Updates: August - December 2000
December 31, 2000 - As we await a Moe Berg section on MapleMusic, the site asked him to name some of his favourite music for the year 2000. His picks were typically eclectic: Separation Anxieties by 12 Rods, Ian Pooley's Since Then, Behind the Music: the Rick Springfield Collection, Vertigo by Groove Armada and Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rock Stars' "Time Travel Tonite" single (which Moe had a hand in producing along with appearing in the video).
December 14, 2000 - Ring the travel agents and get that can of mousse out of the bottom of your drawer. Monteforte will be back to rock the world at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto January 20th. Since that coincides with Inauguration Day in the U.S., Americans wishing for respite will be especially welcome. (Hey, didja notice there - the 'shoe has its own website now. How cool is that?)
December 5, 2000 - The reclusive but industrious Kris Abbott chose a very cool event for her latest resurfacing. Last week at Lee's Palace in Toronto, she played backup guitar in a rare performance by the fabulous and notorious Canadian rock legend Carole Pope (best known for the band Rough Trade, which opened many eyes, minds and legs in their day). Ms. Pope was promoting her recently-published highly-regarded memoir, Anti-Diva. What's more, you can see and hear Kris and Carole for yourself at PrimeTicket.net. Just keep in mind, it's for Real Player only, but its ubiquitous download link is at hand on the show page. (Dec. 10: This wasn't the first time these ladies have performed together. In the book, you can read about another show they did in Michigan with Diana Ross' bassist and Sandra Bernhard's drummer! Follow the Carole Pope link above for ordering info.)
November 26, 2000 - The Green Room is back on Chapters.ca for your ordering pleasure here. This may be part of a recent deal to get it in physical Chapters as well, so Canadians can check your local shelves.
November 20, 2000 - The Mini Literary Press Junket marches on: see today's very good Globe and Mail feature on Moe Berg and that book of his here.
November 18, 2000 - For once, Moe was the correct lone voice in the wilderness. The Green Room is now available in Indigo bookstores across Canada. For the location nearest you, see here. And thanks to another such voice, Mike Russell, for letting us know the world can now order the book online through Winnipeg's fabulous McNally Robinson Booksellers. Just punch in your search at the top of their home page and you're off and running.
November
14, 2000 - Over there on the left at the CTV studio for "Open Mike..."
is the guy Mike Bullard called "Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky" last week. For
the original picture and a rundown of the show from the lovely Open Mike website,
click on this photo and go to Nov. 8 in the Archive (buggers aren't letting
us go direct!). At the very least, go to the site because Mike let him leave
with a mug...unlike the guys at "Bynon".
- Among the tidbits surfacing on Moe's Mini Literary Press Junket: TPOH is officially on "a bit of a hiatus," and when he happens to record any new songs, he'll make mp3s available on his still-to-come section of MapleMusic. As for where you can get The Green Room, the kids at Gutter Press assure that it's available at independent bookstores across Canada, and will likely be back at Chapters by next week. Meanwhile, Moe himself says he's seen it physically at Indigo. (More updates to come on this issue.)
- Also, Moe was the "Two Minute Interview" in the National Post today. To read it, head over here.
November 5, 2000 - Last Thursday marked the official launch of Moe's book The Green Room with a party at a packed Lava Lounge in Toronto. Moe read a bit from the book, regaled with a tale of trying to steal a Bynon coffee mug, and basically did the do as all the copies there sold out. In Toronto, the book is available at Pages bookstore at Queen and John. For more info, check with the publisher Gutter Press and see about ordering from Chapters.ca. (Nov. 13: at the moment, Chapters.ca is out-of-stock. Check here for upcoming updates on where you can get The Green Room.) Among the revelers was the elusive Kris Abbott, who had the great long-awaited news that her project is completed enough that talks are on to get it released. (For what details we have on this project, check Kris' listing in the To Review section.) In other good news, it looks like those hardest-to-find TPOH and Moe CD's (mainly the ones from Iron Music) will soon be available on MapleMusic. Watch this space for when it hits the 'net.
- Back to the book for a moment: one of the stories, "After Dinner," can be found online on the website for literary magazine Taddle Creek. Check it out here.
