For previous NEWS entries, click here. The Rain and the Corn So, it rained. Then it rained some more. Sadly, the weather impeded the potential success of one of the St. Joseph's Island's oldest traditions, Cornfest. As the weather drove away potential attendees and dampened the equipment, organizers made a tough decision and moved the event into the Legion Hall across the street. It turned out to be the right decision. Like the old saying goes...better to have a couple hundred dry patrons than ten wet ones (yes, we made this up). With the time that it took to change locations, the acts needed to be pared down to those who had to travel, so Belsito, Fred Kent and others bowed out of the show. Fortunately, there was enough time for some amazing performances by the Larry Mercy trio, Switchback and Skinny Leonard. The capacity crowd had an amazing time and the Legion was lit up like a Christmas ball. (August 19/06) The Last Minute Corn It turns out Chris Belsito will be playing at this year's St. Joseph's Island Cornfest on Saturday, August 19th at 8:15 pm. Unfortunately, Belsito's band members are booked elsewhere that evening so it is going to be a solo show on a large stage with more PA than an acoustic player should know what to do with. As a special treat, the event will also have English Long Sword Dancing amongst other entertainment. For more about Cornfest, click here. (August 18/06) Now The World Knows What We Already Know It is official, Larry Borek was one out only two Saultites to be selected as finalists in the Northern Ontario Music Awards. Borek, who has done amazing work on Belsito's last two CDs, was co-nominated by Belsito, Catherine Taddo and Startlefish as the Engineer of the Year. The title would only begin to sum up Larry's talents which extend far beyond that of an engineer. Although Borek likes to stay out of the spotlight, we are glad the he was acknowledged for his awesome work in the local music scene. The second Sault nomination was for our favourite club Loplop Lounge and Gallery (Stephen Alexander and Jennifer Bellerose) who are also very deserving for the hard work they have put into not only the local scene, but Northern Ontario. Congrats to both Larry Borek and Loplops! The recognition is well-deserved. To read more click here. (August 16/06) What's This We Hear About Larry? Producer extrordinaire and friend, Larry Borek (of Red Gecko Studios), recently received some well-deserved acknowledgement for his work on the local music scene. We can't tell you about it just yet...but please stay tuned for more information. (August 11/06) Second Stage Performance Airing on Shaw Channel 10 Chris Belsito returned from Calgary this week to discover a pleasant surprise: Northern Ontario-based cable Shaw Channel 10 has been airing clips of the Belsito Band's recent performance at the Second Stage. The well-watched channel has been playing the song"Blurring" (taken from the Fade Dissolve CD). The end of the clip directs people to this website. So, to all our new chrisbelsito.com readers....welcome. Just as a reminder, the SOUNDS section of this website has a variety of free downloadable music, including the studio take of "Blurring". Thanks to the North View Media Group for filming this performance and thinking to get it on air for all to see. (August 8/06) One-Year Anniversary of Fade Dissolve at Bellevue Park It is hard to believe, but it has been one year since Fade Dissolve was released. The show at the Bellevue Park bandshell was held on the same Sunday that the CD Release party occurred last year. The park show was a fabulous way to spend the one-year anniversary. Outdoor shows are always a lot of fun and the park show was no exception. The day was absolutely gorgeous and many friends and supporters came out to enjoy the show. By the middle of the performance, there were about a hundred people watching from various parts of the hill - some under trees, bushes, or anywhere there was a bit of shade. As well as the more recent favourites, the Belsito Band also pulled out some rarely heard songs. Thanks to everyone who attended, to Crank Sound Distribution for the great mix and to Curt O'Neil for the photo you see above. (July 25/06) Belsito is MFM's Artist of the Week Music and Film in Motion (MFM) is an organization out of Sudbury that offers support and opportunities for musicians and filmmakers in Northern Ontario. Among other things, they organize the Northern Ontario Music Awards. About a week ago, Mike Large and Matthew Fish of MFM were in Sault Ste. Marie at the Second Stage event showing their support. This week, they have made Chris Belsito the MFM Artist of the Week. Thanks guys! (July 24/06) Jay Case Wasn't Naked At least most of the time. Big Wheel frontman extrordinaire made us promise not to show any revealing pictures and we have kept our promise. We have chosen a well-covered and clearly in control Jay Case scolding our photographer for taking a camera in the band change