John will be performing two solo shows at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre this December 4 & 5. Tickets are available now through the Cultch box office at 604-251-1363.

Check out the Cultch website for details!

Click to download this poster (PDF) from my upcoming appearance in "Beyond Eden":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZYDo9nQ7TA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhgv85m852Q

Welcome to Stephen Harper's Cultural Reformation

Hi Folks
My main band Spirit of the West is celebrating it's 25th anniversary this year and we'll be touring this summer and into the fall. I'm really looking forward to playing Banff on June 29th. We have a long history of shows and shananagans in that town and I love running the trail that runs along side the river. We're also playing Canada Day in Winnipeg which works for me as most of my relatives on my Mom's side live there.
Spirit is currently putting the finishing art work touches on our new album which comes out on July 8th. It is titled, The Consummate Compendium and is a mix of older songs, new songs and songs we recorded but never released.
I've been writing again as of late, scheming about a new solo album. I'm tempted to put together a 3 pc., including myself and a couple of multi-instrumentalists. No names yet, although it would sure be nice to sing with a woman. No offence to the lads in Spirit.
Its also quite likely, but not yet written in ink, that I'll be in The Arts Club Stanley Theatre production of Les Mis next spring through summer. No cast details as of yet but if I accept this mission, I'll be playing the part of Thenardier. Sorry, I don't know how to put the accent on my computer.
I'll let you know what transpires.
Cheers.
John

Hi All
On Feb 22nd, I opened for Josh Ritter at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. I played there years ago, before the advent of Compact Discs, Ipods, flat screen TV's and the resurgence of the word, 'like'. Its a beautiful venue and it took Josh Ritter to fill it to the rafters. I had a blast at the show, a large Kooteny contingent showed up with Mr. Ritter and although it had been years since Spirit of the West had played in Nelson or anywhere near it, it seems like we are remembered there and its time to head back.
The sound at the show was as good as the audience, the only feedback was positive and Josh put on a show filled with humour and joy. Before I got the opening slot I had already purchased tix to the show as I love his music. Its human and true, and has a great joie de vivre. His intros were fabulous, he's a grand story teller so I'm not surprised the Irish hold him in such high esteem.
I listen to a lot of music. Its in my kitchen all the time, whether its my kids on the computer, my son's band practising upstairs in his bedroom or the stero, and Josh Ritter is an often played choice. You gotta love a singer who isn't afraid to be romantic.
Cheers to you all. I'm looking forward to going on tour. Its been far too long and I miss the road, the shows and the adventures. See you out there.
Yours, John
ps For those of you in Vancouver. See you at the Chapel on March 23rd.

Hi again
I just wanted to plug a couple of things. One, I'm acting in a TV show called Intelligence on CBC TV. It's a great show or I wouldn't be plugging it. Stellar performances by Ian Tracey, Klea Scott, John Cassini and countless others. Nobody sucks in this show. The scripts are smart and assume the viewers can keep up. If you want to find out more about it google Intelligence CBC and you'll get the picture.
Its on Tuesdays at 9:00pm, again at midnight and Fridays at 11:00pm,

Two; one of the songs on my site, By Tomorrow, was written by my 15 year old son Harlan. He plays drums and writes the lyrics in a band called Up Arsenal. Check out their myspace site. www.myspace.com/uparsenal I love these guys. This is an early recording, a demo of a couple of their tunes. Solid people, solid music.
Cheers, John

Vancouver is in the midst of one of those rare and beautiful times. Its covered in snow and I love it. On Monday, I pulled the kids out of school and we went snowboarding up Cypress Bowl. There was powder, no ice, no fear of the bone crunching falls, just a pillowy base of 300cm, and all this in November. I started boarding two years ago. We had out fitted our kids with boards and rather than updating my antiquated skiis, my wife and I took the plunge. We heard there was a three day learning curve and its so true. The first day is spent on your butt with sore wrists and hurt pride. The second is a mix of that and moments of understanding the hype and on day three, something clicks and you can't imagine ever going back to skis. My daughter is a speed freak and my son does the rails and jumps but I just like cruising. Its changed my attitude about the rain as well because chances are that if its raining down here, it might be snowing up there.
Cheers to all. John

I'm new to myspace and the idea of collecting cyber friends. I went to one of my friends site only to find that she was friends with Neil Young. How does this happen. I've been digging Neil Young for years, Harvest Moon is one of my top ten albums, Neil went to the same Highschool as my mom and dad and she bags him as a buddy. I visited another friend's site and found out she was friends with a "real" friend of mine Jason Plumb. Turns out Jason is friends with Amiee Mann whom I have had a crush on since she was in Til Tuesday back in the 80's. Jason was probably nine when Til Tuesday found its way onto the airwaves and the pages of Rolling Stone. I initially thought I'd keep my cyber world small and selective, an elite group of people I had actually had human contact with, seen, heard, hugged, etc... but I'm thinking I might dive in, branch out and make a few hundred friends before the year is up. Christmas will be costly but what the hell.