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Happy Holidays... Regina, December 24/09: I haven't had a lot of time to update this site for the past six or so months, so for the moment I just want to wish everyone the very best of the season and all the best for 2010. We will be back at Danceland, America's last grand ballroom, for New Year's Eve and then at Government House for the annual Lieutenant Governor's New Year's Day Levee on...you guessed it...New Year's Day. Our special guest at Government House will once again be Regina's Mayor Pat Fiacco, who will do a tune with the boys in the band, right after he is finished greeting guests and offering refreshments. It's a public event that everyone should attend at least once. See ya there! HAVELOCK JAMBOREE! Regina, August 22/09: Just got back from Havelock Ontario and their world-class country music jamboree. The Pistols were again privileged to perform with the Grand Ladies of Country Music...Jean Shepard, Jan Howard, Jeannie Seely and Helen Cornelius. The crowd loved the show and so did we. After three days' hard drive from Regina, with stops in Chicago, Detroit and Niagara Falls, where we spent some time with our friend Walter Ostanek, we were glad to arrive at the festival site, which is located in a beautiful valley. The crew at the jamboree did a great job and all shows came off flawlessly. Havelock runs two stages, so there is very little lag time between shows. Headliners were Loretta Lynn and Randy Travis...wow, REAL COUNTRY MUSIC! The Grand Ladies arrived on Saturday evening and we had a short rehearsal, then on Sunday we performed for almost two hours to a capacity crowd, ending with a prolonged standing ovation. The line at the sign and sell lasted almost an hour, and literally hundreds of pictures were taken. The Ladies always stick around as long as there are fans who want to buy product, get an autograph, or just have a visit. No wonder their fans are so devoted! The Toasted Western Swing Band from Niagara Falls closed the show on Sunday evening and the Sklarman was only too happy to sit in on fiddle. This is a very polished western swing band and the crowd stayed right until the end, giving the group a standing ovation. What a great way to end a great musical day! Now it's back into the studio to finish the Leah Durelle project, then we'll be turning our efforts to finishing the new Tex Pistols album, hopefully before year's end. ANOTHER STELLAR STAMPEDE... Regina, July 24/09: Another Calgary Stampede, another great summer experience! Our annual Black Tie and Blue Jeans fundraiser for Dreams Take Flight netted $206 thousand for the kids. Special thanks to Earl, Lucille and John for their tireless dedication to this very important project. In October, there will be 150 kids taking a dream flight to Disneyland, thanks to everyone who attended and contributed. Following the Black Tie event, we moved out to the Stoney Nakoda Resort west of Calgary, where we enjoyed five days of performing and enjoying the first class amenities provided by this world class resort. We look forward to returning in the very near future. Good news for country music lovers; the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame will be moving to the old King Eddy Hotel in Calgary as soon as renovations are completed. The hall has been purchased by the Cantos Foundation, a major music entity, which insures that all of the memorabilia, artifacts, and instruments will have a secure, permanent home. We just completed a week in the studio with Edmonton's Leah Durelle, working on her new CD. It should be finished in a couple of weeks, and it will be a dandy! Leah returns to Touchwood Studio in Regina to do her final voicing the week of July 27-30th. Now it's off to Lady Lake and to Havelock Ontario for the big jamboree with the Grand Ladies. CALGARY STAMPEDE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER! Regina, June 21/09: Well, folks, it is just about that time again...Stampede 2009 kicks off for the Pistols at the Westin in Calgary on Sunday, July 5th. That's right, it's the 15th annual Black Tie and Blue Jeans fundraiser for Dreams Take Flight. Plan on joining us to help raise funds to take another 150 kids to Disneyland this coming fall. Over the past fourteen years, we have taken over 2000 handicapped, disabled, terminally ill, and children at risk to the Magic Kingdom, and with your help the kids of Southern Alberta will again experience the trip of a lifetime. Then on Tuesday, July 7th, the Pistols will move to the Stoney Nakoda Resort at Morely, Alberta for a five-day casino engagement. Plan on joining us for the Greatest Outdoor (and indoor) Show on Earth! PISTOLS Perform at Casino Regina George Reed Tailgate Party... Regina, April 26/09: We had the honour of playing for the George Reed Tribute Tailgate Party earlier this evening. For those of you who are not familiar with Saskatchewan or Canadian football history, George Reed is one of the all time great running backs in the CFL. Together with quarterback Ron Lancaster, he gave Saskatchewan many exciting seasons of football, including a stellar performance which resulted in the Saskatchewan Roughriders bringing home the 1966 Grey Cup. Since his retirement from football, George has lived in Calgary, where he has had business interests in several fields. He has recently returned to Saskatchewan, where he is a special events director with Casino Regina. What a thrill to have our picture taken with our long-time hero!
