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Thursday, January 8
CRABTREE & MILLS
$15 advance / $17 door
Following the exciting Hugh's Room launch of Flight of Fancy, their first recording as a duo, Paul Mills and Joanne Crabtree played many successful concerts around southern Ontario, all the while developing their tight vocal harmonies.
In the summer of 2007, Joanne was gripped by a song-writing fever that resulted in eight new songs. Just as the fever was beginning to wane, Paul joined in, and over many snow-bound days in late 2007, they collaborated on three additional heartfelt songs. Those eleven songs - some sad, some funny, some from personal history, some plucked from thin air – those songs are the heart and soul of Freedom, and from creativity to civil rights, freedom plays a role in every one of them.
Armed with their own writings, two songs from tradition, two from like-minded authors, and the feeling they could not wait to start sharing this new repertoire with the world, Paul and Joanne headed back into the recording studio in 2008. The new CD, Freedom, is the happy result.
For the release concert at Hugh's Room, Paul and Joanne will be joined by Tom Leighton on keyboards, accordion, and percussion and Bob Hewus on bass. This band will delight and amuse you…we’ll just have to make sure Tom and Bob don’t upstage the duo too much!
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Friday / Saturday, January 9-10
CONNIE KALDOR
$25 advance / $27.50 door
"Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, something roars in and it turns you about."
Connie Kaldor wrote this and more about the unexpected twists and turns of life and love for her latest album Love is a Truck. She could well have been writing about her personal artistic complexities. Music pundits have tried to define the essence of the prairie-born acoustic performer for over two decades but even the most eloquent have fallen short of perfection.
Fact is, Connie Kaldor is a performer without borders. A contradiction in terms. She is a Juno-award winning singer who has flourished on the folk music scene for over two decades yet her repertoire of original material blurs musical boundaries, embracing elements of gospel, rock, country and western, folk, blue grass and adult contemporary.
She is an artist of substance without pretension, witty and urbane without condescension. She is a fearless chronicler of the human experience without the folksong angst. She has recorded nine albums, sold tens of thousands of copies, but has never had a commercial hit.
Her live performances are legendary and her fan base broad and fiercely loyal. People come back to see her again and again because a Connie Kaldor performance is about more than just the power of music. It is also about the power of personality. What she says between songs is as intriguing as the lyrics she sings.
She has travelled prairie backroads to visit modest community centres and sold out concert halls in major cities. From Bejing to New Dehli to Saskatoon to Washington, Connie has triumphed with a mix of song and spoken word honed in pacing and tone by the many years she spent performing.
Like many prairie girls in the 5os and 6os, Connie grew up singing in the church choir and listening to Patsy Cline and The Beatles on her record player. But it wasn’t until the 1980s after four years spent performing with an avant garde theatre company in Toronto that Connie turned to music full time and was welcomed by the folk scene.
A musical bard whose music and lyrics have diverse appeal-appropriated for everything from anger management workshops for men to economic news letters to soundtracks for film. "She’s tough and she’s tender. She sings with love and with anger…indecently talented. " Toronto Star.
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Tuesday, January 13
Mayhem Poets
$14 advance / $16 door
Performance poetry is an accessible, appealing art form that can motivate students to foster an appreciation for both classic and contemporary poetic/theatrical expression.
Utilizing hip-hop rhythms and dynamic theatrical techniques, the Mayhem Poets have developed powerful performances and workshops to to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to craft and perform original poetry.
The Mayhem Poets have brought their experience to such notable venues as the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, New Hampshire, The Kilkenny Arts Festival in Kilkenny, Ireland, The New Victory Theater in Times Square New York and the Calgary International Children's Festival, as well as countless school disctricts, universities, detention centers, hospitals, poetry-slams and open mics.
The Mayhem Poets are proud members of NACA, BOCES and IPAY and have worked in conjunction with such reputable agencies as HBO Def Poetry, Arts Power National Touring Theater, Young Audiences of New Jersey, and look forward to working with you.
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Wednesday, January 14
Winterfolk Preview
$12 advance / $14 door
TONY QUARRINGTON - Veteran guitarist has worked with many of Canada's great roots artists like Willie P. Bennett, Mose Scarlett, and Laura Smith, and he has a devoted following in the jazz world for his own ten recordings as a leader and composer.
