Rawk the Puck! Championship Hootenanny

Here we are, thankfully finally the moment we've all been waiting for: the championship final hootenanny in the first Rawk the Puck! tournament, and in keeping with any Cup final, it's the venerable against the venerated, grizzle against grunge, either against or, or something like that. First, though, here's your winners -- a bobblehead goes out to Raptors HQ, and a CD to Sean -- and the results that got it done at the penultimate hurdle:

Toronto Star

Chris Cornell: Meeting with the Boss.

CONFERENCE FINALS

Classic Rawk Conference

Sympathy for the DEVIL, Rolling Stones (*New Jersey Devils*) 12, Night of the LONG KNIVES, AC/DC (*Buffalo Sabres*) 3

Indie Rawk Conference

Black STAR, Radiohead (*Dallas Stars*) 8, EARTHQUAKE Weather, Beck (*San Jose Sharks*) 7

That means it's the Stars and the Devils into the final. The panel will weigh in by the end of the week and finally it will come down to you to vote on which side you come down: Classic, or Indie. Give them a listen, look at those lines on the bench that provide the depth, and vote, with one more bobblehead and a CD to go out to some lucky balloter. Here they are, the final two:

RAWK the PUCK! CUP FINAL

ATLANTIC CITY (Live), Bruce Springsteen (Classic Rawk Conference Champion *New Jersey Devils* b-w Sympathy for the DEVIL, Rolling Stones; Handsome DEVIL, the Smiths; and DEVIL to Pay, Johnny Cash)

vs.

Black Hole SUN, Soundgarden (Indie Rawk Conference Champion *Dallas Stars* b-w Black STAR, Radiohead; STARman, David Bowie; and STAR Sign, Teenage Fanclub)

Earlier rounds and related:

Conference finals and the judges' votes.

First-round results and Conference semifinals and the judges' votes.

First-round pairings, Classic Rawk Conference and Indie Rawk Conference, and first-round judges' votes.

And over at Sports Guy North, the Rawk the Bawl! semifinals.

Weekend surprise V

Hey, collect 'em all: 39 versions of Stairway to Heaven, including the classic SCTV K-Tel ad (both Quicktime) -- but missing this other (Realplayer) SCTV fragment, Linsk Minyk's version.
Which is a neat segue into a note reminding you to vote at Rawk the Puck!
And finally, the Ace of Spades!

(From Beware of the Blog; Linsk Minyk from SCTV: On the Air)

Rawk the Puck! Conference finals, judges' votes

It's the judges' turn as we roll into the penultimate tuning up before Lord Stanley's Hootenanny. Here's what they're going with -- and there's still time for you to vote if you haven't yet, with a bobblehead and a CD to be awarded to a couple of randomly-selected entrant -- and the winners and final will be announced early next week (for links to clips, and previous rounds, go here):

Associated Press

Mick and Keith: Ahead on the judges' cards.

Conference finals

East Classic Rawk Conference

Night of the LONG KNIVES, AC/DC (b-w BUFFALO Soldier, Bob Marley and BUFFALO Stance, Neneh Cherry) *Buffalo Sabres*
vs.
Sympathy for the DEVIL, Rolling Stones (b-w Handsome Devil, The Smiths and DEVIL to Pay, Johnny Cash) *New Jersey Devils*

ALANAH (VANCOUVER CANUCKS OP ED): The Devil is definitely one of the best Stones tunes ever - plus it helps that it was recorded before Mick started into his 30-year-long mid-life crisis. But still, I do admit to having a soft spot for AC/DC ... brings back memories of an awesomely misspent youth. As a result, the Stones would have to play 6 to steal this series.
MARK FREEDMAN: Stones. A true classic. Hands down winner.
BASKETBALL JONES: Tas Melas: Sympathy is for the weak. To extend sympathy to the lowest form of fabricated life is a double negative. The knives and powerful buffalo of the Sabres are both historic and strong forces that stand no match for the pitiful sympathetic Devils. ... J.E. Skeets: Sorry, little sympathy for AC/DC. Stones in 5.
ACID QUEEN: The Stones sold out to Microsoft. No way could I support them. Long Knives by a long shot.
MIKE CHEN: Rolling Stones in 6. While AC/DC in any era certainly kicks ass (except when they appear in bad videos for even worse Arnold movies...yes, I'm talking about Last Action Hero), it's hard to argue with Mick and Keith at their peak. Sympathy for the Devil is my personal favorite Stones song, and that puts them over the top.
CARLA MacDONALD: Fair or not, I associate both the Stones and AC/DC with past boyfriends, and the bf I associate with the Stones is recalled far more fondly than the asshat I associate with AC/DC. So that bias is prolly bleeding into my choice . . . Still, how can anyone not recognize that "Sympathy for the Devil" is one of the Stones' coolest tunes while that 30-second clip of the AC/DC song is 'way more than you really need to hear of it?
JABS: If it wasn't for Martin Scorsese and this song, I would have next to no time for the Stones. But this is a peak effort, and that's a very good team they're sweeping 4-0.

