the BAND  Ty Semaka Lead Vocals + Lyrics Founding member since 1990.  Alan Kolodziejzyk Guitar, Mandulcimer + Vocals Founding member since 1990.  Jonathan Lewis Violin, Farfisa, Mandolin, Accordion, Piano + Vocals Member since 1993.  Roxanne Young Violin + Vocals Member since 2008  John McNeil Drums + Percussion Member since 1994.  Kaley Kinjo Bass + Vocals Member since 2004.  Jonny Nordstrom Bass + Vocals Member since 2003. HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS The Devils have appeared on Alberta wide A Channel television show The Breakfast Show 12 times and the evening show Wired 4 times. 2008 Added the double violin assault to become a 7 piece Gypsy Rock army. 2007 Headlined the official Juno's after party August 2007 (Saskatoon SK). Headlined the 2007 Canada Day celebration (Calgary AB, July 1) in front of 20 thousand people. 2006 Devils on George Bush's ipod? CBC radio's show The Current recently polled it's listeners nation wide as to what song we should send George W. Bush to add to his iPod list. Out of hundreds of votes, our song Have An Ice Age won, due mostly to the lyrics. Go to MEDIA to hear a clip of the show. 2005 Released 5th album and 1st DVD Monsteroma. The band remounted their smash hit play, In Klezskavania with Calgary's One Yellow Rabbit.  Once again, sold out almost every night, there were rumours of tickets actually being scalped just outside the building!  The remount also garnered the band a Dr. Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Composition. This is the Calgary theatre community's highest award. The Devils completed their most successful European tour in May 2005. Invited by the the Canadian Embassy in Holland to headline the Queens Day celebration at Amsterdam's famous Melkweg club and the 60th Annual Liberation Day Festival in Leeuwarden. 2004 The Devils performed in the CKUA Songwriter's Series at the Engineered Air Theatre on March 26, 2004. The set was recorded and broadcast province wide on CKUA FM. The Devils were featured as a question on the very popular television show Jeopardy - Feb 11 2004.  Category: Opera. Question: "In Klezskavania" is an opera from this North American Country in which klezmer and ska are combined with the songs by the Plaid Tongued Devils" Answer: What is Canada? Go to the MEDIA page to see a short clip fro the show. 2003 The Devils were the headline act for the Canada Day Celebrations on Prince's Island Park, (Calgary AB) playing in front of 5000+ people. The Devils are featured with a full page photo and article in Calgary Magazine.   The band completed a very successful 3 week tour of the Netherlands and Belgium, their second European tour. From May 22-June 1, 2003. annual music issue (July-August 2003), with vocalist Ty Semaka gracing the magazine's cover. 2002 Released 4th album Belladonna. The band completed a successful tour of the Netherlands in October 2002, getting rave reviews from patrons and club owners in every club they played. The band was given a 45 minute feature on Holland national radio show called Geen Tijd in October 24 2002. Playing 5 songs live with an interview. The single Flea Circus from the CD Belladonna was played to a crowd of 10,000 or more appreciative rock fans and simultaneously broadcast on national FM radio during the 2002 Queen's Day Concert at the Museumplein in Amsterdam, Holland. The CD Belladonna was listed as one of the Top 10 Independent Calgary CDs in 2002 by Calgary Herald Rock Critic, Heath McCoy. The band made the top 15 out of over 2000 unsigned bands entered in CBC Radio's nation-wide "Big Break Contest" in 2002. The Devils showcased at  the Canadian Folk Alliance’s Folk Meet on Sept 28th, 2002 in Winnipeg MB. Winner of an "Un" Award (presented by CBC Radio's Definitely Not The Opera) gaining the coveted title of "Canada's Loudest Folk Band". Sept 2002. 2001 Nominated for "Best Roots Rock Act" at the 2001 Prairie Music Awards. The band was featured in Shaw Cable's Project Discovery, a 20 episode showcase of bands from across Canada. July 2001. 