FEBRUARY - MARCH 1996 / Emiy 15

Matthew Burnett (Painting co-rep):

“My priorities to the Students’ Union are to make
this school easier to live in.”

Rena Del Pieve Gobbi
(Women Students liaison):

Sam Shem (First Year co-rep)
“My priorities are to speak on behalf of my
constituency, and also to give different
points of view to the Students’ Union. |
would like to see more stuff happen in this
school; more spirit, more creativity, because
it’s not happening right now, and | want to
change things in our school.”

Bob Wiseman

Speaks to POA

BY DAWN BUIE

Bob Wiseman didn't seem
to know that his February 8 show at
the Glass Slipper would be sold out.
Despite a rousing second encore the
house lights came on. No doubt Bob
Wiseman and Friends were thinking
of the twelve hour drive to Calgary
where a show was booked the fol-
lowing night. The career of Bob
Wiseman remains a mystery to me. |
don't want to pretend | know much
about the music business, but | know
what I like and | also know that Bob
has six albums to his name four of
which are on Warner (the label to
which he was signed when he was a
member of Blue Rodeo). Warner had
rights of first refusal for each of the
band members which meant whatev-
er they did outside the band they had
to offer to Warner first. In 1988 Bob
completed his first aloum, /n Her
Dreams ,"| was curious to see the let-
ter | would get back saying you have
our permission to go elsewhere, but
they put it out. | realized later, why
shouldn't they. It didn't cost them
anything to put it out and I'm well
known through Blue Rodeo. I've had
an interesting time because my stuff
isn't mainstream, it doesn't sell in the
way the other artists on Warner sell."
Bob also has a compilation album on
the American label, Bar None. He
seems to be taking his low profile in
stride. "I'm always trying to figure
out how to stay afloat because my
work has not been received generally
in a big way,” ;

His strategy to get better
known includes touring both the
States and Canada for the next three
years. As a respected producer of
other people's records and sound
tracks for T.V. and film he is con-
stantly getting offers of work which
must turn down if he is to commit
himself to touring. "| manage my
own affairs. I've been saying no to

contract work that makes me disap-
pear for 4 months." The money he
saved from those jobs is going direct-
ly into supporting the tour. “| went
through Canada three times last year.
You don't make enough to maintain a
vehicle to go across the country and
the expenses for the telephone and
the speeding tickets.” He says the
large population of the United State
means its the place tour, "I'm hoping
| can get a reputation in the States
like what | have in Canada. | find dif-
ferent Americans to trade with. They
set up shows for me then | take them
through Canada. There's a couple I'm
traveling with from LA. called Adam
and Chris and they just set up a
bunch of stuff | just did on the west
coast."

In the last year he made
the decision to relocate his perfor-
mances to smaller venues, giving pri-
ority to good acoustics and the
presence of an in house grand piano
while removing the focus on alco-
holic consumption, "Some people go
to these places because it's just their
thing to go to that bar. They'll even
pay 7 bucks to get in to try to score
somebody. So | try to set it up so
there's a different kind of effort
involved in coming to where I'm
playing and its been successful,
they've been more or less concerts”

He describes his strategy
as a less extreme version of jazz
pianist, Keith Jarret’s, "A lot of people
talk about what Keith Jarret is like in
concert because he's very well known
for getting upset when anyone makes
a sound. If someone coughs he stops,
and says ‘You wanna cough, cough!"
People write about him like a prima
donna. To me what Jarret is doing is
very understandable because there's
a place | can get to on the piano and
its very difficult to get there with

noise in the background. One because
there's noise in the background, two
because you can't help but think no
one gives a fuck."

Bob Wiseman doesn't read
music, "I'm self taught, everyone in
my family plays. They all used to
improvise and jam together. They
were bigger so they would get the
instruments, | used to play pot lids
and things like that. As an adult I've
sought out other people to study cer-
tain things with, that | want to
know."

He plays both the piano
and guitar during performances, the
piano being his outlet for the most
intense explorations of composition.
"I'm interested in sculpting sound. |
think | do it in a way that's fairly
melodic at the same time. | think a
lot of people can follow what I'm
doing whether or not they can
describe it after."