West Indie Rawk Conference

Black STAR, Radiohead (b-w STARman, David Bowie and STAR Sign, Teenage Fanclub) *Dallas Stars*
vs.
EARTHQUAKE Weather, Beck (b-w MANEATER, Hall and Oates, and SHARK Sandwich, Spinal Tap) *San Jose Sharks*

CARLA: Radiohead, meh--just ain't into the swirly, hazy, drugged-out sound of "Black Star". But that Beck song has such a catchy hook I am powerless to stop myself from singing along with it in the car. So I cast my vote in his direction.
MIKE CHEN: Radiohead in 5 games. Making a Sharks season ticket holder pick the Dallas representative -- what has it come to? Well, contrary to many people's views, I think The Bends is Radiohead's finest album, and Black Star is one of the peak tracks of the album. Now, I liked and respected Beck, but then I found out he was in Tom Cruise's cult of Scientology, and that just kinda disturbed me.
ACID QUEEN: For my pick, I call upon a scene from the movie Airheads:
[Rex and Chazz are testing Chris]
Chazz: Who'd win in a wrestling match, Lemmy or God?
Chris Moore: Lemmy.
[Rex imitates a game show buzzer]
Chris Moore: ... God?
Rex: Wrong, dickhead, trick question. Lemmy *IS* God.
Thank you, I'll be here all spring.
BASKETBALL JONES: Tas Melas: Earthquakes kill, man. I'm not a big fan of early death. The earthquake in Oakville on May 4th, as small as it was, makes me hate them even more. But through it all, earthquakes will never extinguish the radiance of a star - even if it is black and probably has no light coming from it. ... J.E. Skeets: Good album, bad album, good album, bad album... oh, it's a good album! Beck brings back the Dust Brothers to take the series in 6.
JABS: Radiohead in 5. I'd go Mr Chen one better: The Bends is not just their best record, it's one of the top 10 Rawk Masterpieces ever recorded and this tune is one of the best.
MARK FREEDMAN: Beck. Because he's cool.
ALANAH: No contest - not even sure why Beck bothered showing up to the game! (I really find it hard to care about Beck. The Earthquake rolls on by, and I don't feel anything.) But Radiohead's Black Star is a show stealer and takes it in 4.

Rawk the Puck! The Final Four

Ready or not -- and I'm betting not -- Rawk the Puck! is back. And it's Final Four time, too, the conference finals, meaning we're one stop away from the final and the amplifiers just got turned up to 11.

You need a lot to get this far: Savvy crowd-pleasing vets, overrated past-their-prime elders who can still turn it up when the red light goes on, multitalented prime-of-life soloists, eccentric pop geniuses uncomfortable in the spotlight, earplugs. Add a little luck, and so it goes with the final four of this union of skate and song.

CANADIAN PRESS

Brian and Angus: Into the final four.

But first, a look at the results of the conference semifinal round -- a bobblehead to John Kent, and a CD to Ken, our first double winner (please contact me, John, via email) --where the Sharks (and Hall and Oates -- the critical renaissance has begun, and right here) made a stirring comeback for the second successive series, the Sabres had another upset behind the mighty Marley, the Devils barely survived on Britpop and the Stars rolled thanks to a veteran trooper:

Conference semifinals

East Classic Rawk Conference

BUFFALO Soldier, Bob Marley, over Rock the HOUSE, Gorillaz 10-5

Handsome DEVIL, The Smiths, over HURRICANE, The Roots 8-7

West Indie Rawk Conference

STARman, David Bowie, over OIL 1, Moby 10-5

MANEATER, Hall and Oates, over This FIRE, Franz Ferdinand 8-7

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Radiohead's Thom Yorke: A star.

