WEST COAST HERE WE COME.

I bet you anything that if you have been to a west jet or air Canada terminal in the past few days the boarding line would not look unlike the line up for an Indian taco during lunch break at a pow wow. That, my friends, is because big things are happening in the city of Vancouver this week...everyone is going to be in town for some major artistic NDN celebrations. Two of which your dream boys from A Tribe Called Red will be contributing to. On Friday night A Tribe Called Red will be a part of an amazing event that happens on select Fridays when the Vancouver Art Gallery is transformed into FUSE, a night dedicated to live performance and music. The gallery will be open to the public so they can party amongst the amazing galleries while taking in the sounds of singers, deejays and other surprises throughout the night. Not only will A Tribe Called Red be spinning collectively but Bear will be featuring some stuff of his own along side multi media artist Jackson 2Bears, Vancouver Island's based Skeena Reece (she also founded the Native Youth Artists Collective, very cool be sure to look it up) aaannnd our bro bro OSTWELVE! Anyone who has had the opportunity to check out the Vancouver Art Gallery (the VAG?) knows it is an enchanting venue and to be able to have so many amazing artists doing their thing under one roof for one night only is something that shouldn't be missed if you are in the area. I also have a feeling that there is going to be lots of special guests in the house because this is the "unofficial" after party for the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards which are happening on Friday night when fifteen stand out contributors are going to be honoured for their efforts towards different areas of the first nations community. Can you guys believe the awards are being co-hosted by Theo Fleury, yeah that's right, the NHL veteran and by far my favorite contestant on Battle of the Blades (shout out to one of a kind CBC programming). As if that's not enough there is an after party for the after party happening with Indigenous After Dark hosted by Ryan McMahon and as if the line up for that isn't insane already JB The First Lady was just added...I know it seems late to start a party but this is your chance to re fuel because there is going to be complimentary traditional food and other refreshments. And who knows who could be taking the stage ;)

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR OR ONLINE!

OH MY MAN, you know? That's not even the entirety of it! Because on Saturday night the world famous Electric Pow Wow is taking over the W2 downtown Vancouver. If you have been to an Electric Pow Wow before than I will trust you know what this means and if you have only ever heard the legends of the Electric Pow Wow being passed around and it is still just a dream you have to be able to attend one than word to your mother because this weekend your life will change forever. Electric Pow Wow: West Coast Potlatch Edition is going to be so insanely good with special guests JACKSON 2BEARS, EMOTIONZ AAAANND KINNIE STARR just to name a few. This night is being put on in celebration with the annual Talking Stick Festival, a two week long citywide festival that provides a stage for extraordinary Aboriginal artists; established and emerging, national and international, performing live music, dance, theatre, multi-media, storytelling and performance art.

All in all this is going to be a weekend for the books, I don't know how it could be a bad time with so many amazing, creative people in one city just raring to get out and have a good time. Big ups to the W2 Media Cafe for doing a big part in hosting this weekends events and to all the sponsors who were excited to take part. Also! Good luck to all the hosts, recipients and performers involved in the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards...the awards are year after year an amazing production filled with talent, beautiful sets and wise words and I'm sure this year will be no different.

I've added a few links to the official event pages for each night as well as a link to the online ticket booth for the two W2 events, they have a great deal going on that combines both nights.

ELECTRIC POW WOW: WEST COAST POTLATCH EDITION

INDIGENOUS AFTER DARK: LATE NIGHT MULTI-MEDIA EVENT

BEAT NATION: ART, MUSIC AND ABORIGINAL CULTURE @ THE VAG

If you want to be updated live about these events and all the other crazy things that the featured artists and friends of ATCR will be getting up to this weekend go ahead and follow the fam and others on twitter

@atribecalledred @theBEARwitness @djShub @deejayNDN @littlegirlrage @OSTwelve @KinnieSTARr @W2MediaCafe @EmotionzMusic @RMComedy @NAAF_FNRA @JBthefirstlady #vancouver #electricpowwow #indigenousafterdark #nativerthanyou

Tweet us any pictures that you might get of the good times going down, and would someone please snag me Adam Beach's autograph?

Hey

A Tribe Called Red is heading back to Vancouver this week to take part in a couple of amazing events, so keep posted on how you can get to those of you are a resident of Vancouver and in the mood to check out some cool things happening in your city.

Until then, if you are a resident of our Nation's capitol get over to The Standard Luxury Tavern tonight to hang out with Deejay NDN.

HAPPY SATURDAY!

That's Fish Fillet

So, my abdominal muscles are honestly still sore from the workout they got from laughing a week ago when the 1491's crashed Babylon with us and good friend Poirier from Montreal. I mean, when the facebook attendee list reaches over three hundred you can only hope that each of those people invited one person who isn't on facebook and it certainly felt that way by the time the night got underway...Babylon was packed. Mind you, we almost didn't make it to our own show running on typical NDN time we decided ordering dinner half an hour before doors opened would give us enough time to sit and eat so needless to say we got ours to go.

I think Ryan and Dallas have that look on their faces because they are still kind of baffled over the fact that they couldn't get any fried okra with their brisket...wait. what? no sweet beans either?!.

