Tag Archives: Simcoe Street Theatre
Damon Fowler Has Earned A Big Reputation Among Guitarists
by Bill Monahan
Blues fans can find respite from the frigid winter weather this weekend, warming up to Southern Blues sounds of young blues phenom Damon Fowler, performing Saturday with his power trio at the Simcoe Street Theatre in Collingwood.
As a genre, authentic blues is in good hands these days with a cohort of young players who have the knack of infusing this venerated music with a respectful blend of its roots and personal feeling. In this area just this past year, we’ve enjoyed exceptional blues from young artists Conor Gains and Jenie Thai, and now Damon Fowler brings another exciting performer to watch.
A Florida native, Fowler began playing guitar at the age of twelve. One of his earliest influences was Jeff Healey. He quickly developed a style that is equal parts tradition and originality, applying it to acoustic and electric guitar, dobro and lap steel, with an emphasis on slide work. He began gigging as a support act and attracted enough notice that his first, self-released album was produced by Rick Derringer.
As a solo he opened for artists that included several blues legends such as Delbert McClinton, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Jeff Beck, and many more. His reputation spread.
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.
Zappacosta Concert at Simcoe St. Theatre Thursday
This Thursday, Aug. 17th, the Simcoe Street Theatre in Collingwood presents a concert by Alfie Zappacosta, the pop crooner known for his mid-eighties hits, “When I Fall (In Love Again)” and “Nothing Can Stand In Your Way”, distinguished by a big powerful voice and soaring jazz-tinged melodies. Having won the Juno Award for “Most Promising Male Vocalist” in 1984, Zappacosta signed with the current powerhouse management partnership of Bruce Allen and Lou Blair. As happens so often when artistry meets business, it wasn’t the best fit. Bruce Allen, who made his name in the U.S. with Bachman-Turner Overdrive, was driving the careers of Bryan Adams and Loverboy when he signed Zappacosta’s band Surrender, and quickly decided to rename the band after the lead singer.
“I started out in a group called Surrender, we recorded our debut album and at that time we were five guys who were going to take on the world,” Alfie told Music Express in 2013 “But after Bruce Allen decided to manage us, it was pretty evident he was more interested in me. I was the band’s lead singer, I wrote the songs, and it was my publishing so it just evolved that Bruce focused on me.
“Bruce recognized I was a creative songwriter, but as a performer he didn’t know what to do with me. He was used to working with artists like Loverboy and Bryan Adams who he could stick on a tour with ZZ Top. He kept telling me I should be more like Julio Iglesias!”
The Thursday Outlook – August 10 to 14, 2017
The Travelling Thornburys are featured this Saturday night at The Leeky Canoe in Meaford. This is a duo consisting of Jon Zaslow and Kevin Campbell. They offer up some great harmonies and tunes that range from The Beatles to The Everly Brothers. Jon as also an accomplished guitarist that has become a regular accompanist for Chris Scerri and has co-hosted many Thursday night jams with him at The Leeky.
At The Barn Coop on Saturday night, it’s a rare chance to see Culture Reject in concert. This is part of a concert series put together at The Barn by Greg Smith, in which he pairs more established artists with up-and-comers. Culture Reject, featuring Michael O’Connell and Karri North, is a band that has a unique and mesmerizing sound. Michael evolved this band out of the popular band Black Cabbage, with which he toured for several years. He now tours annually in Europe to a growing following there. The opener for this concert is Jake Feeney, a young singer-songwriter who seems much more mature than he is. Having been a songwriter since he was six or seven, Jake has a voice similar to John Maher and a beautiful style of guitar picking. This is a show well worth checking out.
