Press >> Chartattack 2003

Around this time every year, Vancouver plays host to the annual music conference known as New Music West. The conference/festival has grown each year to become an invaluable resource for local musicians and a great week of fun for the city's music fans. It all officially kicks off tonight with a series of concert showcases occupying the majority of the city's downtown live-music venues. The music showcases and industry events run until Sunday and boast the strongest line-up of new and established acts in the history of the conference.

The line-up of local talent is a literal who’s who of Vancouver’s music scene. Over the next week, Vancouverites will clog local bars for shows by Reuben, The Nasty On, Notes From The Underground, The Spitfires, Alarm Bell, Honeysuckle Serontina, Pete Bastard, The Way Out, Black Rice, Jerk With A Bomb, Tennessee Twin, Operation Makeout, Destroyer, Bocephus King, All State Champion, The Flairs and John Ford among scores of others.

As if this wasn’t enough, the conference is also hosting a series of premier concerts running throughout the week. This year’s line-up features the likes of My Morning Jacket, The Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse, Liz Phair, Starlight Mints, Shawn Desman, Lagwagon, Sam Roberts, Sianspheric and Swervedriver’s Adam Franklin.

For local musicians and people trying to break into the industry, a main highlight of the conference is the keynote event which takes place this coming Friday at the Commodore Ballroom. Last year, the event featured a bright-eyed Matthew Good taking the stage to discuss maintaining artistic integrity over financial gain. The next speaker was KISS legend Gene Simmons who proceeded to lecture about how it’s all about making a buck and "getting over on the ladies." This year features Jason Miller from House of Blues and Nickelback luminary Chad Kroger, perhaps lecturing on how he lights his cigars with hundred dollar bills.

Check in with ChartAttack for a daily recap on all the main events as our intrepid reporters stay up all night, running around the city on your behalf.