Two hours of programmer created content, podcasts, music, interviews, and community announcements. Hour One airs Mondays from 11am to Noon; Hour Two airs Saturdays from 1pm to 2pm.
Tune in Monday, 4 October 2021 at 11 AM on CKMS 102.7 FM Radio Waterloo for Community Connections; an hour of Oktoberfest music and talk with Dennis Scherer from Retake. Steven Todd hosts!
Last week I promised to play a bunch of Canadian Content and KW Content music. In a weird way, it was good that I couldn’t play it, because Mo Markham was a great guest with lots of info about KW Vegfest. So, mea culpa, and here are all the songs and artists I didn’t play last week. No commentary on this show, but I hope to invite all the artists into the studio once it re-opens.
Mo Markham of KW Vegfest Mo Markham joins me on a web conference to talk about the upcoming KW Vegfest 2021, and tells us about the speakers and vendors who will be at this year’s Vegfest. We talk about veganism, the need for a plant-based diet, and the “Ag Gag” laws that try to suppress publication of the problems with industrial agriculture. The speaker presentations are being recorded, so we’ll have Mo back in a few weeks to as we put some on the air.
I promised to play a bunch of new CanCon and KWCon music today, but there was so much Vegfest to talk about we didn’t get to it. We’ll definitely have a full music episode next week, and I’ll invite the musicians to come into the studio (when it re-opens) for a Live, On-Air, In-Studio performance!
Mo Markham tells us about this year’s KW Vegfest, being held in-person at the Kitchener Market. She gives a little history, and then goes over the Covid protocols in place, done by the Kitchener Market staff. There’s no online component, but presentations will be recorded and we’ll air excerpts on a future CCC. Mo tells us about the KW Vegfest programme, and tells us about some of the musical guests. There’s more stuff happening outside, and Mo goes over the list of vendors. We talk about transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, there are Vegan Societies to help people with this, for example the KW Vegan Society and the Cambridge, Ontario Vegan Society. KW Vegfest is put on by KW Animal Save.
Veganism is one of the ways to address climate change — animal agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Plant Based Treaty was recently set up to bring attention to this, and some municipal councillors are already on board.
Mo’s cat Joanie introduces herself, and we talk about plant-based cat food. Cats are obligate carnivores, they’re required to eat meat. But the only nutrient needed by cats missing in plants is taurine, so adding a taurine supplement makes plant-based cat food completely nutritious for cats.
We talk about “vegan” as an ethical choice, separate from eating a plant-based diet. Veganism includes not using any animal based clothing, not going to the zoo, not riding a horse, not using animals in any way. It’s not only animal welfare that drives people to veganism, but also climate change. Mo tells us of her experiences in seeing the effects of climate change herself.
Talking about “Ag Gag Laws”, to suppress information about the conditions for animals in industrial agriculture. Mo gives details about some of these “acceptable” practices. Content Warning: Mo gives some explicit descriptions of animal abuse. Talking about the specifics of the law, how it doesn’t do what it claims to do. There have been no incidents of disease brought in my activists. But it’s foreign and low-paid workers who are most at risk of the zoonotic diseases spread by poor working conditions in these places. Strong agricultural industry lobbying keeps this law on the books.
54m34s
Hardest Part (vocals by CJ Cooper) and Bob gives the closing credits
The studio should be re-opening soon! For now, we’re having another CanCon morning on CKMS Community Connections, with new (to me) music from JSP, Paragon Cause, Sammy Duke, Taylor Davison, Steve Todd, and Cinephonic.
Peter Snow
You may remember our show from 10 May 2021 with Peter Snow from The Soviet Influence, a politically active, indie rock band from southern Ontario. Peter spoke of a live, online event in August for prisoner justice.
The Soviet Influence have partnered up with the Toronto Prisoner Rights Project and produced a compilation record and streamed show this past weekend to raise funds and awareness of this cause. CKMS Community Connections is re-broadcasting that show, recorded by our sister campus radio station from Guelph University, CFRU-FM. It features performances from The Soviet Influence, Friday Empire, Skye Wallace, and Joni Void, along with interviews and information about the project.
The Toronto Prisoner’s Rights Project (TPRP) is a volunteer organization of former prisoners, people with loved ones inside, front-line workers, artists, researchers, educators and students. They engage in direct action, public education, and mutual aid to shed light on the harms caused by incarceration and connect prisoners with social, financial, legal and health supports. They’re committed to abolition and building sustainable communities rooted in community care, transformative justice, and accountability.
