The News Feb 15th/10 - It's About Time! Well it's been a year since I have written an update for the site and it's certainly not because there hasn't been any news...it's just that like most people, I've been putting most the information on 'Facebook'. I do have a 'Tunz Dj' site on there as well, but want to get back to using this site as the 'official Tunz' information center. In 2009, Doug and I were superbusy, playing all over the map for weddings, stag, and Xmas parties. As usual, we met alot of great people and had some amazing times. I was also busy with Sonic Roots, and we regrettefully pulled the plug at the end of November. I really enjoyed all the fun times we had Rockin the Shark and Bull and numerous other spots we played, I hope to have a new band up and running really soon and will post the progress as it happens. 2010 is already shaping up to be busier than last year with 22 confirmed bookings as of Feb 1st and several others awaiting confirmation. My good buddy Terry Buker looks after the site for me and he is going to be giving it a new look and adding some fun stuff....hopefully more photos and regular updates. If you have any DJ needs in the coming year, drop me a line or call me. The booking information is on the site and either Doug or I will be glad to make your event a musical success. Stay tuned and feel free to contact both Doug Maxwell or I on Facebook for daily updates. Stay warm...spring is just around the corner!! ----------------------------------- July 2/09 - ElphinFest 2009 Well, I know it's a few months away, but now is a good time to mark it on your calendar. The summer goes quickly with a million things to do and places to be. This years line-up sees lots of familiar acts returning, but also some new up and coming bands. With nine bands on the 12 hour calendar, there isn't room for anymore and I've had to turn down a few others already. I've thought about making it a two-day event, but might do that for next years 10th Anniversary. The ElphinFest is always fun and a great spot for 'live' entertainment. We've got Raul Cirne back for the sound, and we'll keep our fingers crossed for a nice day. There will be food, venors, and surprise appearances. Pass it around and bring your friends. Keep an eye on my website....www.RockinRick.ca and we're also on Facebook/ElphinFest. Labour Day Sunday Sept 6/2009. ElphinFest.....Effin' Rocks!!!!! 
----------------------------------- Oct 7/08 - New DJ & Photography Adverts!
Sept 4/08 - Summerfest 2008! Well the summer of 2008 has zoomed by and it was one of my busiest ever for weddings. Doug and I were booked every Saturday night and several Fridays with weddings, stags, and anniversaries. We're still lined up with quite a few more till the end of October. There were so many great memorable weddings in some spectacular settings and we covered a large area and met lots of fun party people. I took a ton of photos and hope to have many of them posted soon on the site. Speaking of fun party people.....ElphinFest 2008 was one of the best yet. What a lineup of talent!!! From New Brunswick, Jason Myers opened the day with his great originals. What a voice! Next, was up and comer Micheal Cota who played an accoustic set of his own unique style. He promptly sold out of all of his cd's after his set. Our first surprise artist was 'Tippy The Clown'. This guy knows how to entertain!! He played a variety of instruments that each had their own personality. Hard to describe the set, but everyone appreciated his great sense of humour and colorful costume. Jake Desjardine is a multi-talented musician who can master almost any instrument. His set of social conscience tunes went over well with the early afternoon crowd. Dave Comden was the final solo artist to appear and he had a vast array of styles and songs of his own that prepared everyone perfectly for the upcoming bands. Pocket Change kicked it off with a set that went from dreamy keyboard swirls to out and out boogie woogie. They've been together for a few years now and have played here before and always amaze everyone with their set. All the way from Brampton and next to kick it into Rock N Roll overdrive were 'Indyscretion'. Their set of guitardriven instrumentals went down swimmingly. From Lanark, local Rockers 'Defy All' were back for the second straight year and they've gotten tighter and heavier. These guys have a lot of talent and heart and their originals are very well crafted. Next to hit the stage were 'Still Dangerous' and one of my all time favourite local bands. This is a kickass rockin bluesband made up of some of the areas top players. Gary Sanford on drums, Mike Lush on bass and both Barry Buse and Larry Wayne Church have got the showmanship down to a science. The crowd were loving their stuff and dancing was breaking out everywhere. Check em' out if you get a chance. Sonic Roots were back together for the first