Ontario – Jean-Paul De Roover

New Merchandise Display (vintage suitcase)

June 19, 2015June 19, 2015 By Jean-Paul De Roover Tagged as 3D printing, canada, CD, Craft, Display, DIY, Grand Marais, Home Depot, lighting, Merchandise, Minnesota, musician, Ontario, price list, shannon lepere, Square, Suitcase, thunder bay, Vintage

I’ve always received lots of compliments on my merchandise displays when I’m out on tour, not only because of the variety of merch (CD’s, shirts, 3D printed keychains, stickers) but because of my attention to how it looks. Whether it’s just a nice table cloth to go underneath everything, or making sure the shirts are ironed, it’s those little things that could help you net that one last sale at the end of the night that fills your gas tank.

*See the gallery below*

My wife Shannon and I started searching for a suitcase to convert into a merch display since I was tired of having to constantly set up and layout all my CD’s and other items every single night. Not to mention, I wanted something that was easy to set up when performing at non-traditional venues like farmer’s markets or street busking. The goal was to fit lots of CD stock with room to hold t-shirts that would be displayed on the table the suitcase would stand up on. What’s not pictured is a tupperware container I use for additional CD stock, 3D printed keychains, t-shirts and more.

We settled on this nice lightweight vintage suitcase from an antique store in Grand Marais, MN, and brought it back to Thunder Bay, ON to start building. At first we wondered how everything would work, but after some trips to Home Depot and Canadian Tire we found some solution. Instead of using a staple gun or something similar, we opted to use hot glue to attach four pieces of L-shaped metal bracing that would keep the CD’s from sliding top to bottom. I wouldn’t recommend using hot glue in most circumstances, but because of the fact that the CD’s were already pretty tightly packed into the suitcase, the metal pieces aren’t really bearing much weight – moreso just maintaining the spacing between each group of discs. We then attached some strips of double sided velcro in order to prevent sliding from left to right (again, with hot glue).

A tour poster and price listing were designed and then printed at a local print shop, attached to the interior of the suitcase with “zots” or glue dots. Thankfully the suitcase had a paper lining, making it infinitely easier to attach everything with glue or tape, as well as avoid any residual odours from the previous owner(s).

Shannon took some time to paint some mini-clothespins that could be used to hold the 3D printed mini-pipe keychains in an orderly fashion. Again, using hot glue they were attached to the suitcase. The problem with keychains is that they dangle. Because of this, closing the lid would have been impossible. After a quick stop at a local fabric store I picked up some elastic which was – you guessed it – attached using hot glue. The elastic would help keep the keychains against the lid of the suitcase, allowing me to open and close it easily. I also made sure to glue it in such a way that it could be tucked behind the keychains when on display and not be overly noticed. I’m not worried about the glue being under too much pressure as the elasticity of the ribbon isn’t really being activated.

The lighting strand came from Shannon, and was a leftover from some Christmas shopping she had done last year. I had already purchased a thicker tube of Christmas lighting but it was too bulky and had an automatic colour-changing feature that would piss off any venue owner. Besides, the smaller ones do such a great job of lighting up the suitcase that I don’t have a problem in the darkest of venues. Because it’s essentially very small lights attached only by very thin exposed copper wires, I opted to tape them to the case rather than use hot glue. Additionally, it’s battery powered so I’m not limited by access to a power outlet!

Finally, I spent some extra time glueing in some more velcro to attach some pens and sharpies (perfect for that mailing list and or signing CD’s), as well as a Square credit card reader. All the essentials would be covered!

Have a look through the photo gallery and let me know what you think. Hopefully it’ll inspire you to retro-fit some of your own luggage for when you hit the road next!

I’m on tour this summer, so I’ll let you know how it holds up!