The Wednesday night show
was a fairly even mix between his
improvisational piano pieces and his
uniquely phrased balladic songs. He
incorporated the slamming of the
piano seat and the swooshing rattle
of a metal tape measure into a repet-
itive piece called breaking Philip's
Glass, or it might have been the
unnamed piece. He maintained a
structure to the song by coming back
to a certain note on the piano even
while walking around the stage
searching for something to add to
the improvisation. The ease with
which he maintained the tempo of
the piece while adding elements that
surprised both himself and the audi-
ence, added an excitement to the
performance that encouraged the
audience to be aware of the immedi-
acy of the experience.

Another mystery about Bob
Wiseman's music is why it never gets
played on the radio. He agrees that
his last two albums City of Wood and
Acquired Beliefs contain songs that
could fit into the pop scene, "There
would probably be more interest and
demand for my work if it was played,
but life's too short for me to care.
I've got to realistically try to solve
the problem of doing things at the

“My priorities are making sure that women’s
issues are made known to the student body, but
none of [the women] ever get in contact with
me and let me know what their issues are, so

maybe they should.”

level they are at. | create work that
can fly in several directions at once."

He talked about the way
artists that are saying something in a
new way are not always well known
in their own time. After his Tofino
concert he ended up in an argument
with someone who thought 20th
century art was without depth. “It
was an absurd thing, and right away
| started to tell him how untrue that
was and he started to agree with me.
He just wasn't thinking. What | ended
up talking to him about was how Van
Gogh didn't sell anything in his life. |
was make the point that artists are
often caught up with after the fact
Joni Mitchell said that artists are the
antenae of the earth, and | thought
that was really bang on. Not every-
one’s work is understood in their
time, it is often a slower moving
thing that is celebrated. Just listen to
the radio, there are a lot of things
that are mediocre constantly being
celebrated as being significant.”

Much of Bob Wiseman's
music could be deemed political, in
that he writes about specific people
and situations that are difficult and
generate controversy. Some songs
aren't easy to listen to. City of Wood
from the aloum of the same talks
about the pervasiveness of rape in
our society "He sits beside you in the
classroom, he sits beside you on the
bus, He's the one that seems so
friendly, He's the one everyone
trusts...don't you be calling him to be
baby-sitting your kids, nothing turns
him on like the vulnerable near his
prick."

"Have a Nice Day" also
from City of Wood is a very funny
satire about one right wing lawyer's
answering machine, "Hi , you've
reached the answering machine of
Douglas Christie one time head of
the Western Canada Concept Party
and lawyer for John Ross Taylor
accused of promoting racial hatred,
..lawyer for Amir Finta accused Nazis
war criminal, lawyer for Therance
Screeba and Bill Harkas the self pro-
claimed head of the Manitoba Ku

continued on page 28
reomay -wneor 1996 | amy 15

Matthew Burnett (Painting co-rep):
“My prot tothe Stents" Union are to make
ths sthoo ease to Tei.”

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Bob Wiseman doesn't read _ new way are not alvays wel known
Speaks to POA itn apache fa Ue Ate To
by aon Bue ty family plays. hey all used to concert he ended up in an argument
improvise and jam together. They with someone who thought 20th
were bigger so they would get the century art was without depth "t
Bob Wiseman didn't stem contract work that makes me dsap- instruments, used to play pot lids was an absurd thing, and right away
to know that his February @ show at pear for 4 months" The money he and things ike tha. AS an adult Ive started otll him how untrue that
the Glass Slipper would be sold out. saved from those jobs is going drect- sought out other people to study ce-_was and he started to agree with me.
Despite arousing second encore the ly into supporting the tur. "I went tain things with, that | want to He just wasnt thinking, What | ended
house lights came on. No doubt Bob through Canada thre times last yea. know ‘up talking to him about was how Van
Wiseman and Friends wee thinking You dont make enough to maintain a He plays both the piano Gogh dd sel anything in is ie
ofthe twelve hour drive to Calgary vehicle ogo actos the country and and guitar during performances, the was make the poit that artists are
were a show was booked the fol- the expenses forthe telephone and piano being his out forthe most often caught up with after the fat
lowing night. The carer of Bob the speeding tickets" He says the _intense explorations of composition. Joni Mitchell ai that artists are the
Wiseman remains a mystery to me. large population ofthe United State “Ym interested in sculpting sound, | antenae ofthe earth and I thought
‘don't want to pretend know much meansitsthe place tout,"Tm hoping think ! doit ina way that's fairy that was really bang on. Not every-
about the music business, but know | can get a reputation inthe States melodie at the same time. | thinka one’s wok is understood in thee
what ik and aso now that Bob ike what | have in Canada. find df= ft of people can follow what fm time its often a slower moving
has sc albums tohis name four of ferent Americans to trade with They going whether or not they an thing that is celebrated ust listen to
ich ae on Wamer (the label to setup shows for me then Itake them describ it aft ‘the radio, there ae alt of things

