will feature the many improbable talents of, we are told…
- The incredible juggling and clown of Flying Not Falling!
- Scorching hot burlesque from 2009 Burlesque Hall of Fame Best Debut winner Melody Mangler!
- Musical hilarity from the legendary Ehren Salazar!
- Sideshow stunt brilliance from Sean Covernton!
- Mind reading by the unbelievable Dave Moses!
- Magic from Master of Ceremonies, Travis Bernhardt!
as well as a solo set from our own Blackbox Squeezebeard and a closing set from the jug band of the damned, the Creaking Planks!
Tickets at the door are a bafflingly low $15, $12 if reserved in advance!
Posted: May 1st, 2010 | Author: Blackbox Squeezebeard | Filed under: Show announcements and recaps | Tags: Cafe Montmartre, Fang, Ingrid Gatin, Pleasing Squeezing | 3 Comments »
The latest installment in the Accordion Noir radio show’s series of exciting alt-accordion concerts, this evening of Pleasing Squeezing (Thurs May 13th) returns to Cafe Montmartre (4362 Main Street at 28th Ave) with an exciting triple-bill: not only does the jug band of the damned return to its old squeezing grounds, but joining us are Fang, the new duo side-project of Barbara Adler (who last played with us there at last year’s memorable Accordion Noir Festival launch party) and Winnipeg’s fabulous Ingrid Gatin. We play for tips at Montmartre, so you have no excuse not to join us and our joyful noise!
Posted: May 1st, 2010 | Author: Blackbox Squeezebeard | Filed under: Show announcements and recaps | Tags: Cud Eastbound, Little Mountain Gallery, locked out, Story | No Comments »
Trying to get back into the swing of things, one typically strange Planks engagement has already slipped through our nets — but here’s our next show! An early one, 6-8 pm this Saturday, at the Little Mountain Gallery (195 E. 26th at Main, where we’ve had so many good times.) You pays your cover, you gets to enjoy not only the jug band of the damned but also (border delays willing) headliner of the 2009 Accordion Noir Festival, squeezepunk Sam “Story” Wright from PEI, as well as her traveling partner on the “Lost Tour”, Cud Eastbound.
