Steve's Blog
Monday February 21, 2011

Hi Everyone

We are just about to leave New Orleans and head home from our annual pilgrimage to the Folk Alliance conference in Memphis. That was five days of intense musical celebration, schmoozing and consuming exotic food and beverages. We needed a break so took the train to The Big Easy. Whereupon we immediately set off to Preservation Hall to hear some great trad jazz.

We are very much in a Cajun mood now, and come back loaded with Mardi Gras beads just in time for two nights of fabulous music from the heart of Louisiana.

1. Wednesday February 23, 8pm, Red Stick Ramblers, Capilano Performing Arts Theatre, North Van

Wonderful band from Baton Rouge featuring fiddle wiz Kevin Wimmer and a fresh pallette of trad Cajun songs, swing tunes and originals. There should be just enough Cajun to whet your appetite for the next night - and there will be room to dance the next night, too!

2. Thursday February 24, 8pm, Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, St James Hall, 3214 W. 10th Avenue

Jeffery Broussard is one of two Creole accordion players bridging the gap between veteran players like Bois Sec Ardoin and the new generation of players like Cedric Watson. Along with Geno Delafose, Broussard has not only kept alive one of the most vibrant and exciting music forms in The Americas, he has also been able to pass on his knowledge and music to dozens of aspiring young accordion players in schools and music camps over the years.

Together with his band - fiddle, guitar, bass & drums - Jeffery will fill the rafters and the dance floor with some of the most soulful and exhilarating music we have ever presented in our 24 year history.

Please come out and support our first venture into Creole / Zydeco music. It's Black History Month and we are thrilled to be able to bring you such an exciting band to mark the occasion! With mardi gras less than two weeks away we will give free mardi gras beads to the first people in line who aren't already dressed for the occasion!

Tickets are available at the door and at Highlife Records and Rufus' Guitar Shop - and of course on our website.

3. Friday February 25, 8pm, Leeroy Stagger & The Wildflowers plus special guest Zaac Pick, St. James Hall, 3214 W. 10th Avenue

With government funding drying up - most regrettably for us the loss of Gaming Revenue this year - our relationship with Shore 104.3fm becomes ever more crucial. Our latest venture together brings two new BC songwriters to The Rogue for the first time: alt country star Leeroy Stagger and Shore Summer Singsearcb 2010 Winner Zaac Pick. If you love to hear new Canadian songwriters and enjoy Shore's excellent programming (they are still the best on the dial for me - outside of CiTR of course!) then please come out and show your support. Your reward will be another excellent night of real live Canadian roots music at The Rogue!

Tickets are available at the door and at Highlife Records and Rufus' Guitar Shop - and of course on our website.

4. The Edge On Folk, Saturday 8 to noon, CiTR 101.9fm and www.citr.ca

Thanks to Jim Burnett for filling in last week. Please join me for 4 hours of the best in roots music. This week I'll have a special feature for Black History Month plus previews of concerts and festivals plus a selection of new music from Folk Alliance.

See y'all at The Rogue!
Steve