Elvis/Imps playing Whistler , BC July 20 '08

[johnfoyle]

This seems unlikely , considering the Police dates already in place.


Sat 2008-07-19 West Valley City, UT
Mon 2008-07-21 Morrison, CO, Red Rocks

http://www.glidemagazine.com/articles/5 ... tival.html

Elvis Costello, The Roots, Broken Social Scene Lead Whistler Music Festival
May 27, 2008

Elvis Costello and The Imposters, The Roots, and Canada's own Broken Social Scene are among the artists that have been tapped for the inaugural Whistler Music Festival, set to take place July 19 and 20 in Whistler, BC. The lineup reflects the eclectic taste of Whistler and Vancouver area residents and the caliber of entertainment expected by visitors to the world-class resort. Other artists secured for the two-day festival include Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Medeski Martin & Wood, Bedouin Soundclash and Serena Ryder. An additional marquee artist will be announced in the coming weeks.

[sweetest punch]

Billboard has the story also:
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/art ... 1003808532

July 20 is a free date on their Police support tour.

[johnfoyle]

It's for real -

http://www.festivalnetwork.com/events/details.php?ID=41

Whistler, BC, Canada
July 19th 2008 - July 20th 2008


Tickets on-sale May 29th at 9 am EDT
Phone: 877-655-4TIX (4849)

Whistler Music Festival is a two day event held at Whistler Blackcomb Tube Park at Base II on the side of Blackcomb Mountain.


Sunday, July 20th
Gondola Opens: 9:00 AM
Show: 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Elvis Costello and The Imposters
Broken Social Scene
Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Medeski Martin & Wood

Additional artists to be added soon!

Single-day General Admission:
Adult: CAD $67.50
Children (5 to 12 yrs): CAD $10
Children (under 5 yrs): Free

“Early Bird” single-day passes are available at the special price of CAD $55.00 for a limited time only.

[verbal gymnastics]

If only this had happened 5 years ago whilst I was on honeymoon, I would have gone to both shows...

...and been single again pretty shortly after

[sweetest punch]

The festival has announced his complete line-up: http://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/pique/ ... pdate+1525
Allen Toussaint also plays on Sunday. I bet they play some songs together...

[johnfoyle]

Nice poster-

http://www.elviscostello.com/web/guest/ ... rce=117421

[johnfoyle]

Official site -

http://www.whistler.com/whistler_music_ ... 0717&r=reg

Day 2 - Sunday, July 20th

Venue Opens: 9:00 a.m. Artist Set Time/ Times

Medeski, Martin and Wood 11:00 - 12:20
Robert Randolph & The Family Band 12:50 - 2:10
Allen Toussaint Band 2:40 - 4:00
Broken Social Scene 4:45 - 6:15
Elvis Costello and The Imposters 6:45 - 8:30

[johnfoyle]

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/ ... 77e5dd67a1

Things get hairy with Social Scene

But it was one of only a few false notes during Whistler Music Fest

Stuart Derdeyn, The Province

Published: Monday, July 21, 2008

(extract)


The rush towards the stage for the final act made it clear that the majority of people on site were there to see Elvis Costello and the Imposters do their thing. The band didn't disappoint, either.

Hitting the stage with a pounding rocker from the new CD, Momofuko, the Imposters sounded like one of the nastiest rock bands to ever back Costello. Unlike the Attractions' precision, this crew swaggers.

He's been New Wave. He's been country. He's been pop. He's even been classical opera, although we could skip that entirely. But this was a new Costello. The mutated and grinding version of "Pump It Up" introduced a new model: Sexy Elvis.

He was certainly the name act over the two days of the festival and delivered the goods and more. Newer tunes such as "American Gangster Town" blazed right alongside radically reworked versions of "Every Day I Write the Book" and many, many more. Another set highlight was when Toussaint arrived on stage to join Costello in performing the title track of the duo's album The River In Reverse and more. Totally smokin'.

There were gems aplenty in his 90-minute set, many of them less performed tunes from throughout his career such as "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" and "Clubland," as well as classics such as "Watching the Detectives" and "Radio, Radio." I've seen the guy many, many times. Based on the sheer joy he and the band appeared to be having, I can only hope that he plays somewhere as intimate again. Hello, Commodore?

Once again, those Whistler skunks also showed their approval of the whole show by stinking up the place.

[johnfoyle]

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news ... c7fe28f392


Whistler Music Festival fizzles
Great acts don't get the audience they deserved

Amy O'Brien
Vancouver Sun

Monday, July 21, 2008

VANCOUVER - The inaugural Whistler Music Festival this past weekend had nearly all the ingredients for a great event. It had a powerhouse of a lineup, a gorgeous mountain setting, fantastic weather and reasonably priced tickets, but there was something crucial missing from the mix - a crowd worthy of the lineup.

There were some fans, of course. But not nearly enough to make the mountainside venue feel full or even very festive.