room (a.k.a. the van). Case was a good kid throughout the whole trip and even played nice with Cliff Alloy on the "teeter toter" in Rossport (click here). If you watch closely, you can see the teeter toter hit the ground, the guilty look on Case's face and the obvious discomfort of Alloy. No wonder Alloy prefers sleeping. As always, Case kept the trip lively, played saxaphone in the van, made it difficult to feel safe going to sleep, and rocked the Apollo as if it was an arena. To the boys in Big Wheel: it is good to get Belsito out once in a while, so thanks for having him along. (July 24/06) Frank Turned 16 at the Apollo As the photo below clearly displays, rock and roll is not always a vicious game. Frank Deresti, bass player for Big Wheel, took a little time out at Nays Provincial Park on the way to the Thunder Bay gig. Belsito and Deresti go back many years. Over all the years, the one thing Belsito didn't know about Deresti was his actual age. After Big Wheel's gig and several rounds of Wild Turkey, Deresti finally broke the silence by announcing to the bar in a very high voice that it was his birthday and that he had just turned 16 years old. We won't say much more about the incident because Deresti said that his mom would be pissed if she knew where he was and what he was doing. We can respect that, although we wish we could tell you about how much fun he has with open windows three stories up, but we can't. (July 24/06) Cliff Alloy is a Restful Creature One of the best things about band road trips is the actual road trip. And so was the Belsito/Big Wheel and the Spokes adventure. The show itself was fun, if not a little sparse in audience members. The road trip became the highlight. Things Chris Belsito didn't know about Big Wheel's drummer Cliff Alloy: Cliff can sleep like a champ. As the photo collage below clearly shows, Alloy has no trouble sleeping in a variety of positions, with a variety of sleep-detracting obstacles, while travelling at high speeds across Canada's northern highways. Not only did Alloy sleep most of the way to Thunder Bay and back, he found the accomodations upstairs at the Apollo also fine for his favorite pasttime...even though his bed had a most unfortunate and unappealing stain on it. Even the stain did not bother Alloy in the slightest...the only things Cliff "Stains" Alloy did not find conducive to his sleep - turned out to be pigeons. "Stains" Alloy woke up to discover pigeons looking down upon him from inside his room. To be fair, pigeons staring at you as you sleep could spook the most road-experienced drummers. So unfortunately, when "Stains" Alloy made that startled noise at the sight of the pigeons, he in turn startled the pigeons, who then tried to escape from the room by bouncing off the windows and flying around the enclosed space leaving a trail of "what-shall-remain-nameless" through the room. Of course, the other musicians questioned "Stains" Alloy on how the pigeons really got in the room in the first place. What can we say...Rock and Roll Debauchery 101 with pigeons. I am sure it wouldn't be the first time. Poor "Stains"...he will never be the same.(July 24/06) Straight Outta Thunder Bay A photo report from Belsito's Thunder Bay show with Big Wheel and the Spokes, as well as a review of the Belsito Band show at the Sault's Bellevue Park Bandshell will be posted later today. Stay tuned! (July 24/06) Thunder Bay: Apollo Show This Friday Chris Belsito will be hitting the road with a gig at the Apollo in Thunder Bay on Friday, July 21st at 10:00 pm. This will be a double bill with Big Wheel and the Spokes. Travelling with these three cats in a small van should be an 'interesting' experience to say the least. Once Belsito gets his fill of Finnish dining at the Hoito in TB, he will be returning to the Sault for a full-band show at the bandshell in Bellevue Park on Sunday, July 23rd from 2:00 until 4:00 pm. (July 19/06) Belsito in the Park Chris Belsito will be performing at the bandshell in Bellevue Park on Sunday, July 23rd from 2:00 until 4:00 pm. The show will feature a variety of material in both formats: full band and acoustic. Crank Sound Distribution will be providing the sound so you know it will be a good show. Come out and join the band for one of their last outdoor shows of the season. (July 16/06) Second Stage Honourable Mention We could not report back on the Second Stage without posting one of our favourite sights from the event. May we introduce to the chrisbelsito.com reading audience....Al Wood's shoes. Enjoy. (July 16/06) Second Stage Day Two Review It went from the hottest of days to the stormiest of days in less than an hour. A big gust of wind knocked the tent over damaging some of Crank Sound Distribution's gear and soaking any of it that survived. A decision was made and the Second Stage was moved indoors at Loplop Lounge (one the of the event's sponsors). Of course, once the gear was moved the rain went away and the sun returned. Delays