Steve's Blog
Thursday October 21, 2010

Hi everyone

First off, thanks for the feedback re: the snail-mail copies of the Rogue Folk Review. It looks like the vast majority received them OK. However, this list is primarily for those who opted to receive notice and download it electronically, so if you know someone who is supposed to get it by post - and hasn't - please let me know.

We have two concerts this weekend - Vin Garbutt & Fear of Drinking on Friday, and Trisha Gagnon with John Reischman, Jim Nunally & Shaun Cromwell on Sunday. And some very exciting news about the Kim Beggs show next Friday (29th)

I'll be Sheryl McKay's guest on CBC North By Northwest this Sunday at 7:30am on CBC Radio One, fm 88.1 and AM 690. I'll bring the new CD by Bill Bourne, and more.

The Zachary Richard concert at Capilano Performing Arts Theatre on Saturday November 6th has been postponed due to his illness. No news yet of a rescheduled date.

We're having a few teething troubles with the new ticket server, but hope to resolve them this weekend. Meanwhile, we now have tickets for all shows up to Battlefield Band on November 18th on sale online.

1. Vin Garbutt, Friday October 22nd 8pm, St. James Hall, 214 West 10th Avenue

What can we tell you about Vin Garbutt? Well, let's just say that this is the latest in a long series of "secret concerts" we have staged with Vin since 1987. It will be his 14th appearance at The Rogue in that time. He is one of the best known and best loved folk singers in the U.K., with a devoted following across the Commonwealth as well. There is something quite magical about this man with the receding bronze curls and the strong accent from Teesside in the North East of England. Partly it's his fabulous whistle playing - full of humorous bent notes and echoes of bird song! His exemplary guitar picking is another factor. Then there's the incredible passion and emotion that he puts into his singing, and the compelling mix of traditional songs, original compositions, and carefully chosen covers of contemporary song. On top of that there's his choice of subject matter: songs about the plight of child sex slaves in Thailand, murdered priests in Nicaragua, unemployed coal miners turned seamsters, or genocide in East Timor. Heavy stuff, you might think, but Vin weaves his magic around these songs by relating some of the wildest, craziest, side-splittingly hilarious stories you will ever hear - with nary an expletive to be heard! The man is an absolute genius, a marvel, a consummate entertainer, and a phenomenal musician and singer. I just wish more people knew this! Come and find out ... www.vingarbutt.com

They're back!! Yes, Fear of Drinking return to the Rogue for the first time in a decade. Tim Readman, who came to Vancouver from Durham, just north of Teesside, in the 1980s, reunites with New Zealander Gerard Kerr, from the deepest southernmost highlands of Aotearoa - the land of the long white cloud. Fear of Drinking combine traditional songs from NZ and the UK and Ireland with irreverent humour and a legendary sense of fun. Now that Tim has finally embraced his "fear" by giving up the drink, what can we expect? www.timreadman.com

2. Trisha Gagnon, Sunday October 24th 8pm, St. James Hall, 214 West 10th Avenue

Trisha Gagnon is a Canadian singer/songwriter whose bluegrass-inspired work reaches far past the genre's signature subjects of heartbreak and loneliness. The Juno Award nominee's reverent yet playful songs have the power to refresh the soul through artful depictions of the things she finds most inspiring: landscape, family, and the divine. With world-class upright bass skills, a poet's command of language, and a voice dubbed "irresistible" by Sing Out!, Trisha has made a name for herself playing in acclaimed bluegrass bands Tumbleweed and John Reischman and the Jaybirds.

On this special CD launch night she will be accompanied by John Reischman (mandolin), Jim Nunally (guitar), and Shaun Cromwell (vocals). There may be one or two guest appearances as well, because everyone with an ear for a song and taste for bluegrass will be there!

When she is not in the studio or on tour as the lone "bird" in John Reischman and the Jaybirds, Trisha can be found tending the acreage of her organic berry farm. The homemade jams she makes from her harvested berries are exceptional - and available at her concerts. www.trishagagnon.com

3. Kim Beggs, Friday October 29th 8pm, St. James Hall, 214 West 10th Avenue

Award winning singer-songwriter Kim Beggs releases Blue Bones on Black Hen Music. Kim Beggs is an original talent who makes music that transcends style and fashion. Without so much as a backward glance at what others consider