LeBlanc, who has written for publications such as Rolling Stone, Melody Maker, Maclean's and the Tor

Award shows are a strange spectacle. Why anyone cares who wins Rock Album on the Year in Canada has always confounded me. Especially given that most of these people aren t likely to actually go out and buy albums bermuda discount vacation packages from Rush, Marianas Trench or Carly Rae Jepsen. That s alright though I wouldn t buy those albums either.
Still, there is something palpably exciting about being amongst bermuda discount vacation packages celebrities. Especially when you live in a place where no one is really that famous. And if they are famous they really aren t that famous.
Despite celebrating the most mundane of Canadian music, the Juno Awards came packaged along with JunoFest, an event that pairs up local bands along with some of the bigger names who were in town for the debacle.
The lobby is buzzing with people and energy. Everyone looks at everyone, bermuda discount vacation packages straining to gauge if they are having a celebrity encounter. I am immediately self-conscious as a member of a Saskatoon indie rock band that is destined to never win a Juno, I am clearly disappointing everyone who I make eye contact with. Off to our JunoFest showcase.
Located in the heart of downtown Regina, the venue is a massive tent. Although quonset might be a better description this is the prairies after all. The stage is huge and awesome. To the side is a jumbotron that plays videos and broadcasts live footage of the bands that are playing a few feet over.
Wyatt, a Saskatoon country rock band, are playing before bermuda discount vacation packages us. Stylistically we have absolutely nothing in common. The audience, mostly middle-aged non-indie rock fans, are in for a treat the musical transition is going to be akin to a belt of gin following a good toothbrushing. There seems to be no stage manager, however there is a security guard that looks eerily identical to my high school principal. Our gaze meets and his eyes narrow. I run back onstage I m supposed to be here.
And it seems to go okay. But several times during our set I make my way over to my amp to make sure it s still on. Despite the Junos ubiquitous motto, Gonna Get Loud , I can t hear a fucking thing. The irony is not lost as I make every attempt to destroy my guitar strings and neck muscles while I thrash and titty flop my way around the stage.
Foam Lake of Saskatoon are up next. A hearty, prairies indie rock group, they totally nail it down hard. Keyboards swim into muscular bermuda discount vacation packages guitar riffs. There is an appreciative murmur bermuda discount vacation packages of approval from nearly everyone bermuda discount vacation packages in attendance. The venue is more or less full at this point and the crowd drinks it up, albeit a safe distance from the front of the stage.
In the back of the tent is the most hilarious photobooth I have ever seen. Sponsored by Potash Corp, participants dress up like miners and pose with giant chunks of potash while having their picture taken by an ancient Blackberry camera phone. You just can t make this shit up.
After hitting up the food trucks out front, we drink beer backstage and get nice and loose for Rah Rah, who tear the flaps off the tent. Having spent the majority of the past two months touring through North America, the group are in amazing live form. The highlight of the set comes when instrumentalist Erin Passmore tosses giant letter balloons bermuda discount vacation packages that spell the word RAH into the audience. Rah indeed.
Instead we wander into a Juno after party at a local restaurant. We likely aren t supposed to be there. Which, of course bermuda discount vacation packages translates into partaking all the free booze and molesting the smorg. In between bites of deep-fried potato salmonella we spy Fred Penner sipping on martinis bermuda discount vacation packages with some lovely-looking young people. I take photos before feeling kinda dumb and sheepish about the whole thing two years ago I met Mr. Penner backstage when we shared bermuda discount vacation packages a bill at the Regina bermuda discount vacation packages Folk Festival. Class act. Fred Penner, that is. Not us.
Bored and stuffed, we head out to O Hanlons and enjoy the extended city-wide drinking bermuda discount vacation packages hours. The rest of the night is a blur, but I vaguely remember a man commenting on my penis in the washroom. It is not Bieber.