time in 8 years when they last played here and did a 45 minutes set of old classics by Zeppelin, Stones, and Black Sabbath that took everyone back to their party years. It was fun to be on stage with those guys again. The nights headlining spot belonged to the 'Woodrunners' and deservedly so. After having them here last year, it was amazing to hear how much tighter and talented they've become. This is roots Rock n Roll in the vein of The Faces, Stones, and Neil Young. A blistering set with a bit of a jam at the end was a perfect ending to a wonderful day and night of music in the sun. Lots of other people to thank. Sound man Raul Cirne was his usual professional self. He is the most important part of this whole day, making everyone sound fantastic. Neon Leon was great at the gate and his wife Amanda was busy in the kitchen. Speaking of the kitchen a big shout out to both Barb and Danielle for making sure not one person went hungry. It was hot in there, but they did a great job and even managed to get out and take in some of the performances. Also like to thank Vance for having his one-of-a-kind clothes for sale. Al and Sue Brown for their booth and a special thanks to my neighbours, the Delisles, who always have a mini-Fest going on in their backyard. Finally to all the people who came out and made it so much fun and all the hard work worth it. I'll be putting together a compilation DVD and posted lots of photos really soon! Remember. ELPHINFEST ...Labour Day Sunday 2009. Can't wait!!!!! ----------------------------------- July 4/08 - Elphinfest News! The 8th Annual ElphinFest is being held on Sunday August 31st. There are plenty of great bands and solo acts to please every musicial taste. Raul Cirne will be doing the sound for us again and he always has things running smoothly. Be sure to bring along your own chair, some bug spray, and cans only. The music starts at noon and goes till 11PM. The cost is only $10.00 for the entire day....one of the best musical deals you'll find this summer. It won't be long getting here, so mark it on your 'to do' list. See you there!!!! 
----------------------------------- May 31/08 - Elphin Roots Festival Here's the lineup for the 3rd Annual Elphin
Roots Festival which is hosted by two time Juno award winner, Jenny
Whiteley. If you were there in 2007, you'll want to be sure to take
it in again this year. All the information is on here or you can email
Jenny or me for 
----------------------------------- Dec 6/07 - Photo Gallery! I have a photo gallery up which you may check out here! ----------------------------------- Nov 14/07 - Fall Update Well, it's been awhile since I updated the site and I apologize for that. It's not that I haven't been superbusy. The summer was full with wedding Dj jobs and band stuff, but we're about to hit that slow time of year. I have one more wedding for 2007 and New Years is booked, but so far the Christmas season is slow. Things sure have changed in the past few years with regards to December/Xmas parties. It used to be my busiest month of the year, but with the drinking and driving and smoking by-laws, most people are content to stay home in smaller groups and entertain themselves. Even the weddings that used to go right till the one o'clock closing time, are generally over by midnight. Perhaps it's all for the better, but the parties sure were wilder back in the 'good ol' days'. But still, I sure played at some great ones this summer. I hope to finally get some of the photos that were taken onto the site. This past weekend was one of the best as my good buddy Ward got married. He did it up in a great casual cowboy setting at the Lone Star Ranch in Ottawa. His bride, Lori looked stunning in a beautiful dress while Ward was looking more like Billy the Kid with his six guns, tails, and Stetson. The meal was perfect and all agreed that the fajita's ribs and wings were perfect. It was nice to see so many old friends there and a good time was enjoyed by all. The summer of 2008 is starting to book up already and it's looking like close to 10 weddings are already scheduled between me and my partner Doug. Speaking of which....Doug and his lovely wife Angie just celebrated their 4th anniversary on November 8th and I'm looking forward to squeezing in a visit with them later this month. It's always a fun time with those two around and I'm really happy to have Doug working the weddings with me. He's a natural entertainer and a true professional. There are other things in the works for 2008. I'm also doing wedding videos and photos either with the Djing or separate. Barb is branching into the wedding business with me by offering her culinary skills in the catering department. 