East Coast Music Awards -Check it Out

Artists and Host Announced for East Coast Music Special on CBC TV

Steven Page from Barenaked Ladies to Host


(Fredericton) – The East Coast Music Association and Dream Street Pictures announced today that Steven Page of the award-winning Canadian band the Barenaked Ladies will host the one-hour East Coast Music television special entitled BARENAKED East Coast Music! The special, produced by Moncton-based Dream Street Pictures in association with CBC and the East Coast Music Association, will broadcast nationally on CBC Television on Sunday March 2nd at 7 pm / 7:30 pm NT.

With Page acting as tour guide, the program will treat viewers to musical performances at bars, clubs and main stages during the four-day East Coast Music event. The special will encompass varying aspects of the entire East Coast Music weekend. TV crews will roam Fredericton all weekend long capturing East Coast artists in dozens of showcasing venues, in bars, hotel lobbies, on main stages and much more.

Dream Street Pictures executive producer Rick LeGuerrier says Page is the perfect host. “Although Steven isn’t from Atlantic Canada, his candidly curious nature and his love for all things music will help Canadians discover East Coast music,” said LeGuerrier. “People rave about this annual East Coast musical party, and our TV special is designed to share that great music and excitement with all Canadians.”

Wade Pinhorn, chair of the ECMA board of directors agrees. "With the industry and media in general changing so rapidly, this fresh direction for our broadcast in right in step,” says Pinhorn. “Steven will most certainly share with viewers a genuine appreciation for our musical culture as he himself discovers it for the first time. I can't think of a more exciting way to present this 4-day stellar event than through his eyes!"

One aspect of the show will feature a musical medley at the 20th Anniversary Concert with artists like Ashley MacIsaac, Bruce Guthro, Damhnait Doyle, Lennie Gallant, Mary Jane Lamond, and Jean-Francois Breau along with fresh faces such as hey rosetta!, Meaghan Smith and the Tom Fun Orchestra. Other artists featured over the weekend at various venues, include the Joel Plaskett Emergency, David Myles, Dominique Dupuis, Chucky Danger, Paul Hébert, Jenn Grant, Wintersleep, Dave Gunning, and Ron Hynes.

As can be imagined, a lot of footage will be shot over the course of the four-day event, happening from February 7th to the 10th, 2008. Footage that isn’t included in the TV special will be available on the web. East Coast music fans who want a deeper look into a particular performance or want to take in as much of the experience as possible can click on www.cbc.ca/eastcoastmusic for an entire year after the event. ECMA 2008 will be at your fingertips 24/7! Outtakes included!

Steven Page will be yelling cut and ducking away from the cameras at least a couple of times over the weekend. And, Fredericton is in for a special treat when Page hauls out his guitar and hits the Playhouse stage as the SOCAN Special Guest at the Songwriter’s Circle on Saturday afternoon. Not bad for an ECMA first timer!


Dream Street Pictures is pleased to be returning to Fredericton to shoot a major television production. In the past three years, Dream Street has produced two TV dramas in the New Brunswick capital - the movie of the week “Sticks & Stones” and the mini-series “Canada Russia ‘72”.

The East Coast Music Awards, Festival & Conference is an annual event organized by the East Coast Music Association. The ECMA is a not-for-profit organization whose mandate it is to foster, promote and celebrate East Coast music locally and globally.

The 2008 East Coast Music Awards, Festival & Conference has received financial support from the Government of Canada, Province of New Brunswick, and the City of Fredericton. The East Coast Music Association would also like to acknowledge the financial support of FACTOR and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada’s private radio broadcasters.