in the show meant that c ouple of acts couldn't perform. Those that remained, performed in the chilled out environment at Loplops. The Harmony Sisters (featuring our favourite producer Larry Borek on bass) took to the stage and showed off the vocals skill that gave them their name. Mark Dunn and his band showed a passion and intensity that only a seasoned performer like Mark could deliver. The revamped Startlefish played a lively set replete with their new "Montreal a la Sault Ste. Marie" sound. The show closed with Big Wheel and the Spokes who had their CD Release event previously booked at the venue for that evening. The Spokes brought the house down with tracks from theri new EP, "Barley Soup for the Funky-Ass Soul," as well as some classic standards. Watching those guys perform together is like watching magic happen in front of your eyes. You can't imagine them not playing together. They are each a part in one musical machine that was very well-oiled and revving for the appreciative audience. When all was said and done, the Second Stage Day Two was more than salvaged. It was downright impressive. A change of venue, but not a change of heart. Thanks to the good folks at Lucidia, Loplops and the Speak Easy for making this great community event come together. As a tourist who happened upon this year's event was heard to say, "The Sault should be proud." Pictured above: Startlefish, Gates of Winter, Jay of Big Wheel and the Spokes, the superheroes from the Rad Zone, a sad George Ravlich of Crank Sound Distribution the Harmony Sisters, Pat Psihoyas, Frank Deresti of BWS, Gates again, Les Becker and Shauna Major, and organizers in the rain. (July 16/06) Second Stage Day One Review Well, the Second Stage was a grand success, but not without it trials. Thursday was one of the hottest days of the year, which could have been disastrous to the event. Although the crowd was thin in the early parts of the event, a good-sized crowd eventually came out and stayed to the the very end of the night. The show began with Shauna Major backed by some of the city's best musicians. Although we have heard Shauna's songs performed many times, this was the first time with a full band and they sounded fabulous. The Dirty River Trio was up second and put on a show full of humour and great 'dirty' guitar playing courtesy of Rusty McCarthy. The Granola People, who were third on the bill, performed their sweet songs with the ease and class. The Granola's Frank Deresti successfully convinced the somewhat gullible crowd that Belsito (who was next on the bill) had recently "got off the juice' and was "doing ok and appreciated the crowd's support". Despite the Frank Deresti-rumoured problems, the Belsito Band put on a high energy show and even pulled out a song from the original Chris Belsito and Rainhorses album that came out oh-so-long-ago. Al Wood, joined by the Rhythm Section, hit the stage just as the sun's intensity was dying down. Although the air was cooling off, Al Wood kept the heat rolling with his brand of infectious blues. To cap off the evening, Gates of Winter pulled out their progressive and very melodic metal. This is a band that gets better every time we see them. They know how to perform to their converted, but also have a little something that kept the crowd to the very end of the evening. Conclusion: Day one was hot and fabulous. Pictured above: Shauna Major, Andrew from the Granola People, Rusty and Pat from the Dirty River Trio, and Al Wood. (July 15/06) Belsito Band To Perform at Second Stage The Belsito Band will be playing at the Rotaryfest Second Stage on Thursday, July 13th from 8:00 - 9:00 pm. Thanks to the hard work and financial support of Loplop Lounge, Lucidia Studios and the Speakeasy, the second stage has become the premiere original music event in Sault Ste. Marie. CDs, shirts and various music-related merchandise will be sold at the event. The Second Stage will be held in the green space in front of the Civic Centre on Foster Drive (not Clergue Park). Here is the complete Thursday night rundown: Shauna Major (5:00 pm), Dirty River Trio (6:00 pm), Granola People (7:00 pm), Chris Belsito (8:00 pm), Al Wood and The Rhythm Section (9:00 pm) and Gates Of Winter (10:00 pm). Of course the Second Stage has expanded to feature a second night of activity. Friday night will feature: The Harmony Sisters (5:00 pm), Mark Dunn (6:00 pm), The Economy Studz (7:00 pm), Big Wheel and The Spokes (8:00 pm), Startlefish (9:00 pm), 12 Gauge Ready (10:00 pm). Come out and support the local original music scene in all its glory! See you Thursday night! (July 8/06) Elemental All Over Again It's been slightly over a year since the cross-country Elemental Tour took place, featuring among others, Caroline Spence and Chris Belsito. Well, on Saturday, July 8th, Spence and Belsito will team up for a special show at Loplop Lounge. Joining them will be fabulous singer-songwriter Shauna Major, a Sault native herself who is currently