We wake up early and are immediately whisked off to record a music video in someone s living room despite a member missing in action. It is 10am and all I can think about is the make-your-own-caesar bermuda discount vacation packages party at The Artful Dodger. After making roughly 60 phone calls and at least one death threat bermuda discount vacation packages answering machine message bermuda discount vacation packages we track down a highly apologetic guitarist, and bang our way through a stripped-down version of our song City Sublet . Why anyone bermuda discount vacation packages wants to film musicians so early in the morning is beyond me. We smell of hangover and Regina tapwater. And we look awful.
After the shoot is wrapped up we head off to catch some afternoon acoustic acts. Saskatoon s Smokekiller aka John Antoniuk is onstage bermuda discount vacation packages when we arrive. John looks a little rough as well more Juno madness, I assume but kills it as usual. I continue to down more caesars. The day gets better. Regina s Andy Shauf takes the stage next and sings like a diminutive plaid-clad angel. It s Record Store Day, so I chat up Andy and buy a vinyl copy of his excellent album The Bearer of Bad News. This is by far the best celebrity interaction I will have all day.
Ryan and I meet up and head off to the Junos press gala. There s a free supper. There s also free beer. We meet up with several other journalists and share stories and laughs this is undoubtedly the highlight of our afternoon at the gala.
The event starts and the press room quickly loses its novelty. We are given a sheet with a list of winners on the condition that we don t Tweet the results. For whatever reason, the Juno Awards bermuda discount vacation packages are split into two events. All the important awards are to be doled out Sunday night, it seems. Bieber will not be on hand.
Awards are given out and musicians are paraded through the press room. Some of them even make a few compelling remarks. I’ve interviewed several of them before via the telephone in advance of their performances in Saskatoon. I infinitely prefer this method to watching them blink uncomfortably under a bath of fluorescent light.
Pugs Crows, who have picked up Instrumental Album of the Year for their LP Fantastic Pictures, are clearly bemused with the spectacle. Steve Strongman, winner of the Blues Album of the Year for A Natural Fact, is a complete gentleman and a total pro.
I consider leaving – the beer has been cut off and Ryan, who is sequestered in the photo pit, is half-asleep. It gets worse. Many of the bigger names, such as Rush, Mumford Sons and Grimes, haven’t bothered to show up. Why did we?
The recipient of the 2013 Walt Grealis Special bermuda discount vacation packages Achievement Award, LeBlanc is an outspoken rock journalist who began his career in the ‘60s. I am in awe of him as he forms sentences bermuda discount vacation packages akin to snowballs and begins lobbing bermuda discount vacation packages them indiscriminately.
LeBlanc, who has written for publications such as Rolling Stone, Melody Maker, Maclean’s and the Toronto Star, continues by telling various tirades disguised as anecdotes, including a story about witnessing Lou Reed grab a journalist’s breast. LeBlanc concludes that Reed was the biggest jackass in the world.
LeBlanc eventually shuffles off and things go back to being boring. bermuda discount vacation packages I decide to amuse myself by chatting with Rick Campanelli of ET Canada. Campanelli aka Rick the Temp is really nice and makes jokes about how tall I am. That s especially nice of him because it spares me the awkwardness of making jokes about how short he is. I envy his teeth, which, of course, are TV perfect.
We finally head out to The Exchange bermuda discount vacation packages to see Saskatoon s Shooting bermuda discount vacation packages Guns take the stage and subsequently blow some minds with their downtuned heaviosity. Vancouver s Pack A.D. take the stage after and similarly put on a brilliant albeit furious live performance. One Bad Son take the stage as we head out for the night for more adventure. Next time, I guess.
Despite numerous Bieber sighting rumours and tonnes of other bands to see, we end the night with a rousing game of shuffleboard at The German bermuda discount vacation packages Club. It s easy to regret not seeing more bands, but a flurry of texts n Tweets reveals that several key shows are at capacity. Even worse, most of the clubs we want to hit up aren t within walking distance.
Chris Morin aka Chrix Morix is content editor and features writer of Ominocity. bermuda discount vacation packages Morin divides his time between freelancing writing and graphic design, working a day job and self-publishing his own work as zines and tour diaries. Morin plays guitar and bass for Slow Down Molasses and The Eyebats. Morin also owns way too many records and talks way too much for his own good.