MICHAEL BRENNAN - Cape Breton raised, Toronto based singer-songwriter Michael Brennan writes and sings pure country songs with a a full blooded, passionate voice reminiscent of Roy Orbison and Waylon Jennings.
ANGIE GRANT - Powerful vocals, aggressive high energy guitar playing, tied together in a pleasing 'give me more' delivery guaranteed to get your feet tapping.
MOSE SCARLETT - Mose Scarlett is, unarguably, one of a kind. While he draws on a wide range of musical sources from the early 1900's through the 40's, his style defies categorization or comparison - the blend is unique.
MR. RICK - was born and raised in Michigan in the 1950's. He grew up listening to the great sounds available on late night radio. Country, Western Swing, Blues, Gospel, Folk and Tin Pan Alley. Skilled fried cornbread and potato latkes.
THE GUITAR BOYS OF ALDERON - They took up space in school - and now they are cadets! Finger picking at the speed of light, till you go blind.
JEROME GODBOO is a giant on the music scene in Canada - a potent mix, one that combines musicality and soul.
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Thursday, January 15
MAKE YOUR ORGAN DANCE
with special guests
The Outlanders
$14 advance / $16 door
A bit about MAKE YOUR ORGAN DANCE:
Make Your Organ Dance is an exciting night of musical fusion. The ten-piece band gives a rousing, energetic show that fuses smooth electronic vibes, rocking vocals, flashy horns, and the haunting sounds of the organ.
Playing a variety of remixed popular songs as well as originals by group members, electronica artist A.M., organist Marty Smyth and singer-songwriter Andrea Wappel, Make Your Organ Dance’s pulsating rhythms will get your heart moving.
Based in Toronto the show’s design stemmed from an experimental concert at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church where Smyth, the resident musical director showcased the pipe organs versatility in contemporary music by reworking classic rock songs into the organs repertoire.
Wanting to expand the show’s audience beyond the church, Smyth along with A.M. and Wappel introduced Make Your Organ Dance to the Toronto club scene in the summer of 2008.
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Friday, Saturday & Sunday, January 16,17 & 18
Gordon Lightfoot Tribute
$30 advance / $32.50 door
Three nights!
I am pleased to announce the line-up for this year's "The Way We Feel: A Celebration of The Songs Of Gordon Lightfoot". This annual concert was first created and produced by Aengus Finnan & Jory Nash in 2003 and this will be the 7th annual installment of the show. The concept is simple: Invite about 10 Folk/Roots artists to each perform 2 Lightfoot songs of their choice in a sit-down concert setting. Add a fantastic house band and amiable host and the result is a wonderful, celebratory evening. While the performing artists change somewhat from year to year the spirit of the written song and the acknowledgement of the impact of Gordon Lightfoot's music remain unifying yearly themes.
The shows this year will be taking place at Hugh's Room in Toronto on January 16th, 17th & 18th, 2009. In the future I hope to take the show on the road again across parts of Canada.
The 2009 LINE-UP:
Emcee: DAVID NEWLAND
House Band:
JASON FOWLER: various guitars
ANNE LINDSAY: fiddle & mandolin
DAVID MATHESON: piano/accordion
DAVID WOODHEAD: bass
Featuring, in alphabetical order:
CADENCE: Stunning 4-man a capella jazz vocal group.
LORI CULLEN: Juno-nominated jazz-folk singer-songwriter
DALA: Folk festival favourite and rising star folk/pop female duo
RICK FINES: Multi-award winning bluesman
JORY NASH: Award-winning singer-songwriter and Lightfoot tribute show producer
OH SUSANNA: Widely popular & critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter
LIAM TITCOMB: Rising young actor/folk/pop starm
THE UNDESIRABLES: High energy, hard working country/roots duo
KEN WHITELEY: Juno-winning, legendary stalwart of the Canadian folk music scene
ROYAL WOOD: Piano and guitar-based smooth folk/pop singer
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Tuesday, January 20
DISCOVERIES
$13 advance / $15 door
Our first DISCOVERIES of 2009 showcases four more terrific artists most of whom are just beginning their creative journeys. Hugh’s Room continues to partner with us and their great support is so much appreciated. The concept is a simple one, (none of these artists is yet able to fill the room on their own, although we have confidence they will get to that point) bring four talents together, give each 30 minutes on stage and have each one bring out their fans, family and friends. Suddenly you have a full room and everyone present cheers on their artist and in the process discovers new talent to support in the future.
