Winnipeg’s gypsy-folk-orchestral outfit, Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers was a band fascinated by folk tales, puppet shows, and homemade mythologies. They were a dynamic sextet with unique blend of jazz, folk, and musical theatre to create a truly sound that has been described as ‘Hawksley Workman meets Calexico’ and ‘a gypsy version of Queen’ and appealed to music fans of all ages. Featuring a killer brass section, Flying Fox’s energetic live show built them a reputation as one of Canada’s must see musical acts, as documented by the CBC’s Canada Live in 2010.
By 2010, the Flying Fox obsession with dark tales and puppetry was at full fruition with the debut of their original rock opera, The Wild Things, at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. Inspired by the iconic children’s story, Where the Wild Things Are, the show was lovingly embraced by children and adults alike, received the prestigious “Best of Fest” award and sold over 1,200 tickets. Soundtrack music from The Wild Things was recorded and released as an “artful and ambitious” concept album (Uptown).
In 2011 Flying Fox released their debut full length album ‘Hans My Lion’. A mosaic of flamboyant pop songs, orchestral interludes and gritty gypsy folk, It was received with critical acclaim, embraced as “a roaring success” (Uptown) and “an album with no shortage of imaginative material that is bound to become a classic” (The Uniter). Since the album’s release, the band had been busy winning over fans from Montreal to Vancouver Island, with multiple cross-Canadian tours in both 2011 & 2012.
With over 200 shows played in the bands life time performing at events like The Big Timeout, North Country Fair, South Country Fair, Canada Day at Calgary’s Prince’s Island Park, The Komasket Music Festival, the Brandon Folk Festival, and the Winnipeg Jazz Festival. By maintaining this busy tour schedule hey were able to share stages with acts as diverse as Elliot Brood, Black Mountain, Bahamas, Dan Mangan, Buffy Ste. Marie, Arrested Development, Five Alarm Funk, Fred Penner, Dave Bidini and The Waking Eyes.
Good morning!
Hi, how are things?
Hello
Good morning! I enjoyed the article this morning, I’m looking forward to checking out Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers later!
Hey ho. Any good news? Anywhere?
Yes, our budgies are adjusting nicely.
@Russ, do you know their musical tastes yet?
Nothing jumping out yet, but they do enjoy the sound of their own voices.
In case someone didn’t know: https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2016/11/14/actor-janet-wright-emma-from-corner-gasw-is-dead-at-71.html
Haven’t posted since we drove the bus off the cliff last Tuesday. In too much shock. Anything happening here?
@Mcfflyer, Hello Sir
@BfO, I didn’t know about that 🙁
@Russ, they are probably planning to take over the house
Good morning everyone!
Hi Justin. How’s Duke?
Hi kids.
Hey @Tiffy! Been a while since we’ve see you, welcome back.
@mcfflyer… Duke is getting much better. We have a vet appointment on Thursday to get his stitches out. I will be away for US Thanksgiving in Phoenix. After I get back Duke and I will start running again, whoohoo! I miss him on my runs, he brings so much joy. And he missed them too, he’s getting ansty around the house.
What have you been up to lately Tiff?
@justin – job hunting mainly, I have an interview on Monday, so that is kinda exciting.
Other than that, running and working out.
Oh, and alot of dating. I’ve been ‘putting myself out there’
Hey All, Good luck on the Job/Mate hunting Tiff!
hahah Thanks Mike. I guess I am on the prowl in more ways than one right now!
OH. So, one tinder person I am talking to ended up with me being a judge for indie week tomorrow night lol
@Tiff… nice! What’s the possible new job? If you can disclose.
For dating, cool! I hope it’s going well, every date is so different. I have been dating as well, some good, some meh. Nothing rockstar yet.
Kick A on running too.
Hello all!
Cheers to new adventures in love and life!
Thanks 🙂 The interview is for account manager at a large firm right downtown
@Tiff… cool! I hope you get it… and I hope it’s more pay than the last one too. Sounds like it might be.
Hi Darbar 🙂
Slow down. You are posting comments too quickly
My last was almost 2 weeks ago. I better slow things down!
Kim Mitchell. Lead singer of the band Toronto…!?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REQarV1iX74&list=PLxuaaONzLc3cYo-2drkYCPtb_3um5ukXp&index=12
whoops..that’s not the right one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REQarV1iX74&list=PLxuaaONzLc3cYo-2drkYCPtb_3um5ukXp&index=12
Hi Tiff!