CONFERENCE FINALS

East Classic Rawk Conference

Night of the LONG KNIVES, AC/DC (b-w BUFFALO Soldier, Bob Marley and BUFFALO Stance, Neneh Cherry) *Buffalo Sabres*
vs.
Sympathy for the DEVIL, Rolling Stones (b-w Handsome Devil, The Smiths and DEVIL to Pay, Johnny Cash) *New Jersey Devils*

West Indie Rawk Conference

Black STAR, Radiohead (b-w STARman, David Bowie and STAR Sign, Teenage Fanclub) *Dallas Stars*
vs.
EARTHQUAKE Weather, Beck (b-w MANEATER, Hall and Oates, and SHARK Sandwich, Spinal Tap) *San Jose Sharks*

So there you are. Don't forget to vote -- another bobblehead and a CD up for grabs -- and I'll be back with the judges' voting on Friday, leading up to the Rawk the Puck! Hootenanny early next week.

Related: Conference semifinals, judges' picks
First round pairings, Eastern Classic Rawk Conference
First round pairings, Western Indie Rawk Conference
First round judges' picks and results

Rawk the Puck! Conference semifinals, judges' picks

Time to update Rawk the Puck! as the conference semifinal round is just about ready to be put to bed -- but there's still time to vote, with a bobblehead and a couple of CDs to be drawn from among the entrants, so join in and make your picks (Results, and conference final tunes, will be posted early next week, and expect some heavyweights to show up). For now, though, it's the judges' turn to render their ballots and smart-alecky remarks.

(Related: First-round pairings and judges, East Classic Conference, West Indie Conference; First-round judges' verdicts and results):

EAST CLASSIC RAWK CONFERENCE

ERIN COMBS/TORONTO STAR

Marley: The judges' choice, live in T.O., 1976.

Gorillaz, Rock the HOUSE (b-w the Clash, CAPITAL Radio) *Ottawa*
vs
Bob Marley, BUFFALO Soldier (b-w Neneh Cherry, BUFFALO Stance) *Buffalo*

BASKETBALL JONES: J.E. Skeets: I wish Buffalo's selection was that "The Bills Make Me Want To Shout" song. Gorillaz in 7. Upset! Tas Melas: Although the buffalo may be stronger of the two animals, gorillas don't get enough credit for there smarts. Gorillaz to out outwit the Buffaloes.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS OP ED: Marley wins. It's hard to understand why this was even a competition. It's the Marley spirit - Fighting for survival!
MIKE CHEN: Gorillaz. Why? Cause Gorillaz is the brainchild of Damon Albarn from Blur. Blur is one of the best bands to ever come out of England and the leader of the 1990s Britpop explosion (screw you Oasis). Sorry Bob Marley, you're respected and influential and all that, but that ain't Blur in my book.
ACID QUEEN: Bob Marley, no contest. Pass the ganja, mon.
MARK FREEDMAN: A bunch of cartoons vs. a reggae god. Got to go with the legend, even if it's likely Bob Marley never saw a hockey game.
JABS: Gorillaz are cool and catchy – but man, that’s Bob Marley out there! This isn’t even close, even with Neneh "Don" Cherry weighing him down.
CARLA MacDONALD: Ugh. “Capitol Radio” remains the only listenable choice for me among these four, but it’s now only a lowly B-side. I don’t like reggae but I haaaaaate the Gorillaz, so Marley gets the (grudging) nod by default.

The Smiths, Handsome DEVIL (b-w Johnny Cash, DEVIL to Pay) *New Jersey*
vs
The Roots, HURRICANE (b-w Neil Young, Like a HURRICANE) *Carolina*

CARLA: No question, here: The Smiths. I couldn’t even bear to listen to that whole Roots song. (A better battle is between the B-sides, though… I mean, c’mon. Johnny vs. Neil. Talk about being stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea if I hadda make THAT choice!)
MARK FREEDMAN: British 80's indie rock vs. veteran urban rappers from Philly. Talk about two groups who likely know nothing of the sport of hockey. The Pope of Mope leads them to victory.
BASKETBALL JONES: J.E. Skeets: The Roots sweep. It's 'What they do... what they do... what they do..." Tas: A strong matchup. But the combination of both new age and experience has the Roots & Young running this meeting.
JABS: Closer than the first pairing but it's a weak Smiths’ effort (they don't backcheck, those boys) going up against a crack ensemble effort. Roots go through.
ACID QUEEN: "Handsome Devil" always reminds me of the love of my life, who broke my heart and vanished on me years ago. Even though I like The Smiths, I can't listen to that song without becoming depressed and reaching for the mint chocolate chip--so I'm going with Roots on this one.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS OP ED: Smiths. Sure, they're sometimes depressing, but that really works for us. And that song... it's almost "optimistic" for those guys. We're Canucks fans - we live for optimistic moments.
MIKE CHEN: The Smiths. Everyone bow down to the awesome power of Morrissey and Johnny Marr. The only person who might be able to contain them is David Bowie. Speaking of the Thin White Duke...

