I was shocked to hear yesterday that local musician (plus much more) Ashley McCurdy passed away. There was a brief FREE PRESS article about it.
I was instantly a fan the first time I heard Artificial Joy His style and presence blew me away. A little guy with a huge voice, and so much energy on stage. Buckethitch kept the loud strange rhythms, while Mr. McCurdy showed me a stripped down side of him I didn't expect. His music still has a huge influence on me, after that first show, I never looked at local bands the same way. They were god like to me.
Besides the music, he changed my life in one more drastic way ..... Corefest I was 13 when I went to my first Garbage Hill show, and I'll never be the same because of it. I can't even begin to describe the vibe of the place, and I'll always look back at that as one of the best weekends of my life.
I went back every year after that.... until its untimely end. And, was even fortunate to have my old band play at two of them.
Ashley definitely made a mark on the Winnipeg music scene, one that will stick with me, as well as all the others he influenced along the way.