November 1, 2000 - Don't look now, but Moe Berg has joined The Land of the Literary Press Junket in Canada. Read about Moe and The Green Room now in the Toronto Sun/Canoe.ca here, listen to him talk about it tonight at about 7:20pm eastern on Edge102 in Toronto (click that link to get more on hearing it online), see him talk about it on Prime's "Bynon" tonight at 6pm eastern (it was taped, y'see), see him talk about it while getting decorating tips from Debbie Travis on CTV/Comedy Network's "Open Mike With Mike Bullard" November 8 and then see him talk about hockey (hopefully) while mentioning the book in passing on TSN's "Off the Record" the next day. For more on the book (is there more?) and ordering info, hit the links down at the Oct. 20 Update.
October 23, 2000 - So Toronto's Entertainment District finally lived up to its name when Monteforte played there Saturday night. While there was concern not everything would come together with the last-minute venue change, surely the Gods of Show Business were working overtime for the worthy benefit of the Sunday Brunch Softball League. (You think I'm kidding about that last part, don't you?) Situated in a fenced-in area at the front window of Shoeless Joe's, the Monts were resplendent in baseball outfits - and who knew there were Chicago Blackhawks baseball jerseys? All the hits were there, including "99 Red Balloons," "Unskinny Bop," "Angel of the Morning" (featuring deft mallet work by Bobby "Crunch" Dupont),"My Sharona," "Papa Don't Preach," and crowd favourite "Sweet Caroline." Everyone in the house was rockin' fervently, and only noticed after the encore of "I Touch Myself" that the Yankees had just won Game 1 of the World Series. Clearly their attention was diverted by those ladies dancing with those poles near the stage. Talks are on to make those poles a permanent part of the Monteforte stage experience.
October 20, 2000 - This just in - that new venue for the Oct. 21st Monteforte show is Shoeless Joe's, at the corner of King and Spadina in Toronto. The festivities will be open to the public at 9:30pm, with the Monts hitting the stage (or whatever they have at Shoeless Joe's) around 10.
- And Moe's book The Green Room will be on Canadian bookshelves early next week. Again, you can get more info from the publisher Gutter Press and order from Chapters.ca.
October 9, 2000 - Moe says the fussing is done with his book The Green Room, and it's off to the printer's. The release date is October 20, when all the fussing will then be done by the readers and the critics. (For more and ordering info, check back down at Aug. 29 Update.)
October 1, 2000 - The notoriously fabulous Monteforte are back on the boards. They'll play an intimate show (cunningly disguised as a softball banquet) October 21 at the Tranzac Club, on Brunswick just south of Bloor in Toronto. As far as we know, it is open to the adoring public, but perhaps you'll have better luck if you're from Australia or New Zealand...or play softball. Talks are now underway for a bigger show at the Horseshoe around holiday time, so cross your fingers and watch this space. (And who the hell are Monteforte? Sheesh! Okay, check here.) [Oct. 10: the Tranzac will now no longer be the venue for this shindig. Watch this space for the venue update.]
September 4, 2000
- As previously suggested August 25, you can now download TPOH's 1998 demos
on mp3. Dave Gilby has them up on Napster, but they were difficult for anyone
to find until mailing listers Tom Atkins and Thomas Estes were able to make
it easier for everyone by putting them on temporary servers accessible from
the net. Then our beloved Rob
Winder found a more permanent home for them. Thanks to all those guys for
making this possible.
August 29, 2000 - Info is surfacing about Moe Berg's upcoming début book of stories, The Green Room, as the "mid-September" release approaches. The publisher, the feisty Toronto house Gutter Press, has the cover art and promo blurbs here. If you're really eager, though, you can also pre-order now through Chapters.ca. (September 1: Moe now says there's still some fussing being done with design and copy, so the release might be pushed back to the first of October.)
August 25, 2000 - The most recent time TPOH recorded anything in a studio was at the beginning of 1998, when they (Moe, Dave, Brad, Kris and Renee) did a 4-song demo which was later shopped around to no avail. Now, you can look over the lyrics, and stay tuned for details on where to download the mp3s.
Updates: 9/01-1/02 / Updates:
4-8/01 / Updates: 1-3/01
Updates: 4-7/00 / Updates:
12/99 - 03/00