hich he was signed when he was @ through Canada, There's a couple 'm The Wednesday night show that are mediocre constantly being
‘member of Blue Rodeo). Warner had traveling with from LA. called Adam

was a faiy even mix between his celebrated as being significant”
Tights of ist refusal foreach ofthe and Chis and they just set up 2 improvisational piano pieces and his Much of Bob Wiseman's
‘band members which meant whatev- bunch of stuf just dd onthe west uniquely phrase balaic songs. He musi could be deemed politcal, in
er they gid outside the band they ha coast” corporated the slamming of the that he writes about specific people
to offer to Warner fst. n 1988 Bob Inthe last year he made piano seat andthe swooshng rattle and situations that are difficult and
‘completed his fist album, InHer the decision to relocate his perfor- of a metal tape measur into a repet- generate controversy. Some songs
‘Dreams: was curious to see the let~ maces to smaller venues, giving bri- tive piece called breaking Philips. arent easy to listen to. ity of Wood
ter would get back saying you have orty to good acoustis and the Glas, ort might have been the from the album ofthe same tas
‘ur pemission to go esewhere, but presence of an in house grand piano unnamed piece. He maintained a about the pervasiveness of rape in
they putt out. | realized later, why while removing the focus on alco- structure tothe song by coming back our society “He sits beside you inthe
shouldnt they. did't cost them ole consumption, “Some people 90 to a certain note onthe piano even classroom, ests Beside you on the
anything to putt out and tm well to these places because it’ just their ile walking around the stage ‘bus, He's the one that seems so
Known through Blue Rodeo. ve ha thing to goto that bar. The even. searching for something to add to friendly, He's the one everyone
‘an intersting time because my tuff pay7 bucks to get into try score the improvisation The ease with __tustsdorit you be calling him to be
isnt mainstream, it doesn't sel in the somebody So ty tose it up 30 hich he maintained the tempo of baby-sitting your Kd, nothing tums
way the other artists on Warner stl.” there's ferent kindof efor ‘the piece while adding elements that him on like the vulnerable near his,
Bob also has a compilation album on involved in coming to where fm surprised both himself andthe audi-- prick.”
the American label Bar None. He paying and its been sucessful, ‘ence, added an excitement tothe “Have a Nice Day aso
seems tobe tating his low profile in they've Been mor or ss concerts” perfomance that encouraged the from City of Wood is ver funay
stride “Fm always trying to figure He describes his strategy audience tobe aware af the immedi- about one right wing lawyer's
‘ut how to stay afloat because my asa less extreme version of azz acy ofthe experience. answering machine, “Hi, youve
work has not been received generally pianist, Keith Jaret’, "Alot of people ‘Another mystery about Bob reached the answering machine of
ina big way? talk about what Keith Jaret in Wiseman's music is why itrever gets Douglas Cristie one time head of

His strategy to get beter concert because he's very wellknown played onthe radio. He agrees thatthe Westem Canada Concept Party

| known includes touring both the forgetting upset when anyone makes is ast two albums City of Wood and and lawyer for John Ros Tayor
‘States and Canada forthe next three a sound. Ifsomeone coughs he stops, Acquired Beliefs contain songs that. accused of promoting racial hated,
‘years Asa respected producer of andsays"You wanna cough, cough!’ could tnt the popscene,"There_ lawyer for Amie Fnta accused Nazis
ter people's records and sound People write about him lea prima would probably be more interest and war criminal, awyer fr Therance
tracks for TV and film hes con- donna. To me what Jaret s doing is demand for my work fit was payed, Sereeba and Bl Harks the self pro
tantly getting offers of work which very understandable because there's but lifes too short for me tocar. claimed head ofthe Maitoba Ku
‘ust tum down ifhe is to commit a place Ian get to onthe piano and Ive got to realistically try to solve
himself to touring. "I manage my its very iffcut to get therewith the problem of doing things atthe
‘own affairs. ve been sayina no to coral on ge 8

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