Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 34

C6 EDMONTON JOURNAL ENTERTAINMENT SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2001 Grand Ole Opry pulls strings for Paisley Gut-wrenching collection of songs from Mark Davis for Old Reliable The Associated I'rvsi nasiivii.i.i:, i dio show today, and the first to re- thing that will happen to me as a ceive a new award for Opry en- country music artist," Paisley told tertainers. the Daily News Journal of Country singer Brad Paisley will The 28-year-old has been a fre- Murfreesboro, Term. He is com- stuff," says Jansen. become the newest member of quent guest on the show. peting Wednesday night tor the Along with the rhythm section the cast of the Grand Ole Opry ra "This is the most important best new artist Grammy.

of Scott Lingley on drums and Tom Murray on bass, Beatless will be joining the proceedings on Saturday night as the opening act. Sunday promises a special surprise act when the switch is flicked around 10 p.m. Ticket info can be obtained by Peter North R(X)ts Music dialing 413-4578. Expect to hear a great deal of Your complete guide to The Gradual Moment on both CKUA and CJSR over the next local Bingo Action Girlfriends painful deatli inspired rHie Gradual Moment It would be close to impossible to find a heavier heart than Mark Davis's when he wrote the songs for Old Reliable's new album. Titled The GmdualMoment, the second offering from the band is a moving, often gut-wrenching collection of songs based around the songwriter's ordeal of watching his girlfriend slowly and painfully slip away after a long battle with cancer.

Today, Davis can talk about those difficult, almost surreal times that in some ways came to a close when his love died almost three years ago. The songs, incredibly poetic ones at that, spilled out of him even though his days were almost entirely devoted to taking care of her. He made sure that those moments of clarity weren't going to slip away on him. "I would bring new songs into the studio but wouldn't really look at anyone as I sang them. After a while, I'd glance around and everyone else in the band would be teary-eyed as we tried to arrange them," he says.

The guitarist has been one of the two driving forces in the band since its inception. The other is songwriter Shulyer Jansen, who just wanted his good pal to get these songs out in whatever form he wanted. "Mark could have cut these all as solo acoustic pieces and they would have been just as com- plete," Jansen says in reference to songs like Kathy's Waltz, In The Hollows, SurenessofSunand Tiny Rivers that were all mixed with the vocals out front where they belonged. Crossing the bridge to take these songs to faithful Old Reliable audiences in a live setting wasn't any easier. "It was hard getting in front of people and singing about something so personal.

But there was a time when it was hard doing anything getting up, doing the dishes, anything," recalls Davis. Bob Egan of Blue Rodeo added dobro, mandolin and pedal steel to a couple of tracks while Howie Gelb of Giant Sand contributed to five tracks on everything from banjo to Hammond organ. Known for marathon shows, these frontmen of Old Reliable expect to dish out some 40 songs on each of the two nights of their CD-release party weekend. That party begins at the New City Likwid Lounge this evening with round two set for Sunday evening. "I think well be doing about 10 songs off the first two albums and we've got a huge backlog of new few weeks.

A Vricnd indeed! Young singer, songwriter and entertainer Ann Vriend is in the spotlight for three consecutive nights beginning Sunday when she fronts the Anonymous Trio at Rivo Restaurant on 97th Avenue and 110th Street. Vriend is a graduate of the Grant MacEwan music program, and her voice and material got the attention of New York-based producer Leo Sax, who was here at the folk festival last summer with the gospel vocal group Church Street. "I recorded some song demos with him in December of seven or eight originals in New York. He's shopping them around," says Vriend, who on Monday night goes solo to play two 40-minute sets at the Urban Lounge beginning at 8:30. On Tuesday, we can catch her in yet another setting, this time fronting the funk band Syndicate at the Sidetrack.

There shell be wrapping her pipes around material by Etta James, Sly Stone and Marvin Gaye. EiLE-BJL 12711-52 St. llLi Fort Road 13403 Fort. Rd. 475-3247 Kensington 12538-132 Ave.

