There are a couple excellent shows happening this week, beginning with another great show at the Geomatic Attic.
Toronto bluesman, and one third of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Colin Linden will be playing, Wednesday, March 16.
Linden appears or has had a role either as a player or peoducer in most Toronto based blues releases over the past few years. He will be bringing up and comer Joe Nolan to open and play a few songs with him.
Tickets are available at the Geomatic Attic Attic and Blueprint as well as the Allied Arts Council. Tickets cost $30 for members, $32. 50 for non-members or $35 at the door.
It is St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, March 17, which means there will be green beer-a-flowing. If you want to combine that with live music there are a couple options. Hippodrome is at the Slice as well as there is a big show at Bo Diddly’s featuring Deuce Coustics, Smokestack Jacks and the Phantom Creeps.
The Tongue N Groove features Tom Dooley, playing Irish music.
Plus the Barefoot Band and the Necessities will be playing the Owl Acoustic Lounge.
If you want to hear bagpipes for St. Patrick’s Day, The Lethbridge Firefighter’s Pipes and Drums Band will be performing at the Stone, followed by DJ Booda who will spin all your favourite hits afterward.
Most importantly, because I am one of the judges as L.A. Beat is sponsoring it, Average Joes and is running a band wars during their Thursday night open mics.
Every Thursday bands will compete for a sweet prize package — the chance to open for some pretty big names— Dr. Hook, Nazareth or Sweet who will be playing Average Joes later this year.
All bands have to do is show up between 9-10 p.m. for the Thursday jam and sign up with sound man Jesse Dickson. Each Thursday night March 17, 24 and 31, contestants will be vying for a spot in a playoff on June 2. The winner of the playoff will then open the Dr. Hook concert on June 23 with a 30 minute set. The three opening act winners will also receive 15 free tickets to their show, an opportunity to record a single at LA Studio Productions, a 4’ x 8’ custom banner for their band from Budweiser, and $500 dollars in Average Joe’s gift certificates.
A variety of competitors took part in the first session, March 10, interspersed between jammers taking the stage. I liked the first group the best— a new group called Seven Shades. They didn’t take much time to set up, just plugged in, exhibited very cool melodic Byrds, ’60s style vocal harmonies, some intricate basslines and captivating melodies, played their four songs and made quite an impression. I also loved Jolene Draper and Murray Nelson’s set. They were backed by Anthony Pittarelli on drums who was drowning them out. Which seemed to be the case throughout the night with the drums and bass drowning out most of the performances including an impromptu performance by Shaela Miller and the Barn Burners.
They other set I liked was a solo set by former Dead Voice frontman Dan “ Freight Train” Trivates who was doing a one man band thing with some guitar effects and a drum machine, which once again drowned out his guitar and melodies.
Bands interested in competing must not only show up before 9 p.m. to sign up, but to consider if their music is a good fit for the headlining bands, not to mention minimize their set up time. In other words, a metal band is not likely to be chosen to open for Dr. Hook. There is no fee to enter, just show up, plug in and play. The more times you play the Thursday, the better chance you have to be chosen.
The Tongue N Groove also features Pechukucha playing March 18 from 7-10 p.m. and Leigh Doerksen and Dan Puurveen’s new ambient rock project Church on March 19.
And Elvis fans will want to check out Edmonton based Elvis Tribute Robin Kelly who will be performing March 10 at HBs Lounge.
The Slice is going to rock with Berserker, One False Move and the Dirti Speshuls, March 18.
But there will a great reggae show at the Slice, March 19 with local pop/ folk band Clapping Monkeys and Edmonton’s Soulicitors who are looking forward to making their Lethbridge debut.
Also on March 19, The Lethbridge Folk Club welcomes Maria Dunn to the Wolf’s Den, March 19 with Maureen Chambers. The Edmonton based Juno and Canadian Folk Music Award nominee is a storyteller who combines North American folk and country music who has been described as a “distaff Woody Guthrie” by the Edmonton Sun.
Tickets to the show are $20 for members, $25 for non-members. The show begins at 8 p.m. with Maureen Chambers.
East Coast Music Award nominees Slowcoaster return to the Slice for a Sunday show, March 20.
Tonight there a group called S.T.D. hosting the open mic at the Slice, which Devin Gergel hosts Cudos’ open mic and Marc and Luke from Double Jack host an open mic at Bo Diddly’s.
There is an excellent , late announced jazzz show at the Slice, Wednesday, MArch 16. Check out The Tyler Hornby Trio at the Slice. There is no cover for the show.