JAY AYMAR has been plying his craft throughout Ontario for a while now and plans to release his fifth full-length CD of original songs in spring 2009. Interestingly “The Don Cherry Song: My Cherry Coloured Rose”, one of Jay’s songs from a 2004 release, has just been recorded by Canadian icon, Ian Tyson and is gaining Jay a whole new audience. Jay’s musical style mixes country, folk and pop with his distinct, often humorous lyrics. He is an engaging performer who deserves to be better known.
ALLIE HUGHES is a young woman who has crammed a great deal of living into a very few years. She was dragged kicking and screaming to piano lessons in grade four - these days she gives thanks to her mother for her persistence! Allie was hooked almost immediately and began her musical journey – a path from which she has never deviated. Allie attended the Etobicoke School of the Arts where she studied music theatre and then the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. She, most recently was one of the ten finalists in CBC TV’s, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria, competing for the coveted role of Maria in the Mirvish hit The Sound of Music.
BRYCE KULAK , originally from Edmonton has been performing most of his life – playing classical piano and as an actor. He has won awards for his compositions, songs that are beautifully crafted, showcasing his dramatic flair and that abound with satire! See Magazine calls Kulak “…one of Edmonton’s most sophisticated songwriters…” and the Edmonton Journal says, “Kulak’s versatility knows no bounds.” Bryce is carrying on the cabaret tradition and along the way attracting a new and faithful following.
QUINCY LePALM is truly just beginning his career – he’s a veritable song-writing machine and his quirky take on life is absolutely his own. This young man just out of his teens is from the Ottawa Valley. He began playing guitar at age twelve and wrote his first song at 15 - he is a true independent and a force to be reckoned with.
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Wednesday, January 21
Old Man Luedecke
$12 advance / $15 door
A banjo songster like Old Man Luedecke is a rare type of musician. A songwriting one of such hopeful goodness, rarer still. In the tradition of solo banjo men and women of days gone by like Dock Boggs, Bascom Lunsford and Roscoe Holcomb, Old Man Luedecke sings his songs accompanied only by his loving five string, foot stomps and the occasional yodel. His songs are melodic gems blending old time sensibilities with an unusual vision and poetic sense. His music belies someone more than slightly ill at ease with modern life. This is a bizarre type of music Dock Boggs might have made if he'd studied poetry.
Old Man Luedecke left the big old city of Toronto, met a girl in the Yukon, fell in love, bought a banjo and fell in love again. After a couple of years of love and banjo and the makings of a brilliant performing career in sunny Halifax, he returned to the Yukon with his sweethearts. There he woodshedded. He wrote a tone of songs over the next year and a half. He held regular gigs playing banjo in a gambling hall with can-can girls and in a honky tonk called the Snakepit accompanying piano barnacle Bob. Even made an appearance at the Dawson City Music Festival. After a time, he left again for Halifax to renew musical acquaintances and record his debut CD Mole in the Ground. That CD has become a smash on college radio, was featured on CBC's Atlantic Airwaves and is a hot item in stores and at shows. He continues to live in Halifax and perform there and around the country to ever-wider acclaims. His stage show blends hokum and inspiration into powerful and fun entertainment that will delight young and old. He's still sweet on the girl he met up there in Yukon, and the banjo
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Thursday, January 22
DAVE BORINS - The 100th show !
$15 advance / $17 door
On January 22nd, 2009, Dave Borins will play his One Hundredth Gig and is releasing a brand new EP. It is an exciting time, and a milestone for a man who lives and breathes for performing music
Borins is an expert backcountry guide who has trekked all over the world from Himalayan mountains to Ancient Incan trails. By lugging his guitar from place to place Dave gained first hand knowledge of the power of music as a unifying force. His songs explore the paradox that despite having unprecedented access to others through modern technology, it has grown more difficult to connect in genuine and significant ways.
