Vea! Bob Mackin News Reporter TF you’re going to see the Rheostatics at the Commodore Ballroom, you might as well arrive early te experience Veal. The Vancouver trio, led by Sarah MeLachlan’s former guitarist Luke Doucet, is hooking up with the Rheostatics during their B.C. tour. Ir’s a perfect east-west match because of both bands’ emphasis on guitars and non-tradi- tional pop songs. Doucet formed the band with a pair of fel- Rheostatics on dise The Rheostatics catalogue includes an eclectic mix of sounds: — The Story of Rarmelodia — The Nightlines Session — Double Live ~~ Blue Hysteria — Music Inspires by the Group of 7 — Introducing Happiness — Whale Music (motion pie- ‘ture soundtrack) — Whale Music — Melville — Greatest Hits Rheostatics’ drummer Don Kerz, who also plays with sign on for WIN TICKETS TO SEE THE RHEOSTATICS Photo submitted RHEOSTATICS’ Martin Ticiti (left), Don Kerr, Dave Bidini and Tim Vesely piay the Commaedore Baliroom next Thursday with Veal during a tour of B.C. The band’s 10th album The Sicry of Harmelodia was released in December. low ex-Winnipegers Howard Redekopp (bass) and Chang (drums) in 1995. The name was copped from the veal-fattening pens (a.k.a. ofkee cubicles) of Douglas Coupland’s Generation X novel. The debut album Hot Loser was recorded in 1997 with ex-MecLachlan bandmate Dave patil and Nettwerk Records’ engineer Gleu cely, The sophomore album Tilt o’ Whirl was released laste fall, in che wake of rave reviews for shows at last spring's NewMusicWest festival in Vancouver. Tilt o Whirl was cecorded with Rheostatics* producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda, in part at 54-40's rehearsal space in Vancouver. Ron Sexsmith’s band, has ‘The Aheostaties of Harmetodia. released his own children’s return to Vancouver Send your entries t book and CD. The Sniffing for a show at the Rheostatics - . . Commodore next Contest, North Princess {and the Seti et Toaths Thursday, Jan 23. Shore News, 1138 Prince) is described as “a Enter to win twe tickets Lonsdais Avenue, fun, rhyming story, full of to the show and a copy North Vancouver, BC silly drawings and words”. at thelr new €D by ' VM 284, ato: John The four-song CD is avail- tetling us the name o| Goodnien. You can the fantasy wortd fax entries to 985-2204 able at Rheostatics’ concerts where Dot and Bug get or e-mail to and via mail order through Www. passport.ce a/~sexsmith/sni Sfingprincesstwo.hrml fost oa their sizy to Harmetodia. Sezondary prize winners will receive a copy of the new double-CD the sory . Deadline for the contest ts Monday, Jan. 17,5 p.m. Winners wit! be telephoned. .C. tour @ The Rheostatics with Veal, Thurs. Jan. 26 ar the Commodore Ballroom. Tickets S15 at Ticketmaster and Zulu Records. Por infe call 739-SHOW. Bob Mackin News Reporter THE Rhecoszatics” discography includes a musical interpretation of the Group of Seven’s painted works. That was released afer they recorded songs inspired by Whale Music. Paul Quarrington’s novel abour a reclusive musician. Now they've released their most ambitious conceptual work to date: a children’s albam called The Story of Harsmelodia. This stutTisa‘t what you'd expect trom an average four-man rock band. But the Rheostatics aren't 3 run-of-the-mill quartet. The Story of Harmelodia is a fairy tale penned by guitarist/singer Dave Bidini and released through Halitax’s Perimeter Records. It’s about a boy and girl, Dot and Bug, who get lost in 2 fantasy world called Popopolis on their way to music lessons in Harmelodia. Guitarist /singer Martin Tielli illustrated the accompanying storybook. Bidini, Tielli, bassist /singer Tim Vesely and drummer/cellist Don Kerr did the 20-track album vith a little help fram their friends — producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda, Weeping Tile’s Sarah Harmer, Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie, Barenaked Ladies’ keyboardist Kevin Hearn and narrator Janet Morrassutti. It’s been so long since the idea was hatched that Bidini can’t pinpoint the genesis of Zhe Story of Harmeledia, the band’s 10th album. “When you look back it’s like looking at 4 ern ay FAA TAM inches 2c FFAS freky & AM Maney Hovis etiies a ies ly teense Fees tan UP teribedd Sent taeda 12 sen ores Monn cons. creme om BO bd ek OAC Amhune wie otaus Cony” aot bets te eam Arrue Serna Acie Fee it 43 utes Cond ponte aye Leann chy “arywrerp n TELLS Minit ane ae Coee eye wt ae ‘North Vancouver #2 - 987 Marine Drive © $88-3360 Capilano Mall, #21 - 935 Marine Drive * 980-3344 13 locations in the Lower Mainland serving Abtolstord, Burnaby, Chilwack, Coquitlam, Langley, Nerih Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey, South Surrey/White Rock plus Victoria www.teamapex.net (i new sounds very blurry photograph,” he said from Toronto last week. “I'm sot sure what the moti- vation was beyond juse wanti- ng to do something unexpect- ed of ourselves. It wouldn't just be a collection of runes, it Was an avenue to explore ncw sounds and create new sounds.” The band even invented an instrument with which to cre- ate those new sounds: the wingophone. Bidini says the stary demanded an exotic instrument be created. Se they cobbled together pieces of trumpet, piano and long, metal tubing to make the world’s first wingophore. They'll be bringing one west with the rest of their equipment for 3 B.C. tour that begins Tuesday in Vancouver with a live acoustic performance /autograph session at the Granville and Broadway Chapters at 7 p.in. “T don’t know who'll be playing it,” Bidini says. “Don is pretty good at those weird insuru- ments, so he'll probably be playing it.” Bidini never went to music lessons growing up in suburban Toronto. But he was instead weaned on a steady diet of C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carroll, the Kinks, Andy Kaufman, Sesame Street, Pink Floyd, punk rock and Fraggle Rock. There “was a lot of stuff that I can think of that appealed to my sensibility when I was 11 or 12 that adults were liking as well. That was our goal: we wanted to make the kind of music that Kids and adults could like.” The Story of Harmelodia could carry the Rheostatics and their fans intu 2001 and beyond. Bidini says there has been talk of a bigger coffee table version of the CD story- book and even an animated film, @ fa the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine . See Bidini Page 2 “Based on anew 3 year activation. {Offer good until January 31/00) TELUS" Mobiiity