When Shotgun Jimmie rolls into Michael's Bar & Grill on Saturday, he'll probably be the happiest guy in town. The Sackville-turned-Manitoban one-man rock 'n' roll band releases Everything, Everything, 16 diverse four-track recordings on clear vinyl with special guests like Julie Doiron and trombones. He reunites with Jon McKiel and Old & Weird, also joined by Take Part.
Everything, Everything, Shotgun Jimmie's third release on You've Changed Records, is worlds away from the sludgier Pavement aesthetic of 2011's Polaris Prize-nominated Transistor Sister. Instead, Everything, Everything is upbeat collage-rock that smiles inside and out. Even the album art is an "I Spy" of clues and influences: a marquee, a metronome, a fine selection of pelts.
"The artwork was done in Sackville, NB by Paul Henderson and Jon Claytor, I'm a huge fan of both," Jimmie says, explaining how the art mirrors the sonic aspects of the album. "I was working from multiple recording formats, multiple sessions. I think their artwork is sympathetic."
Jimmie is back on the coast on a 25-date tour around Canada before summer festival season. While he'd love to "go on a bike ride with David Byrne and go-kart with Sloan," he says lately he's been more inspired by Vancouver's Ladyhawk and Guided By Voices, which means filtering full-band sounds through playful and virtuosic solo performances.
"I always strive to put on a unique show. I like playing as a one-man band because it feels more spontaneous and theatrical. It also makes coordinating band practices a breeze!"
Shotgun Jimmie
w/Jon McKiel, Old & Weird, Take Part
Saturday, April 13, 9pm, $8
Michael’s Bar and Grill, 6100 Young Street