Performance is Dave Borins' version of living a fantasy. The weight of the world is lifted from his shoulders, and his personality is revealed, naked, unchecked and unapologetic. In addition to his original compositions, he also draws on an enormous and eclectic repertoire of great songs by other artists. Dave is known for dynamic live performances in venues of all shapes and sizes. A relative newcomer to the music world, Borins was nominated for "Best Live Acoustic Performer" and "Best Folk Artist" at the 2008 "Toronto Indie Music Awards." He's only 26 years old, and has played sold out shows in NY city, and all over Southern Ontario.
Dave grew up in Toronto, but his songwriting and performances have been shaped by his experience working as canoe trip guide in Algonquin National Park, and studying literature and politics at McGill university in Montreal.
He performs with artists all over Toronto, and contributes to a songwriting collective known as four corners. Other members include bluesman, Sean Pinchin, songbird, Robyn Dell'Unto, everyman, Mike Celia, guitar genius, Maneli Jemal, and jack of all trades Blaise Alleyne.
Dave also teaches writes and performs traditional folk and children's music at schools across Toronto, and campfires across the country
Although folk, classic rock and roots music is the cornerstone of his musical background, Dave refuses to confine himself to one genre. He thought he completed his Debut album "Songs of Sense and Colour" near the end of 2007, but Dave began working with Ricki Landers Friedlander, entertainment executive producer, and Bob Gallo, the legendary music producer (James Brown, Ben E King, Aretha Franklin) of RLF Entertainment Productions, Ltd. In to Phase One studios he recut some of the tracks, and a major promotional campaign was launched throughout the united states. "Songs of sense and Colour" was originally written, recorded and performed by Dave, the debut album is dear to his heart, and was a diverse and powerful writing and recording debut.
Dave plays with one ear in the sky, and one in the dirt. Nothing is sacred, but all things are respected. Old-fashioned, roots-based music and themes are fused with modern ideas, characters and situations. His music is catchy and familiar, yet somehow otherworldly. His lyrics are deeply influenced by literature and poetry, adding depth and subtlety to the infectious melodies, but this music is truly inclusive. He mixes the sweet with the bold, the old with the new, and believes in the power of song as a means to unify and understand life in all its peaks and canyons.
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Friday, January 23
Mr. Something Something
$12 advance / $14 door
Mr. Something Something represents four years of composing, performing, risk-taking, improving and ultimately mobilizing the original vision of founding members Larry Graves [drums/percussion] and John MacLean [saxophone/voice]. 20 years of playing, studying and traveling passed before these two childhood friends settled on the unbeatable dance rhythms of Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and Ghana as the most natural gathering place for the elements that would ultimately make up the Mr. Something Something sound.
Western instruments and concepts of improvisation are explored and layered over what used to be called Afrobeat; but the term strains to contain the innovations happening in the rhythm section at every show. It also fails to express in fiery-enough terms the imaginative solo work of respected jazz guitarist Paul MacDougall. Liam Smith dependably delivers basslines designed to induce and sustain a state of ecstatic dancing. And there is always inspiration to be drawn from mesmerizing on-stage dancer/choreographer Jennifer Dallas. The horn section strikes with power and uplifts with melody. And above it all, acting as a lightning rod, is the lyric statement of the case for change and consciousness, passionately delivered by electrifying frontman Johan Hultqvist.
Aside from wildly energized and unpredictable live shows, the band is becoming increasingly well-known for its green politics and environmental activism. The group did a number of "eco-dates" in 2007, playing a wind-powered show and performing in such unconventional venues as organic farms and food co-ops to highlight communities that are trying to minimize their ecological footprints. "It is our intent to educate ourselves to a better and more sustainable lifestyle", says lead singer Johan Hultqvist. "Hopefully this will inspire others to do the same."
The fresh sound and powerful message of the band’s second album ‘The Edge’ led to a nomination for a 2007 JUNO Award for World Music Album of the Year. EYE Weekly's Ryan Watson calls The Edge "an infectious blend of percolating polyrhythms, layered horn punches and hot-stepping basslines." EXCLAIM!’s David Dacks states that the album has "broadened the scope of Afro-grooves" while Shain Shapiro of the same publication writes that Mr. Something Something's high-energy shows have "proved that they rank with any Afrobeat in the world today”. CBC Radio host Matt Galloway chose The Edge as his pick for the most underrated recording of 2006, adding that the charismatic crew is "even better live than on disc". Over the last three years the band has toured relentlessly in Canada, playing more than 300 shows, including appearances at many jazz and folk festivals from coast to coast.
