Steve's Blog
Tuesday August 18, 2009

Hi everyone

Funding crisis at The Rogue

The big news this week is the freezing of Gaming Funds by the Provincial Government. We had been promised $10,000 this month. Now it looks very much as though we will get nothing.

To rub salt into the wound the BC government is also introducing HST - a shameless cash grab to pay for the rich folks' bungling of the transportation and accommodation projects related to the Olympics. We're not yet sure if we will have to collect HST on ticket sales and remit the same way we remit GST. If so, then we become unpaid tax collectors for both levels of government.

This poses a serious threat to the future existence of the Rogue Folk Club.

It also means that our next Heritage Grant application - due at the end of September - now has more significance than ever. We are in desperate need of help writing this grant. The deadline is September 30th, which is the same day as the Dougie MacLean concert.

We had planned to hold a Fundraising Concert in October to enable us to strengthen our contingency funds and to acquire new and updated sound and lighting equipment. Now any funds raised will have to be applied to the shortfall caused by the provincial government. Details of the event have yet to be sorted out, but it will take place on Friday October 23rd at St. James Hall. We welcome any constructive ideas to help us make the event a roaring success.

Concert Calendar

We have some exciting shows lined up this Fall. Here are the details so far:

Thursday, September 3, 8pm
Blame Sally
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)
Tickets $20 ($17 members)

San Francisco quartet with soaring harmonies, luscious acoustic instrumentation, and finely crafted songs. Admirers of Dar Williams, Indigo Girls and intelligently emotional, intricately harmonized folk-pop in general will find much to praise in Blame Sally, four strong singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists - Pam Delgado, Jeri Jones, Renee Harcourt and Monica Pasqual. While their individual voices are appealing, their harmonies are addictively creamy. www.blamesally.com

Saturday, September 19, 8pm
Slaid Cleaves
The Lingo Sisters
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)
Tickets $20 ($17 members)

Slaid Cleaves. Grew up in Maine. Lives in Texas. Writes songs. Makes records. Travels around. Tries to be good. You may have seen him open for Guy Clark at The Vogue recently. He's a very fine songwriter and a wonderful entertainer.

"I'm glad I found Slaid Cleaves, because my life would have been poorer without him. You'll feel the same, I think, when you listen to this beautifully crafted album. Listen, go to one of Slaid's shows, take a friend, and pass on the news: not all the good guys wear hats." — Stephen King, 2009 www.slaid.com

The Lingo Sisters are Vancouver singers & songwriters Meg Tennant and Janet Russell. Fine harmonies, beautiful music.

Thursday, September 24, 8pm
Plough - CD launch
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)
Tickets $18 ($15 members)

Plough is Linda Bull, Karla Mundy, Patrick Metzger and James Scholl. Between them they play fiddle, banjo, guitar and upright bass, accompanying themselves on an array of traditional and contemporary songs. Their vocals shine, occasionally acapella, more often in leads and duets. This concert is their CD launch. www.myspace.com/ploughtheband

Saturday, September 26, 8pm
Debashish Bhattacharya
Capilano University Theatre (2055 Purcell Way)
Box Office 604-990-7810

Hindustani slide guitar master Debashish Bhattacharya hails from Kolkatta, India. He invented his own 23 string guitar and continues to explore new musical directions and blow people's minds wherever he plays! www.debashishbhattacharya.com

Sunday, September 27, 8pm
Yukon Showcase
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)
Tickets to be announced

Two hot bluegrass bands - Annie Lou, and Done Gone Stringband - and two excellent guitar poets - Ryan Enns and Kim Barlow & band - will serve up some of the Yukon's finest acoustic music. There are some amazing players up there, and these are some of the very best.

