Hal Anderson

Host, @680CJOB - Columnist, @WinnipegSun - Owner, Hal Anderson Productions Limited - 34th Greatest Canadian

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

I can’t believe it’s already the final weekend of my vacation. I’ve really enjoyed watching all the birds that have visited my many feeders at the cottage. And two solid weeks at the lake with Jackie have been amazing. But I’m rested, relaxed and ready to get back on the radio. Enjoy your weekend, and I’ll talk to you Monday morning at 10 on CJOB.

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

@myaccount_mb Thank you, Sue, such kind words. Mayor? Really?

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

THROWBACK THURSDAY!

6,855 of you did VOTE HAL! four years ago when this photo was taken, and your support in the last civic election meant the world to me.

With so many incumbent city councillors deciding not to run again, including Markus Chambers in my ward, a lot of people have been reaching out and encouraging me to give it another go.

Thank you for believing in me, and what I continue to stand for!

No decision has been made yet, but I’m giving serious thought to putting my name forward again, this time in St. Norbert-Seine River, because I believe Winnipeg needs a new approach at 510 Main Street.

I love what I do every day on the radio, but I also believe Winnipeg needs fresh voices, and people willing to challenge the way things have always been done.

So…what do you think? Hell yeah…or don’t do it? I’d genuinely like to hear what you think.

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

@GerhardGRoemer Think so?

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

@JasonRemps65336 Thanks!

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

@TheEarlofElie1 It wasn’t a promise but it was the plan. Life throws you curveballs. My mom-in-law’s health took a turn for the worse and Jackie became her caregiver. We need to be close. Maybe it was all meant to be if I run here and win.

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

@DynastyDenied Right?!

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

If you missed it on CJOB this morning, here’s the link to my daily Connecting Winnipeg podcast where you can hear the old interview I did with Tommy Hunter. https://t.co/ou3EyyzeIm

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

I said on Friday when we learned of his passing that I’d dig through my archives on the weekend to see if I could find an old interview that I did with Tommy Hunter. Well, I found it and I’ll air it tomorrow morning on Connecting Winnipeg with Hal Anderson on 680 CJOB. My show begins at 10 a.m. I hope you’ll tune in.

[Dave Petrishen @TheSportsDoctor]

HAL'S KITCHEN: Winnipeg’s most magical patio? https://t.co/JG5AhktfTX via @halanderson

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

Mötley Crüe takes the stage at Princess Auto Stadium tonight as part of Rockin’ Thunder.

Back in October 1987, the morning after their Winnipeg show, the band rolled into the old Teasers strip club at Provencher and Tache for a live performance that was broadcast by satellite to Japan, where the band was enormously popular.

Over the years, the story has taken on a life of its own. People still insist they shot the Girls, Girls, Girls video there or partied for days. Those parts aren’t true.

What did happen is still pretty remarkable.

The event drew a crowd outside the club, generated international attention and became one of those quirky stories that has earned a permanent place in Winnipeg rock lore.

It seemed like the perfect time to remember one of the city’s most unusual rock & roll stories. Especially when I’m also able to share the video that was beamed from Winnipeg to Japan almost 40 years ago.

https://t.co/JoMxnXzdr1

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

I'm sure by now you've seen my commercial building in Old St. Vital, the one with the big mural of me by Winnipeg artist Rachel Lancaster, celebrating more than 40 years behind the microphone. What I didn't realize until recently is that I may have become the caretaker of one of the city's coolest pieces of music history.

For more than 20 years, I've owned the building at 539 St. Mary's Road. It's now home to my longtime company Hal Anderson Productions. It's become a pretty recognizable landmark in the last several months.

What I didn't know until recently is that my building has an incredible story of its own.

Long before I bought it, it was home to the legendary Twilight Zone Club, one of the city's most famous teen music clubs of the 1960s. Music historian John Einarson told me it wasn't just another place to hear a band.

"You've got a treasure here. You've got Manitoba history. You've got Winnipeg history there," he said.

The Twilight Zone wasn't licensed, so musicians gathered over coffee, tea and Coke, swapping stories and ideas. If they weren't playing a gig that night, chances are they were hanging out there. John says it "played a very important role" in Manitoba's music scene, where friendships were formed and even new bands came together.

Then came the jaw-dropper.

Neil Young played there, even showing another musician how to play harmonica between sets. Burton Cummings was such a regular that he later wrote an unreleased song called King of the Twilight Zone.

Hearing all of that honestly gave me goosebumps.

I've already been planning some fun music events at the building, but now they'll have to include a wink to its past. Maybe a display of historic photos and memorabilia so people can experience a little of what made the place so special.

When I think about spending years playing oldies on KY58, rock on Power 97, and now talking to Winnipeg every day on 680 CJOB, it almost feels like this building found me as much as I found it.

Some buildings are just bricks and mortar.

This one has a soundtrack.

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

A few years ago, Jackie and I thought about building a brick pizza oven at the lake. Then we looked at the cost, the work involved and the permanent space it would take up. That’s when we discovered Ooni. We bought one of their ovens and now I can’t imagine cooking pizza any other way.

I recently interviewed Ooni co-founder Kristian Tapaninaho, and I learned the company’s story is every bit as impressive as the product itself.

About 15 years ago, he became obsessed with making authentic pizza at home. He quickly realized the secret wasn’t fancy toppings or special dough. It was heat. Really high heat. Traditional home ovens simply can’t get hot enough to produce that crispy, blistered crust you get from a great pizzeria. Before Ooni came along, your only real option was spending thousands of dollars on a permanent brick oven.

So he invented something different.

Ooni’s portable ovens can reach 950 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to cook a beautiful pizza in about 60 seconds. The company didn’t just build a new product. It created an entirely new category that’s now been copied around the world.

And Ooni hasn’t stopped innovating.

Its newest accessory is a rotating pizza stone for the Koda 2 line. If you’ve ever made pizza in one of these ovens, you know one of the few skills to master is turning the pizza while it cooks so every side browns evenly. The new rotating stone does that automatically, letting you spend less time managing the pizza and more time enjoying the people you’re cooking for.

The best part? These aren’t just pizza ovens. I’ve cooked steaks, salmon, vegetables and even cast-iron meals in them. They’re incredibly versatile.

Sometimes a product becomes popular because of clever marketing. Sometimes it becomes popular because it’s simply that good. In my opinion, Ooni falls squarely into the second category.

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

Great show! If you’re into spy thrillers, get on it. Season 2 just dropped on Prime.

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

@680CJOB @BlackFlyBooze Andrea was so excited to win!

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

@DeanOarman @TheSportsDoctor @680CJOB Never!

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

@Blainesidea Hoping to buy.

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

This is probably a long shot but I need 20 to 50 stacking or folding chairs. Used is fine but they must be in good condition and all matching. Anyone? #Winnipeg #Manitoba

[Hal Anderson @halanderson]

@Blainesidea Yeah, looking to buy. Thanks…