'At Your Service' is her new company and she's a licenced chef who has worked at some of the areas best restaurants as well as having catered many events. We are anxious to offer 4 wedding services with one phone call now and as always, satisfaction is guaranteed. Also on the agenda is of course the 8th Annual ElphinFest. I'm working on the bands for that already and last years was a fantastic mixed bag of talent. Also we'll be packed with Jenny Whiteley's 3rd Annual Elphin Roots Festival. You'll want to get tickets early for this one as there is limited space to squeeze everyone in, and last years line-up was nothing short of spectacular. Sarah Harmer, Kathleen Edwards, Jim Bryson and many many more blew away the 300 or so who attended. Part of the charm of the Elphin Roots Festival is always never knowing who the surprise guests will be. Once the dates are announced, you'll want to pencil them into your busy summer schedule. Well, I'll close now and hope you all get bundled in and cozy for the winter. Take in whatever 'live' entertainment you can and make the best of the winter. If you're like me, you're already looking forward to spring. I'll keep you posted right here on all the breaking news. Peace! ----------------------------------- Sept 4/07 - ElphinFest 2007 Rocked!!! Well we were blessed with a 'perfect' weather for the days events and soundman Raul Cirne had everything fired up and ready to go for the first act at noon. The Skirmish have been here before and they are always a treat to hear. Gary Glover tells great stories and they have alot of fun with the audience Linda Grenier finished her set with The Skirmish and then it was time to bring up 11 year old Devin McGovern. Along with my son Alex on bass, he played a Whitesnake song: Here I Go Again, and did Bob Seger's 'Old Time Rock N Roll'. He nailed them both and the crowd loved it. Keep it up...you've got a long career ahead of you. Next up were Hammered. This is a power trio of local teens who really have a unique and polished set of originals. It was starting to Rock! Next up were the Alliance of Giants who did a set of Hip Hop with great lyrics and a polished delivery. Very different and entertaining. One of the nicest surprises of the day was seeing Barry Buse show up with his guitar in tow. Barry's been here a few times now and always leaves the crowd wanting more. Along with Mike Lush on bass and Jake Desjardine on drums, he served up an excellent set of smokin' blues. My son Alex sat in for a few numbers with them and their set went down well with the appreciative crowd. After Jake finished drumming with Barry and Mike, he set up with his guitarplayer Devin for his own set of obscure covers and provocative originals. Switching from hand drums, to guitar he had the audience listening intently to the lyrics. His guitarplayer added alot of flashy licks and wah wah which enhanced the set. Jake is truly an original and a gifted musician. Check him out when he is playing one of his popular solo shows. Next up were the Woodrunners. I can't say enough good things about this band. They play excellent original songs in the vein of Son Volt, Wilco, Neil Young and it's all delivered with great harmonies with that big fat Gretch guitar sound. They are quickly becoming popular in Ottawa and play regularly at the Carlton Tavern. I hope they soon get a cd recorded and I predict bigger and better things for these guys. Finally it was time for Fanatical Jack. We hit the stage flying with Collective Soul's 'Counting the Days'. From there it was a real mix of classic rock covering everything from AC/DC to Led Zeppeling. Our bassplayers amp quit working but we never stopped and it was quickly replaced and we finished our set even earning an encore. Too quickly the sets were done and the Festival was over. I'd like to thank a ton of people: Deb and Brad who came all the way from Philadelphia just to be there. We love you guys!!.....My neighbour and friend Andy Brooks who was onsite at 10:00 A.M. to help Raul unload his gear and set up. Of course, Raul Cirne, soundman extrodinaire. He always makes everyone sound great and has the show running like clockwork. Barb and her crew who were busy in the chipwagon cooking for the festival folks as well as our regular customers. She did manage to catch snipets of some of the acts. To all the musicians who played and made it another memorable success. The list has grown to close to 40 acts now that have graced the stage in Elphin. Our reputation is spreading as a great place to see excellent entertainment in a beautiful setting. Finally I'd like to thank everyone who came out to support live music and have a good time. We do it for you and you're the most important part of our day. It's always so much work to get it ready, alot of fun the day of the event, and a little sad when it's finally over. But it's always fun the start planning the next one! Hope everyone had a great summer. Keep an eye on the site for the release date of the upcoming ElphinFest compilation DVD. ----------------------------------- Aug 11/07 - Elphinfest set for Sunday, Sept 2nd!
