Steve's Blog
Tuesday January 19, 2010

Hi everyone

Many of you will have now received the Rogue Folk Review in the mail. The rest may download it from our website.

Inside the back page is a list of future shows. You can now remove "to be confirmed" from the Kate Rusby show on Sunday March 21st. It is definitely happening!!! It will be her first concert in Vancouver, and the first time she's been here at all since she played the Vancouver Folk Music Festival in 2001.

You will notice that there is no mention of a Dave Alvin show this time. His management has decided to postpone the Guilty Women tour for a few months. Meanwhile, Dave has been added to the all-star cast of the Tribute to the Mississippi Sheiks concerts at Capilano Performing Arts Theatre on March 13 & 14.

This week at the Rogue we have two concerts, and next week there are three. All different. All top-notch performers with something to say - and new releases to boot. Full details are in our concert calendar and in the magazine.

The Haints Old Time Stringband with special guest Kim Beggs, Wednesday January 20th 8pm, St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)

Former Outlaw Social singer Pharis Romero (nee Patenaude) joins her husband Jason Romero and renowned fiddler Erynn Marshall in the very fine old time trio, The Haints. They released their debut CD, Shout Mona, last year and are currently making a short tour of the Pacific Northwest and B.C. before Erynn resumes her duties running a major festival in Virginia. Brilliant fiddling, excellent picking, glorious 3-part harmonies, sinister murder ballads, field hollers, and powerful music - old & new - are trademarks of The Haints. They opened for The Jaybirds in August 2008, and we are delighted to bring them back. www.thehaints.com

Opening for The Haints will be Yukon songbird Kim Beggs, whose songs echo the feel of Appalachian music, with a distinctly northern flavour. She has two excellent CDs to her name, and a new one about to be released. Don't miss her Rogue debut! www.kimbeggs.com

Martyn Joseph, Saturday January 23rd 8pm, St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)

Powerful, passionate and proud to wear his heart on his sleeve, Welsh songwriter Martyn Joseph is one of the very best - and most prolific - troubadours of our time. His songs tell the stories of the extraordinary lives of ordinary people in these troubled times. We can think of few - if any - contemporary chroniclers of our time who put so much commitment into every word, every note and every impassioned cry for justice, peace and love. This show is selling fast. See you there! www.martynjoseph.com

Salvete

Today we mourn the passing of one of Canada's best loved folk singers, Kate McGarrigle lost her long battle with cancer. She and her sister - and some of their gifted offspring - played a Rogue gig at Richards On Richards in 2000. More recently the starred at the Mission Folk Music Festival (2005, I think) I'll play some of her music on The Edge On Folk this Saturday on CiTR fm 101.9 from 8am to noon. www.citr.ca

Speaking of Mission, we lost one of the best sound engineers (and wine connoisseurs) last week. "Bear" suffered a stroke a couple of years ago. He was at Mission last year, moving slowly and using a cane, but enjoying the great music as ever. Last week he was rushed to hospital in Seattle when he had trouble breathing. He passed away on Thursday morning with family and friends at his side. He will be greatly missed too.

What better way to revive our wilting spirits than with our concerts this week?

See you at The Rogue
Steve