WEST INDIE RAWK CONFERENCE

Moby: Pregame meal, hold the beef.

David Bowie, STARMAN (b-w Teenage Fanclub, STAR Sign) *Dallas*
vs
Moby, OIL 1 (b-w Talking Heads, SLIPPERY PEOPLE) *Edmonton*

BASKETBALL JONES: J.E. Skeets: Bowie's 'Starman' in 5, Seu Jorge's version in 4. I dig the Brazilians (and red toques). Tas: Slippery People is a great title don't you think? I like it a lot and Moby is great to make fun of so let's keep him around.
MIKE CHEN: Now, I like Moby and all, but David Bowie is a god among musical gods. Bowie's influenced so many of my favorite bands, it's not even funny -- and unlike many long-time artists, his new stuff (post-Earthling) is actually pretty darn good. And he's really freakin' funny in his interviews.
ACID QUEEN: Going with Bowie (and showing my age).
MARK FREEDMAN: Without Bowie there would be no Moby. The savvy vet wins this one.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS OP ED: Has to be Starman. First, Oil 1 drives me nuts; if only Honey was the choice, the outcome might have been different. Second, you never want to disappoint David Bowie.
CARLA: I’ve never liked that ponce, Bowie. Thin White Duke, my arse. Sounds like Moby gives a nod to Donna Summer on the vocals in his song and “Love to Love You Baby” still makes me larf whenever I hear it. Using the transitive rule, therefore, Moby wins. (Admittedly, my math skills were never really up to snuff.)
JABS: Moby bores me. The wise old glam god romps 4-straight.

This FIRE, Franz Ferdinand (b-w Streets of FIRE, New Pornographers) *Calgary*
vs
MANEATER, Hall & Oates (b-w SHARK Sandwich, Spinal Tap) *San Jose*

MARK FREEDMAN: This Fire is out of control, gonna burn this horrible horrible song.
CARLA: I’m going to vote for Hall & Oates not because I like ‘em but because nobody will even REMEMBER Franz Ferdinand in five years and we’ll STILL be stuck hearing “Sara Smile” on ‘70s-centric FM radio when we drive through the midwest wastelands.
JABS: Quirkiest series yet. H&O due for a critical renaissance one of these years, we’re just not there yet and this is the wrong tune for it. Glaswegians can really skate, win in 7.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS OP ED: How much I really, really hated that Maneater song in grade school. But I still remember every word of it, so that must mean something, right? On the other hand, we're digging Ferdinand - catchy beat, can (almost) dance to it. Okay, so we have to pick Ferdinand. At least that way I can look myself in the mirror tomorrow.
BASKETBALL JONES: J.E. Skeets: I once broke an XO Karaoke table while belting 'This Fire'. Best $85 I ever spent. Franz in 5. Tas: Now this is a battle. However, it's difficult to bet against the combo of Franz and the New Pornographers. Hockey relies very much upon teamwork and they seem like a solid tandem that would put on a great show.
MIKE CHEN: Franz Ferdinand. Indie rock destroys cheesy 80's pop any day of the week.
ACID QUEEN: Showing my age again and going with the song that I listened to all the time in Grade 6.

Rawk the Puck! Conference semifinals

It's playoff time. New and unlikely faces pop up to play hero, old ones trip over the blueline and fall by the wayside. Second lines are clambering over the boards, and depth matters.

This Fire rages, but will it last?

So here they are, your first round results and conference semifinalists in Rawk the PUCK! And as in the first round -- east and west, and for the judges' verdicts go here -- it's a mix of the old, the new, the borrowed and the cheezy. As we move on, saying goodbye to the likes of the White Stripes, Bootsy and high school Hustle lessons, and hello to the stirring comeback of Spinal Tap, think of this as a matchup of old-timey singles now and cast your votes, with bobbleheads and CDs up for grabs (first-round prize winners at bottom):

