The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre presents "Chase the Ace" • Cancelled
The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre has cancelled their regional tour due to continued and varying restrictions throughout Manitoba & Ontario, the recent surge of the Omicron variant, and the viability of presenting the tour safely to all their audiences.
The Andrew Collins Trio www.andrewcollinstrio.com
Sunday, March 27, 2022 • 7:30 p.m. • Royal Canadian Legion, 115 O'Brien Street
Mando maestro Andrew Collins finds himself – through no actual fault of his own – at the epicentre of Canada’s burgeoning acoustic/roots music scene. He didn’t invent it – but he's certainly been a contributor, having co-founded seriously noteworthy Canadian bands like the Creaking Tree String Quartet, the Foggy Hogtown Boys and, more recently, his namesake Trio. That’s not to mention the fact that this prolific, robust performer – comfortable on mandolin, fiddle, guitar, mandola and mandocello – composes, produces, arranges, writes and teaches across multiple genres, including a popular collision of folk, jazz, bluegrass, celtic, and classical.
As Collins gathers up innumerable JUNO nominations (5) and Canadian Folk Music Awards (7) won by his various ensembles, he’s zeroing in on the work he does with Trio-mates: fellow string guru Mike Mezzatesta, whose versatility shines through on guitar, mandolin, fiddle and mandola, and in-the-pocket James McEleney holding it down on the bass, mandocello and vocals. Showcasing a dizzying number of styles and instruments on stage, Collins and Co. appear to live by the old adage, “idle hands are the devil’s workshop”, likely keeping them just ahead of his grasp. Bending and blending genres, these musical shape shifters land somewhere between the re-imagined worlds of Béla Fleck and Newgrass invader, David Grisman.
They just released a new double album, grafting 11 vocal cuts (tongues) to 11 instrumentals (grooves) to create a seamless finish with their cleverly monikered double album, Tongue & Groove. Each cut is milled to perfection and represents a back-to-basics visitation on what the band does best -- spontaneity of the stage and rapid-fire, improvisational exchanges.
As Collins gathers up innumerable JUNO nominations (5) and Canadian Folk Music Awards (7) won by his various ensembles, he’s zeroing in on the work he does with Trio-mates: fellow string guru Mike Mezzatesta, whose versatility shines through on guitar, mandolin, fiddle and mandola, and in-the-pocket James McEleney holding it down on the bass, mandocello and vocals. Showcasing a dizzying number of styles and instruments on stage, Collins and Co. appear to live by the old adage, “idle hands are the devil’s workshop”, likely keeping them just ahead of his grasp. Bending and blending genres, these musical shape shifters land somewhere between the re-imagined worlds of Béla Fleck and Newgrass invader, David Grisman.
They just released a new double album, grafting 11 vocal cuts (tongues) to 11 instrumentals (grooves) to create a seamless finish with their cleverly monikered double album, Tongue & Groove. Each cut is milled to perfection and represents a back-to-basics visitation on what the band does best -- spontaneity of the stage and rapid-fire, improvisational exchanges.
Whitehorse www.whitehorsemusic.ca
Friday, May 6, 2022 • 7:30 p.m. • Royal Canadian Legion, 115 O'Brien Street
Ethereal folk. Space cowboy twang. Psychedelic spaghetti western. Intergalactic blues grooves. Pop noir. Since their debut in 2011 Whitehorse has evolved from magnetic folk duo to full-blown rock band. In truth, Whitehorse is never fully either one or the other, but an ever-evolving creative partnership that challenges both artists to explore new instrumental and lyrical terrain with each project. Together, Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland’s searing Americana Noir sensibility is distinguished by guitar wizardry (and instantly recognizable tone) and magnetic harmonies.
“We just want to tour again. We want to be on that stage. We want to see your faces and we want to play music for you.” That could be just about any musical artist in these pandemic times, but this came from Melissa McClelland, one half of the duo Whitehorse. She and her husband Luke Doucet have made great use of their time off the road: they produced two albums during 2021 (Modern Love and Strike Me Down), numbers six and seven in their eleven year musical partnership. They have played a few small gigs this spring, but their northwestern Ontario trip - they’ve dubbed it the Making Promises Tour - will be something of a coming out party. It will be a whirlwind: eight shows in nine days between Thunder Bay and Red Lake, but they are excited. “We can’t wait!”
“We just want to tour again. We want to be on that stage. We want to see your faces and we want to play music for you.” That could be just about any musical artist in these pandemic times, but this came from Melissa McClelland, one half of the duo Whitehorse. She and her husband Luke Doucet have made great use of their time off the road: they produced two albums during 2021 (Modern Love and Strike Me Down), numbers six and seven in their eleven year musical partnership. They have played a few small gigs this spring, but their northwestern Ontario trip - they’ve dubbed it the Making Promises Tour - will be something of a coming out party. It will be a whirlwind: eight shows in nine days between Thunder Bay and Red Lake, but they are excited. “We can’t wait!”
Buck Twenty www.bucktwentyband.com
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 • 7:30 p.m. • Saint Patrick's School auditorium, 160 Hemlock Avenue.
Singer/songwriter duo Mike Ure and Aidan Johnson-Bujold emerged from the small towns of Harrow and LaSalle, Ontario, in a very big way. In just a few short years the band has earned incredible accolades and awards including their first Top 40 Billboard Single (#36), four 2021 CMAO Nominations (Single of the Year, Duo or Group of the Year, Rising Star, and Music Video of the Year), second place in the 2020 Unsigned Only Contest, top 10 in the International Songwriting Competition, 2018 CCMA Spotlight Finalists position, and more. In a competitive landscape this laid-back registered nurse and music teacher continue to turn industry heads and win over fans, keeping up with other top-performers in their genre.
Fans recognize Buck Twenty for their trademark sound which is bursting with harmonies and catchy hooks. Having opened for artists such as Dan + Shay, Brett Kissel, Randy Houser, Justin Moore, and Meghan Patrick, these two aren't afraid to bring a surplus of positive energy to the stage.
Fans recognize Buck Twenty for their trademark sound which is bursting with harmonies and catchy hooks. Having opened for artists such as Dan + Shay, Brett Kissel, Randy Houser, Justin Moore, and Meghan Patrick, these two aren't afraid to bring a surplus of positive energy to the stage.