2000 Featured for a one hour nationally broadcast CBC Radio spotlight on Brave New Waves. June 26, 2000. The song Butterfly Guts was licensed and used in one episode on the Fox Network series Caitlin's Way. 1999 Released 3rd album In Klezskavania. The Devils second foray into theatre, the play I Think I'm a Wolf, was a huge hit at the First Annual Calgary Fringe Festival.  Penned and performed by all members of the band and Elizabeth Stepkowski, Brian Hansen & Anita Miotti and Directed byKen Cameron (coined The Berzerkrgang Collective). Combining dance, text and music, the play received great reviews and an invitation to One Yellow Rabbits' High Performance Rodeo 2000. Columbia Entertainment licensed single Another Sad Song for use in a Fox Network movie feature called Earthquake in New York which has been released worldwide. 1998 The song Jesus Started Drinking from their second CD, Tongue & Groove, spent 9 weeks on Calgary Radio Mix 1060's Top 30 chart. 1998. The video for Jesus Started Drinking  (from Tongue & Groove) received light rotation on MUCHMusic in 1996  with an added spotlight during MUCH's “Controversial Video Day” June 24 1998. 1997 The song Butterfly Guts (from Tongue & Groove) was licensed to Columbia Entertainment in 1997 for use on one episode on the television show Party of Five on the Fox Network. The theatre production, In Klezskavania, was co-written by vocalist/lyricist Ty Semaka and Calgary's One Yellow Rabbit  Performance Theatre ensemble. It ran Feb. 24 - Mar. 21, 1998, at the Big Secret Theatre in the Calgary Centre for the Performing Arts. The play received rave reviews in the media, sold out almost every night, was held over for a week and is still the highest grossing One Yellow Rabbit production in a first run. 1996 The song Freight Trains of Intention won first prize in CJAY 92 FM's 1996 Songwriters Contest. Released 2nd album Tongue & Groove. 1994 Played the Highwood Music Festival on the main stage. Released 1st album Running With Scissors. 1993 Released 2nd cassette tape Live As Heck. Recorded live at the Calgary Stampede. Played the Highwood Music Festival on the main stage. 1992 Released 1st cassette tape Experimental Farm. 1991 Officially formed, named the band and played coffee shops, street corners, house parties, camp fires etc. 1990 Kolodziejzyk and Semaka met, jammed in Kolodziejzyk’s basement and started writing songs within a few months.  Just A Few Places We’ve Played FESTIVALS Sundre Arts Festival (Sundre AB) Jan ‘07 Port Moody Arts Festival (Port Moody BC) April '06 Starbelly Jam (Nelson BC) July '06 Discovery Coast Festival (Bella Coola BC) July 14-15, '06 Grizfest (Tumbler Ridge BC) Aug 05 AND Aug '06 Interplay Festival (Fort MacMurray AB) August 11-12, '06 Robson Valley Festival (Dunster BC) August 26, '06 Jasper Folk Festival - (Headline) June 2005 Kasterval - Kasterlee Belgium (Headline) Sept 2005 Liberation Day Fest - Leeuwarden Netherlands (Headline 2005) Liberation Day Fest - Alkmaar Netherlands (Headline May 2004) Edge of The World Festival - Queen Charolette Islands (Headline 2005) Kispiox Festival - Kispiox BC (Headline 2004) Grizfest - Tumbler Ridge BC (2004) WayneFest - Wayne Alberta (Headline 2003) Starbelly Festival - Nelson B.C. (Headline) July 2004 Canada Day Fest - Calgary AB (Enmax Stage) Festival a/d Werf - Utrecht NL (Headline 2003) Festival of Friends - Hamilton ON (2002) Folk Alliance FOLK MEET, Winnipeg MB (2002) Calgary Folk Festival (4 times) North Country Fair (Headline 2002) South Country Fair (Headline 1998) Highwood Music Festival (1992 and 1993) Calgary Stampede (3 times) Festival By The Sea - St John NB (2001) Frostbite Folk Festival - Whitehorse YK (2000) Northern Folk Life Festival - Seattle WA (1999) Regina Folk Festival (2000) Vancouver Fringe Festival closing night (twice) Edmonton Fringe Festival closing night (twice) Saskatoon Fringe Festival opening night (3 times) CONFERENCES