----------------------------------- Aug 1/07 - Well the summer just continues to fly!!! It's been busy as usual with plenty more bookings on the horizon. The past two weekends I was doing the wedding Dj job and I have about 8 more to go this summer. We had a great turnout for Jenny Whiteley's Elphin Roots Festival on June 30th, and despite the rain, we managed to finish it out in spectacular fashion at the McDonald's Corners Agricultural Hall. My festival wasn't so fortunate and with more rain for July 7th and no hall as a backup, I reluctantly had to postpone it, but the good news is that it will be happening 'rain or shine' on Sunday September 2nd and I do have the McDonald's Corners hall as a backup for the new date, We're hoping to have a 'Rockin' good time to end the summer... ...and speaking of 'Rocking'.....I'm really happy to have joined a great bunch of musicians from Ottawa and we've just started rehearsing, but we're working hard to polish things up for the September 2nd ElphinFest. The new band is called 'Fanatical Jack' and is made up of some very talented and experienced musicians. We sure hope to see you come out in September to see us along with the other acts that are confirmed. At this point it looks like we're still on for The Woodrunners, The Skirmish, Pocket Change, and Fanatical Jack. I even have an up and coming 10 year old; Devin McGovern who is going to sing a few songs. I hear he's got a wicked set of pipes on him and is rarin' to Rock!! The next generation is upon us!!! Details are being finalized on a few things and a new poster will be popping up on the website really soon with more information, but hopefully we'll get a beautiful sunshiny day to pull off the last Rock n Roll bash of the summer. If not, we'll just do it all at the McDonald's Corners Hall. Hope you can make it. ----------------------------------- July 27/07 - Elphinfest raindate announced! Due to bad weather, Elphinfest 2007 had been cancelled. Don't fret though, the new official date has been set to Sept 2nd. So in case you were busy the first time around, you can make it out now! So be sure to check back for new info before then! ----------------------------------- July 5/07 - Elphin Roots Festival....Simply Amazing!!! Well, unless you were there, it's one of those things you will hear about from someone who was, and wish you had been. Follow me? The day started off well and on schedule with a sizeable crowd constantly gathering. Raul had the sound running smoothly by noon and the performers were well aware that it was going to be a full and constant changing line-up. There were several bands that didn't appear on the poster, but made a pleasant addition: The Hankshaw Sissies being one of them. Great original songs played with passion and conviction. Dan Whiteley and Joey Wright gave a clinic in bluegrass pickin', trading licks on guitar and mandolin. Great stuff. Next the criminally talented Luther Wright along with his cohort, Dan duoed as Butterfingers. They had some pretty funny songs that were supposed to be for the kids, but had the adults laughing harder. Emily Fennell and her band played a set that showed her continual growth as a songwriter and although she already has a strong following, can only become much more popular on the Folk/Roots circuit. A truly gifted songwriter. Things were progressing at a great pace and everyone was enjoying the venue, the music, and meeting some new friends. Then it started raining. No biggy. These are seasoned festival-goers and they were well equiped to handle a little rain. But it turned out the be much more than the expected showers and so with people patiently waiting it out, it became apparent that things were getting too wet equipment-wise to continue. While decisions were pending over the festivals future for the day, a spontaneous jam session broke out under the canopy of the backstage area with drinks, food, and licks being exchanged. These musicians were going down swinging! But what could have been a shameful disaster was quickly salvaged by the wily Ms. Whiteley who had a backup plan already in place. We were packing it up and moving over to the McDonald's Corners Agricultural Hall. A convoy of damp, but rejuvenated concert goers followed the musicians over and before you could say 'help me load this stuff'', the amazing Raul Cirne had the sound up and running and the place was packed!! From here on it, we were in for a fun filled, action packed, never-say-die hoedown. Yeehaw indeed. The entertainers were so greatful everyone had hung in there and they were ready to take their performances up a notch. Luther Wright and the Wrongs, Chris Brown, Sheesam and Lotus and,Melwood Cutlery all played superb sets while Marlee of Leaving Train earned the nights first encore. Her voice and bassplaying stole the show up to that point. And we hadn't even gotten to the special surprise guests yet! But by this time were no surprise, but nontheless being eagerly anticipated. Jim Bryson hit the stage with Kathleen Edwards in tow. Normally he is playing in her band, but tonight she was returning the favour and adding her own sense of humour to the proceedings. Her quote that the Elphin Roots Festival was more fun for her to play than the Calgary Music Festival earned a nice thunderous round of applause from the attentive crowd. It sure was a nice thing to say and the feeling that people were experiencing a truly special night was contagious!! By the time the lovely Sarah Harmer hit the stage and wowed everyone with her great songs and stories, it was getting close to the end of a magical musical night. As tired as she was from the weekends organizing, Jenny Whiteley finally ended up on the stage and showed once again why she is so revered and loved for not only her music, but her professionalism and down-to-earth friendliness. Very reluctanly the crowd slowly dissolved into the night with that warm fuzzy feeling that can only come from being part of a little piece of musical heaven and history. However you want to look at it, it was one of the most amazing nights that historical old hall has ever experienced. What's in store for the future of the Elphin Roots Festival? Well, next year folks, you'd better get your tickets early because it is going to be one of the the most eagerly antisipated events of the summer. Might be hard to top this one, but you can bet that Jenny Whiteley is going to have fun trying! ----------------------------------- May 11/07 - Official Elphinfest poster & lineup
The festival site is also available for any band wanting to host their own night of music. Come out and have a bite at the Elf Inn Express and check out the scene. Both Elphin festivals will be featured in an upcoming issue of Humm Magazine. It's a nice scenic drive and worth the trip.... ----------------------------------- |
