BY PAUL LOEWENBERG
When you run an outdoor festival…sometimes Mother Nature
laughs at you. Sometimes she'll whip up a 3,000 square
mile storm cell of lightning and thunderclouds…enough to make
you cancel your event for safety reasons. Live to play another
day… that's a good festival motto.
Blackie and The Rodeo Kings did not get to play the mainstage
at the Northern Lights Festival Boreal, though a dedicated
crowd of a thousand people waited patiently in the light
rain. About 150 were lucky enough to catch Blackie and
the Rodeo Kings do an impromptu set at the Towne House late
that night, but it certainly left many wanting more.
During a swing through Ontario in November, B&RK will
return to Sudbury to perform at the Sheridan Auditorium.
Those who still have proof of purchase of their concert tickets
from the summer can see this concert for a discounted
price. Added to the bill will be the multiple Juno
winning and nominees, Tri-Continental…another guitar trio
consisting of Bill Bourne (Edmonton), Lester Quitzau
(Vancouver) and Madagascar Slim (Toronto).
Tickets will be available at all regular Northern Lights
Festival Boreal ticket outlets: Black Cat Too, Records on
Wheels, Jett Landry Music, Walden Home Hardware, Gloria's
Convenience, A&J Home Hardware…as well as online at
www.tix.com
. More information about the artists and the concert can
be found at
www.nlfbsudbury.com
. Call the festival office at 674-5512 for more details.
Doors will open at 7:30pm. The concert will begin at
8:00pm. Tickets are $25.00 advance including tax.
Tickets will be $32 at the door. Proof of purchase of
tickets for the July 8th cancelled concert will be redeemed at
the door and admission will be $15.00 for those previous ticket
holders.
B.A.R.K. has had a remarkable career since last playing
Northern Lights in 1996. They have released 5 albums,
been nominated for many Juno awards… Stephen Fearing, Colin
Linden and Tom Wilson have each also released several solo
records…They've appeared on the Juno and the CCMA Award shows;
toured with Merle Haggard, toured the United States with a top
15 Americana radio hit and sent two singles to Top 30 at Rock
Radio.
In 2006, the band went into the studio to record their fourth
album. Added to the mix were Garth Hudson (the Band), Daniel
Lanois, Pam Tillis, Malcolm Burn, Wayne Jackson and John Wynot.
The sessions were so creative and fun that they ended up
recording 29 songs. As a result, Let's Frolic, was followed-up
with Let's Frolic Again in 2007.
With four Juno Awards and 10 Juno Award nominations between
them, Bill Bourne, Lester Quitzau and Madagascar Slim are truly
major players in the Canadian music scene. The artists are all
close friends and the artistic respect for one another is
evident when listening to the music which they have composed.
Each musician has established himself as a respected artist in
such musical genres as Folk, Celtic and World, but they all
share an extreme passion for, and knowledge of, the blues.
Sweet vocal harmonies and imaginative guitar playing are the
hallmark of their music. With a mutual love of emotional
collaboration and a great curiosity for where their music comes
from, this trio of artists has created a recording that is a
product of faith, dreams, broken hearts, grit and most
importantly, friendship.
Visit
www.rodeokings.com
and
www.amokmusic.ca/tri-continental.html
.
Paul Loewenberg is the musical director for the Northern Lights Festival Boreal.
