2019 East Coast Music Awards, Charlottetown, PEI - Night 1, May 2

2019.5.1-5

Various Artists- 2019 East Coast Music Awards, Marriott Hotel, Night 1

After seeing these award shows in large (by Maritime standards) arenas, it was a reminder of Charlottetown’s size that this year’s 31^st anniversary awards show took place in a hotel ballroom.

The staging seemed awkward, perhaps largely because there was no M.C. or announcer, just a piped-in disembodied voice reading a script, summoning announcers for individual awards to the stage.

There was an elevated small corner stage as well as the main stage, which seemed unnecessary.

As usual, there were some fine moments at the awards show, to be sure. Les Hotesses d’Hilaire know how to make an impression. They stole the stage at the 2017 St. John ECMA’s and rocked it again tonight.

The troupe made a grand entrance, dressed in what looked like white boiler suits. Singer – guitar player Serge Brideau made a few jokes about not wanting to speak French and mocked aspiring Fredericton political leader Kris Austin. The band drove straight from Louisiana to Charlottetown, and parked their tour bus outside to arrive in style. They’d be back.

Meanwhile, The Fortunate Ones played live, and different announcers were summoned to the stage by the disembodied voice.

P.E.I. native Lennie Gallant played his new song “Sequoias,” from his recent release “Time Travel.” The album, Gallant’s first in almost a decade, contains a collaboration with Dave Gunning, who also played.  

Reeny Smith, winner of the Bucky Adams Memorial Award played a song, between the strings and songwriters. Best Songwriter went to Ben Caplan. Smith won the R&B / Soul category with “Strength Courage Love.”

Maritime traditionalists Vishten played as well. The Juno-nominated, P.E.I. Acadians won “Roots / Traditional Recording of the Year.”

The Contemporary Roots Recording of the Year went to Jeremy Dutcher, for Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. The Indigenous multi-instrumentalist and singer. It was one of two awards he picked up, the other category being “Rising Star.” 

In addition to their Francophone Recording award, Acadian sensations Les Hostesses d’Hilaire returned to the stage to accept their award for Group Recording award, for “Viens Avec Moi.”

This time it looked like they’d only address the audience in French, but Brideau evidently wanted to make a point, for toute la monde; the Irving family’s hegemony on New Brunswick’s forestry and other resources is unsustainable and poor economic policy. On a happier note, he invited everyone to their tour bus, which couldn’t be missed- a modified school bus with a giant lobster painted on it. Brideau finished with “I hope you guys make bad decisions tonight, and wake up with v.d. on Monday!” Unlikely to happen in quiet Charlottetown, but a perhaps optimistic sentiment from band after the long drive up.

Classified picked up multiple awards again, for solo recording, rap recording, and album of the year, for “Tomorrow Could Be The Day Things Change.” He performed with Toronto’s Ruby Waters. The awards show was followed by a series of showcases later that night in some nearby clubs. Les Hotesses d’Hilaire beckoned…