Musician Merchandise Display (vintage suitcase)

Wet Hot Canadian Summer – Canada/US Tour announcement

June 10, 2015July 3, 2015 By Jean-Paul De Roover Tagged as california, canada, Festivals, looping, Ontario, Summer, tour, US, Wet Hot American Summer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

De Roover announces “Wet Hot Canadian Summer” – Canada/US Tour Dates

June 9th, 2015

“The mad scientist of the Thunder Bay music scene” [Exclaim! magazine] is heading back out on the road, taking his music beyond the southern border…again.

After touring North America for most of the Fall of 2014, De Roover still wants more. Starting with a tour kickoff at the Black Pirates Pub in Thunder Bay, ON on June 17th, De Roover will make stops around the southern side of the Great Lakes before entering southern Ontario for a string of shows and a performance at the first Musiikki Festival in Kingston, ON, speeding westward to California for a week and the Carnevale festival in Weed, CA. Afterwards he’ll head North for several stops in British Columbia including Summer Sounds festival in Cranbrook, BC, before returning to Thunder Bay in time to perform at Buskers Festival on June 26th. August will also see De Roover performing at more festivals in Northern Ontario including Summer in the Parks in Thunder Bay, as well as Tumblestone in Lappe.

This summer will continue to see De Roover performing solo, but adding to his existing live looping arsenal by incorporating elements from the newest album through samples as he performs at various types of venues with material that is sure to impress, whatever the setting.

De Roover’s professional career has seen him spending less time on the road. After working on a film score for an IMAX documentary over the Fall and Winter of 2013/2014, De Roover temporarily relocated to Toronto to work with the team at Coalition Music, known for their commitment to artist development and education (as well as managing Our Lady Peace and Simple Plan to name a few). His personal life has also seen changes, having bought a house promptly after returning from Southern Ontario and getting married to Shannon Lepere, his partner of almost 7 years.

Despite taking these considerable personal and professional strides this year, De Roover is excited to go back to the drawing board for some new recording projects. But before that happens, he’s heading out for a string of summer shows and festivals across North America.

Born in Thunder Bay, ON, Canada, De Roover was raised overseas in Africa, Asia and South America before returning to Canada in 2001. Since starting his career as a solo artist in 2007 he has had opportunities to perform at big festivals like Canadian Music Week, NXNE, as well as share stages with artists like the Beach Boys, Goo Goo Dolls, Beardyman and many, many more.

For more information on Jean-Paul De Roover or tour dates please visit www.jeanpaulderoover.com

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**Dates have been updated as of 07/01

06/17 – Thunder Bay, ON – Black Pirates Pub
06/18 – POSTPONED – Duluth, MN – Red Star
06/20 – POSTPONED – Mason City, IA – Coffee Cat (early)
06/20 – POSTPONED – Spirit Lake, IA – Okoboji Brewery (late)
06/23 – POSTPONED – Windsor, ON – Phog Lounge
06/24 – POSTPONED – Toronto, ON – The Painted Lady [Jazz Fest] *
06/25 – POSTPONED – Ottawa, ON – The Rainbow Bistro
06/26 – POSTPONED – Kingston, ON – Musiikki Café [Musiikki Festival] *
06/28 – POSTPONED – Grand Rapids, MI – Mulligan’s: Otherside
07/03 – Boise, ID – House Concert
07/04 – Oakland, CA – The Stork Club
07/05 – Santa Cruz, CA – Streetlight Records
07/07 – Monterey, CA – Old Market Place
07/07 – Monterey, CA – Bear and Bull
07/08 – Long Beach, CA – DiPiazza’s
07/09 – Livermore, CA – Tap 25
07/10 – Dunsmuir, CA – Dunsmuir Brewery
07/10 – Mt Shasta, CA – Shasta Inn
07/11 – Weed, CA – Carnevale *
07/15 – Squamish, BC – The Nest Restaurant
07/16 – Vancouver, BC – House Concert
07/17 – Kamloops, BC – The Dirty Jersey
07/18 – Cranbrook, BC – Summer Sounds *
07/18 – Nelson, BC – Cafe Momento
07/19 – Fernie, BC – Infinitea T-Bar
07/23 – Edmonton, AB – Brixx
07/24 – Saskatoon, SK – The Underground
07/25 – Winnipeg, MB – Le Garage Café
07/26 – Thunder Bay, ON – Valley Fresh Busker Fest *
08/14 – Thunder Bay, ON – Red Lion Smokehouse
08/19 – Thunder Bay, ON – Summer in the Parks *
08/27 – Minneapolis, MN – Acadia Café
08/28 – Duluth, MN – Beaner’s Coffee
08/29 – Lappe, ON – Tumblestone *
09/16 – Thunder Bay, ON – Music for the Masses *
09/26 – North Bay, ON – Little Festival in the Woods *