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Saturday, January 24
DALA & THE UNDESIRABLES - ONE NIGHT ONLY !
$18 advance / $20 door
dala
Sheila Carabine sat with her fellow trumpet players. It was the first band rehearsal of her grade 11 year. Upon turning around to check the clock on the back wall, she came face to face with a stranger. A stranger with bright blue hair. A stranger playing the bass clarinet no less. Amanda Walther was new to Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School , and two years Sheila's senior. Since that first meeting, their friendship has grown strong and they can now tolerate each other for almost hours at a time. Amanda is a self-proclaimed control freak with a passion for salted snacks, gardening, making her own clothes, biking, smiling and figuring out which controller works the dvd player. She is good with money and absolutely abhors wearing make-up. Amanda makes and keeps friends easily and she loves sushi. She dreams of one day owning a humble farm and a kiln for making pottery. Amanda is the kind of person who will always lend you a bus ticket. Sheila likes to borrow bus tickets. She is very moody and she reminisces about things before they actually happen. She had a crush on a boy from grade 2 to grade 8 without him suspecting a thing. She played soccer competitively for 14 years, which is why she has muscular calves. Sheila reads Leonard Cohen poetry to help her think her favourite thoughts and she dreams of one day transcending space and time in order to commune with the divine. She is not opposed to wearing make-up, because not ALL of us have perfect complexions AMANDA.
Sheila and Amanda formed DALA soon after their first meeting in their high school music class. In the summer of 2005 these best friends signed a major label deal with Universal Music Canada and their debut album 'Angels and Thieves' was released that same year. With vocal harmonies guaranteed to give you chills, the girls also make use of their talents on guitar and piano to create their unique brand of acoustic pop. Dala has won over audiences at festivals across the country, and their fun and energetic stage presence made them a hit on their recent tour opening for Canadian legend Tom Cochrane.
Dala’s second full-length album with Universal Music, entitled 'Who Do You Think You Are', hits stores on August 14, 2007. Keep your ears open for the first single 'Anywhere Under The Moon', and be sure to check out the video on Much More Music! You can also find Dala in a town near you this fall, on tour across Canada with Matthew Good.
the undesirables
The Undesirables are a refreshing and infectious songwriting duo who kick out heat like an old woodstove. Guitarist/harmonist Sean Cotton and lyricist/singer Corin Raymond deliver a brand new vibe with roots clout.
It all began in Sean's basement in Georgetown, Ontario. Corin & Sean met while still in high school, and their fast friendship was sealed by a mutual love of raw, unadulterated American roots music. Pouring over album liners of small-town staples like The Doors and The Rolling Stones led them to the songwriters that would truly rip their hearts out; guys like Howlin' Wolf, Blind Willie McTell, and Slim Harpo. They discovered the blues together, and soon were on a steady diet of southern sounds: gospel, old-school R&B, rag and the music of New Orleans. To ask The Undesirables to list their influences is to spark a conversation that will leave you smiling at their enthusiasm and knowledge, and respect for those who came before.
It was in Georgetown, 10 years ago, that they wrote their first song, California Wine - still a requested favourite. As a songwriting team, they each brought an ingredient the other lacked. Sean, who was playing lead guitar in his father's country band at age fourteen, brought the music - a unique style of guitar playing that provided solid rhythm, rich colour, and an unexpected fullness of sound. Corin brought the words. His childhood was filled with stories, poems and the songs of Broadway wordsmiths. In his adolescence he devoured Dylan Thomas, Robert Frost, and Edna St. Vincent Millay. He brought a respect for words and a workman-like attitude to writing lyrics. One goal occupied both their minds: to write good songs.
In performance, The Undesirables are a mesmerizing unit. They perform with total commitment. Corin hand-delivers each lyric with entrancing conviction while Sean digs into the guitar with mastery and taste and their voices blend with sibling harmony.