Tomorrow, Tuesday 10 August 2021 is Prisoner Justice Day. Please join the memorial at the Church of the Holy Trinity, in Trinity Square tucked between the Eatons Centre and the Marriott Downtown. Between 5pm and 8pm there will be a vigil in solidarity with those who have died while incarcerated as well as to show support for prisoners’ rights. Former prisoners and their loved ones will share their stories and truths. There will be activities, music, performances, food, swag and more! Folks are encouraged to show up to demonstrate solidarity with prisoners and those impacted by incarceration. No one is free until we are all free.
You can support the Toronto Prisoner Rights Project at https://www.torontoprisonersrightsproject.org/get-involved-and-support All proceeds go to mutual aid projects including the Prisoner Emergency Support Fund, Jail Hotline, and Good Food Boxes, and support our direct action advocacy work (through digital organizing tools and protest supplies). Supporters can contribute a monthly donation on Patreon that includes exclusive TPRP merchandise as a thank-you.
Or you can make a one-time donation to the Prisoner Emergency Support Fund, started by the Criminalization and Punishment Education Project and the Toronto Prisoners’’ Rights Project. It’s a team of volunteers that are organizing to support prisoners, who believe that people need access to community support and not human cages. The fund was originally launched as a response to the pandemic. Given the clear gaps in care that have been revealed by the volume of applications, they are continuing to raise funds so long as there are needs to be met. This fund is intended for people inside prisons and jails and recently released prisoners. People behind bars often need support to contact their loved ones or purchase essential items on their canteen. Recently released prisoners need access to funds for housing, food, clothing, and physical and mental health supports. Families who still have loved ones behind bars need funds for expensive phone bills and canteens.
And you can download the Toronto Prisonsers Rights Project Compilation EP by Musicians For Mutual Aid. The record features new music from The Soviet Influence along with tracks from Skye Wallace, The Burning Hell, Sean Bertram, Friday Empire, Davita Guslits, Joni Void + Jerry Quickley, and Kayla Hagerty.
Today Bob was joined by Phöenix Lazare on a web conference. There were technical difficulties resulting in really poor sound quality, so there’s no podcast of today’s show available. We’ll have Phöenix back for another interview when the studio re-opens, and Bob has access to real broadcast audio equipment.
Phöenix and Bob talk about Greatness, Phöenix’s career and her degree in Songwriting; what comes first, lyrics or music? “Depends…” Writing song lyrics is not like writing poetry. Talking about Against All Odds.
“Phöenix” is spelled with an umlaut, but pronounced without it. Doesn’t help get the gigs, though. Talking about Covid, and performing online, and playing the Folk clubs.
Today we have a debut of Fly Away Child from KW musician Sammy Duke, and two tracks from Phöenix Lazare’s new album that will be released this Friday, 9 July 2021. Join us next week for an interview with Phöenix. And today’s show is filled out with lots of other Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge content.
This is the week in which we used to celebrate Canada Day. That’s not happening, but there’s no reason to not celebrate incredible Canadian musicians. Stay tuned over the summer for interviews with some of these musicians, and when the studio re-opens we may have some Live, On-Air, In-Studio performances!
Music Index
Time
Title
Album
Artist
0m00s
Theme for CKMS Community Connections Introduction by Bob Jonkman
Technical troubles at CKMS-FM; a pitch for the Spring 2021 Fundraiser (yes the station phone number is +1‑519‑884‑2567); Concentrating on songs, not albums. Jake explains “Fingerstyle” or “Travis Picking”, and introducing Growing Pains.
Clockwise from bottom left: Peter Snow of the Soviet Influence, Jeff Stager of The Agriculture Show, and Bob Jonkman Our guest today on CKMS #CommunityConnections is Peter Snow from The Soviet Influence. We talk about music, making a video in pandemic times, and even about politics.
Who: In support of the Toronto Prisoner’s Rights Project When: Sometime in August 2021 Where: Online (stay tuned to CKMS-FM for more info; this page will be updated)
Theme for CKMS Community Connections (by Steve Todd)
0m48s
Plant The Bombs
4m40s
There’s been a pandemic! But The Soviet Influence has still released two albums in 2021; the progression to becoming a more outspoken band; people like music with a message, The Soviet Influence is not a band to write romantic love songs; appearing on the 1492 Land Back Lane Mixtape; learning about Indigenous issues; introducing These Chains on that album; ; introducing Two Weeks.
13m18s
These Chains
15m50s
Oh Not Tonight
18m47s
Explaining the meaning of Oh Not Tonight; mixing albums when you can’t go into the studio; introducing the band: Peter Snow, lead vocals and guitar, Peter Morey on bass, Blake Morey drummer, Ty Mackenzie on guitar; a plug for Dave Partridge of HELM Recording; making a video in the home studio, making a home studio from a shed; writing a song ‘cos you need an encore; introducing Two Weeks, a song about Indigenous issues; explaining the album title This Band Is So God.