Considering the bill included acts like the Roots - who can sell out a show at the Commodore in minutes - Thievery Corporation, Bedouin Soundclash, Broken Social Scene and the iconic Elvis Costello, the festival's poor attendance came as something of a shock.

For the early afternoon performers, such as Serena Ryder and Medeski Martin & Wood, the situation was particularly bleak as they played to few hundred people in a nearly empty, dusty field.

The situation improved for later acts, with maybe a couple of thousand people spread out between the front of the stage, the beer garden and the back of the fenced-in area, where people sat on blankets and chairs.

But the venue certainly could have accommodated many more thousands of people: The performers certainly deserved bigger crowds. They all gave it their best, concealing any disappointment they might have had about the meagre attendance.

On Saturday, Bedouin Soundclash had the sparse crowd bouncing under the heat of the mountain sun with their reggae-infused tunes. The Roots pounded it with their heavy beats, political raps and ever-present (and seemingly tireless) tuba player.

Thievery Corporation rounded out the day with sounds so rhythmic, worldly and sweet they could have carried a crowd in the tens of thousands.

Sadly, though, many in the audience seemed to be cherry-picking their performers and took the gondola back down to the village after certain sets.

Part of the difficulty in keeping the crowd on site was the utter lack of entertainment during the lengthy breaks between sets. Aside from people-watching and grabbing either a burger, a gelato or a beer, there was next to nothing to do during breaks that sometimes neared an hour in length. A magician, a juggler or local vendors selling hats and jewelry would have been welcome. Or why not have a smaller stage where local musicians could entertain the crowd?

Instead, on Sunday, my companion and I carried magazines and puzzle books with us in anticipation of the long stretches of boredom. We were glad we did.

The lineup on Sunday was equally outstanding, but technical difficulties at the beginning of Broken Social Scene's set caused them to walk off the stage until the problems were remedied.

Earlier in the day, Medeski Martin & Wood, Robert Randolph & The Family Band and the Allen Toussaint Band earned themselves at least a few new fans.

The festival was capped by an enthusiastic performance by Elvis Costello and the Imposters, who said it was "good to be home" even when people were streaming down towards the gondola to head down the mountain in the middle of his set.

It's impossible to pin the blame on a particular factor for the poor attendance at this event - which organizers are hoping to make an annual one - but it was likely caused by a combination of things.

Perhaps one of the biggest factors is this coming weekend's massive Pemberton Festival, which was announced first and has a lineup that includes Coldplay and Jay-Z. Any festival would have a hard time competing with that.

There was also tons of live music happening down in the Lower Mainland this past weekend, with the Vancouver Folk Music Festival and the Surrey Fusion Festival attracting thousands of people.

Lastly, more than a few people at the Whistler festival said it hadn't been promoted well enough - that they hadn't heard about it until the last minute.

It's too bad. The Whistler Music Festival has the potential to be a great summer event - it just needs more people and a few more shots of festivity.

aobrian@png.canwest.com

[johnfoyle]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... rtainment/


Costello pumps up the party

FIONA MORROW
Globe and Mail (Toronto)

July 22, 2008 a

THE WHISTLER MUSIC FESTIVAL
In Whistler, B.C. on Saturday and Sunday

'There's nothing quite like a cool mountain breeze and the lingering smell of skunk," mused Elvis Costello as he closed the Whistler Music Festival on Sunday.

What began on Saturday morning with a bear escorted from the venue half way up Blackcomb Mountain, ended with a sun-baked, dirt-caked crowd singing along to Costello's Peace, Love and Understanding, before tidying up after themselves and waiting patiently in line at the gondola for a ride back down to the village.

Festival Network's first year at Whistler was a success - if only modestly so at the box office (early estimates suggest 5,000 attended Saturday, slightly fewer Sunday). Carelessly clashing with the more established Vancouver Folk Music Festival, and just a week before the corporate behemoth of the Pemberton Festival rolls into the mountain region, Whistler felt a little forgotten in the mix. The low-key profile may do them no harm: With three more years already booked, this felt like a trail run, with Festival Network's CEO, Tom Shepard, in attendance throughout, making changes on the fly and taking notes for next year.

First on that list should be creating a more hospitable space: The lunar-like landscape, usually home to Whistler's Tube Park, was miserably rocky underfoot and every gust of air brought with it a fresh cloud of dust. Ticket holders were unfazed, trekking back to the village to return with chairs, tents and coolers (a "no outside food" rule was waived for the weekend), the chilled out, family-friendly atmosphere leaving the couple of cops doing cursory circuits nothing to do save smile and sweat. "Keep hydrated and ask us if you need sunscreen" became the m.c.'s mantra.