on tour with Spence. Major recently released her The Changeling CD. For his performance, Belsito will be accompanied by Ed Young. The show begins around 9:30 pm. (July 4/06) Ed Young Flies Solo This Thursday Long-time Belsito Band member Ed Young will be performing solo this Thursday night (June 29th) at Loplops Lounge. Ed will be opening the show for songwriter Barb Ryman - as part of Loplop's Beyond Borders series. Ed, who is well known as a drummer and percussionist around town, has been branching out a lot recently performing his exceptional originals solo acoustic. The show begins around 9:30 pm. There is no cover charge. (June 27/06) Reminder About The June 2nd Show Just a reminder that the Belsito Band's show at the Speak Easy is a "one-setter" that begins sometime after 9:30 p.m. This means Belsito will be performing only about an hour's worth of material - so if you want to catch his set you'll have to come early. Of course, there will be plenty of entertainment for the remainder of the evening courtesy of the very funky and extremely lively Big Wheel and the Spokes. Hope to see you there! (May 31/06) Belsito Makes the Grade in American Song Contest For those interested in the behind-the-scenes business of the music industry, Belsito's "And Cinnamon" was recently rated favourably by judges in the 7th Annual Great American Song Contest. The contest was created by songwriters for songwriters with high-level industry judges who provide feedback and evaluation for the songwriter. Although Belsito didn't make it to the winner's circle, the judges reviewed the song positively, rating it far above average. The judges "really liked the vibe" of the overall song and gave Belsito's lyrics top marks for imagery and poetics suggesting that the song was "very intriguing". What was their biggest criticism? Belsito needs to get to the chorus faster. Coming for professional writers in the industry who are mapping out the next big hit (which is not something Belsito was particularly going for with this song), this is a criticism that is easily accepted. According to the judges, our man Belsito is well on his "way to becoming a great songwriter." Ah shucks! (May 30/06) Belsito Takes Long Nap and Wakes Up With Gig on June 2nd Sorry for the long delay in the news department folks, but Chris Belsito needed a break from the business end of music and took a bit of a catnap, leaving the website in a seemingly coma-like state. Well, he has woken up and even found himself with an increasingly rare and elusive creature that the elders used to refer to as a "gig." Belsito will be performing at the Speak Easy Pub (Algoma University College) on Friday, June 2nd for a special alumni party with tickets set at $5.00 in advance and $7.00 at the door. Belsito who is an Algoma U alumni will be performing with his full-five piece band. The show is a double bill with the spectacular Big Wheel and the Spokes. Rumour has it that Big Wheel's brand-spanking-new CD (available on Murderous Butterfly Music) could possibly be available at the event. Doors open at 8:30 pm and the show is expected to begin around 9:30 pm. Apparently, even if you prefer sports to music, there is also a reason to come: an autographed New York Rangers jersey is the door prize. Tickets are available from the Alumni Council at Algoma U, CD Plus, and the George Leach Centre on campus. (And yes, for those new to the site - the image above is a parody, Belsito has never forayed into the dark realm of children's tunes) (May 29/06) Belsito Begins Writing New Material Chris Belsito will be taking a bit of a hiatus from performing (except for the odd one-off show) to work on new material for a future release. Although it has been relatively quiet in the news department recently, there are a number of interesting projects on the horizon. Details will be coming soon. (April 23/06) Life in Harmony Belsito will be opening for the Harmony Sisters at their CD Release event taking place at the Speak Easy Pub (Algoma University College) on May 13th. This is a ticketed event - $10 with a CD / $5 event only. The Harmony Sisters latest CD Raven Blue was recorded at Red Gecko Studios with Belsito producer and friend Larry Borek, who will also be performing bass duties as part of the Harmony Sisters band. Joing Borek in the back-up band is Cliff Alloy on drum duties and...get this...Ed Young on lead guitar. The Harmony Sisters - as their name suggests - indeed have amazing harmonies. All in all, it will be a very good show, with great songs, and an interesting band...and let's not to forget the opening act. (April 22/06) Lindsay Pugh's Paris Hilton Connection? We are not sure why...but when we were checking our statistics page we noticed strange links to an outside website that suggested a connection between our friend, bass player extrordinaire, Lindsay Pugh and Hollywood starlet Paris Hilton. Inexplicably, an area of the web dedicated to images of Paris Hilton, lovingly-titled "Paris Hilton Nude", contains a picture of our man Lindsay Pugh in action (on stage, that is!). The photo shows Pugh performing live at the Bellevue Park bandshell -- set against a selection of Paris Hilton pics (none of which are nude, for those of you who were either concerned or interested). To see what we discovered, click here. As a warning, if you do in fact object to nudity, we wouldn't recommend that you follow any further links beyond the one we have provided. Now with that piece of business out of the way...Felices Pascuas!