Nardwuar in the Straight

Straight.com has an article on the Juno's oversight this year with a few good quotes from Nardwuar and mention of this blog and the fbook group as well!

Peters beats out Nardwuar

Sad news for Nardwuar fans from across this nation: it seems CTV has chosen Russell Peters to host this year's Juno Awards show rather than our/Canada's man Nardwuar the Human Serviette.

Despite this sad for the movement to have an exciting and uber-knowledgeable personality host the show, Nardwuar has been bolstered by our support and we're sure he'll manage to show up somehow/somewhere around this year's event!

As the Human Serviette himself puts it:

"Although it is sad I will not get an opportunity to host the Junos, I have had fun fantasizing the past nine months about doing a duet with Celine Dion," says Nardwuar of the snub. "Perhaps my Juno moment will forever remain me getting kicked out of the 1991 Junos in Vancouver.

"I doubt it though, becuase my defining Juno moment has now shifted to the present and the 870 people that have voiced their approval to have me host the Junos in Vancouver. That is a great honour and something I will never forget. I really mean that. Thanks again for the dreams. Keep on rockin' in the free world! Have a good dinner!"

Read the rest of the Chart Attack article here.

Early Xmas with Nardwuar!

Hullo their Nardwuarites,

For those of you ready to rock the holiday season out Mint Records is hosting Ridiculously Early Xmas party this year and things kick off with non other than Nardwuar himself. Here's all the details...







It's Mint Records Ridiculously Early Xmas Party....

Nite one: Nardwuar Nite!

The Evaporators
The Pack AD
Lois
Kellarissa
Thee Goblins
and more!

plus Nardwuar's Video Vault!*

Friday December 5 , 7:05pm
Ukrainian Hall, Vancouver 805 E. Pender (at Hawks)
ALL AGES
Tickets $8 in advance, $10 at the door, available at Zulu, Red Cat, Scratch.
Info? 604 669 6468 www.mintrecs.com www.Nardwuar.com

presented by CiTR Radio 101.9fm

*Note: In addition to the rawk , Nardwuar of the Evaporators will be showing his "Video Vault" of interviews he has done over the years ! Check out clips of Snoop Doggy Dogg, Mikhail Gorbachev, Michael Moore, Marilyn Manson, Henry Rollins, Blur, Vanilla Ice, Iggy Pop and lots more all presented live to you on the big screen. No joke!!!

Nardwuar Keeps it Indie! (Q&A pt 2)

Over in our Facebook Group we've created a little section where people can ask Nardwuar questions about the Junos and his (destined) part in 2009's ceremony in Vancouver. Below is Nardwuar's response to two independent questions asked by Team Nardwuar member Jacob Pop.

Hullo Jacob! Thank you so much for taking the time to ask a question!

Q:
Why do you think the Junos are so important to Canadian Music?

A:
I like the historical aspect of the Junos, especially the pre-1970 era
before the Junos were called the Junos, when they were called the RPM
awards! Some incredible bands won awards such as my favourites, The
British Modbeats:




Q:
If you could, what category(s) would you add to the Junos?

A:
I would like to add an "Independant Label Category" where to win a
band has to be on Indie label that is 100% independent. Ie: Not owned
by a major label or distributed by a major label. So many
artists/labels are classified as "Indie," but they still have major
label distribution or have part major label ownership in their
companies. Let's finally have an "Indie" category for the real DIY
"Indies"!

Have a question about the Juno's you're just itching to ask Nardwuar? Head on over to the Facebook Group and have at it!

As Nardwuar sees it...

Over in our Facebook Group we've created a little section where people can ask Nardwuar questions about the Junos and his (destined) part in 2009's ceremony in Vancouver. Below is a rollicking response to two questions asked by Team Nardwuar member Robert McGregor.

Q:
What are your favourite moments/performances from Juno history?

A:
Thanks for the questions Robert! There really only is one moment of Juno history that I remember and that is of the only Junos I ever attended, which also happened to be the only Juno I got kicked out of! You can actually travel back in time to that very incident by bravely watching this:




Q: If you succeeded in hosting the 2009 Junos, what would your grand entrance consist of?