The searing heat made getting the audience onto its feet a tough call. On Saturday, it took Ontario's Bedouin Soundclash, with their reggae beats and easy stage presence, to get things moving. But it was Philadelphia's hip-hop group the Roots that cajoled the crowd to create a 3,000-strong mosh pit that stayed on for Washington, D.C.'s prime electronic/lounge band Thievery Corporation.

Day two opened with a last-minute addition: Stephane Wrembel's mellifluous Gypsy jazz, which proved to be the perfect soundscape for a hot and hazy hilltop. An eclectic, heavily instrumental afternoon continued with the psychedelic trance jazz of Medeski, Martin and Wood. Robert Randolph and the Family Band drove the funk a little dirtier, before Cajun legend Allen Toussaint sparkled brighter than his glittery necktie.

Expectations were high for Broken Social Scene, but the weekend's first sound problems saw them leave the stage in disgust after a couple of numbers. Whether it was the false start, or the fact the band's back-up singers were stopped from entering Canada, BSS never got its groove on. The ramshackle set, with long pauses between songs and a visibly irritated front man Kevin Drew, itching to come off early, threatened to wreck the good-natured vibe. Drew's final thanks to "those who only came to see Elvis Costello, anyway" ended a lacklustre performance on an unnecessarily sour note.

When Costello did storm the stage and launched into a high-octane reprisal of Pump It Up, it felt like a slap in the face to the Canadian indie band. The audience may not have been huge, but Costello couldn't have cared less. Ricocheting from classics such as Watching the Detectives and (I don't want to go to) Chelsea to tracks from new album Momofuku, Costello and his band, the Imposters, relished the venue's potential. Encouraging the crowd to turn around and look up the mountain, Costello summed up the weekend: "I can see a bear up there, and he's digging it. Every nightclub should look like this."

[johnfoyle]

A , uh, enthusiastic blog review -

http://billierock.blogspot.com/2008/07/ ... rgasm.html

[verbal gymnastics]

Isn't that great though?

[johnfoyle]

It's taken a while , but The Curse Of Costello kicks in !

http://olympics.thestar.com/2010/articl ... g-olympics

Whistler ski resort to go up for auction during Olympics
January 20, 2010 The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER—Lenders have seized the assets of Intrawest ULC, including the Whistler ski resort that will be home to the Olympic downhill races next month.

Intrawest said it will be “business as usual,” despite the possibility the high-end B.C. resort will be on the auction block even as Olympic athletes grace its slopes.

And Olympic organizers said they’re confident that the Games will go on.

Dan Doyle, executive vice-president of construction for the organizing committee, known as VANOC, said the venues in Whistler are ready.

“It doesn’t make very good business sense for people to put them out of business at the time of the year when they’re making their most earnings,” Doyle told reporters in Vancouver following the local organizing committee board’s final meeting before the Games.

Doyle said bankruptcy doesn’t happen overnight.

“It’s a long process, it’s a process that takes months. Given all of that, we’re very confident that the Games will go on at those two venues in Whistler, and they’ll go on with the co-operation of the people that are running the mountain,” he said, noting that Games organizers have sought legal advice on the situation.

A public notice has been posted in newspapers by the company’s lenders saying that an auction to sell the assets will be held on Feb. 19, right in the midst of the Olympics, which begin Feb. 12.

Vancouver-based Intrawest, which is owned by private equity firm Fortress Investment Group LLC, reportedly missed payments last month that were due on a $1.4 billion (U.S.) loan.

The group of lenders, which includes Lehman Brothers and Davidson Kempner, hope for a speedy sale of Intrawest in one transaction.

“Each qualified bidder must be a financial institution or other entity that has the financial wherewithal to purchase the membership interests in immediately available funds on the closing date,” the public auction notice said.

The sale includes more than a dozen resort properties including Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado and Squaw Valley in California.

Calls to Intrawest were not returned but the company said in a statement that they are looking forward to the success of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games next month.

“Fortress Investment Group continues to own and control Intrawest and all of its properties. Serious discussions with Intrawest’s lenders are ongoing regarding refinancing and the company continues to operate ‘business as usual’ at all of its resort properties,” the company said in a statement released Wednesday.

Members of the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee denied a report that they were going to withhold the money they owe Intrawest for use of the mountain.

Intrawest has been struggling with financial problems since it was bought by Fortress in 2006 for $2.8 billion in cash and debt.

The deal was a leveraged buyout with a $1.7 billion loan which came due in late 2008, around the time when the financial meltdown hit.

Around that time, travellers also began to tighten their budgets and cancel vacation plans, which squeezed the entire industry.

In reaction, many of Intrawest’s resorts significantly slashed their prices to encourage more visitors.

Last summer, chief executive Bill Jensen told a ski industry conference that signs of a recovery wouldn’t likely appear until the 2011-12 season.

Intrawest has sold several assets in order to meet the payments, including a resort at Copper Mountain, Colo., and two resorts in France.

In December, the company said it was in an “active dialogue” with its lenders after rumours began surfacing that the company was about to default.