(April 15/06) Belsito Opening for Pat Robitaille Chris Belsito and Craig West will be opening for rising Canadian star Pat Robitaille at the Speak Easy on Friday, March 31st. Doors open at 9:00 PM, the show begins at 9:30 PM. To hear a radio spot for this show (including a sample of Robitaille's music), click here. For more info on Pat Robitaille, click here. This is a ticketed event. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door and are available at CDPlus, the Speak Easy and the George Leach Centre. P.S. For those feeling badly for our friend Jay Case, don't. He wasn't left out, but rather opens for Pat Robitaille the following night at Loplops. (March 28/06) End of the Month Bean Show Cancelled Chris Belsito has had to cancel his previously scheduled performance at the Steamy Bean on Sunday, March 26th. Mark Kuntsi has kindly offered to fill in the show for the absent Belsito. Kuntsi, who has not yet played at the Bean, is a seasoned performer with great chops and a killer voice. For those who haven't heard him perform as of yet, this is a great opportunity to see one of the great Sault performers. Thanks Mark! (March 18/06) Belsito, West and the Strange Case of the Cellar Tap Chris Belsito and Craig West will be performing acoustically at the Cellar Tap (the old Jolly Friar) on Friday and Saturday, 10th and 11th beginning at 9:30 PM. For those looking for a casual environment, a schnitzel on a bun or simply a change of pace should come and check out the show. (March 6/06) Belsito, West and Case Show at Loplops The three songwriters will be returning to Loplops with their 'showcase show' on Friday, March 3rd beginning at 9:30 PM. This is a good opportunity to see some of the best in original music in the Sault under one roof. For those already familiar with the artists' work, this show will be a great reminder of how different each of the songwriter's styles are. Chris Belsito will be taking the stage shortly after 9:30 PM, followed by Jay Case around 10:30 PM and Craig West at 11:30 PM. Rumour has it that Jay Case will be performing a new Belsito/Case composition...but one can never be sure. The only way to know the truth is to show up at the performance! (February 28/06) Reminder: Steamy Bean Tonight Just a reminder that Chris Belsito will be playing at The Steamy Bean on Sunday, February 26th beginning at 8:00 PM. Hope to see you there! (February 26/06) No Pencil Moustache But Speak Easy Show Still On Just a reminder that the Belsito Band will be playing a double bill with Startlefish at Algoma U's Speak Easy Pub on Saturday, February 25th. The night kicks off with Startlefish at 10:00 p.m., followed by the Belsito Band at 11:00 p.m. Hope to see you there! (February 24/06) What Should Have Been in 2005 - Part 6 As many followers of the Belsito Band (and the circle the Belsito Band travels in) are likely already aware, drummer Ed Young is not just a drummer. He is what is known as a multi-instrumentalist. He plays a wide variety of instruments proficiently and as of late has been showing up around town with his own brand new spanking duo, Ed Young and Cliff Alloy. With a growing band of mindless followers (just kidding, Ed!), we got to thinking that over the past year, Ed really should have reworked his image and played up his strengths to show us..."What Should Have Been in 2005 - Part 6". Despite his nice-guy exterior, Young could have redefined himself as a god-like figure able to play multiple instruments at once, dressed in colourful outfits, and beaten down his slave-master Chris Belsito. Ed Young using his god-like powers of persuasion could have rounded up the Sault Youth Council and convinced them to paint portraits to show off his powerful and almighty skills as a musician (like the one above) on walls and construction boards around town. Ed Young will be performing live with Cliff Alloy at Loplops Lounge on Thursday, February 23rd beginning at 9:30 pm. It is even rumoured that the dynamic and godly duo will be performing a Belsito song in their set. To read more about this show, click here. Stay tuned for the 7th installment of "What Should Have Been in 2005" - coming soon! P.S. Our apologies to the great goddess Kali for our theft and blatant misuse of her image. (February 22/06) For more NEWS, click here. If you would like to receive brief updates and live performance notices by email, send your name and email address to chrisbelsito@hotmail.com.