A:
Since the Junos will be in Vancouver, why not throw in some Vancouver history! I would love to enter on a flaming Chariot pulled by Canada's Metal God (and fellow Vancouverite) Thor, who would then re-enact his legendary appearance on The Merv Griffin show where he used his massive lung power to blow up a hot water bottle:



After the bottle exploded The Evaporators (my band) would launch into our song "Gassy Jack" about Vancouver Pioneer Gassy Jack Deighton!



Just when things seemed like they were wrapping up, I would bring/drag Kim Mitchell and Nelly Furtado out to do "I am a wild Party!"



but not before the Evaporators backed Maestro Fresh Wes on Conductin' Thangs



and got Joey Shithead of DOA to sing some classic "Hardcore 81" with us:




Plus we would have to fit in the Collectors/Chilliwack just for these amazing Vancouver 1960s shots:



But we are out west, and to bring everything back full circle, an ode to the Stampeders (Managed by Mel Shaw, the guy who i was asking a question to when I was kicked out of the Junos in 91) would most definitely be in order.

Gosh, I could come up with a zillion scenarios!

Thanks again for caring! Keep on rawkin in the free world!
Nardwuar

Ripple Rock Weekend!

What? Did someone say it was Juno Weekend? Sorry, but we couldn't hear you over the blast at Ripple Rock!

Learn more about Ripple Rock here.
If you're up Campbell River way, make sure to take part in the festivities.

ChartAttack passes back!

In a classic case of give-and-go*, ChartAttack has linked back to the Facebook group and is encouraging readers to join the ranks in support of the drive to make Nardwuar the '09 Juno Host! Nice play ChartAttack, nice play!

Now that's teamwork. Doot do!

*"The give-and-go...is a basic offensive play in which a player simply passes (gives) to a teammate and cuts (goes) to the basket, attempting to break free of his defender and expecting a return pass from his teammate." In our case, ChartAttack came up with the idea, then we took the ball and ran. Funny thing is, along the way we passed it back to a team of over 600 strong (and counting) on Facebook!

"The Dream" featured in Uptown Magazine

News is spreading eastward as Winnipeg's Uptown Magazine has tapped into the dream to make Nardwuar the host of 2009's Juno Awards Ceremony in Vancouver.

Did such a sweet sound ever emit from Portage & Main?!

With this year's awards ceremony less than a week away, let's keep the word spreading! If you're taking part in any of the festivities around Calgary this weekend, drop a "keep on rawkin' in the free world - let's make Nardwuar the host!" wherever and whenever you can.

Doot doo!

Almost at 600

Our facebook group is nearing the 600 member mark. That's how you rawk it!

Thanks for continuing to spread the word everyone.

Doot-doo!

Poll: Nardwuar duets with....

Check out the new poll in our sidebar (look to the right), where we dream of a Juno Awards Ceremony that starts with Nardwuar taking the stage and sharing the mic with the likes of Hayden...or maybe Anne Murray? Perhaps Arcade Fire would have some room on stage...

Have your say.

Vote early, Vote often. Just vote.

Last time Nardwuar was at the Junos

Hopefully, the powers-that-be at the Junos (circa 1991) are now the "powers-that-were" and our man Nardwuar will be invited IN the door at next year's Junos!

NOTE: The "magical moment" happens around the 3:20 mark.

Welcome to the Blog

Now that our facebook group has hit 500+ members strong, we figured we might as well keep spreading the word on a part of the internet where anyone can stop by and say "hullo!"

Expect updates on our campaign to make Nardwuar the host of Vancouver's 2009 Juno Awards Ceremony to start picking up steam as the year progresses...but for now, keep spreading the word and rockin' in the free world.

Who Iz Nardwuar?

I have always remembered the first moment I met Nardwuar the Human Serviette. I was a cub reporter for Vancouver's once-notorious Georgia Straight newspaper, writing a column about local music called Undercurrents. He got in touch with me to attend a concert he was presenting. Otherwise, there's no way I would've ended up at the lounge of the Arts Club Theatre on Seymour Street (at the time, a frequent Vancouver punk and alternative venue) for an early-starting all-ages show. Think about it. No booze. Probably no women past the age of legal consent for sexual encounters. Not much motivation to attend something that. And it was on a Sunday, so it might conflict with my holy duties down at the church.