COCA Nationals Conference - Edmonton AB (1996) COCA Nationals Conference - Toronto ON (1998) Music West (Vancouver 1999) Music West Conference (Vancouver 1998) NXNE (Toronto 1998) Alberta Touring Alliance - Red Deer AB (2004) OSAC - Yorkton SK (2005) Pacific Contact - Burnaby BC (2005) ___________________________________________ NORTH AMERICA Clubs Ontario The El Mocambo - Toronto The Horseshoe - Toronto The 360 Club - Toronto Billy Bob’s - St. Catherines Guelph University Vancouver The Starfish (Music West Conference 1999). The Railway Club The Gastown Music Hall (Music West Conf. 1998) The Town Pump Seattle WA Tractor Tavern (1999) Calgary AB The Back Alley (several times) Brew Brothers Taproom (severall times) Broken City (several times) The Hi Fi (several times) Cowboys (opening for Leahy) Ceili's The Ironwood (more than several times) Morgan's Pub Liberty Lounce (Mouont Royal College) The Night Gallery (too many times to count) The Republik (too many times to count) The Ship & Anchor (too many times to count) University of Calgary (too many times to count) SAIT College (6 times) Mount Royal College (too many times to count) More than several private functions at various venues. Edmonton AB The Backstage The Sidetrack Cafe (too many times to count) The Rev The Liquid Lounge O’Byrne's Pub (too many times to count) Grant McKewan College University of Alberta Saskatoon SK Lydias (too many times to count) University of Saskatoon (COCA West Showcase) Regina SK O’Rileys Pub (1999) Yellowknife NWT Yellowknife Cultural Centre (soft seat concert) Folk On the Rocks Festival (Summer 2000) Whitehorse YK The Cave (2000) Winnipeg MB West End Cultural Centre (2001) St John NB O’Maley’s Pub O’ Byrne’s Pub Fredericton NB The Black Swan The Frog and Whistle Moncton NB O’Rileys Kensington Pub __________________________________________ Various Alberta and BC Red Deer Convention Centre (Opening for Blue Rodeo) (Red Deer AB) The Drake (Canmore AB) The Canmore Hotel (Canmore AB) Wild Bills (Banff AB) Rose & Crown (Banff AB) The Athabasca Hotel (Jasper AB) The Downstream (Japser AB) University of Lethbridge (Lethbridge AB) Hugo’s (Lethbridge AB) The Tongue & Groove (Lethbridge AB) Caribou College (Kelowna BC) The Northern Motor Inn (Terrace BC) The Alpenhorn Pub (Smithers BC) The Generator (Prince George BC) EUROPE Clubs Netherlands Melkweg - Amsterdam (Queensday headliner) La Boheme - Amsterdam (2005) Afrika Pakhius - Amsterdam (2 times) Parhok - Aalkmaar (2005) Barbiertje - Hellevoetsluis (3 times) OJC Wallhalla - Sevenum (2 times) The Last Waterhole - Amsterdam Kalashnikov - Terneuze (2 times) Maloe Melo - Amsterdam (3 times) Koornbeurs - Delft (4 times) Cafe de Kroeg - Arnhem T’ Oude Pothuys - Utrecht Bluescafe - Apeldoorn (3 times) Boemerang - Anna Paulowna Vergane Glorie - Zwolle OJC Argus - Alkmaar Graauwe Hengst - Schiedam (2 times) Manifesto - Hoorn Kultuurhuis - Arnhem De Bakkerij - Castricum (2 times) Gouverneur - Raalte Gigant - Apeldoorn Belgium Charlatan - Gent Blauwe Kater - Leuven Don Bosco - Helchteren Monk Club - Brussels Sint Pauluscollege - Houthalen Zeeticht - Antwerpen State Jail - Antwerpen El Diablo - Antwerp Provil - Lommel Snuffel - Brugge KA - Zaventem Zanzibal 2004 - Lille Wir War - Turnhout Italy Clandestino - Faenza Angi Club - Trento Bellisima Festival - Trento Punky Reggae Club - St Martino  Shared Stages The Plaid Tongued Devils have opened for or headlined for Blue Rodeo, Jim Cuddy, The Skydiggers, The Violent Femmes, The Pursuit of Happiness, Wide Mouth Mason, Bruce Cockburn, Leahy, Bob Wiseman, Steven Fearing, Art Bergman, Age of Electric, Captain Tractor, David Wilcox, Zuckerbaby, Tariq, Big Rude Jake, Shooglenifty, Bocephus King, Mocking Shadows, Hoven Droven, Boiled in Lead, Kris Demeanor, Nathan, Rant Music, The Dead Milkmen and countless others.  