@krib – I was wondering do I have to watch that at some point to get what he is talking about? :p
DAMN! okay, I’ll stop trying…
It was the WWE Wrestler The Edge who said it
okay, I think this one will do it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REQarV1iX74
darbar,
it’s at the 40 second mark where they play I am a Wild Party
Dating sucks
I thought Kim Mitchell was the lead singer for Max Webster. Wasn’t the singer for Toronto a woman?
well hello! s’funny, the flying fox being featured… how’d that come about? two of these guys are actually pretty good friends of mine and are now more known for their current project the dirty catfish brass band. interesting, just wondering how this article came to be.
hope everybody’s … tuesday? … is full of good schtuff.
Hiya Tom. Garf liked them and wrote the article.
Janet,
yes. that’s why I posted it. I thought it was funny. This guy is rattling off all this stuff about Kim Mitchell, then says “and he was lead singer of the band Toronto!”
which was a girl who went by the moniker of Holly Woods
right arm! dcbb was actually just in regina and saskatoon this past weekend.
How is Regina doing darbar? It’s been so long since I’ve been… so many new businesses opened since I left that I want to try, esp Rebellion Brewery and the new cafe by the gen hospital!
@Tom, I was looking online for bands I had not heard of before when I discovered them. It wasn’t until I was part way through the research that I found out they had disbanded. I mentioned it in the comments yesterday but Janet thought that I could write it as a bit of a retrospective, so I did.
good stuff, mr. garf
@Tom, I may have to feature DCBB some time next week
It was in my plans to go to DCBB on Saturday but I didn’t make it there. Life’s been busy.
I have only been to Rebellion a couple times and it is a block from work. I have had their beer all over town though. Good stuff. Are you talking about Hunter Gatherer? I have not been there yet either but did just make it to Malty National/33 1/3 establishment a couple weeks ago. Also good stuff.
Justin, glad to know that Duke is on the mend. What a sweet, loving face he has.
Krib, Yeah, dating does suck, but when you hit that home run, everything is worth it. Good luck to you and Tiffy.
Without Radio3, I’ve just about completely lost touch – and enthusiasm – from the Canadian indie music that used to be such a big part of my life. I used to have to decide which shows to go to in San Francisco, as I couldn’t possibly go to them all. But that was in 2010. Tonight, Elephant Stone is right here in Sacramento at the Torch Club (odd venue, I’d never put them there -it’s where we saw Lindy Ortega) but I’m struggling with any great desire to go.
I think it’s called 33 1/3 .. but like I said I haven’t been back in a long minute!
re: live music, I’ve been to a few shows lately, just the other day I was at the Chixdiggit! show. It was really good and I had a great time. I finally got to see The Isotopes Punk Rock Baseball Club too, I enjoyed them muchly (including the bare butt – jock strap wearing – hype man!). I wanted a t-shirt but only had $20 left at the end of the night and I had to buy the 2012 vinyl. I saw the guitarist from Mobina Galore there, they are heading overseas to support Against Me really soon. That’s fairly huge I’d say! The chixdiggit show was a little weird though because it was basically KJ with a band, I’m not sure who they were or what the story was with the regular guys but they weren’t there. The band did great though and they essentially played an all request night. Unfortunately (for me) nothing off 2012. But at least the vinyl has a lyrics insert!
Nothing to see here, move along
Dave from X-Ray Records was telling us he is going to be moving to a new space. Out of the basement into a nice space in the warehouse district on Dewdney. That should be a good move.
“not available in your country”
darbar, no way that’s awesome. he runs a nice little record store!
I had gotten my dude a turntable for his birthday. He had a huge collection of vinyl and sold a large chunk of it off and now regrets it. Hehe. He is one of those completist collector types and has a room full of CDs and vinyl. We never run out of something to listen to!
looks like nardwuar’s band, the evaporators has a new one!
https://soundcloud.com/nardwuar/sets/ogopogo-punk
I just saw that Tom! Minutes ago.
@DBS, is the youtube video I posted blocked in Canada?
@Garf – It actually says “the uploader has not made this video available in your country”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7qWx_u596A
Lee – You should go see Elephant Stone.
