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Dinocopter flying high with release of first CD cott Wicken admits his Shand. Dinocopter, should have released its first CD three years go. But a crazy thing called life always seemed to get in the way. "It took much longer than it shoutd have," said the Waterloo artist. "But a couple band members went through career changes, white others had multiple children. These (changes) obviously took time away from the project." Money was also an obstacle, Wicken said. "This took much longer than it should have," he said. "Since it‘s a completely independent release, we paid for it with our gig money. That also took a long time." But it was well worth the wait for the four bandmates. who will celebrate the release of their first CD "Helisaur". tomorrow night at The Starlight club in Waterloo. The quintet formed in 2000 after finding themâ€" selves with similar musical ideas during jam nights at Waterloo‘s Raintree Café. "Forming a band was necessary to do what I wanted to do," Wicken said. "And these guys are ready, willing and able. "I love the band dynamic â€" the teamwork that‘s involved." The group, made up of Wicken ({songwriter, vocals, guitars), Brent Hagerman (guitar, saxophone)}, Paul Mcinnis (drums, mandolin, guitar) and James Craig {bass), is a seifâ€"described roots rock band with multiâ€" ple influences. Their style can be described as a blend of regâ€" gae, ska, folk, blues, blueâ€" grass and hard rock. The CD, which was recorded in Waterioo by Eric Duerrstein at both his DSP Studio and live at the Jane By Anorta Bamey Chromicle Staff Local artists (from left} Brent Hagerman, James Craig, Scott Wicken and Paul Mcinnis make up Dinocopter. The band will release their first CD tomorrow night at The Starlight club. Bond Café, is a blend of acoustic and electrical songs written by Wicken. _ "A lot of the music is liveâ€" ly sounding," said Wicken. "Each song has a differâ€" ent inspiration, born out of situations I‘ve run into. I guess you could say I‘m a compulsive writer, and I approach all songs as musiâ€" cal poems." The first track, Helicopter Dinosaur, pays homage to local musical legend Tommy Murray who played with Wicken in a duo before his untimely death. Wicken described the second song, Headful, is a psychedelicallyâ€"tinges exploration of the danger of speaking your mind. The third track, Big City Girl, chronicles a young woman who leaves her home town and gets swalâ€" lowed up by the big. bad city. The band gets to rock out ARTS FOCUS on the next track, Shaggyâ€" head, an open song/letter to Edmonton musician Chris Smith, a friend and roomâ€" mate of Wicken‘s who lived in a house that served as both a crashpad for travelâ€" ling bands and a continuous jam hall. Wicken called the fifth track, Parade, a "nice acoustic number about feelâ€" ing like a spectator watching your own life go by." The last three songs were recorded live and feature Bumtown, a jammy electric blues, Gone to Seed, a rock song about getting old and lastly, and Babblin‘ on in Babylon, a track featuring a big singâ€"along as Wicken plays the spoons. "I think of all my songs as sign posts," Wicken said. "They remind me of people in certain situations I‘ve been in. The songs put those memories back in my head, and I refamiliarize myself with my history and my own personal mythology. In that way, it‘s religious. _ "Different people mean different things. It‘s imporâ€" tant to make art about them." The songwriter described Dinocopter as a group that‘s "all about the songs." _ "And we work hard to create the right atmosphere for our songs," Wicken added. "No one else sounds like us. But at the same time we are a group of individuâ€" als with different personaliâ€" ties. The way we play is the way we play." Dinocopter will share their CD release party with fellow local artist Mike Alviano, who will also be releasing his new CD "Radiâ€" ate". . Admission for the double CD release party is $10, or free with the purchase of a CD at the door. Doors open at 10 p.m Before television became the focal point for enterâ€" tainment in people‘s homes, it was not unusual for communities to come together, bring their instruâ€" ments and their acting skills and perform for one another. In some parts of Canada, this tradition lives Kathleen Cleland Moyer, coâ€"executive director of Conflict Resolution Network Canada and successful playwright, is determined to revive the tradition in Ontario. -'_"filo‘:‘ibriginal twoâ€"act comedy, Barn Talk, is such a play. _ e . e First performed in August 2003 to sellâ€"out audiâ€" ences, it is being performed again this June with the same cast and in the same location. Written by Cleland Mover, who has lived in rural Ontario for most of her life, the play has drawn together a community of local actors from the Tavisâ€" tock/Stratford area and Kitchener/Waterlo0. The play will be performed in a local rural setting; the barn of Rick and Louise Cober Bauman of Shakeâ€" speare on June 5,10.11 and 12. IOges : â€" The play is about a recent widower in his twilight years, immy McKay, who won‘t leave his barn until George W. Bush pays him a visit. He has a lot to talk to George about, mainly ideas given to him by his recently deceased wife Molly, and he figures the barn is a perfect place to have a "man to man" talk, where the truth is not distorted by social niceties. The trouble is, the only ones to pay him a visit are his next door neighbours John S. and Emma Martin, an old order Mennonite couple with a rebellious daughter; Katie, Jimmy‘s therapist daughter, who wants him to "express his feelings"; and Reverend Jason Tilden, a greenâ€"horn Presbyterian minister, with a failing faith. Jimmy‘s teenage grandson Sean, also bursts upon the scene, adding his unique (albeit punk} perspective on the problem. Barn Talk follows several other successful plays written by Cleland Moyer, including Caught in the Middle, a conflict resolution play that toured over 100 schools in Ontario in the early 1990s, and her other educational plays, Power Play, The Transformaâ€" tion of Happy Harry‘s Diner, Red Bleu, and A Time to Act. Barn Talk is in the tradition of the community play, I just moved to Tavistock, written by Cleland Moyer in 1990, which successfully "brought the house down" and sold out to rave reviews. Barn Talk will be performed at 8:30 p.m. at the Coberâ€"Bauman barn, RR #1, Shakespeare. Local musicians including Failte, Tavistock Harmonica Band, Five on the Floor and No Discernible Key will provide entertainment prior to the show, beginning at 8 p.m. 1 Tickets are available online at www.crnetwork.ca or by calling 885â€"0880, ext. 271. All proceeds from the ticket sales go to support the work of Conflict Resolution Network Canada, a national charitable organization that promotes healthier families, schools, and communities through the peaceful resolution of conflict. ‘Barn Talk‘ brings rural and urban folk together 677 Belmont Ave W\ Kitchena 330 Gage Avenue. Kitchener 1120 Victoria St. N . Kitchener 245 Edimburgh Road, Guelph 584 King St. N . Waterloo â€"â€"& DESIGN CENTRES â€"â€" 1519 578â€"5 130 1519) 576 8200 (519) 5767576 (519) 8364731 (519) 772. 11 27