Steve's Blog
A Canadian Bandstand
Friday January 10, 2025

Happy New Year! 

At least I hope it's going to get happy pretty soon.

Eight and a half decades on we see the returning spectre of the evils of fascism and the beginnings of imperial expansion. Herr Drumpf is running the blitzkrieg playbook and our wonderful, peaceful nation is under threat both from without and from within. 

In the face of these challenges my only means of retaliation is music, music, music! A sort of Canadian "bandstand" of hope and defiance will hit the airwaves on Saturday morning on www.citr.ca from 8am to 12 noon on The Saturday Edge On Folk, and next week The Rogue presents three concerts of Canadiana. 

The opening salvo comes on CiTR, as a preview of next week's shows at The Mel Lehan Hall at St. James: 

• Madison Violet from Nova Scotia, with their glorious harmonies and passionate songs (Thursday January 16th), 
• Christine Tassan et Les Imposteures presenting hot gypsy jazz guitar and fiddle tunes and songs from Quebec and France (Friday 17th), 
• B.C. songwriter Allen Dobb and his Trio and Bluegrass / Country quartet Jackson Hollow (Sunday 19th).

We have lots more Canadian music in the coming weeks, starting with:

• The gorgeous voice and songs of Catherine MacLellan from PEI on Monday January 27th, 
• Inspired bluegrass and more from John Reischman & The Jaybirds on Saturday February 1st
• Canadian blues and roots songs from Charlie A'Court (NS) and LJ Mounteney (BC) on Friday February 7th
• and a spectacular evening of songs and fiddle tunes from Dave Gunning and Beolach (NS) on Sunday February 9th

Please visit www.roguefolk.bc.ca for the latest news, full concert write-ups, YouTube video tracks by these wonderful performers, and - most importantly, links to purchase tickets to the concerts so you can show your support for these fine musicians. All the shows are also broadcast live, so if you can't make it to the hall we hope you will at least watch at home, either live or later: it's your choice.

Radio Waves

Sometimes I wonder if anyone listens to the radio any more. I believe that many of you do, so every week I assemble The Saturday Edge On Folk. with around 50 tracks featuring new releases from all around the world, topical songs to reflect the times, concert previews, and the occasional anecdote or two. The show airs every Saturday from 8am to noon on www.citr.ca and 101.9fm in Vancouver. 

We live in a time of AI-curated playlists and the truly evil Spotify and other streaming services, which steal the music and make a fortune for the companies and their execs. I cancelled my own Spotify account a few years back, when they started to syndicate - and pay - the execrable Joe Rogan to spew his vitriol on their "service". I absolutely refuse to listen to Spotify, and it grieves me to receive requests from prospective performers to listen to their music on Spotify. If you want to perform at The Rogue, please don't ask / expect me to listen to your songs there. 

Times are hard, for sure, but if you love the kind of music we present at The Rogue, why not show your support by buying a ticket, and buy CDs and other merchandise direct from the performers? It's their only means of survival. 0.003 cents per stream is all they get from Spotify, yet they give so much of themselves to write the songs and hone their musical chops to help us get through these tough times. 

Other Voices, Other Rooms

Elsewhere, you might like to witness the stunning music of Ukrainian singer / bandura player Maryna Krut who wowed us at last summer's Vancouver Folk Music Festival. 

Maryna Krut, Thursday January 23rd, 7:30 pm, BlueShore at CapU (2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver)

Tickets: $40 at capilanou.ca/centre

Singer-songwriter Maryna Krut is a virtuoso of the 64-stringed bandura, an instrument unique to her homeland Ukraine. Taking two hands to play, the bandura offers a sound similar to a harpsichord. Krut is a master of the instrument, simultaneously playing bass notes, accompanying chords and melody lines. She started playing the bandura at age eight. At first grounded in traditional music, Krut's practice now also embraces modern folk styles, placing her at the forefront of a revival of Ukrainian culture, one that serves as a brave tool of resistance in the confrontation with Russia.