Tag Archives: Dave Russell
The Thursday Update – Oct. 12 to 16, 2017
Two new open stages are starting up in our area this weekend. On Saturday afternoon, Amanda Dorey will be hosting an open stage at the Riverside Community Centre, and at Bridges Tavern in Thornbury, Josh Fletcher will be hosting an open stage on Friday starting at 8 pm. These additions mean that aspiring performers and fans of the surprising grab bag that an open stage can be now have the opportunity to enjoy one every night of the week except Saturday and Monday.
In chronological order, the open stages nearby are The Barn Coop on Sunday at noon; Heartwood’s bi-monthly open mic Tuesday at 8; The granddaddy of all open jams at Ted’s Range Road Diner, and Bruce Wine Bar with Drew McIvor both on Wednesdays at 8; Chris Scerri at The Leeky Canoe Thursdays at nine; also on Thursdays, Dave Russell at The Corner Café and Craig Smith at CROW; Friday afternoon, at the Bleeding Carrot, Kelly Babcock hosts the open stage, and now on Friday evening there is Josh at Bridges and on Saturday afternoon Amanda at Riverside. That adds up to a lot of free entertainment that mixes the best musicians in the area with undiscovered talents.
Jayden Grahlman Kicks Off CROW Residency With A Benefit
Tonight (Oct. 4), Jayden Grahlman kicks off his month-long residency at CROW Bar and Variety in a very special way, raising funds for Josh Noronha, the young Collingwood man who broke his neck in a trampoline accident and is paralysed from the chest down. For this special event he has enlisted the aid of other local talents Romney Getty, Drew Wright and Coming of Age.
This is the third such residency since CROW opened its doors this summer. The first one featured Austin McCarthy and the second one presented the duo Hunnay, with Dave Russell. The feature has been well received by both audiences and the players who have welcomed this opportunity to build an audience at the same time as they build their chops.
Normally there is no cover for these nights. Tonight is an exception. They are asking for $20 at the door because it is a fundraiser for a very special young man. In addition to the door receipts, further funds will be raised through a 50/50 draw and a Silent Auction. On top of that, CROW Bar and Variety will be generously donating a percentage of food sales.
The fundraiser is necessary because the lifelong costs resulting from an accident of this kind can be as challenging as the recovery process. In addition to the costs of meals, traveling and parking for Josh’s immediate family while he undergoes physio, occupational and recreational therapies at the Lyndhurst rehab centre, the family is looking at ongoing costs that include mobility, housing renovations, training, living expenses, caregivers, physical therapy and psychotherapy.
Last Chance This Week to Catch Hunnay at CROW
Every Wednesday this month, Hunnay has been doing a residency at CROW Bar and Variety. It’s part of the vision of this new Collingwood venue to help local artists develop an audience and polish their chops, with a new artist featured every month. Last month it was Austin McCarthy and there is just one more performance this month from Hunnay. If you haven’t seen this uniquely entertaining duo, you should make a point of getting out to CROW this Wednesday, no cover, to check them out.
CROW provides a nice little room for listening to music. It’s the shape of a shoebox, longer than it is wide, which is ideal for acoustics and sight lines. If they continue the practice of featuring developing artists for month-long residencies, it should be on your monthly to-do list to be sure that you catch at least one of the Wednesday night shows. It could be a first intimate glimpse of someone with a big future. Hunnay seems to fit that bill.
Hunnay consists of Laura Somers and Karen A. Witt, each of whom worked independently before the two of them joined forces. Early in their collaboration they attracted the attention of Wasaga Beach drummer Lee Chomiak, who has worked for the past fourteen years as guitar, bass and drum tech for Blue Rodeo, with the last eight years including duties as their road manager. He was blown away by the duo’s effervescence, humour and harmonies and he worked with them to produce and record their first full length C.D. “The Other Side Of The Coin”.
The Thursday Outlook – Sept. 14 to 18, 2017
It’s the third Bring Your Own Vinyl night at The Red Door, hosted by Tom Thwaits Saturday starting at eight. This is a fun night. Bring your favourite LP, tell the room why you want them to hear it, and Tom plays a cut on the turntable. It makes for a great night of oral history as everyone has a tale about their favourite cut, and the music ranges through everybody’s personal taste.
The first night, Tom even brought along an LP by Sons of Ishmael, a high school band from Meaford that established an international cult following in the eighties with their “seriously intense” hardcore punk. So you never know what you’ll hear.
On Saturday afternoon, Sept. 17th, James Keelaghan will be hosting the final in Summerfolk’s Music Biz Tune Up Workshop from one to three at the Suite Spots in Owen Sound. This series, which has run through the spring and summer, has provided aspiring musicians with career guidance ranging from how to book gigs to the many ways to earn income from your music. For this final workshop the focus will be on how to use jamming to expand your contacts within the industry. By connecting with other musicians on a musical level, at festivals or conferences, valuable contacts and alliances can be formed. “Learn songs by different people so you can go in a number of directions and that increases your ability to connect with people”, James suggests. For those unable to make it this Saturday, James will be offering a shortened version of the workshop next Saturday as well.