DISCOGRAPHY Monsteroma (2005)  Monsteroma is a mixed bag of high fallutin’ World rockers, punk polkas, some heavy metal klezmer and a few live recordings. Still wearing the sound they arrived at with Belladonna, but with a few more complicated songs scattered betwixt the party tunes. It also comes with a DVD with tons of music videos and fun stuff. For lyrics go here. 1. Klezma Mezma 2. Bollywood Queen 3. Bollywood Vamp 4. Bag of Snakes 5. Antipop 6. Schwartze’s Sirba 7. Black Cloud 9 8. Help! I’m a Logo 9. Underground 10. Valdimir Wakes 11. Leo’s Restaurant (live) 12. Miserlou (live) 13. Russian History XXX (live) 14. Bigger Than I (live) 15. Koornbanter (live) 16. Socio Political Ramafications 17. Cue 45 Test 1  Belladonna (2002)  Belladonna is a thick soup of pop, rock and ska made with the salty base of gypsy and klezmer music with dashes of spanish and middle eastern influences. It’s heavy follk rock. This is the Devils sitting comfortably in their unique style. For lyrics go here. 1. Flea Circus 2. Mermaid 3. Level Seven 4. Stealing Flowers 5. I Think I’m a Wolf 6. No Serpentine 7. Fade 8. Life On The Rack 9. Na Na Na Boo Boo 10. Tripas de la Mariposa 11. Bigger Than I 12. Have An Ice Age 13. Russian History XXX 14. Miserlou 15. Kama Sutra  In Klezskavania (1999)  In Klezskavania was the band’s first real foray into klezmer, theatre and concept album euphoria. This concept album turned alot of heads. It signaled the band arriving at a style it could call it’s own. A little less ska than klezmer and a lot more short, strange instrumentals in between the lunacy. The album became the soundtrack to a play performed and produced by Calgary’s One Yellow Rabbit. The play was a runaway smash hit. For lyrics go here. Act 1 - The Sinners’ Pub 1. In Klezskavania 2. never drown a cat 3. When You’re Dead 4. Vagabond Train 5. Lucy 6. 22 Act 2 - Leo’s Restaurant 7. danse 8. Bona Roba 9. Young Skeletons 10. bees & barbs 11. Leo’s Restaurant 12. wait Act 3 - Back At The Pub 13. Whiner 14. belch 15. 100 Onions 16. Olde Scratch 17. Power 18. bagatelle  Tongue & Groove (1996)  Tongue & Groove was the Devil’s schizophrenic search for a style. From pop, to rock, to celtic, to polka, to bluegrass, to just plain strange. With lot’s of humour, and super catchy tunes, it’s still a fan favourite. Comparisons to the Bare Naked Ladies were made. For lyrics go here. 1. Another Sad Song 2. BUtterfly Guts 3. Red, Blind & Blue 4. Mercy In Munsville 5. Billet Doux 6. Scar 7. Vladimir’s Wake 8. Jesus Started Drinking 9. Belly Full o’ Bees 10. Sung To Sleep 11. Freight Trains of Intention 12. Older Than Murder 13. Maggie’s Milk 14. heyday  Running With Scissors (1994)  Running With Scissors was the band’s first CD. Wanky grunge folk was what they called it, while making fun of country music in a way. Looking back, it was Alt Country before there was much Alt Country. It’s probably their most humorous album. No longer available to the public, although some tracks might appear on a Greatest Hits album some day. 1. Page 37 2. Train 3. Spirit of the Stairs 4. Split In Two 5. Constance 6. Put Away Wet 7. Eileen 8. Floodlands 9. Clipped Wings 10. Them To Them 11. Leg Trap 12. Hollywould  Line-Up and Album History In 1990 lead vocalist and lyricist Ty Semaka met guitarist Alan Kolodziejzyk while working for Kolodziejzyk's brother at a company called Image Club.  Kolodziejzyk's signage company was situated in the back of Image Club and  that's where the two hit it off. The two started jamming in Kolodziejzyk's basement with various musicians and within a year, the two were writing quirky folky tunes about girls and...well, girls. They soon started playing coffee shops and street corners around Calgary and gained a loyal fan base almost immediately. In 1991 they added violist Geoff Wheatley.  Wheatley remained for about a year. During this time a cassette tape named The Experimental Farm was recorded and released. Kolodziejzyk and Semaka agreed that the viola was something they wanted to keep so they began looking for a viola player. In 1992 they found a talented multi-instrumentalist named Barry Coulter. Coulter played fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo and piano.  