454-3635 Londonderry Londonderry Mall 476-8129 aasffl Allendale 6120-104 St. 430-9679 50St. 98Ave. 469-0407 Flamingo Millbourne Mall (38 Ave. Millwoods Rd.) 466-3900 I Parkway 8170-50 St.

466-3541 Sal Sib: Mmffl Riviera 8775-51 Ave. 465-1987 TV" VMM Caesars West Edm. Mall (Main Level N.W. Entrance) 444-3456 Westmount Westmount Mall (niAve.ti35 St.) 455-7064 I I SPOTLIGHT -f iM ti Hanks Flockhart Hollywood stars' image going to the dogs los angeles Tom Hanks and Calista Flockhart's looks have gone to the dogs. Universal Studios claims it has found a terrier whose shaggy head resembles the Oscar-nominated Cast Away actor and a greyhound whose long face recalls the rail-thin star of TVs Ally McBeal.

They also discovered a Bassett hound that looks Like the late Walter Matthau an actor whose jowly mug often drew comparisons to the breed. The finds came during an open-casting call Thursday for a new Animal Planet Live! show at Universal's theme park in Hollywood. The furry celebrity doppelgangers are being recruited for a video program that will be broadcast to people waiting in line for the attraction, Universal spokesperson Eliot Sekuler said. The theme park's scouts also found a bulky St. Bernard that resembles muscleman Arnold Schwarzenegger and a Lhasa Apso that sports a floppy hairstyle reminiscent of Friends star Jennifer Aniston.

Crouching Tiger director never a fan of dubbing A story of premalure reincarnation. 1 I FAMOUS fJVFRS- (403? 156-9822 GRANDIN SILVEHCrrY'BIB'''v I GATEWAY 8 CLAREVIEWV sbwood CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORIES FOR SHOWTIMES NOW PLAYING! -jk -mmsM mm nm Em mm mm mm new york Ang Lee, director of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, says henever considered dubbing his Oscar-nominated film. so'- www.downtoorfli, jovi Aft The Mandarin-language movie, with English subtitles, is at the crest of a -FAMOUS PLAVERS- SILVEflCITY'll GATEWAY 8 1 1 WESTMOUIff CNTBEi CLAREVIEvVV ETON CENTREV wave of well-regarded Asian films that ONEPIEXOOEON 11 GHAXYCWEHUS LISlf Ti NUVV LAY INVj! PG COARSE LANGUAGE CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORIES FOR SHOWTIMES See The Movie About The Sweetest PCind Of Love. are finding mainstream success in America. Lee told reporters recently that 70 per cent of an actor's performance comes from the tone of his voice.

"Even the slightest hum shows characters, shows where they're at in a very implicit way, the subtext, so I hate to use dubbing," the Taiwanese-bom director said. The film is nominated for 10 Oscars, including best picture. It has already won two Golden Globes, for foreign film and for Lee's direction. 1 A1 1 'Li 1. St -m a P.

Ghocolat star sweet on clothes from the '60s loj anceles Actress Carrie-Anne Moss says she felt more at home in the 1960s-era clothes she wears in Choco-fa than the futuristic costumes she LnjAiMiMQiWAMl i i I i in I'; i KEANU REEVES CHARLEETHERDN SWEET NOVEMBER SHE JUST NEEDED A MONTH TO CHAN GE HIS LIFE FOREVEE. .1.7 1 JLI wore in The Matrix. "The clothes all fit me perfectly. I should have been around then because the clothes today are all a little small for me," Moss, 30, told reporters. Chocoiat, directed byLasse Hallstrom, uZJ til1 1 1 i- i i -i Moss vw.ffiectn&iGE2)er-!it PARAWOWT GATEWAY b7 W-TWW BTf', CLAREVIEwTj SS.VLRCITT"-- I GATE I GATEWAY 8 CLAREVIEWV EATON CENTRE! SCIQXH', stan Juliette Binoche as a single mother who opens a dwcolate shop in rural France in the winter of 1959.

The film has been nominated for five Oscars, including best picture. NOW PLAYING! fUS SHPniTOC PARK iTniin fsJfWYT DT AVTSJr check local ustings niwiT A A-iXVl AllVJi FOR SHCWTIVES.