Trio of guitarists perform charity concert

Bob Bale, a Greater Sudbury music promoter, is presenting a threesome of singer-songwriters in the next Out of the Cold concert series show. Canadian singer-songwriters David Bradstreet, Brent Titcomb and Jason Fowler will take the stage Oct. 25 at St. Andrews Place, at 7 p.m.

The last show in the Out of the Cold Series, featuring North Sea Gas from Scotland, was a hit, he said.

“I nearly sold out. The band was fabulous,” said Bale. “They got a standing ovation from the crowd so they did two encores. They had to travel a long way the next day to another Sudbury — Sudbury, Massachusetts.”

This time he offers Canadian talent.

“I have known David Bradstreet since the mid 1970s. I met him in a Toronto folk club.”

Bradstreet went on to perform with the band Lazarus, who opened for Supertramp in 1974 and had a number of commercial hits in 1976 and 1977, added Bale.

“I kept in touch with him. In 2001, I hooked up with him at the Eaglewood Folk Festival just south of Orillia.”
The second performer, Brent Titcomb, also has had commercial radio hits.

“Lately Brent has been playing with Tom Wilson. He had a band back in the 1960s, Three’s A Crowd, that had Bruce Cockburn, and Colleen Peterson — formerly of Quartet — in it.”

Jason Fowler, the third musician, has been lead guitarist for renowned Irish-style tenor John McDermott. His latest release, Buckets of Rain, is a compilation of all his favourite songs.

“All three will play guitar. Each will feature their own songs. Brent and David will play their 1970s hit songs.”

Over the last seven years, the Out of the Cold series has raised $50,000 for the hot meal program at St. Andrews Place and the Church of the Epiphany on Larch Street, said Bale.

“This year I expect to raise about $7,500 for the meal program. That is about average. Anywhere from 150 to 200 people come out for the hot meal every Sunday from November to April,” he said. The two buildings, which are nearby each other on Larch Street, alternate in hosting the program for the needy, he added.

Costs of producing the shows has increased over the years, noted Bale.

“Offering quality shows means you have to pay.”

The series is based on people paying a subscriber fee of $50 for the three shows, though there are single tickets available for $20 per show.

“I have about 220 loyal subscribers who continued to buy the series pass this year. Usually, I lose about seven to eight per year, but this year I lost 30 subscribers,” admitted Bale.

He said the economy may not be the reason for the drop off.

“My first concert is held at the end of September. There is a lot going on that month so sales for the first concert can be more difficult.”

Despite this, he said the series is quite strong and could pay for the whole hot meal program from its revenues alone. “The hot meal program gets help from various sponsors, such as the Lougheed family, but the Out of the Cold Series does contribute a lot.”

The third concert, on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m., features General Store, a five-piece Canadian bluegrass band.

“They have won many awards including Best New Band and Best Bluegrass Gospel Band at the Canadian Bluegrass Awards,” said Bale. The band played the city three years ago when they opened for Quartet.

Tickets are available by phoning Bale at 523-6200.