PISTOLS and GRAND LADIES TO APPEAR AT HAVELOCK JAMBOREE... Regina, April 10/09: We appeared with the Grand Ladies of the Grand Ole Opry at Moose Jaw's May Wilson Theatre on Friday, the 16th and at Casino Regina on the 17th. Then the show moved to Festival Place in Sherwood Park (Edmonton) Alberta on Sunday the 18th. All three shows were sold out. The Grand Ladies are Jean Shepard, Jan Howard, and Helen Cornelius. In addition to appearing as regulars on the Grand Ole Opry, Jean and Jan have joined forces with Helen Cornelius in a show at the God and Country Theatre in Branson for several years. Next stop for the Tex Pistols with the Grand Ladies is the Havelock Jamboree in Havelock Ontario in August. Fourth legend, Jeannie Seely will be joining the show for the Havelock performance. HOSTFEST! Minot, October 5/08 - Another summer is over...and so is Norsk Hostfest. This year was another record year for attendance and the Tex Pistols and Western Senators played to capacity crowds in both the Reykavik Hall and the Oslo Hall. There were over 65,000 people in attendance this year, and everyone was in the mood to party. Special thanks to Rich Anhorn at Hostfest for his ongoing support of both our bands and of Leah Durelle, who we have had the pleasure of supporting for the past two years. Now it is off to Oktoberfests all over western Canada...some with Walter Ostanek. WHAT A SUMMER! Frankfurt, Germany, August 20/08 - Just getting ready to board Air Canada Flight 877 back to Saskatchewan. This brings to an end another great summer of touring and playing music for the Tex Pistols, and what a summer it was! The story below recounts our southern US tour, which was followed by our annual EuroTour, this year in Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, France, and Lithuania...the latter country being new territory for the group. It all started with us flying into Frankfurt and being picked up by our Euro manager and friend, Kees De Haan, who took us to our old familiar digs at the Keizerskroon in Gouda, NL. This represents our 34th tour in Europe since 1988, and this year we were to add another country to the ever growing list of countries we tour every summer...Lithuania. But first, we had a date at the Texas River Ranch Steak House in Leer, Germany, where as usual, Berndt and his staff were wonderful, as was the packed house. We also want to thank Frau Muller for housing us and feeding us, as usual. It was Fray Muller's birthday when we arrived, so a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday was delivered at breakfast on the morning after our arrival. Next, we headed for the huge country music festival in Silkeborg, Denmark. This was our second appearance at the festival, and it was super! The organizers seem to do a better job every year putting the show together, and the hotel accommodations are especially wonderful. It was also a treat to get re-acquainted with former band member from our Number One West television series, Dave Glowasky, who married a Danish girl and who now lives in Denmark. Dave intends to perform with us when we return to Denmark in 2010. We had a little rehearsal backstage after the festival, and then it was off to bed in preparation for our departure the next morning for Lochen in the Netherlands. Yvonne and Barry at the Cafe Mondani in Lochem are old friends. Yvonne grew up in Dawson Creek, BC, and the couple own the only Canadian restaurant in the Netherlands. We perform there every couple of years, and as usual the food and atmosphere were wonderful. We also had a visit from Lorrie and Vim...Lorrie is from Prince Albert (Sklars' hometown) and Vim is a Dutchman who met Lorrie when he was in Regina to help set up the new casino there some years ago. Lorrie operates a successful jewelry and crafts business in Gouda, and we visit whenever we are in the Netherlands. The Sklarman took a couple of days off and traveled to France to do a festival with the band Appaloosa just outside of the French city of Rennes. It is a huge festival, with a full-scale rodeo, a dance tent for line dancers, a midway, and a large retail area. Guzze and Francine, our promoters from France, did an excellent job of organizing the festival entertainment and Appaloosa put on a great show, as usual. Our final stop on the