Time: 9 p.m.
Cover: $10
About Romi Mayes http://www.myspace.com/romimayes or www.romimayes.com
"This is the sort of sound you’d want to hear
pouring out of roadhouses as you drive up expecting to get drunk and
maybe fall in love." - Americana UK Magazine
"Music from the heart and soul, Romi makes it look easy." - Bob Harris, BBC
"Romi
Mayes is the hardest-working person in the Americana scene right now.
That's good, because she has a great new record out, and it deserves to
be heard." - Slaid Cleaves, songwriter
"If Ray Charles and Joan Jett had a love child, you'd get Romi Mayes" - Jason Nowicki, musician
From
the centre of Canada, deep in the prairies, comes an unstoppable force
that is becoming a household name across the globe: Romi Mayes.
Suitably pronounced “Raw Me”, Mayes is a straight shooter with heart on
your sleeve lyrics, edgy innuendo, and some serious bad ass guitar
playing. She writes down home country blues about love, sex, drugs, and
the road. She can be soft and sweet or just down right dirty.
Her
latest release "Achin In Yer Bones" is another testament to exactly
that. Taking home Album of The Year, and Songwriter of The Year at The
2009 Western Canadian Music Awards, she unravels herself from song to
song throughout the album, with no filters and no shame. But honesty is
only part of the charm, not the main talent here. Mayes also won 2007
WCMA Album of The Year and Songwriter Of The Year awards, was nominated
for Songwriter of The Year by The 2006 Canadian Folk Music Awards, and
also won the 2006 Whiskey Award for Album of The Year - all for her
previous album "Sweet Somethin Steady". It is undeniable and one can
really hear where her true gift rests when you hear Romi Mayes or see
her perform. On her latest album, Mayes' effortless, matter-of-fact
lyrical style weaves poetically around fantastic production, credited
to renowned producer Gurf Morlix (Lucinda Williams, Mary Gauthier) who
also worked with her on "Sweet Somethin Steady".
It is no
wonder a producer like Morlix would come up to Canada in the cold of
winter from his home base in Texas to work with Mayes again. “Romi's
writing on this new album is better than ever,” says Morlix. “She's got
the flint and she's got the steel - everything she needs to take her
anywhere she wants to go.”
Commonly referred to as the hardest
working musician in Canada, Mayes tours steadily and relentlessly
across the globe from solo shows in smaller venues to rowdy rockin bar
shows to tightly arranged full band sold out theatre shows. She has
shared the stage with the likes of Ricky Skaggs, Iris Dement, Guy
Clark, Derek Trucks, Jim Cuddy, The Flatlanders, Slaid Cleaves, Martha
Wainwright, Hayes Carll, Fred Eaglesmith, Corb Lund, Billy Joe Shaver,
Sue Foley, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, Dale Watson and many many more.
Romi Mayes is charming, passionate, comedic, and with whiskey in one
hand and a cigarette in the other can out-cuss any sailor on a Saturday
night.
Matt Masters — http://www.myspace.com/mattmastersmusic or www.mattmasters.com
Since 1999 Matt Masters has been bringing southern Alberta country and western music to people all across Canada. He's the king of the marathon tour, making a national name for himself with his 2005 tour of Alberta performing 100 shows in 120 days, while driving almost 30,000 kilometers.
2008 saw Matt do a '30 shows in 30 days' tour of Calgary and also saw the launch of Matt's original country and western musical, Don Coyote. Don Coyote debuted in Toronto October 4th 2008 as part of the prestigious Nuit Blanche festival. In 2009 Matt became a regular feature at Calgary Flames games, performing in the Saddledome in front of 19,000 hockey fans. In June 2009 he toured Germany, England and Turkey to rave reviews.
In September 2009 Matt acted in the film,
"Western Confidenial," he played the role of Marty Waters, a rambling
singer in the old west. Matt is also working on the soundtrack to the
film. That same month Matt was awarded the Telus Arts Award for
Innovation in the Arts as part of the Mayor's Awards for Calgary and
the Arts. In November 2009 Matt performed for the third year in a row
as part of Barney Bentall's annual Grand Cariboo Opry in British
Columbia. February 2009 will see Matt return to the Middle East for the
second time in a year, this time for a tour of Qatar. Matt will be
travelling with the Gentlemen of the Rodeo and they will also tour
Germany. The Matt Masters World Tour will conclude in Vancouver with a
performance at Alberta House during the Olympics. An original
honky-tonker with a true connection to the Canadian west, Matt Masters
is the real deal.