30 — Friday. November 20. 1998 — Nontn Shore News @ Pluto opens for Reel Big Fish at the Startish Room on Sunday, Nov, 22. Bob Mackin Contributing Writer PLUTO drummer Justin Leigh is on the phone from Winnipeg. The Vancouver band has been on tour most of the fall. Leigh catches up on some local news, including the probable reopesing of the Commadore Ballroom nest spring. One of the band’s most memorable gigs, he says, was 4 the Granville Street music hall in January 1996, Plute ger the crowd bouncing for the first time on the renowat ed springboard Noor when it opencd a show tor Brit-pop pers Blur. Seven months later the Commodore was was shut down ina landlord-tenant dispute. If Varscouver city council approves a bid be Roger Gibson and Brace Allen te resurrect the Commodore. Leigh saves Muto wants to be on stage to rechristen the venue. “To hope we're the first band to play it.” Leigh says. “We were the fine band to phiy the new floor, no one can take that away from as. Dont ya chink it’s appropriate we're the first band to open the Commadore:” For now, Pluto and most ofits local fans will have te settle tor ayy at the cosy Starfish Rooo. Thar’s where the band willbe on Sunday at the end of across Canada tour opening for Reet Big Fish. “He's the first purely all-ages tour in Canada that we've done, although the show in Vancouver is the only ane that’s nor all-ages. They've been packed, it’s been a good tour.” Pluto’s younger fans will have to wait for another Hine io sce the power pop quartet. Vancouver has no dedicated ill-ages venue the size of the Starfish and, Leigh says, Reel Big Fish wanted to play the Hamer Street venue after cancelling a show there on a previous tour. Pluto’s members have tried to pay special attention to the vounger segment of their audience throughout their five years together. The band made some new fans during 3 photo shoot for the new album at the Fraser Academy, a Kitsilano private school for dyslexic children. ° The album is called Shake Hands With The Future and what better symbol of the future than school children, the band figured. Leigh, Ian Jones (vocals/guitar), John Ounpuu (bass/vocals) and Rolf Hetherington (guitar) were welcomed by music teacher Bill Napier-Hemy, who played guivar in Vancouver's seminal new wave hand the Pointed Sticks. The photo shoot spawned a jam session neither the band nor ihe students are iikely to forget. “We went down there and they asked us to play for them. We said we'll play for them if they play for us. When you play for us, you've gotta let us take some pictures of you, we said.” Leigh and Ounpuu met at high school in Richmond and went on to grad- uate from the University of B.C. in commerce and English fiterature, respec: tively. They joined Jones from Sidney, B.C. and Hetherington from Surrey. At their first band practice, they wrote a pair of songs and cut a seven-ineh single three weeks later. Their debut album Cool Way To Feel was released on Vancouver indepen- Photos Stacey Kuhn WEST Coast Music Awards host Colin James (leit) picked up an award for Musician of the Year; Sarah McLachian added four more to her collection. Photo Una Knor PLUTO (left to right, John Ounpuu. ian Jones, Rolf Hetherington and Justin Leigh) expect Shake Hands with The Future CD to get early 1999 reiease in the U.S. dent label Mint Records in 1995. Virgin signed the band and released an updated version of the same dise a vear later. After extensive touring, the band spent much of 1997 experimenting with new sounds and techniques at an cight-track studio in a Kitsilano rehearsal space. When it came time to record Shaxe Hands With The Futuie, Pluto enlisted hotshot Philadelphia producer Phil Nicolo and booked time at the Greenhouse Studio in Burnaby. Thirty songs were pared down to a dozen infectious power-pop nuggets. Leigh anticipates an carly 1999 release for the album in the U.S., where he's eager to spread Pluto's optimistic outlook for the new millennium. “Musicians and music fans have a very open attitude towards music right now and it’s that attitude, that openness toward music is spilling into many other forms of art and daily fife.” he says, “People are accepting new things right now, more than they have for a long time.” ®& West Coast Music Awards, Sunday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. on CBC-TV, channel 3. Bob Mackin Contributing Writer IF you need further proof thac Vancouver has a thriving music scene, look no further than the West Coast Music Awards. The Pacific Music industry Association's annual back-patting party hits prime time Sunday ever CBC-TV’s province-wide net- work. The rest of the country will see it by the end of the year. The show was taped Nov. 8 betore 800 people at the Plaza of Nations’ Enterprise Hall. Few were surprised when West’ Vancouver's Sarah McLachlan led the win- ners’ parade, adding four West Coast Music awards to her collection of Grammies, Junos and East Coast Music Awards. “T love it here, Pve chosen this place as my home,” the former Halifax resident said backstage. “I’ve been here 1} years and it’s honors. Band. West Ccasi names names Best rock/pop album (major): Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing. Best rock/pop albun: (inde- pendent): Damn the Diva - How and Steer. Best country album: Ray Cando suid dis Ricachets. Best folk /roots/traditional album: ‘The Paperbovs - Mattias. Best biues/r&b album: Long Joha Baldrey - Habe to Suite the Beis. Best jazz album: Metalwood > Merahvoud. Best classical album: CBC Vancouver Orchestra - Sfosart Horn Caucertos, Best dance/hip-hop/rap album: Rascals - Cash Crap. Single of the year: Sarah MeLachlan - Buihiina a Mastery. Songwriter of the year: Sarah: MeLachlan - Sweet Surrender. Producer of the year: Dale Penner (Holly AleNarland). Engineer of the year: Randy Staub (Veruca Salt - Eight Arms Ta Hold You). Musician of the year: Colin James. ; Live performer of the year: Matthew Good Band. Best male vocalist of the year: Matthew Good, Best female vocalist of the year: Sarah McLachlan. Best video director of the year: Adam Sliwinski (Farmers Danghter - Inelemency). Most supportive journalist of the year: Jeff Bateman (The Record). industry builder: Terry McBride, Nettwerk, - Volunteer spirit: Kate Polsky. | Best of the West honored really nice to be recognized, being part of this community.” McLachlan was voted femaie vocalist of the year by PMIA members. Her Surfacing album was best rock/pop atbum on a major label. “Building a Mystery” wes single of the year, while its follow-up “Sweet Surrender” earned McLachlan songwriter of the year Terry McBride, Mel.achlan’s manager and a co-founder of Nettwerk Productions, was recognized with the industry builder award. North Vancouver jazz combo Meralwood’s self-titled album was judged best jazz album. The awards were hosted by Lions Bay res- ident Colin James. James made his name in blues-rock, but he’s now dabbling in swing. He took home musician of the year honors and closed ihe show with his Little Big “Pm glad I did it, because every time you get in front of the camera you realize it’s: just another vehicle and nothing to be freaked See Rascals page 32