Canucks’ Phil Nevile

M!: When did you become a musician?
Phil Nevile: I learned to play the piano when I was five years old, at my mother’s command. I didn’t appreciate it till I was around 16. My first gig was at my high school sock hop, in Manitoba. We were just kids, 16 years old, and we were paid $10 each. I’ve lost count as to how many bands I’ve been in since - there’s been hundreds! I’ve always been the singer in the group, but I’ve played the guitar, and for a while the keyboard. I’m currently learning the dobro, a slide guitar blues instrument.

In mid-March, when Phil met with a group of about 30 friends and regulars to tell them it wasn’t feasible for him to continue running Canucks, he thought the show might finally, really, be over. But out of that meeting came a volunteer Steering Committee determined to find a way to keep the popular club in operation. With Lou Raskin as chair/spokesperson, they came up with a restructuring plan.

Country music star Brent McAthey is quietly - and happily - living his dream life in Mazatlán

Ever had a dream? Well, Canadian-born Brent McAthey is living his. His cool, laid-back approach to life was present from the moment I met him outside a local coffee shop. I’d read his informative website and came to the meeting expecting to see a tall, cowboy hat-wearing musician. Tall, yes, cowboy hat, no. Instead, we sat for just over an hour talking about his career, his dreams, his fans and Mazatlán. No stranger to Mexico, Brent - or “The Brenster,” as he’s called - has spent 26 of his Canadian winters in Mexico and now calls Mazatlán home. Brent enjoys 10 months of the year in sunny Mazatlán, where he plays to 300 or so patrons at The Purple Onion in the Golden Zone every Saturday night. In the summer season, he stills draws a great crowd, with an unheard-of fan base of locals, nationals and tourists alike.

Makes me laugh: The spontaneous, sincere, simple, the beautiful.

Makes me cry: Injustice. As much if I am the one who commits it or I am the victim.