I want to tell y’all about how I learned to use a microphone.

My whole life, I wanted to be an artist. And I always thought I knew enough about it to do it, so eventually I just found some pals, and did it.

We had places to play. We worked at it. #albertamusic #albertaculture

We did pretty well for a few years, getting really good because we played often, and all night long. That was with The Give ‘Em Hell Boys. Good buddies I played with and learned about being in a band with for 4 years. #albertamusic #albertaculture

I started writing songs and playing them myself. Waylon Jennings, Steve Earle kind of country. Good stuff, and I worked incessantly at it, playing every night at some open mic somewhere while working days in refineries. I definitely burned the candle at both ends for awhile.

I started a band to play my stuff, called The Moanin’ After. I still played non-stop, and brought the band whenever I could afford it, which meant I did it more often than I should, but I sure liked those songs with the band behind them.

But that living was getting rough.

Between the money to make records, pay the band, buy merch, and travel, I was investing every penny back into being an artist. I played festivals, bars, open mics, often for beers or gas money, all over Alberta, just to see the province too, and make like-minded friends.

Playing live in front of people ain’t for the weary. If you ain’t ready, your shit falls flat, and you get to immediately see the reaction.

I knew I could get a laugh, and my voice would perk up some ears in the bar, so I got to learn how to use that microphone.

There were huge biffs. Stuff doesn’t land just because I think it’s funny. But being able to play through it made me a better artist, and one that I hoped represented my friends, city, and province in a good way.

Reputation follows you. You can be a great party, but you can’t not be a player too. The art, the music has to be real, and you have to work to do that. Rewrites, cowrites, trashing songs that don’t work and always having a few up your sleeve for the moment.

A hundred songs that people know and love just so you can win them over for another chance to win them over with the next one, and hopefully dig your own that you focus on, because that’s your work.

#albertamusic #albertaculture

And people who loved the atmosphere around a club, and were passionate to build a business around it, and give all those young artists chances?

They were riding the same hopes we were—that something amazing might happen, on some random freezing snowy Wednesday on the Prairies.

And it did. Often. Magic. You just had to be there to hear it and feel it.

It was all made in Alberta. We watched friends’ dreams come true, when they’d get to play the cool venues or got booked for festivals we loved.

I got to play Wunderbar, The Empress, The Artery, The Pawn Shop, Mikey’s Juke Joint, Eddie Shorts, Hooliganz, The Druid, DW’s, The Vat...

All of those venues are gone now. Only a few a result of covid (Empress), but also because it’s hard to maintain a venue on passion alone

The ones we still love? The Black Dog, The Starlite Room, Broken City, The Palomino, The Ship, The Ironwood, Mikey’s on 12th, The Owl, The Slice, The Aviary, The Auditorium Hotel? These are places where Alberta arts and culture grow, and they’re being ditched by the GoA. #ableg

Alberta culture is more than just music. Galleries, museums, libraries—all public facilities being starved because they don’t fit the UCP’s idea of wealth generation.

The venues are small businesses, providing a place for the culture of our province to grow and thrive.

They’re gathering places for people of all backgrounds, & safe spaces for marginalized people. Real arts spaces have carried the progressive mantle for Alberta quietly for years, creating and maintaining collaborative spaces for the open-minded to get together and share passions.

I had plans to drop a new record by Smokes, Let’s Go last year, but Covid burned that one. My focus has been on a huge number of things this past year, but I never forget where I learned how to be the good person I am now.

I learned it from Alberta artists and arts lovers.

I learned it on a microphone in front of varying sizes of crowds.

I’ve seen so much of Alberta because of the culture industry, and that’s a huge reason I know Alberta like I do. I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to play for people.

There needs to be support for the small businesses in the Alberta arts and culture sector.

Unfortunately, the UCP refuses to govern for all Albertans, while cutting huge cheques to their base (who are likely very angry with them right now) in the religion industry.

Yet another pet project of conservative policy, to give public money to another industry that doesn’t pay taxes, whether oil or religion, while small Alberta culture entrepreneurs watch their investments in our culture and economy devoured by time alone in the Covid era. #ableg

I still think like an artist. It’s unavoidable, because that’s who I am. And I want to continue my small contributions to Alberta culture when this is over, and have a place to do it, whether at a venue or at a festival, or a tailgate party.

We’ll play anywhere, and once I’m not rusty anymore, I will too. And so will all my best friends.

The microphone won’t have changed. I hope my favourite stages are still the same too. #ableg #albertamusic #albertaculture @Alberta_Music @ckuaradio @StarliteRoom