So I really want to tell you about the 1491's but I don't think I can do a better job than they have done on their website...

"The 1491s is a sketch comedy group, based in the wooded ghettos of Minnesota and buffalo grass of Oklahoma. They are a gaggle of Indians chock full of cynicism and splashed with a good dose of indigenous satire. They coined the term All My Relations, and are still waiting for the royalties. They were at the Custer’s Last Stand. They mooned Chris Columbus when he landed. They invented bubble gum. The 1491s teach young women how to be strong. And… teach young men how to seduce these strong women"

...pure gold right there, how could you not love them solely based on that intro? Speaking of intro's 1/4 of the 1491's, Migizi, got stopped at the airport because someone stole his passport AND his identity. This is the first time I had heard a first hand account of this happening to someone and it sounds like pretty freaky stuff and it really, truly sucks because it meant that Migizi couldn't even get on his plane and come to Ottawa. He did manage to record this awesome intro for the 1491 show which we unfortunately didn't get until the day after but it is too good not to share, maybe we can reuse it next time we do a show with these guys?



Sorry you couldn't make it bro bro...

But wait even after the comedy show was over and the doors had opened for Electric Pow Wow and the dance floor was packed we still had more fun to be had because Poirier from Montreal had yet to take over, and when he did it got crazy. Its great having a deejay as good as Poirier come down to Ottawa because he is so talented and has made a great name for himself but he is from just down the highway in Montreal.

The man Poirier in the flesh (screen?) and seriously look at the crowd in the front...madness.

People are still talking about last week man, just take a look at what some of our critics (facebook friends) are saying...

"That was a night for the books! Amazing!"

"Tribe kicked ace like shoe lace. You guys make Canada real bad ass"

-Ryan Red Corn, 1941's

"Last night was fish fillet!"

-Ian Campeau

"props on delivering an amazing show! it was awesome!"



Ryan Red Corn & Dallas Gold Tooth of the 1941's



POIRIER!

YOOOOO, THANKS TO JOHN (LEFT) WITHOUT HIM NONE OF SATURDAY'S DEBAUCHERY WOULD HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED.

THANK YOU to everyone who came out last week, if you want more hilariousity curtousy of the 1491's you can check out there youtube channel and their official website and for more of Poirier's crazy sounds please check out his official website here. ALSO thank you to the smoque shack for an amazing southern style dinner and all the staff at Babylon for working their butts off to make sure everyone was in, quenched, and safe on Saturday night.

Spreading Like...8th Fire?

Oh wow, wow. Wab love us.

CBC has just done big things and finished airing a four part mini series featuring the voices and issues of our people in Canada and let me just say this is probably one of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's most ground breaking specials since Heartland. Wab did an excellent job hosting this program, something people will be talking about for a long time and while we have always been supporters of Wab and his projects he showed the love by repping an EPW tee while hosting. Honestly, everyone likes tshirts so as long as you're wearing one it might as well acknowledge something you support and want everyone to know about riiiight?
Well, get in the game quick because our tshirts are now available on our online store for only $25 dollars or $26 dollars and we will throw in a free download for our Northern Cree Red Skin Girl Remix. We now have a permanent link that will take you to our online store and you can also click the link below to be taken there.
                                                     !  T SHIRT T SHIRT T SHIRT  !

The following clip has been all over facebook and youtube and it sums up a lot of issues in just a matter of minutes. Wab tells it like it is and the sooner you can share this with people you know the sooner people will be motivated to educate themselves on the real issues taking place in Canada that effect our people.

A Night Out With Fall Down Gallery, Jason Mullins and Deejay NDN

Fall Down Gallery was the place to be on Sunday night. Robbie and Tarek, owners of Ottawa's newest addition to the independent art and skate scene have been doing a killer job of entertaining the locals by hosting a slew of events that feature established as well as up and coming talent from the Nation's Capitol. This weekend was no different as they sent out word, inviting everyone to check out featured artist and friend of ATCR Jason Mullins. Jason has been a contributor to the local NDN community here for a while, you can find him over the summer months working at Aboriginal Experiences using performance and story telling as a modernized way of getting our traditional teachings out there. Now, through the winter months he has been using natural mediums such as feathers and driftwood from Ottawa's shores to put together statement art pieces. I almost want to call them bouquets but that doesn't quite do them justice, his artwork is bright and entertaining and definitely one of a kind and on Sunday he got to show it off to friends and fam who were verrry impressed. Alongside to keep the night going was DollsandDems working on a live art piece and Deejay NDN to keep the beats coming.



Mr. Mullins himself with his original pieces!





mingle, mingle, chat, chat, mingle.




hey! who's that guy?





As if you didn't know that was ATCR's very own Deejay NDN.



Live art by DollandDems

  HyfGypsySun and PrufRock closed the night with an amazing spoken word performance, it was really something to be heard. It seems as though them guys had rhymes for days and I hope I can catch them at the next Capital Slam Night at Mercury, or maybe at another Fall Down event. Big ups to everyone that came out and to Fall Down Gallery for bringing everyone together to experience a night that wouldn't have been found anywhere else in Ottawa, we are looking forward to the next one! Shout out to Darren Sutherland for the photos, he's got our back.