Welcome to the test

Really? The Updates section of tpoh.net is FINALLY turning into a blog? After she's talked about it since the start of the year?

Yeah...well, at least I've gotten this far.

More Pursuit Babies!

Seems like it would take some big stuff to finally get me to update here. In fact, it takes some little stuff.

This morning at 12:36am, more than a week late, Hartford Jack Berg arrived in the world. Dad Moe reports that everyone is fine. This reminds me to also update you that in late May, Renée gave birth to Brynn Renée. So congratulations to the Bergs and the Strains: parents, siblings and the new Pursuit Babies!

Moe Makes Master Tracks, Ambers on CDBaby

Yes, it's been a while. Here are some things to catch up on.

Moe and longtime friend Laurence Currie have been hard at work on a project called "Master Tracks" for Aux, part of the website/digital TV channel BiteTV. Each episode follows a young band in the studio with Moe and Laurence as they take one song from "demo to download". The first episode airs tonight on the tv channel, and will then be available on the site. Last Wednesday, Moe talked about the project (and the Blackhawks) with Dave Bookman on 102.1 The Edge, and you can download an eight-minute .mp3 of the chat here.

Meanwhile, out west, Renée and her awesome sisters, otherwise known as The Ambers, now have their album (produced by Moe) available for sale on CDBaby! Rain and Sun features Renée's lead vocals on four tracks. She wrote three songs on her own, and co-wrote with Moe on two, while Moe wrote "Endless Summer" and co-wrote "City Lights" with Melanie Himli. Hear samples and order here.

Mrs. Berg a Savvy Mom, Mr. Berg on Rundgren Radio

A couple pieces of good news from the Berg camp. Not long after Moe got back from London, Ontario (where he was producing a record with Photocell: "Pop For People Who Hate Pop Music"), he learned that Laura had won the SavvyMom Mom Entrepreneur Award for Ontario, putting her business My Smart Hands in the top 5 for the country! So major congrats to Mrs. Berg and thanks to anyone who voted.

Not long after, Moe guested on the internet radio show/podcast "Rundgren Radio", which is a part of BlogTalk Radio by Todd fans for Todd fans. While Moe didn't tell us about this until after the fact (as often happens...), you can still listen to the show here.

Mrs. Sleaze Onstage, Moe the Teacher

Another remarkable night for Monteforte at the Horseshoe last Friday, and to think it was all because of last year's show. Brad From Halifax ("I recommend being in a band in your '40's - it really breaks up the week.") explained that show was a "showcase" for all sorts of music bigwigs, and the band impressed them so much, they won the chance to return this very night. The MF'ers showed their appreciation by giving all they could give and probably some more. Among the highlights: each set kicked off with a Loverboy song ("The Kid Is Hot Tonight" and "Hot Girls In Love" respectively), a delightful "Love Will Keep Us Together"; their continuing support of their hearing-impaired fans (it makes sense many of MF's biggest fans can't really hear them...) by playing "The Most Beautiful Girl In the World" with sign-language by Mrs. Sleaze, mother of The Most Famous Signing Baby On the Internet; a new Most Recent Song in the form of Clay Aiken's "Invisible" and a stellar version of Doucette's "Mama Let Him Play" with an extended solo by The Clapper. Simply remarkable. MP3s of highlights are on the way, but for now, enjoy this little taste of the action on youtube! (Thanks to Dave Cyr for the photo here and the new ones on the MF page. If you're so enclined, he has a whole set on Facebook.)

In other news, noted Vikki Sleaze doppleganger Moe Berg will be part of this year's Summer Writing School at the University of Toronto, which involves 11 professionals from a wide range of writing disciplines conducting intense workshops the week of July 7th. Although Moe was invited through his literary connections, he'll of course be teaching songwriting, with some guests to help out. For more details, check out the site for the School of Continuing Studies here.

MF Dance Drama, Frozen Ambers, Kris & Dee Unpack Guitars

Of course, we were all shocked by the controversial elimination of Brad From Halifax on "Dancing With the Stars" (seriously, there's no way she lifted him above waist-level!), but fortunately his appearance there served to promote the next monster-mega Monteforte show at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern May 2. But make sure Carrie-Ann doesn't come, or else there'll be such a catfight!

Meanwhile, in Moe news, he braved -20 to -40C temperatures back home in Edmonton to produce the lovely Suchy sisters for the upcoming Ambers album, which should have mixing completed any minute now - around the same time he should be finishing up his project with The Holy Fields.

We've also heard from the greatly-missed Kris Abbott, who moved a bit east a while back with her fabulous wife Dee. They've settled into their new place enough that they've "unpacked our guitars and now we put them on the same stand." They've been using them too, and you can hear some of the results so far on their new myspace page!

Moe Year-End Business, and a Video of Happiness

The Moe Berg schedule continues to have very little performing, but plenty of producing and co-writing. He'll do his country axe-slinging alongside Pursuit Pal Shannon Lee Briggs for a show at the Horseshoe Tavern December 7 (part of the 'shoe's 60th birthday celebrations!). But starting around now going through the new year, he's helping out fabulous artists and bands like Emily Weedon (including a country DJ set at her fundraiser), The Holy Fields, Mike Slute and Alison McLean of Calling Wendy. Another highlight of 2008 will no doubt be Moe working again with Renée and her brilliant sisters on a full-length début album for The Ambers!

But if you really want to see Moe play, check out an amazing video on youtube of a performance earlier this year. If The Pursuit of Happiness was a sentence, this is the beautiful period.