tour involved flying from Amsterdam to Vilnius in Lithania, where we hooked up with Doctor John Zubis, and his lovely wife, Eleyte. Dr. John has been the Sklar family doctor since they lived in Calgary, and the Sklars had always planned to take a trip to Lithuania with the couple. Dr. John was born in Canada, but speaks Lithuanian, and Eleyte immigrated to Canada when she and John married some years ago. The concert was a smashing success, with over 25,000 in attendance. The show was shot for television by the Lithuanian Television Network and will also be available on DVD later this year or early next. Our old friend George Hamilton IV was on the show, and it was a chance to renew old acquaintances. As usual, George did a great show, performing his long string of hits, along with his son, George V and the super band Colorado from Poland. Special thanks to Virgis Stakenas, Lithuania's most famous country music entertainer and radio personality, who plays the heck out of Tex Pistols' tunes, and who did an extensive interview for his national radio show with Brian Sklar. Also special mention of Lucie Diamond, the country singing sensation from Britain, who shared the stage and a band bus with us. Several of her sidemen were familiar from an earlier appearance with another group at France's Mirande Festival in 2003. The band would also like to thank our interpreter, Ilya, who is also a musician, and who lent Rob his Les Paul for the show. So, that's the short story for this summer. Pics coming soon, as soon as Aaron can get them sorted out. Next major event...Norsk Hostfest, October 1-4 in Minot. See ya there! Pistols' Southern US tour wraps... Branson, MO, July 29/08 - The Pistols' Southern US "swing" is now complete, and what a swing it was! The folks in Mingus, Texas danced all night, from the first note of the first shuffle until the wee hours of the morning. Special thanks to Joe "The Mayor" Bielinski for arranging the date and doing the promotion necessary to guarantee a full house. Also special thanks to Joe for the great chicken fried steak dinner at Mary's Restaurant and for the hours of great country music videos that we watched at his home, along with Faron the Chihuahua. Can't forget Mrs. Bielinski, Samantha, who put up with a house full of pickers. The Louisiana Hayride was a real thrill! To stand on the same stage as so many great country performers...Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, Charlie Pride, Merle Haggard, Porter and Dolly...literally anyone who ever "made it" in the business was really a great honour. Thanks to Bud and Carol Christian for producing the show and to the fans for showing up and supporting real country music. Nashville and Memphis were equally exciting, as was our date in Nashville, Arkansas on the 26th. Special thanks to Mary and Cheri for putting together a great event...and for the afternoon spent cruising the lake and getting a world class sunburn. Highlights of the Nashville leg included performing with Mike Siler and his group (which includes Opry staff drummer Deanna Johnson and Opry staff guitarist Billy Johnson) at Legends. And of course, the Grand Ole Opry. Once again, our friend Jean Shepard came through with backstage passes for the whole group. We also made it out to the Station to hear our friends and fellow Grammy nominees, the Time Jumpers...don't miss this one, every Monday night, if you are in Nashville. Leah Durelle was also in town, shooting her new video, and we had breakfast with our old friend, Joey Miskulin, who plays with Riders in the Sky, in addition to owning his own studio. Special thanks to Jay Michaels for a great bar-b-cue and a couple of days carousing on Broadway. Non-music events included visits to the birthplace and childhood home of President Bill Clinton, as well as a visit to his Presidential Library in Little Rock...something everyone should experience. Also paid a visit to the childhood home of President Harry Truman in Lamar, Missouri. Branson was as busy as usual. Caught Wade Benson Landry at the God and Country Theatre. Don't miss this one, if you are going to Branson. Wade is an old friend, who is a world class fiddler and entertainer. If you like western swing and cajun music, you will be thrilled with his show. Now it is off to Europe.