First round results

CAPITAL Radio (The Clash) over Ride the LIGHTNING (Metallica) 13-1

Like a HURRICANE (Neil Young) over MONTREAL (Blue Rodeo) 11-3

DEVIL to Pay (Johnny Cash) over NEW YORK CITY (Demics) 11-3

BUFFALO Stance (Neneh Cherry) over T.S.O.P. (MFSB) 9-5

SLIPPERY PEOPLE (Talking Heads) over HOTEL YORBA (White Stripes) 9-5

STAR Sign (Teenage Fanclub) over MILE HIGH Club (Adam and the Ants) 7-6

Streets of FIRE (New Pornographers) over Rubber DUCKIE (Bootsy Collins) 9-5

SHARK Sandwich (Spinal Tap) over TENNESSEE Plates (John Hiatt) 8-6

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

EAST CLASSIC RAWK CONFERENCE

Rock the HOUSE (Gorillaz) (b-w CAPITAL Radio, The Clash) -- Ottawa
vs.
BUFFALO Soldier (Bob Marley) (b-w BUFFALO Stance, Neneh Cherry) -- Buffalo

HURRICANE (The Roots) (b-w Like a HURRICANE, Neil Young) -- Carolina
vs.
Handsome DEVIL (The Smiths) (b-w DEVIL to Pay, Johnny Cash) -- New Jersey

WEST INDIE RAWK CONFERENCE

STARMAN (David Bowie) (b-w STAR Sign, Teenage Fanclub) -- Dallas
vs.
OIL 1 (Moby) (b-w SLIPPERY PEOPLE, Talking Heads) -- Edmonton

This FIRE (Franz Ferdinand) (b-w Streets of FIRE, New Pornographers) -- Calgary
vs.
MANEATER (Hall & Oates) (b-w SHARK Sandwich, Spinal Tap) -- San Jose

First-round winners: Congratulations and a bobblehead apiece to Dan Monti and Ken. And a hearty handshake and a CD each to Kent MacDonald and Big Dawg (Please email me, folks, to claim your prizes, as I expunge the email addresses before publishing in an effort to repel the spambots).

Rawk the Puck! The Judges Speak

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Cash: Has his hands full against the surprising Demics.

Still time to vote in Rawk the Puck!, where this year's Stanley Cup tournament mashes with a well-loaded iPod. Balloting closes tomorrow afternoon and they've been just pouring in, I tell ya.

Okay, they've actually been barely trickling in, so pick it up please, i've added a SECOND BOBBLEHEAD to the opening-round list of prizes, along with a couple of R the P! mix discs, to be chosen at random from the avalanche/gathering/light smattering of voters. If you need to refresh yourself on what this is all about and listen to some clips, check out the introductory post  and its links from last week.
First-round results and second-round matchups will be posted on Wednesday, as we take it down to the Rawk the Puck' final hootenanny.
To find out how the crack panel of hipster bloggers (and JABS, which by virtue of referencing the Hustle has officially been stricken from the hipster category) voted on the opening-round matchups, take the jump.

Rawk the Puck! West Indie Conference

As promised, here's the other side of your grid as the puck drops on Rawk the Puck! For the Eastern Classic Conference pairings, or if you need a primer on what's going on, go here.

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

Jack 'n Meg: Top seed.

WESTERN INDIE RAWK CONFERENCE

1 “Hotel Yorba”, the White Stripes vs. 8 “Slippery People”, Talking Heads

2 “Star Sign”, Teenage Fanclub vs. 7 “Mile High Club”, Adam and the Ants

3 “Streets of Fire”, the New Pornographers vs. 6 “Rubber Duckie”, Bootsy Collins

4 “Tennessee Plates”, John Hiatt vs. 5 “Shark Sandwich”, Spinal Tap

Send along your picks for each matchup in the comments below -- the 1 vs. 8 here in the WRIC is a doozy -- to be eligible to win a prize.

Rawk the Puck! East Classic Conference

For the past couple days here, we’ve been pretty serious about these Stanley Cup playoffs with the NHL bloggers roundtable.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Clash: No. 1 seed.

Now it’s time to rock out with Rawk the Puck!, a mashup of Idol, rate-a-record, blazing pun-ditry, all those years of listening from radio to mp3's and finally, Lord Stanley's hallowed beaker with a bobblehead cherry on top.

Here’s the plan: I’ve put together a grid, but instead of this year’s playoff teams, it matches up classic tunes, eg, for Red Wings vs. Edmonton, it’s the White Stripes (“Hotel Yorba”, a Detroit flophouse) against Talking Heads (“Slippery People”, because that’s what Oilers are, isn’t it?).

The JABS panel of hipster bloggers and me will weigh in with our thoughts yay or nay, and so will you with your votes, with prizes (bobbleheads 'r' us, CD's are us) up for grabs. The winning songs move on, and a new song echoing the same team/name goes up in its place next round, while the losers are out.