31m06
Two Weeks
34m36s
Doing some live online shows, paid video gigs; August compilation album for the Toronto Prisoner Rights Project; covering the social justice projects that need support, album proceeds go to these organizations. Bob and Jeff make a pitch for the Radio Waterloo Spring 2021 Fundraising Drive; explaining the Community at the Radio Station, is there a similar community amongst musicians? Peter says Yes, there is, but no formal organization of “social justice bands”. Yet.
47m46s
Oh Not Tonight
51m36s
Oh Not Tonight has played on commercial radio, that was unexpected! If you have music, submit it at office@radiowaterloo.ca, please excuse our delays in replying. Peter talks about upcoming songs, recordings, and live online events; talking about prison abolition; introducing The Guns of Brixton, originally by The Clash.
56m24s
The Guns of Brixton, and Bob gives the end credits.
CKMS Community Connections Hour One airs on CKMS-FM 102.7 on Monday from 11:00am to Noon, and Hour Two airs on Saturday from 1:00pm to 2:00pm.
Since the studio remains closed we’re playing more new Canadian Content and KW Content music today, and a few tracks released last year too. The definition of “KW Content” broadens yet again — while the group Your New False Gods hails from Scotland, lead singer Kevin Combe has family in Kitchener, and that makes them our neighbours from a different country. Right?
This weeks marks the start of a four-week Covid lockdown in Ontario, so the studio remains closed. No guests, but the music keeps on coming. All CanCon again this week, with some new material and some favourites.
There’s another lockdown for the Covid pandemic, and the Radio Waterloo studio remains closed. In good news, there are now vaccinations available in Waterloo Region, and there is lots of new music from local Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and Palm Springs musicians (OK, Michael Gagliardi lives in Palm Springs, but he’s got a house in Kitchener, so that counts as KWCon to me!)
Since the program is all music, there’s no podcast. If you want to listen to the music again, tune in to CKMS-FM 102.7 Radio Waterloo, or click through the artist links in the music index and buy their music!
It’s the first CKMS Community Connections show of spring, when grass is growing, birds are singing, and new music is released. The studio remains closed due to Covid so there’s no interviews, but we have lots of newly released music with several tracks from local Waterloo Region musicians!
Today is The Ides Of March, but the 15th of March falls in a run of other celebratory days: Pi Day, St. Urho’s Day, and of course, St. Patrick’s Day. So today we depart a bit from our usual format with some holiday music, and a poetry reading. The recording of Gene McCavic is a bit unclear, so here’s the text from the definitive St. Urho’s web site.
Ooksi kooksi coolama vee
Santia Urho is ta poy for me!
He sase out ta hoppers as pig as pirds.
Neffer peefor haff I hurd tose words!
He reely tolt tose pugs of kreen
Braffest Finn I effer seen
Some celebrate for St. Pat unt hiss nakes
Putt Urho poyka kot what it takes.
He kot tall and trong from feelia sour
Unt ate kala moyakka effery hour.
Tat’s why tat kuy could sase toes peetles
What krew as thick as chack bine neetles.
So let’s give a cheer in hower pest vay
On Sixteenth of March, St. Urho’s Tay.
It’s International Women’s Day, so today we’re celebrating by featuring music by the women of Waterloo Region. Sadly, there’s only an hour of CCC so we couldn’t possibly squeeze in all the wonderful musicians in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and the townships. If you’ve got some music you’d like aired on Radio Waterloo then send an e-mail at office@radiowaterloo.ca and we’ll be happy to add it to our Digital Music Library. Full information is at How To Submit Music.
At 11:00am CCC is back for another week but the studio remains closed until further notice, so here’s some more Canadian Content music: Some so new it hasn’t been released yet, some new just to me, and there’s some old favourites too. Follow the links to the artists — some are back to doing performances, so check them out and support your local musicians!
Bob Jonkman talks with CKMS DJs and show hosts Val Scheer and Rob Curwain about radio broadcasting, the courses available at colleges, and their experiences.
DJs Val Scheer and Rob Curwain introduce themselves and their shows; how they got their start into radio; the courses at Fanshawe College and Niagara College; discussing home production equipment and techniques, and comparing it to the college’s equipment; transferrable skills? With Covid, even commercial radio station show hosts are working from home;
The differences between commercial radio and Community Radio: So many shows! So much freedom! The mandate for Community Radio is to provide an alternative to commercial radio. But the skills are transferrable, working at CKMS helps hone the craft for a commercial radio career. Val and Rob both have “The Voice” of professional announcers — how did they get it? Mostly it comes from yourself, but in the broadcast course people will point out voice problems. Having “The Voice” isn’t needed on Community Radio, we’re more interested in what you have to say than in how you say it.