Pistols to play Louisiana Hayride... Shreveport,
LA,
June 13/08 - The Tex Pistols have been
invited to appear on the Louisiana Hayride on Sunday, July 20th. The group
is looking forward to performing on the same stage that Elvis, Hank
Williams, and so many other superstars graced on their way to stardom. The
group will be at the Trio Club in Mingus, Texas on Saturday July 19th, so it
will be early to rise to make the three-hour trip to Shreveport, Louisiana
for the 2 o'clock show. Also appearing will be legendary country singer
Claude King (Wolverton Mountain) and a host of other country music stars. Club Regent Casino... Winnipeg, MB, May 26/08 - Our first date at Jaguar's at the Club Regent Casino in Winnipeg was a real treat! The dancers hit the floor with the first note, and stayed there until closing time. Special thanks to our tech, Isaac. He is one of the best sound techs we have ever worked with...twenty minutes to run lines and sound check, and everything sounded great! Now, it's on to the
Dauphin Countryfest and River Rat Festival in Athabaska, Alberta, then the
Black Tie and Blue Jeans show at the Calgary Stampede. Then on to the US and
Europe for the rest of the summer...more details to come... Cash Casino Weekend... Calgary, AB, March 24/08 - Our weekend at the Cash Casino in Calgary was a great time, as usual. The day before we left, we played the Brighter Futures for Children Concert at Casino Regina, where we helped to once again set a record for funds raised for the SCEP and Early Learning Centres. Thanks to the generosity of Regina's music community, as well as Doug and Gloria Archer and their staff at Knight Archer Insurance - the major sponsor of the event, both charities will be able to continue the good and valuable work they do for the children of Regina. Of course, it goes without saying that the event would certainly not be as successful if not for the many community sponsors who contribute to the event. Special thanks to Jim Hopson and the Saskatchewan Roughriders for their invaluable contribution this year. The Cash Casino, as always, was a fun gig. It was especially nice to welcome Tim Jeffery back to the stage with our group. He was part of the Prairie Fire Band back in the late seventies and early eighties until he left to form his own successful country group, the Honky-Tonk Heroes. It was like he had never left...we pulled some of the old tunes out of the bag, and he was right there with his original parts. We will be returning there later this year and hope to see all of the familiar faces who show up to support us every time we play there, plus some newcomers.
Good news on Easter Saturday...Mark and Lindsay Leik welcomed their new son, Graden. The boys in the band are all eagerly awaiting pictures. We are in the studio
in two weeks, starting on Buck U Two and then in May we really get down to
the business of touring and playing dates. Watch this site for upcoming
events, including our fourth consecutive year at Danceland, Manitou Beach,
for New Year's Eve. Reservations are now being taken at 306-946-2743. Dallas Steel Show... Dallas, TX, March 22/08 - Just got back from the Texas Steel Guitar Association's annual show and convention. It was nice to see Calvin Vollrath in attendance...we had the pleasure of performing with super steelman Billy Phelps on the Saturday show, along with Texas guitar legend Randy Corner. The Sklarman also sat in with Canadian steel master Al Brisco on his show on Saturday morning. The Carter Steel Guitar company had an impressive exhibit, as usual, and special thanks to John and Ann Fabian for their hospitality. On Friday, we joined Tommy Hooker and his group (including super fiddler Reggie Rueffer and steel legend Johnny Cox) at Pearl's Dance Hall and Saloon at the Fort Worth Stockyards. What a pleasure to hear and perform with such outstanding performers. On Saturday after the steel show performances, the Sklarman went to Brady, Texas for the 19th anniversary celebrations for Heart of Texas Records. It was was really great to spend a little time with our old friends Texas dancehall legend Darrell McCall and his wife, Mona. Also in attendance were Heather Myles, and Leona Williams, two of the truly great honky-tonk singers, and Justin Trevino, producer, musician and singer, who has just moved to Brady. Thanks to CEO of Heart of Texas Records for the invitation to the event. On steel at the performance was Dickey Overby, who was as impressive as ever. Another person of note at the event was original Buck Owens pedal steel man Tom Brumley, who will be performing full time with Darrell at a newly refurbished theater in San Antonio, starting this summer. On the way