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Thanks for Your Support!
We presented three great concerts since my last "blog": Don Ross & Jule Malischke gave us some mesmerizing guitar tunes and songs last Saturday, Tony Furtado and Sophie Lukacs led their respective trios last Sunday, and Grace Petrie & Ben Moss delivered some powerful songs of hope and defiance last Thursday. Lots of you came along to revel in the sounds, and we really appreciate your support!
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Winter 5050 Fundraiser
Our latest 5050 Raffle runs until December 2nd, and someone will win half the total. Our previous winners have taken home around $4,000 each. If we were to sell ALL the available tickets, you could win as much as $10,000 - and The Rogue would be able to soar into our 39th year with a flourish! Right now, though, we might struggle to make it that far. Please buy your tickets. As many as you can.
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The Rogue's Big Week - and a very special offer
OK, folks, this is getting serious. No, I'm not talking about politics. I'm talking about music. Great music. Music that you probably have never heard - unless you listen carefully to The Saturday Edge On Folk, or the preshow and intermission music at a recent Rogue concert.
This week sees the return of one of our all-time favourite Celtic acts - Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas, and the Vancouver debut of no less than THREE bands that we have been longing to present here: Donegal siblings The Henry Girls, and Quebec's Skye Consort (with Emma Bjorling from Sweden), and Cecilia - one of the most exhilarating Celtic bands I've ever heard. If you think Taliskis thrilling and wild and FAST, you really should check out Cecilia!
We round out the week with another popular band: Toronto's Lonesome Ace Stringband. Such brilliant musicianship and songwriting! They mesh Bluegrass together with folk and old time and great new songs and man, do they ever rip it up on stage?!
Fraser & Haas and Lonesome Ace are selling pretty well, but we are deeply saddened by the apparent lack of interest in Skye Consort and Cecilia.
So much so that if you buy an advance ticket to the Fraser & Haas show on Saturday you can attend next Thursday's concert for whatever you feel like paying at the door. Sliding scale: $5 and up. If you've already bought a full-price ticket we will give you 50% off any other Rogue show in 2024. If you have a Parcel O'Rogues, you can come along on Thursday and we won't punch a hole in it!
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A Celtic Double-Bill For The Ages!
Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas plus The Henry Girls, Saturday November 9th, 8pm, at Mel Lehan Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)
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Scots fiddler extraordinaire Alasdair Fraser has performed 13 times at The Rogue, dating back to 1987 with Paul Machlis at The Savoy. This will be his 11th time playing here with cellist Natalie Haas, dating back to 2006, when they released their first album together - Fire & Grace. I love their music, and their belief that they are returning the cello / fiddle combo to the 18th century sounds of Scotland's stately homes, where the pioneers of the sound were - unwittingly - creating the planet's first funk music!
Click Here for more information about Alasdair & Natalie
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Last year at Folk Alliance International in Kansas City we were introduced to the music of The Henry Girls - Donegal sisters Jolene, Karen and Lorna. Such sweet harmonies, and such a variety of original and traditional songs and tunes, plus amazing covers of contemporary song. They have released four albums to date - the latest, Time To Grow, came out this year and each one is a gem. They play everything from harp to fiddle to guitar to accordion to piano - and more! Spellbinding stuff.
Their tour is supported by Culture Ireland, and we are thrilled to present them in Vancouver for the very first time.
Click Here to Purchase your tickets - don't worry if you can't get to the show, you can opt to Watch At Home, instead.
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Speaking of Incredible Double-Bills!
Skye Consort & Emma Bjorling plus Cecilia, Thursday November 14th, 8pm, at Mel Lehan Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)
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In July 2023 we saw Skye Consort & Emma Bjorling at the Mission Folk Festival. Voices, fiddle, nyckelharpa, cello, bouzouki, banjo, and percussion riffing on whirling polskas, groovy reels, passionate love songs, breathtaking hymns, and original compositions. Trad from Quebec, France, Scandinavia, and The British isles is interwoven with Early Music and much more contemporary music, too (Sean Dragher wrote the music for video games such as Assassin's Creed!) Wonderful Swedish singer Emma Bjorling also sings with Swedish bands Kongero and Lyy, and plays harmonium. Sean plays bouzouki and banjo and shares the lead vocals with Emma. Amanda Keesmaat (cello) is one of Canada's leading Early Music performers. Alex Kehler doubles up on nyckelharpa and Hardanger fiddle. The band released their second CD, Ode & Ballade, earlier this year. It is fabulous.
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When I first heard Cecilia upon the launch of their album, Accent, I was immediately blown away by the blistering speed of the tunes, and also their incredible sensitivity and respect for the Celtic tradition. Erin Leahy underpins the sound and provides the rhythm on piano, setting the scene for fiddler Louis Schryer and accordionist Timi Turmel to strut their stuff. I've been waiting over 4 years for the chance to see the band perform, and when the opportunity arose to pair them up with Skye Consort I thought it was a dream come true. I really hope you will take a chance and come out to witness this concert! Click here for tickets and information.
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The Lonesome Ace Stringband, Friday November 15th, 8pm, at Mel Lehan Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue)
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John Showman (fiddle, vocals), Chris Coole (banjo, guitar, vocals) and Max Malone (bass, vocals) make up The Lonesome Ace Stringband. They have performed in Vancouver many times over the years, and they continue to expand their horizons beyond bluegrass and old time to include original songs and amazing covers across a wide range of acoustic music styles. Their latest album, Try To Make It Fly, came out at the end of 2023, and they recently recorded a great version of The Band's Stage Fright. I haven't seen them since the Cowichan Valley Bluegrass Festival in 2022 (above photo), so I'm keen to see what they are up to now.
Click here for tickets and more information
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Here I am between two 2024 Canadian Folk Music Award Winners - Jocelyn Pettit and Sophie Lukacs - after Sophie's concert at The Rogue last Sunday.
I hope you will tune me in and turn me on for The Saturday Edge On Folk this and every Saturday from 8am to noon, on www.citr.ca and 101.9fm in Vancouver.
This week it's Desert Guitars and Exotic Celtica: Inspired by local music columnist Hadani Ditmars' article in the latest issue of Songlines magazine, the show starts with music from guitar bands in Niger, and gravitates to musical luminaries in Mali (inspired by talking to CFMA winner Sophie Lukacs at The Rogue last week). Then I'll be searching for songs / signs of HOPE in this dismal week, then focusing on some wonderful bands coming to town this month - from Italy, Ontario, Donegal, Scotland, and Quebec.
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