Sudbury.com often has to search in unsuspecting places for news.
Other times, we look at our Facebook page, a friend has shared something fantastic, and we need to know more.
That’s how we ended up finding Dwayne Trudeau, a blues guitarist with a talent for the slide, who has played just about every bar in Sudbury over the last 30 years.
Trudeau is originally from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, and moved to Sudbury in 1987. But his love of the blues started much earlier.
“My uncle, Boniface Trudeau, was the one who introduced me to the blues,” Trudeau told Sudbury.com. “The sound of the slide really got to me because I could feel the emotions of the players.”
Now, he shares his love of the blues at the Frood Hotel every second Wednesday.
Here’s how he describes it on his event page:
“Every 2nd Wednesday, I (Dwayne Trudeau) let go of the sh-t in my head by singing and playing the blues at the Frood Hotel on Kathleen St...(not on Frood st)...come sit, have a beer or play some pool...and if my sorrow pleases you feel free to drop some tips in the tip jar (but don't tip it over) or buy me a bottle of 50...hope to see some new faces each time!”
He’ll also be playing at the Lounge 360 on Elgin Street (located beside the Quality Inn).
Though it was family who introduced him to the sound, Trudeau taught himself to play. His first performances came more than 20 years ago, when his son was small and he needed to buy diapers.
“I was unemployed and I needed to make some money for my kid, so that's what I had to do,” he said.
He hit the street and played wherever he could, even just with an open case in front of him.
Now, he takes the slide style he describes as “loose” to the Frood Hotel, and plays and sings for the regulars.
He has recorded some of his music, but told Sudbury.com he’s not quite sure where it is. He is currently writing songs, however, and hopes to put something together soon.
But he hates listening to himself.
“My guitar is great, but I hate my voice,” he said with a laugh. “Like when you record yourself on a tape recorder, or something like that, nobody likes how their voice sounds.”
For him, playing music has always been a release of his emotions, his thoughts, his stressors; and more so today. That’s why he says every show is different.
“I put a lot of emotion into it now,” he said. “I never used to, but now that’s changing, the sound changes around how I feel.”
That means not only are you getting the sound of the blues and the sound of the slide, but also the heart, and a voice that sounds pretty great, unless you ask the singer.
You can follow Dwayne Trudeau’s career and find showtimes on his Facebook page, found here.
Jenny Lamothe is a reporter with Sudbury.com.