back to San Antonio, I visited the Trio Club in Mingus, Texas, and had the pleasure of sitting in with the Jake Hooker Band. My good friend, Joe Bielinski, of KTFW radio, lives just up the street. As a matter of fact, his parents once owned the Trio Club. We will be performing there on July 19. It will be our return to the Texas honky-tonks, where we spent the winters from 77-82. The crowds are as big as ever, and more than half the crowd last Saturday was under the age of 30. Everyone was dancing to real Texas honky-tonk music. What a thrill to see and hear that kind of music played so well for such appreciative people. After the show, we all went over to Joe's place and watched country videos, collected by Joe since the 70s...people like Carl and Pearl Butler, Del Reeves, Billy Walker, Buck Owens, the Wilburn Brothers...can't wait to do more of the same in July! Be sure to tune in to www.countrylegends921.com every Sunday from noon to five, Texas time, for the Joe Bielinski show. If you wonder what has happened to steel guitars and fiddles on the radio, that's where they live. Tune in and get countryfied. Some Pics from the week:
Spring News... Regina, SK, March 11/08 - Back from the Grammys and hard at it. the band had an amazing time in Los Angeles and were treated like kings. The group fully intend to be back next year. Despite the fact that the nomination was for the polka album, as the Western Senators, a nomination is a nomination, and they are grateful to be chosen from the large field of entrants this year. The band is now in the process of working on several recording projects, both country and polka, as well as a new television series with Canada's Grammy winner, Walter Ostanek. The show will be taped live at the first ever Casino Regina PolkaFest, featuring Ostanek and the Western Senators, Cleveland Ohio's Eddie Rodick, and Regina's Al Almassey. The show will run from six to midnight on Friday, May 16th and from two to midnight on Saturday, May 17th. Tickets are now on sale from Casino Regina's box office. Summer is shaping up to be great, with our annual visit to the Calgary Stampede and then a three-week EuroTour. Details will be available later this spring. The annual Brighter Futures for Children concert will go on March 20th at Casino Regina's Show Lounge. Tickets are now on sale from Knight Archer Insurance offices or Casino Regina's box office, or any member of SCEP or the Early Learning Centre. This fundraiser is growing every year, and as a result is providing more and better support to young kids in Regina who need a hand up and a headstart in life. There will be performances by six different bands and individual entertainers, all for a 30-dollar ticket price, and for that you even get a complimentary beef-on-a-bun. At this writing, the Sklarman is packing to head for Dallas for the annual Texas Steel Guitar Show and Convention. The show runs from March 13-16. I will also be attending the 19th anniversary celebrations for Heart of Texas Records in Brady, Texas on the 15th, and joining Joe Bielinski (the mayor) on Country Gold Radio on Sunday, March 16th. Joe's show runs for five hours every Sunday, featuring the best in real country music...check it out. HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Pistols! Regina, SK - We had the biggest crowd ever at Danceland this past New Year's Eve, and then a very enjoyable performance at the Lieutenant Governor's Levee at Government House in Regina on New Year's Day. Special thanks to Arnie, Millie and all the staff at Danceland and Carolyn Speirs, who arranged the entertainment for the New Year's Day Levee. Now it is full speed ahead in our preparations for the trip to Nashville on January 22nd for the NARAS Grammy Party and then to LA for the awards weekend, February 9th and 10th. We have been nominated in the Polka Album category (as the Western Senators...our alter egos) along with Walter Ostanek. We are hopeful, but even if we don't win, it is an honour being the first Saskatchewan band ever to get a Grammy nomination. We are about to begin work on some new recordings. More details to come later this spring...then off to Europe again this summer, starting in Denmark the second weekend in August. And of course, we will once again be at the Calgary Stampede. Prior to the Stampede, we will be performing, along with Leah Durelle, in Athabasca Alberta for their annual River Rats Festival. More details to come. |
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When in Calgary, be sure to visit the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, located on the Calgary Stampede grounds. |
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