Their sound fills the room like the smell of onions frying on an iron skillet. Hips start swaying accidentally. Spirits rise. |
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Sunday, January 25
Ken Whiteley's Gospel Matinee
$17 advance / $20 door
with guests
John Mays (Fathead), Sharon Riley (Faith Chorale) and direct from the Yukon , songstress Nicole Edwards and Ben Whiteley
Ken Whiteley is one of Canada’s finest musical statesman. He has worked with blues and folk legends from Pete Seeger to Lonnie Johnson. He has performed at countless festivals in the United States and Canada including Philadelphia Folk Festival, Chicago Blues Festival, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver Folk Festivals to name a few. He has been called a “playing encyclopedia” for his depth and range of styles, covering everything from blues and gospel to children’s music. Now Magazine said his most recent CD of mostly original material, “Gospel Music Makes Me Feel Alright!”, “triumphs with impeccable arrangements and spot on delivery”.
Drawing from the deep wells of many traditions, Whiteley creates something fresh that communicates themes of freedom, love, spiritual aspiration and social comment. His collaborations with brother Chris (The Whiteley Brothers) and old friends Mose Scarlett and Jackie Washington (Scarlett, Washington & Whiteley) have resulted in a wonderful collection of recordings, garnering high praise, successful tours and several awards. Whether performing solo or playing with any of his large circle of musical friends, as one critic has said, “with Ken Whiteley our enjoyment is virtually assured." |
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Tuesday, January 27
STAND UP FOR YOUR SISTERS :
A Benefit for Gilda's Club
$20 advance / $25 door
StandUp For Your Sisters is an evening of stand-up comedy to benefit Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto. The show will take place on Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 at Hugh’s Room. A silent auction will be held in conjunction with the show where audience members will have the opportunity to bid on several beauty, entertainment and luxury items provided by our generous donors. All proceeds from the silent auction, and over 85% of ticket sales, will go to Gilda’s Club.
This event stands apart from other comedy shows for a few reasons: the comics are all women over the age of 25, the majority of whom have been doing stand-up for less than six months. All the non-feature comics have been trained by headliner Dawn Whitwell, who has been making her mark on the comedy scene for over a decade. Veteran comic Elvira Kurt hosts the evening, an evening which is sure to change your perception about what new comics are capable of.
Although many of the women you will see this night are new, they have been specifically programmed for their talent as well as their contrasted life experiences, which span all marital statuses, classes and sexual orientations. Their depth of subject matter and insights go far beyond any amateur night offered in this city.
The Comics:
Headliner: Dawn Whitwell
Host: Elvira Kurt
Guest: Marjorie Malpass
Becky Bays
Shelley Kidwell Eckert
Maia Mitchell
Leanne Mladen
Heidi Mole
Muniza Rauf
Daniela Saioni
Laura Salvas
Marilla Wex |
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Wednesday, January 28
Fathead
$14 advance / $16 door
It's been a long but steady climb since FATHEAD's debut CD in 1995, and the band has been tearing it up on the North American festival circuit ever since - winning over new fans every time they play - making FATHEAD one of the country's top roots acts. Signed to the world renowned ELECTRO-FI RECORDS' imprint, their latest release "BUILDING FULL OF BLUES" garnered them a second coveted JUNO AWARD (Canada's "GRAMMY") in 2008 for "Blues Recording Of The Year".
That they have been described as a Blues Tour De Force comes as no surprise. Georgia-raised lead singer JOHN MAYS has had a storied career that began in the Southern gospel tradition, crossing over into Doo-Wop, R&B and Blues, not to mention a stint with the Godfather Of Soul JAMES BROWN. Hooking up with band leader AL LERMAN (harp and saxophone) in Toronto some years later, FATHEAD's core has remained constant since 1992, offering ace musicianship, soul stirring harmonies and incendiary live performances. The writing tandem of Lerman and bassist OMAR TUNNOCH have produced a large body of work that has enjoyed time on the US, European and Canadian music charts. Guitarist DARRAN POOLE and iconic drummer BUCKY BERGER round out FATHEAD's sound, infusing elements of funk, soul, and R&B into their strong blues backbone.
Their indie debut CD "Fathead" was first released in 1995 and landed them the recording contract with Electro-Fi. "Blues Weather" followed in 1998 garnering a Juno Award (Canada's Grammy) for Blues Recording Of The Year. "Where's Your Head At?" was next in 2000, earning several Maple Blues Award noms, while "First Class Riff-Raff" received a Canadian Indie Award (2002) as well as a Juno nomination. "Livelier Than Ever!" was independently released in 2005, and captured the band in full throttle. FATHEAD was also the featured backing band for the late Chicago bluesman Little Mack Simmons on two critically acclaimed discs.
