The Awkward Stage was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

band from

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

fronted by singer-songwriter Shane Nelken. The band's supporting lineup consisted of

Tygh Runyan Tygh Runyan (born June 13, 1976) is a Canadian actor and musician. Career Runyan has had a long career of character and supporting roles. His most notable roles are as Dr. Robert Caine in ''Stargate Universe'' and Fabien Marchal in ''Versaille ...

on lead guitar, Tony Koelwyn on drums and Chris Mitchell on trumpet and keyboards.

History

Nelken, who works as a

cremation Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...

ist, had a longtime side career as a musician, supporting a number of artists including A. C. Newman,

New Pornographers New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...

and Sparrow."The Awkward Stage Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights"
. ''AllMusic'' Review by Mark Deming He put together The Awkward Stage (which included drummer Kurt Dahle), and released a debut album, ''Heaven Is for Easy Girls'', on

Mint Records Mint Records is a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-based independent record label founded in 1991, by friends and campus radio enthusiasts Randy Iwata and Bill Baker. Mint has put out over 150 releases, several of which have won Juno Awards. His ...

in 2006. Nelken performed much of the music himself, with some help from violinist Kim Koch and trumpeter Shaun Brodie. The album charted on Canadian

campus radio Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...

and

CBC Radio 3 CBC Radio 3 is a Canadian digital radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which plays a relatively freeform mix of indie rock, indie pop, alternative hip hop, folk, country and electronic music. The service, which la ...

, which named the band's song "We're Going for a Ride" one of its Top 94 songs of 2006. With

, Tony Koelwyn and Chris Mitchell, The Awkward Stage released a second album, ''Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights'', in 2008."The Awkward Stage Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights"
. ''Exclaim!'', By Chris Whibbs Jun 10, 2008 The songs were written and arranged by Nelkin. The band has been inactive since 2009.

Discography

* '' Heaven Is for Easy Girls'' (2006), Mint Records * '' Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights'' (2008), Mint Records

References

External links

The Awkward Stage
official site
The Awkward Stage
profile at

Interview with Shane Nelken, October 8, 2008.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Awkward Stage, The Musical groups established in 2006 Musical groups from Vancouver Canadian indie pop groups Mint Records artists 2006 establishments in British Columbia