@DBS, I can’t understand why CBS would block that in Canada. Is CBS This Morning shown by someone up there?
I agree with Russ, Lee.
This worked:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7OmTVgQ57U
We saw them a couple of weeks ago, great show and the new record is fabulous.
Lee, this is the questionnaire i go through when I’m deciding to go out and see a band…
– do i like this band?
– am I supposed to be doing something else at the same time?
– can i afford to pay cover/beer?
– do I have to get up early in the morning?
– is it raining or really cold outside?
– who else is going… a lot harder to find motivation if flying solo. If solo, see #1.
Ha! Thanks for the questionnaire, Tom! Let me answer them all!
Do I like Elephant Stone? Well, I did have one of their songs, Bombs Bomb Away on my R3 playlist, but that was off their first album. I did go through to listen to their music on their website, and boy, I hear sounds of the 60s there with that sitar! It was pretty good, but almost outside of my normal likes.
Supposed to be doing something else? No, not really.
Afford it? This is a NO COVER show, but cost isn’t an issue.
Have to get up early in the morning? 5:30am every work morning.
Raining? Maybe yes! There is a chance of showers tonight, but not an issue. Nor should parking.
Who else is going? – Peggy has already opted out, saying she needs the rest, and not be up to 11pm. So, I’ll be alone.
I just feel bad that if I don’t go, why would any of “our” R3 bands ever want to come here. True, some have come here and done well, like The New Pornographers and Mother Mother, and others have done very poorly, Kathryn Calder and Hot Panda.
I sure miss having the old Radio3 amp up the interest in seeing everyone. Without it . . .
FREE SHOW???
Tell Rishi HELLO from Detroit!
Great try Russ but I am pretty sure Lee’s mind was already made up. 😉
R3 was still a conversation starter for me Friday night. Hannah Epperson played and had an amazing show. I talked to her after and was telling her about how I have been hearing about her for years from Kirkofdoom on R3 and was glad to finally get to see her show. She knew who I meant immediately and the convo went on from there.
so that q-tip video is kind of hilarious, thanks for posting it.
anybody see snl and catch their performance? It was pretty awesome. As was Chappelle. His opening monologue was one of the best I’ve ever seen.
5:30 AM?!!!
I got up early, at 6:15 today, to do some yoga. Ended up doing a whole lotta NOPE! and went back to bed
@Tom, I agree, A Tribe Called Red was amazing on SNL, and so was the monologue! I liked how they set the start of the show up like an episode of Chappelle’s Show
@Tom – I didn’t see it but I have seen a lot of posts about it on FB. I will have to check it out.
@Janet, It was A Tribe Called Quest
@Garfield! Whoops! I have been doing that all week! My American co-workers think I have a bad memory, but really I’m just confusing the two groups in my head.
Though I did think while typing, “get the band’s name correct” clearly I didn’t reread before submitting.
http://www.globaltv.com/saturdaynightlive/video/webisode/dave-chappelle-stand-up-monologue/video.html?v=807864387976
O niver chick moy coimments befour paisting
Okay, off for a bit, will check back this evening!
Later janet!
Thanks for the link Tom.
@Janet, Chapelle’s monologue was awesome…. as I read the news today… ‘now what’. Get involved of course. Donations to non-profits like the ACLU and others have gone up hundreds of percent, to combat the Republican initiatives.
Darleeeeeeeeeean! Actually talking about it made me think a little more about going. But do I wear my formerly highly coveted CBC Radio3 scarf? My Granted Clothing CBC Cowichean sweater (that I’ve hardly ever worn?) My Sloan belt buckle – or my CBC Radio3 buckle? Just what do I wear? But, sigh, it all seems so pointless now. 🙁
But to put me in the spirit, I’m listening to a CD that was sent to me as a gift from another old R3 band from PEI, Boxer The Horse, their last album, French Residency. What’s happened to those guys?
I am sorry Lee. hehe. I do think you should go but I have no idea what you should wear. I also have no idea what Boxer The Horse are up to or still exist.
Well, we’ll just have to see! I’ll report back.
Who knew that Kyle and Andrew were in Flying Fox? Not me, that’s for sure. I certainly saw FF play, and own a CD, but I think that was before I knew Andrew in particular, very well. Thanks Garf.