FATHEAD has performed on main stages across the continent at high profile events such as Fredericton's Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival, The Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival, The Montreal International Jazz Fest, The Toronto International Beaches Jazz Fest, Playing With Fire in Omaha, Nebraska, and Festival By The Sea in New Brunswick. They have performed in Washington, DC for the Canadian Embassy, at Buffalo's Lafayette Tap Room Blues Festival, at Virginia's famed Birchmere Theatre, as well as opening for blues icon B.B. King at Massey Hall in Toronto.
FATHEAD is truly an original band with a sound immediately recognizable as their own. They have a ball wherever they play and it shows! |
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Thursday, January 29
Kensington Market
$18 advance / $20 door
Kensington Market was a Toronto, Canada based rock band, active from 1967-1969. Named after a downtown Toronto neighbourhood, it was formed by singer/songwriter and guitarist Keith McKie (born November 20, 1947 in St Albans, England, immigrated to Canada in April 1953), formerly with The Vendettas, with guitarist and pianist Gene Martynec (born March 28, 1947 in Germany) from Bobby Kris & The Imperials. The original line up was completed with former Vendettas' bass player Alex Darou (born January 6, 1943 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) and drummer Jimmy Watson (born August 23, 1950, Belfast, Northern Ireland). Former Luke & The Apostles frontman, singer/songwriter Luke Gibson (born November 5, 1946 in Toronto) was added later in 1967, and the synthesizer player John Mills-Cockell (born May 19, 1943 in Toronto) was a member in 1969. |
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Friday, January 30
Ferron
$22 advance / $25 door
Ferron is a Canadian folk singer/songwriter and poet. In addition to being one of Canada's most famous folk musicians, she is one of the most influential writers and performers of women's music, and an important influence on later musicians such as Ani DiFranco and the Indigo Girls.
Ferron's rough-hewn voicing, chewy phrasing, and poetic songwriting has brought many favorable comparisons, including Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen (cf. Stephen Holden 1994). One wit aptly summed up Ferron's legendary status by calling her "the Johnny Cash of lesbian folksinging" (Bett Williams 2000). The reviewer Al Kaufman (2008) put the well-meaning comparisons to rest, finally, when he wrote, "Ferron is much more than the answer to the trivia question, 'What if Bob Dylan had been born a Canadian lesbian?' For one thing, unlike her nasal counterpart, Ferron's voice is rich and beautiful. Yet like Dylan, Ferron is a poet who is able to convey emotion without becoming maudlin, and beliefs without edging toward the pedantic. Like the great artist that she is, she paints a picture and has the listeners derive from it what they will, based on their own personal experiences." "Ferron … is a real salt of the earth singer who approaches her art with both sleeves rolled up, ready to dive in. She walks her talk with heart exposed and performs with a courage and commitment that few other artists ever muster. The songs don't sound composed and sung as much as they feel wrung from the sweat and toil of hard fought experience. In Ferron's world, the contents of her songs appear as if they're lived out on the canvas of her life and not just inside the confines of her art…when she sings, no one can miss the gravity and weight inferred by her commanding alto voice" (Heselgrave 2008). |
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Saturday, January 31
PorkBelly Futures
$17 advance / $20 door
PorkBelly Futures takes, writers, rockers, classical musicians and does the only logical thing. It creates a sort of alt / country, blues band.
The Porkers reunite the singer/song-writing team of Paul Quarrington and Martin Worthy, whose 1980 album produced by John Capek and engineered by Daniel Lanois yielded the #1 hit single Baby and the Blues.
Quarrington is one of Canada’s best-known literary figures, having won awards for his novels, TV scripts, screenplays and songwriting.
Completing the exciting new PorkBelly Futures band are some of Canada’s busiest musicians. Stuart Laughton substituted his classical trumpet for guitar/harmonica, vocalist extraordinaire Rebecca Campbell adds her deft song stylings, ace bassist Chas Elliott continues to do what he does best, thus completing one of Canada’s hottest new bands.
IN SHORT
Porkbelly Futures gives audiences a unique blend of roots-influenced country/blues music. Original material, strong musicianship and vocals, adventurous songwriting, great licks and a sense of humour.
Learn more about each band member:
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