Scores North welcomed Dave Brown to their management team by  having a party with local hard rock band 2 Cubic Feet, Aug. 13.

The band rocked a crowd of approximately 50 people by playing a variety of popular covers including “Sex is On Fire” by the Kings of Leon and Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” as well as the Counting Crows’ “Mr. Jones,” which had a couple people dancing.

Local singer/ songwriter/ Tarot Card reader/ fire spinner Becky Johnston  entertained an almost full house at the Owl Acoustic Lounge for Friday the thirteenth, last week.

In between readings, she took the stage and sang sweet jazz tinged melodies accompanying herself on acoustic guitar and ukulele.

The Slice featured an excellent roots trio, Aug. 12 with Vancouver’s Willy Blizzard.

 They played several originals including a really cool gospel tinged song called “Rolling that Rock,” as well as covers of Neil Young, Van Morrison and Tom Russell.

They sounded like a more rootsy Gordon Lightfoot, featured stand-up bass and superb three part vocal harmonies.

 They began their second set with an excellent version of bluegrass standard “Fox on the Run.“ which had another handful of people enjoying themselves.

I was expecting a better crowd for an outstanding by Toronto based musician Sean Ashby at the Mocha Cabana, Thursday, Aug. 12.

After all, he’s an established Canadian talent who spent  12 years touring with Sarah McLachlan,  a couple years with Ginger (featuring former members of the Grapes of Wrath), the Wild Strawberries and even toured with industrial acts Delerium, featuring members of Skinny Puppy, and he has had songs placed in movies and television, fronted his own indie rock band Jack Tripper. In addition, he has just released his fine sophomore CD “24 Hours of Daylight.”

“I’m not used to playing coffee houses. I’m running out of mellow stuff to play,” Ashby told the handful of people braving the pouring rain, after finishing a tender version of Steve Earle‘s My Old Friend The Blues.” The song featured Ashby  playing lap steel guitar as well as acoustic guitar. He also threw in a Dwight Yoakam cover and then donned a beautiful green Gretsch for a subdued but incendiary version of surf classic Mirsirlou which included a few bars of the James Bond theme. The band sang some superb background vocals as well.

 “I’m not used to playing this quietly,” he joked to the audience before alternating through six different guitars including a beautiful Weissenborn, on which he played some sick blues slide before playing several tracks off his new CD including “Leone Western,” “Sweet Tuesday,“ “Centre Line,” and then ended on a quieter note with  the mournfully steel guitar powered “3 Sides.”