Wednesday, September 30, 8pm
Dougie MacLean
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)
Tickets $28 ($25 members)

"Dougie MacLean is Scotland's pre-eminent singer-songwriter and a national musical treasure" (TimeOut UK) "...a Scottish phenomenon...with his exquisite guitar style, expressive voice and honest performance, his songs conjure up remarkably vivid imagery of our world" (The Performing Songwriter, USA) 2008 marked 25 years since the release of Dougie MacLean's album Craigie Dhu, on his own Dunkeld Records label which launched him as a solo artist after his early career as a member of the pioneering Scottish bands Silly Wizard and the Tannahill Weavers. And it was a stunning song from that album called "Caledonia" which made his music known to literally millions, when Frankie Miller's version topped the Scottish charts in 1992, prompting its widespread adoption as Scotland's unofficial national anthem. During this time MacLean's resonant voice, melodic craft and timelessly soulful songwriting have been heard in formats ranging from full-scale orchestra to one man and his guitar, in concerts and festivals world-wide including New York's Carnegie Hall and London's Festival Theatre. His songs have covers by Paolo Nutini, Cara Dillon, Amy Macdonald, Kathy Mattea, Mary Black and Dolores Keane, among many others. His own most recent studio album, 2005's Inside the Thunder, was praised by Dirty Linen as "a delectable palette of colours and moods... sometimes wistful and melancholic, and at other times blissfully uplifting and rejuvenating." He has featured in 3 BBC TV Specials, has written for TV Drama and film (his tune "The Gael" featured in 20th C Fox "The Last of the Mohicans".) He is touring North America with his recently released double-disc compilation "The Essential Dougie MacLean", which includes tracks from 'Thunder'. www.dougiemaclean.com

Thursday, October 1, 8pm
De Temps Antan
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)
Tickets $25 ($22 members)

Stunning Quebecois trio with Andre Brunet (fiddle,) Pierre-Luc Dupuis (accordion,) and Eric Beaudry (guitar, vocals.) They made their Rogue debut earlier this year, and are coming back to help celebrate 100 years of Maillardville's French community in a concert with an orchestra. We like the trio better! www.detempsantan.qc.ca

Friday, October 2, 8pm
Eric Bogle
Capilano University Theatre (2055 Purcell Way) Box Office 604-990-7810

One of the best songwriters of the last 30 years, Australia's favourite Scotsman returns! www.ericbogle.net

Sunday, October 4, 8pm
Chris Smither
Capilano University Theatre (2055 Purcell Way)
Box Office 604-990-7810

One of the finest voices in acoustic blues is also a supreme songwriter and he has a fabulous new CD, which we heard previewed at the Kate Wolf Festival in June. www.smither.com

Thursday, October 8, 8pm
Rattle The Boards
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)

Traditional Irish music quartet led by Danu's accordionist Benny McCarthy www.rattletheboards.com

Friday, October 9, 8pm
Corinne & Doug Cox
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)

California songbird teams up with Vancouver Island dobro master.

Friday, October 16, 8pm
Garnet Rogers
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)

A Rogue Folk favourite for many years makes a welcome return. Powerful vocals and stunning guitar work!

Friday, October 30, 8pm
Lester Quitzau Trio
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)

Brilliant blues guitarist brings a new CD and a very eclectic trio to our series.

Saturday, October 31, 8pm
James Keelaghan
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)

Celebrate Halloween and a new CD by one of Canada's finest songwriters.

Friday, November 6, 8pm
Eliza Carthy
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)

The daughter of Martin Carthy & Norma Waterson is one of the most innovative fiddlers and singers of traditional and original folk songs on the UK scene. Don't miss this rare appearance in town!

Friday, November 13, 8pm
Tim O'Brien / Old Man Luedecke
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)

Rare solo appearance by American bluegrass / old time musician and excellent songwriter. He's working on Nova Scotia's youngest Old Man on the latter's new CD at Steve Dawson's recording studio, so expect some amazing collaborations as well.

Friday, November 27, 8pm
Black Umfolosi
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)

Zimbabwean singing and dancing combo present a unique look at Christmas - from an African perspective.

Friday, December 4, 8pm
Guy Davis
St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)

Legendary American bluesman returns with a new CD and a special guest appearance by Rod Davis, of The Quarrymen - the band that spawned The Beatles all those years ago.

plus many more to be announced

Edmonton Folk Festival Slide Show

Best Of Edmonton Folk Fest 2009

You've been invited to view an album on MobileMe Gallery: gallery.me.com/steveedge3/100072