Coulter remained with the band for about 2 years and recorded several tracks on their first CD, Running With Scissors (released in 1994). Then in 1993 Semaka and Kolodziejzyk met multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Lewis, who took the band to new heights of musicality.  Jonathan plays, viola, violin, mandolin and piano. Lewis' first recording with the band was the album Running With Scissors, and he has been with the band since. Drummer, John McNeil joined in 1994.  He appeared on Live as Heck, an extremely rare live recording with Semaka, Kolodziejzyk, Lewis and Coulter and on 4 tracks from Running With Scissors. In 1994 McNeil left the band for a business opportunity, returning in 1998 and has been with the band since. In 1994, drummer Jim Buick joined the fold to record 8 tracks on Running With Scissors and all of the bands second CD, Tongue & Groove. Buick remained until 1997. In 1994, bassist Brian Doss joined and recorded Tongue & Groove with the Devils. Doss remained until 1997 and left for a just signed band called Zuckerbaby. In 1997, Aaron Harvey replaced Brian Doss on bass and Troy WarkentinIn joined on drums. While writing the album, In Klezskavania, the two didn't care for the less commercial direction the band was taking and left the band. In 1998, most of In Klezskavania was written with Semaka, Kolodziejzyk, Lewis, a returning McNeil and new bass player, Chipp Robb. Since December 2002 Chipp Robb has moved on to pursue a career as a Technical Director for the City of Calgary. In 1998, while Jonathan Lewis was performing in Calgary's One Yellow Rabbit's Mata Hari, he mentioned to OYR writer/director Blake Brooker that the Devils were working on a "theme album" with a quirky story and creepy cast of characters. Intrigued, Brooker invited Ty Semaka to submit a rough script of the story.  The OYR Ensemble and Semaka then co-wrote the finished script and the play In Klezskavania was mounted in February 1999.  The play was sold out every night and held over. In 2002, violinist Matt Woodward was brought in to sit in for Jonathan Lewis as Lewis became busier during the winter with theatre engagements.  Woodward occasionally sits in for Lewis and on rare and very special occasions, the two play the same show - together. In January 2003 Jonny Nordstrom joined the Devils on bass guitar. In February 2004 Kaley Kinjo joined the Devils as second bassist. In March 2005 drummer Charlie Bullough joined on as sit-in drummer. On April 1st 2005, the Devils released thier 5th album and first DVD together, entitled Monsteroma, to rave reviews and record sales.  The Band’s Name In 1991, Kolodziejzyk and Semaka were searching for a name for their duet.  While at a party, mutual friend Rob Miller accused Semaka and Kolodziejzyk of being womanizers saying "You two are a couple of silver tongued devils" (which in North America means "smooth talker"). At the exact same moment Semaka and Kolodziejzyk turned to each other and both said "more like plaid".  It was this synchronius mind meld that sealed the name. The use of the word "plaid" was never meant to infer "celtic".  Semaka and  Kolodziejzyk both considered plaid to be ugly so they were saying that they were NOT smooth talkers with the ladies.  The name was also fitting because the two felt as though their music was hip one day and not  the next, just like plaid.  Plaid was hip with the grunge scene at the time, but they had both been around when red and black hunting jackets were cool about 8 years earlier when they were in junior high. Plaid was something that resurged in fashion every couple years and they suspected that their music might have a similar pattern (pun intended). MEDIA.htmlMEDIA.htmlLYRICS.htmlLYRICS.htmlLYRICS.htmlLYRICS.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2shapeimage_1_link_3shapeimage_1_link_4shapeimage_1_link_5
THE PLAID TONGUED DEVILS