But, reconstructing things as they must have happened, some guy I'd barely heard of (he'd just started a radio show on UBC's CiTR Radio) sent me a note inviting me to the show. I'm sure he was persuasive. That sort of sounds like him. He called himself Nardwuar and the show was the "50th Annual Amelia Earhart's Christmas Party," featuring five bands. I know the name would've intrigued me (Earhart, not Nardwuar). It's not like it is today, with the kids and their search engines and instant downloads. To know who Amelia Earhart was you'd have to have read some books, or picked up on all the pop-cultural waves she generated after her disappearance in one historical media form or another. It's an intelligent choice, but pretty obscure. If you're looking for a shocking, outrageous choice of a celebrity to put on gig poster, it wouldn't be her. You'd pick "Ronald Reagan's Head on a Pike," "Jimmy Stewart's Sexcapades," or "Judy Garland Eats Rats," instead.

So, I went. The actual memory I have left has become kind of abstract. It's more of a strong sensory impression than it's the sort of thing I could testify to in court. Picture a blur of motion and someone's face BURSTING out in front of you, trying to talk about eighteen things at once in twelve seconds. Wow. So this is Nardwuar, huh?

He was dressed in a Santa suit (it was a Christmas party, he wasn't just being wierd) and setting out bowls of potato chips when I met him. At the time I wrote that he, "put me in mind of the first time I saw my younger brother drunk-annoying and endearing at the same time. But Nardwuar wasn't drunk, just very intense, yet likable."

And, really, that's always the way I've felt about him ever since. Except, really, the annoying part drops away pretty quickly. It's not so much annoyance, it turns out, as discontinuity. Think of gears moving at different speeds. There's a bump when they meet, and they either mesh or instantly ricochet off each other, spewing teeth. When you meet him, he's going at his speed and you're at yours. Then the clutch pops and, well, different people react differently. The second time, you have a better idea of what to expect.

But, when I met him the first time, I remember a moment of "Wha, huh?" and then I was right there with him, nodding, agreeing, interjecting, suggesting, asking questions and hearing his reasons for choosing the bands he was presenting that day. His energy and passion is so strong you either retreat from it or get caught up. And, where's the fun in avoiding somebody who's so lively and enthused?

So, I suppose I go back practically to the beginning of Nardwuar. He tells me that the Earhart show review was his first real mainstream media coverage, and I later did a short item in Vancouver magazine. But all I did was talk to him and try to describe him accurately without falling onto cheap cliches. I can take no credit (or blame) for "breaking" Nardwuar. He already had a radio show and his own style. And despite all the energy he burns off in simple enthusiasm, he's had plenty left to start his own record label, promote lots more all-ages concerts (including Mudhoney, the Posies, even an astounding Fugazi show that drew 2,000 people), scramble his way onto TV (first with Vancouver's legendary Soundproof, then, of course, on MuchMusic), perform in bands, interview other bands for Chart, Razorcake, Roctober and Flipside magazines, jam-pack a Web site and create a DVD with more than five hours of material (which still only represents a fraction of his efforts-just look through this website and you'll know I speak the truth. Doesn't he ever sleep?).

And these are all things he accomplished himself. Not alone-he's the first to acknowledge the assistance of his friends in all those efforts (Team Nardwuar, perhaps?). But none of it would've happened without Nardwuar's drive to get it done. I really respect that. I mean, who among us has started a record label? I still don't know how you'd go about doing that, but he managed it as a teen (I remember him telling me the first album was funded with savings from a newspaper delivery route). And, instead of fuming about the lack of all-ages shows, he started presenting them himself. He's still good for one every year or so.

So, he's a big lover of music, a champion of the most obscure bands, and a real supporter of local talent as well. Plus, he's built a modest media empire through sheer willpower and hard work. All very commendable. But I recognize that's not how most people know Nardwuar. They know his on-air personality, particularly as it comes across when he interviews people.