It’s sing or go home, right up to the final two playing off in the Rawk the Puck! Championship hootenanny.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Young: All CanCon matchup.

Here’s the panel:

The Acid Queen, a ‘Canes fan who rants with the best of ‘em at her eponymous blog, up since 2005 (Fave band of the moment: Tyr).

Alanah and Jeff, better known as the merry pranksters of Vancouver Canucks OpEd since October 2003 (Faves: Tragically Hip, Ben Folds Five, Abba Van Morrison).

Mike Chen, who since September '05 regularly blogs at the intersection of pop and pucks (Faves: Tanya Donelly, U2, Morrissey, Pulp).

Mark Freedman, JABS regular, website pioneer and all-round hipster responsible for the inspired “Slippery People” inclusion (Fave: Wilco).

Carla MacDonald, new blogger, JABS/Hockey Page original and recent escapee from Bush’s America (Fave: X).

Tassos Melas and J.E. Skeets, whose Basketball Jones podcasts combine Pynchonesque hoops talk with the latest hepcat sounds (Faves: Melas – The Killers; Skeets -- The Roots; Skeets’ fave karaoke song: Bohemian Rhapsody).

Then there’s me (Fave: Stars).

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Cash: Draws the Demics.

Here's your first four matchups -- for the other four, go here (and from here, the judges' comments and verdicts will go up on Monday, voting will be closed and results announced Tuesday afternoon and we start the conference semifinals on Wednesday.)

EASTERN CLASSIC RAWK CONFERENCE

1 “Capital Radio”, the Clash vs. 8 “Ride the Lightning”, Metallica

2 “Like a Hurricane”, Neil Young vs. 7 “Montreal”, Blue Rodeo

3 “Devil to Pay”, Johnny Cash vs. 6 “(I Wanna Go To) New York City,” the Demics

4 “Buffalo Stance”, Neneh Cherry, vs. 5 “T.S.O.P.”, MFSB

Don't forget to vote your picks, and post smart remarks in the comments below, to be eligible for the first-round prizes (a Marty Brodeur Team Canada bobblehead; a couple of CDs) to be drawn at random. I'll post the Western Indy Rawk Conference later this morning.

Exclaim! is back

Starting Thursday and running to April 16, it's the eighth Exclaim! Hockey Summit of the Arts, wherein some of the country's top musicians (Sadies, Rheostatics, Barenaked Ladies, Sloan, Sean Cullen and more among the represented) combine hockey and music, with donations to the Daily Bread Food Bank and the ArtsCan Circle.

For details on the hockey schedule at De La Salle, Bill Bolton and McCormick Arenas, go here. And for the music, it's at Lee's Palace each night, starting at 9 p.m.

Meantime, here's a quick email interview taste with a couple of longtime Exclaim!ationists, Stephen Stanley of Lowest of the Low and Dave Bidini of the Rheos:

JABS: This little thing of yours has grown up. Eight years, I believe. Why is it called a "summit", though?
Bidini: The Grand Council of Exclaimness came up with "summit'; the footmen can't be held responsible for that. But perhaps it's a nod to how the Morningstars plan to suck hard in the beginning, fall emotionally apart in the middle, then rally around a hairy Italian and god-fearing Christian to bring glory back to the home colours.
JABS: That's a long poke check from there to here, 34 years long and light years otherwise. What's this all about, for the uninitiated?
Stanley: But it really is the same thing, even if it only exists in the minds of 16 friends who have skated together for 10 years. It’s about trying to find those magical line combos that will turn it around and believing that this year will be different. The Morningstars have been in this tournament from the beginning, and we are all too aware of the fact that in a short three days, if it comes together, you can achieve a hockey glory that no musician really has the right to know.
JABS: So how many teams in all this year?
Stanley: 28 teams over 3 divisions.
JABS: What's the split between men and women on the teams?
Bidini: A smattering of women-- I'd say 8 per cent. BUT, this year has the first all-women's game - BlackHearts vs Golden Girls, 7 pm DeLaSalle Saturday. I think the goal is an all-women's div. at some point. The sport is growing like crazy. My wife is in a hockey school (she's a BlackHeart) and she's psycho into the game like anyone who gets into it as an adult.
JABS: So what would a visitor encounter -- when is there music up by the vending machines to go with the hockey on the ice?
Bidini: Music all times!

(Related: Bidini's Hockey Nomad Goes to Russia doc is replayed on CBC Newsworld tonight at 10 p.m.)