by JOHNSON CUMMINS

It’s late and I can’t sleep so I tune into Mike Bullard. Tonight his guest is Can-con guitarist Jeff Healey. Bullard mentions that the bar Healey owns has had famous people drop by, and Healey rattles off the list of the Canadian elite. “Oh yeah, Levon Helm, Alannah Myles—and Danko Jones.” Qu’est-ce que fuck?! Healey giving shout-outs to Danko Jones? With newfound radio domination for his recent CD Born a Lion and TSN commercials to boot, Toronto’s Jones has freed himself of the shackles of indie-darling status and is ready to step into the ring with the big boys. The Mirror talked to our nation’s brightest hope for saving Canadian rock from Nickelback, Sum 41 and Our Lady Peace over the phone from a tour stop in Saskatoon.

Danko Jones: Did Healey really say that?

Mirror: Yeah, it was on last night. I think you finally made it.

DJ: Wow, I love that. Weirder than that we were doing a radio interview in Winnipeg two days ago, and the DJ says, “We have a guy who wants to say hello on the phone,” and it was Greg Godovitz from Goddo, who he said he was a big fan. David Wilcox says he is a big fan too. Weird.

M: It seems like Canada is just getting on board, but you guys are the tits in Europe right now. Why do you think they got it before Canada?

DJ: European audiences are more into music, period. They aren’t bombarded by America. Everything in the culture is absorbed and taken in. Here, there is an underlining current of musical segregation. People here think if you aren’t into the new Fly Pan Am record you’re a total geek. Over there you don’t get that elitist music thing.

M: Have you gotten any backlash from the indie nerds over the commercial airplay?

DJ: We just laugh at it. We’re working with Universal Canada but we own our masters, we are self-managed, we own our publishing and we have complete creative control, be it a sticker or an album cover. We are on six labels on five continents and only two of them are major labels, here and in Japan. Y’know, getting play on major stations is fun, hilarious and a real thrill. We come from a place where most bands that they play on their station don’t come from. I love it. It’s great to get played next to Rob Zombie and the Clash and we get to do interviews and try to turn people on to bands that these stations would never play. I have no guilt about that.

M: Do you think we need rock stars more than ever now?

DJ: We do have rock stars but they are called rap stars now. Eminem has taken the place of Steven Tyler and Keith Richards and Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Nelly and R. Kelly have taken the place of Vince Neil and Axl Rose.

M: Speaking of R. Kelly, you fancy yourself quite the ladies’ man. Any pointers for the guys on how to hook up?

DJ: I don’t know, that’s a hard question because, for the past couple of years, girls just come up to me. :

With Andrew WK and the Getaway at
Foufounes électriques on Saturday, Oct. 12, 8pm, $20

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