* Festival performance

Full tour dates and more info here.

RSVP to the tour on Facebook.

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Want to hear the last album in it’s entirety? Listen to “Complexity in Simplicity” from front to back on YouTube:

March 16th & 17th – London and Ottawa

March 21, 2012March 21, 2012 By Jean-Paul De Roover Tagged as avant garde bar, BBQ, dude ranch, FUBAR, green beer, london, northern ontario, Ontario, Ottawa, shirt, Socialism, St Patrick's Day, tour, Year of the Loop

Finally played at the Dude Ranch in London! It’s this awesome punk rock basement where they host shows on weekends, and I was originally scheduled to play there a while back, but the basement flooded. I was glad to be back in a little haven of Northern Ontario settled in the South. Seriously, everyone involved in that house is either from TBay, Schreiber, Marathon, Terrace Bay, etc. Unfortunately, they’re moving out / moving on, so this was the 3rd last show at the house. I only managed to take one photo throughout the whole night, but there was lots of sweat, singalongs and BBQ throughout the whole night! Big thanks to the fellow Ranchers for hosting me, and I’ve already been sporting my new shirt for the past few days.

Here’s the snapshot of Thousand Young, but Black Frame Spectacle and Arkham Dispatch also killed it that night.

Thousand Young at the Dude Ranch - London, ON

Ottawa was a fun time – y’know – hanging with Ignacio and Alicia (the usual folks I spend my birthdays with), but this time it was a St Paddy’s day partay. Josef Mieto (Ottawa), Redbird (Vancouver) and Portage and Main (Vancouver) also joined me at the Avant Garde Bar – where the theme isn’t so much green, but red – it’s a socialist Russia themed bar. Again, my pipes and shirt fit the theme well and I didn’t have to worry about colour coordinating with the occasion. Turnout was decent, but thankfully we didn’t get a lot of the rowdy green-beer-drinkin’ drunks. I think they were upstairs with Deaner from FUBAR.

March 12th, 14th & 15th – Oshawa, Toronto, Port Perry

March 21, 2012 By Jean-Paul De Roover Tagged as CBC, Gear, hilarious, Ontario, Oshawa, Port Perry, Radio, ribs, Salvatore's, showcase, Supermarket, Toronto, tour, trucks, Year of the Loop

March 12th I hit up Oshawa for a guest spot at the EP Taylor’s open mic. I’ve come to know a bunch of the Music Business students well over the years, and they’ve been coming out to the shows for a while. It was a nooner, but I still had the whole pub joining in. So far this has been my most interactive tour yet!

Toronto has been one of the highlights of the tour – despite having some issues with gear during soundcheck, I was first up at The Supermarket for the Agency Group’s weekly showcase night. Not only did I have the biggest and loudest crowd there, but literally had them yelling and screaming for more by the time the short set was over. Combine that with everyone singing along, lots of handclaps, and some very kind words, it was a blast. Big thanks to all the other bands that played as well, especially The Franklin Electric from Montreal! Otherwise, I spent a full day walking around downtown shopping for hoodies, power adapters, and a belt with Sam, a British osteopath who now lives in Kensington Market.

