The Guest List
Thursday December 8th, 2022 with Joe Reilly
Interviews with Stephen Fearing of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Rachel Weldon of Debaser and Kat Estacio and Eirene Cloma of Pantayo

Don't forget to support CKCU's Funding Drive by selecting Donate Now on any of our web pages and if you enjoy the interviews you hear on the Guest List then consider making your donation to this program. Thanks for all the support we've received to date. Today we open the show reconnecting with Stephen Fearing who has not been on the show in quite some time. Stephen is a great singer-songwriter who has released some of Canada's finest folk albums over the past 35 years or so. Just over 25 years ago he got together with Tom Wilson and Colin Linden for a one-off recording project to pay tribute to Willie P. Bennett. They formed Blackie and the Rodeo Kings (along with John Dymond and Gary Craig) at that time and they have continued to get together to make great music and put on memorable concerts. (O Glory is the group's 11th album.) This On Demand version of the Guest List features an extended interview with Stephen (we had to cut few segments so the program would fit into our 60 minute window on the FM airwaves) as he takes us through some of the songs on the group's latest album O Glory and talks about what to expect at the National Arts Centre on Sunday night (Dec. 11th) including some special guests with the band. We also talk about how Blackie is like THE Band for the 21st century as they explore rootsy, bluesy and folky rockin' music and through the conversation Stephen's love and admiration for his bandmates is evident. Don't miss their concert on Sunday. https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/23759 https://www.blackieandtherodeokings.com Next we check in with Rachel Weldon of Debaser about the Pique Winter edition that is taking over the entire Arts Court building this Saturday, December 10th. Rachel tells us how Debaser is producing this event to bring attention to truly alternative music and art in a wide variety of forms. There will be concerts featuring great musicians, DJs, dancers, visual artists, an artisan marketplace and music panels exploring a wide range of themes. Rachel also provides a few key picks from the extensive lineup. It's a pay what you can event and kicks off Saturday afternoon and runs into the wee hours that night (or is it the next morning?!) Check out details about Pique right here: https://thisispique.com https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/pique-winter-edition-tickets-454013475527 Pantayo is one of the freshest sounding groups I've heard in a long time and they are coming to perform as part of Pique at Arts Court on Saturday night. Pantayo is a Canadian quintet consisting of queer members of the Filipino diaspora and was formed in 2012. We talk to Kat Estacio and Eirene Cloma of Pantayo and they tell us about how the group's amazing sound comes from combining elements of kulintang with electronic, synth-pop, punk, and R&B music. It's a fascinating interview and hopefully will get you primed to head out to Pique to see Pantayo on Saturday night. https://pantayo.bandcamp.com Get out and see some live music this week if you can. Take care out there.