The personality first. Is it real? Well, yes. To a point. I mean, we are all aware that he's actually someone else, that he wasn't named Nardwuar the Human Serviette at birth. Simply steal his wallet and check his driver's licence if you don't believe me. I even know what that real name is, but I'll do him a favour and not mention it. When you work in media, it's nice to have a bit of a buffer between yourself and those you might piss off. I've also heard the story of how the Nardwuar name came about, but I'll do you a favour and not pass it on. It's kind of dull. Goofy and yet tedious. If you ever get the chance to ask Nardwuar a question, pick another topic. It's a real eye-glazer. Nuff said.

Besides, hearing where the name came from does nothing to educate you as to the man himself. If he called himself Bob Smith, he'd be the same unique guy. Wasn't it Shakespeare who said, "A Nardwuar by any other name would still be one strange cat"? Perhaps not. I didn't go to a very good college. That is, I was enrolled in a very good college, but I just didn't go.

But according to the Psychology 101 textbook I have handy from those days (at least the part not eaten away by rats), the use of an alternate identity-the Nardwuar name-is probably a manifestation of the need to protect one's ego while venturing into a public role. But that doesn't mean Nardwuar is a put-on character. There is a difference between the guy when he's on-air and when he's not, but it's not a night-and-day difference. More like a 1 pm/3 pm thing. He definitely emphasizes some aspects of himself when the spotlight's on, but it's still the same guy. Essentially, he's just letting himself go wild, in a way only children usually get to do.

It's important to know that, because people sometimes think he's one of those high-concept comedians who's only out to confuse and embarrass celebrities. Actually, those are the part of his work I know the least, even though they're probably the main reason he's known outside Vancouver. Sometimes I find it a little too visceral to watch, read, or listen to those particular interviews, when someone (particularly a cushioned, comfy celebrity) reacts badly to the Nardwuar Experience.

Usually I associate moments like that with a malicious intent, a kind of sneak attack. But Nardwuar is such a sweet and genuine person (and effusively polite, as well) that I know he doesn't deliberately provoke such encounters. As an experienced media person I'm sure he recognizes when he's getting good tape from someone, but I do believe he'd be even happier if the celebrity had gotten onboard and done a real interview. Some do, some don't. Famous people usually live in an insulated existence, so having this guy bounce up to you acting all zany is probably a bit of a shock. And maybe Nardwuar sometimes seeks out the faded B-listers-former sitcom stars and their ilk-knowing the odds are better than even that the reaction he'll get is confrontational, but then again, that's a lot more interesting than the usual fawning idiotic celebrity coverage we're already soaking in. Nardwuar's a kind of litmus test for the personality lurking behind the capped-teeth smile. Nardwuar's smart and savvy, so I'm sure he knows what he's doing.

Oddly, I do really enjoy Nardwuar's political interviews. Usually, though, they're the shortest. He is generally escorted out fairly quickly after asking the first question. It must be odd, preparing to ask a question that you know will get you evicted, but there's also a real surreal beauty in asking Mikhail Gorbachev which world leader has the biggest pants, or in prompting Prime Minister of Canada to state that pepper is something he puts on his plate. I think I would chicken out. That takes real nerve.

Anyway, have a good time with all the interesting interviews and other content on this website. You'll laugh, you'll gasp, you'll cringe. It's only part of Nardwuar's prodigious output during his relentless media career, but it's a good sampling. Enjoy.

Dave Watson
Nardwuar fan since 1987.
Will work for Jaguar parts.
www.ThingsDaveWrote.ca

About

This is a blog for eveyone out there who thinks Nardwuar the Human Serviette would make the best host ever for Vancouver's 2009 Juno Awards ceremony.

We got the idea from Chartattack.com.

Then we started a facebook group.

Now we're bringing you this blog!

Join Team Nardwuar today by adding your voice to the facebook group, writing your MP, finding somebody who works at the Juno's and paying them a hefty sum of money, or throw a dinner party (who doesn't like cheese!) in Nardwuar's honour.

We all know great music journalism when we see it and to have Nardwuar host Canada's very own music awards would be an absolute riot.

From all of us at Young Lions of Pop,
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World and Doot-Doola-Doo-Do...