Earlier that day, I also did an interview for CBC Radio Sudbury – IN FRENCH. Now, while my name may suggest that I am French, my heritage is Flemish (Belgian). I CAN speak some French, but my English – even Spanish – are obviously better. Needless to say, I knew the questions, so I had prepared some answers, and double checked them with Google Translate just in case. I used the translator directly for the question “How do you make your music?”, and luckily I caught it because instead of saying “I build my songs piece by piece”, it would have been “I build my songs with trucks”.

“I build my songs with trucks” – that’s an infinitely more interesting show to see. I’ll post the interview link once it’s up!

On March 15th I rolled into Port Perry to play at Salvatore’s and of course had to have my usual ribs. Ribs you say? How about gigantic slab of ribs! About as long from my elbow to the tips of my fingers (I’m 6’1, so I’ve got long arms). I’ll be coming back, but next time, it might be a house show – exciting!

March 8th, 9th & 10th – Guelph, Hamilton, Windsor

March 21, 2012March 21, 2012 By Jean-Paul De Roover Tagged as Guelph, Hamilton, house concert, Megan, Murad, Ontario, pearl company, Pumpkin, tarts, The Dugout, the mansion, tour, Wax Mannequin, Windsor, Year of the Loop

The first southern Ontario component of the tour started in Guelph with a really great house concert put together by the Community Music Collective. Playing in a sun-room off of the house, it got packed pretty fast, with probably close to 40-50 people throughout the whole house. PA speakers set up in the room and even in the hall outside so that the whole house could enjoy (there are 8 bedrooms – so you know the size of the house roughly). They even served a big pasta meal earlier on!

Hamilton was a blast the next day and oh so funny in a variety of ways. First off, my sister Megan joined me and I got to embarrass her later on – details soon. Secondly, I was joined by Wax Mannequin, who we recently determined that after playing 4 shows together over 5 years we can now call each other ‘old friends’. Wax’s set was done sans backing tracks, but the energy was tough to follow. There was literally a balloon fight during the show – at his request of course! As I mentioned, his charisma is a hard one to follow, but I made up for it with storytelling, sweating profusely, and of course, interactions with a buttertart. For those of you that aren’t aware, there are many blog entries chronicling me singing to tarts on stage at the Pearl Company, however, this time, I invited my sister on stage to eat a butter tart on stage, and anytime I sang the words “She’s Happy”, during the song of the same name, she had to start eating quickly, and with as much gusto as possible, hamming it up even.

March 10th was Windsor, where I made a stop at the Dugout. It’s great to arrive and see your name on the marquee! And in HD?! What is this world coming to! It was Derek (the owner’s) birthday that night, so we had a blast, and I even ended up visiting my friends in The Birthday Cakes at the Phog Lounge a little later on. Combine that with late night chats with Murad from Learning and crashing at the mansion with Pumpkin, it was a great end to the first few days of tour.

March 6th & 7th – Sault Ste Marie to Parry Sound

March 21, 2012March 21, 2012 By Jean-Paul De Roover Tagged as dinner music, electronica, Gear, Hockey, Ontario, Parry Sound, Sault Ste Marie, soundcloud, tour, Year of the Loop

Back on the road! The ‘Year of the Loop’ tour has begun, and it’s already filled with old friends and new ones. I spent the night with the Pyette’s in Sault Ste Marie after playing at Loplop’s – invited back by popular demand (?) – to a bunch of appreciative listeners. We were hoping for some international hockey players from the massive tournament being held that week, but we didn’t notice any. Trust me, I think we’d notice if Team Russia walked into a bar.

The next night I played in Parry Sound for the first time ever. Started with some light dinner music, then moved my gear over to their blossoming pub night. There was a drum workshop/performance next door and we had some really great performers come in the door. Almost had them joining in, but either way, became friends on Soundcloud with some of the staff who were totally drooling over some of my gear – they’re heavy into electronica, and stoked to have me back anytime! Great start to the tour, for sure.