Today on CKMS 102.7 FM Radio Waterloo #CommunityConnections we continue our series highlighting the programmers and members of our Radio Station. Today’s guest is Michael Heitmann of one of our most unique Programmes “The Golden Record” ! He also is very passionate with Videography as well as Photography. Here are some links to his works.
We begin our series highlighting the programmers and members of our Radio Station. Today’s guest is DJ Steel aka Rob McKenna of our longtime programme Mano A Mano – 102.7 Radio Waterloo. Tune in!
The Coronavirus has not yet been defeated, and the Radio Waterloo studio remains closed for both guests and show hosts. So I dug through my overflowing e-mail inbox, and found some new Canadian musicians and a few I’ve played before. Enjoy!
The studio remains closed due to the Covid lockdown, and so Chelsey Danfield wasn’t able to come in. She’s been invited back for a Live, On-Air, In-studio performance as soon as everything is back to normal, but the best we can do today is play some tracks from her last album, At The Time.
We’ve also got two new album releases today:
Peter Snow, The Soviet Influence (24 Feb 2020)Peter Morey, The Soviet Influence (24 Feb 2020)
The Soviet Influence who werein the studio in February 2020, will be releasing Socialism: An Introduction this Friday, 29 January 2021.
Dichroma will be releasing their second EP, Two next month, February 2021. We interviewed Aaron Dawe on 26 October 2020, when we talked about this upcoming release.
Gelareh and Tareq of GelaX join Bob Jonkman for a discussion on music and lyrics. Unfortunately, technical problems interfered, and the interview was not completed. When the Covid is done we’ll have GelaX back in the studio for a Live, On‑Air, In‑Studio performance!
How to pronounce Gelareh and Gelax (hint: it’s a hard G); Gelareh worked in the music industry in Iran where women aren’t allowed to sing; Tareq grew up in Palestine and Saudi Arabia; segueing from metal to ambient, trance; Dreamonic to be released Friday, 8 January 2021; introducing Mr. Square
On Sunday, 15 November 2020 the Kitchener Festival of Neighbourhoods held its Mosaic of Neighbourhoods online meeting. Allison Brown, the Celebration Planner/Multi-Media Specialist with FON sends us a report featuring highlights from the meeting. It’s in two parts, the first features the Neighbourhood Exchange program and the second part is the feedback from the discussions. Allison writes “Bear in mind that this audio all comes from Zoom, so it’s not the best.” You can read all about it on their website: Festival Of Neighbourhoods 2020: A Mosaic Of Neighbourhoods.
You & Me & Everything
(single)
(single)
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Creative Commons Attribution Only license. Copy, re-use, and derivative works are allowed with attribution to Radio Waterloo and a link to this page. Music selections are copyright by the respective rights holders.
Toronto Prisoner Rights Project and produced a compilation record and streamed show this past weekend to raise funds and awareness of this cause. CKMS Community Connections is re-broadcasting that show, recorded by our sister campus radio station from Guelph University, CFRU-FM. It features performances from The Soviet Influence, Friday Empire, Skye Wallace, and Joni Void, along with interviews and information about the project.
Prisoner Justice Day. Please join the memorial at the Church of the Holy Trinity, in Trinity Square tucked between the Eatons Centre and the Marriott Downtown. Between 5pm and 8pm there will be a vigil in solidarity with those who have died while incarcerated as well as to show support for prisoners’ rights. Former prisoners and their loved ones will share their stories and truths. There will be activities, music, performances, food, swag and more! Folks are encouraged to show up to demonstrate solidarity with prisoners and those impacted by incarceration. No one is free until we are all free.
And you can download the Toronto Prisonsers Rights Project Compilation EP by Musicians For Mutual Aid. The record features new music from The Soviet Influence along with tracks from Skye Wallace, The Burning Hell, Sean Bertram, Friday Empire, Davita Guslits, Joni Void + Jerry Quickley, and Kayla Hagerty.
Cowboy
(single)
All music today is by The Soviet Influence.
Doing some live online shows, paid video gigs; August compilation album for the Toronto Prisoner Rights Project; covering the social justice projects that need support, album proceeds go to these organizations. Bob and Jeff make a pitch for the Radio Waterloo Spring 2021 Fundraising Drive; explaining the Community at the Radio Station, is there a similar community amongst musicians? Peter says Yes, there is, but no formal organization of “social justice bands”. Yet. 
Deluxe
Fading Away
Confused and Rejuvenated
My Re:Collection
Ruminations of ShantiMaya
Syrinx
Dimensional Split
Haywire
To Mend
The Drift
Socialism — An Introduction
Two
(from YouTube)
Dreamonic
Baptism of Solitude
(single)
(single)
Lucky Lucky Deluxe
(single)
Festival of Neighbourhoods
A Kaleidoscope Christmas
(video)
(single)
(single)