Tag Archives: Tower of Power
The Thursday Outlook – October 26 to 31, 2017
You don’t have to run through the jungle this weekend to enjoy the music of Credence Clearwater Revival. Classic Albums Live is back this Saturday at Meaford Hall. This is the large group of professional musicians assembled by Craig Martin that has been recreating note-for-note albums since he invented the concept in 2003. They have already presented Elton John’s Greatest Hits and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours and this time around it’s CCR. The difference between this show and other tributes is that the emphasis is entirely on the sound, without any effort to recreate the original band’s stage act. You can close your eyes and pretend you’re listening to vinyl.
If you can’t get tickets to Meaford Hall on Saturday, bring your own CCR vinyl to BYOV Night at The Red Door. Come in costume!
On Friday night in Owen Sound, Heartwood presents Bootleg Credence, a four piece rock band with two sets of CCR and John Fogarty covers to reproduce the excitement of the original band. This sold out show is in support of Chapman House, Grey Bruce Hospice.
On Friday evening the music of Claude Bolling will be performed at the L. E. Shore Library in Thornbury by the Chantry Island Quartet. Claude Bolling is a French jazz pianist famous for his collaborations with classical players like Jean-Pierre Rampal. They had a popular hit with their recording of Bolling’s Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, which the Chantry Island Quartet will perform on Friday. This mix of Baroque elegance and modern swing spent over 500 weeks on the Billboard charts. Rampal’s part will be played by Meryl Gillmore, principal flute with the Georgian Bay Symphony Orchestra, along with Adrian Little on piano, Mike Grace on bass and Stephen Wood on drums.
The Thursday Outlook – June 15 to 18, 2017
It’s always special when Victoria Yeh joins Chris Scerri at the Thursday Night Leeky Open Stage as she will tonight. She is usually willing to play along with anyone who asks and she is so talented and adaptable she adds a sheen to anything she accompanies, no matter what the style. The Leeky open mic starts at 9 now instead of 8 pm.
Don’t forget the other open stages that happen throughout our area every week. There are so many talented musicians locally an open stage is always a good bet. It makes for a great night out during the week, and there’s never a cover. Also on Thursday, Dave Russell regularly rocks out at the Corner Café open stage in Thornbury. Sunday afternoons at The Barn Coop are always inspiring, and on Tuesday nights Brianna McGowan hosts at Molly Blooms in The Village at Blue. Wednesday’s at Bruce Wine Bar is always crowded with Drew McIvor hosting an open mic.
Then there’s the granddaddy of all open mics every Wednesday at Ted’s Range Road Diner, the place where our area’s most impressive musicians learned their chops over the many years it’s been happening. Last night was a particularly auspicious night because Tara Mackenzie, indisputably the best vocalist for miles around (many miles, including the GTA) was able to perform again after being sidelined for many months by a concussion. This is good news for fans of the Mackenzie Blues Band, which may soon see them back in full force, with the combination of killer guitar from Trevor Mackenzie and those incredible vocals from the Tara.
Other legendary local favourites, Tinman and The Flying Monkeys, will be at The Leeky on Saturday night.
Saturday night also brings some impressive artists, fresh from European tours, to some out-of-the-way venues in the area. Christina Martin will be at Massie Hall on Saturday night, with a special appearance from Matt Epp. And in Desboro, Ben Kunder and Sarah MacDougall join forces at the Desboro Music Hall. They toured Ireland, Italy, UK, the Netherlands last fall and now they are in our area.
Friday night the place to be is Heartwood Hall to dance to K.C. Roberts and the Live Revolution, an 8-piece funk band that has excited fans and critics for years, being compared to Earth, Wind and Fire, Sly and The Family Stone, Tower of Power, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Review the listings on the right side of this page to find a long list of favourites who play often in our area so you can go check them out for the first time or revisit what you know will be a great performance.
Jazzmania Takes Over Thornbury This Weekend
Music will be everywhere you turn in Thornbury this weekend as they celebrate their 26th Annual Jazzmania. Adding to the venues that can regularly be relied upon to provide live music, there are others who will be featuring music in order to be part of this little local festival.
Bruce Wine Bar can be relied upon to consistently provide live music every week, with their open mic night on Wednesdays, and their dinner shows on Friday and Saturday, always with the emphasis on original music. Normally they have two shows from the same artist, one through the dinner hour and one later in the evening, but this Friday, in order to contribute to the variety offered by Jazzmania, they will feature two different bands in one night.
The seven o’clock show will feature Josh Norling and The Rhythm Section, which is a subset of Frank Deresti and the Lake Effect. Normally Josh plays sax and other instruments in Frank’s band but this time Frank will be playing upright bass for Josh, joined by Lindsay Pugh on guitar. In keeping with Bruce Wine Bar’s all-original policy, the emphasis will be on original jazz compositions.
Later that same evening, the ten o’clock show at Bruce Wine Bar will feature the Alan Zemaitis Organ Trio, with Nichol Robertson and Lowell Whitty. Organist Alan Zemaitis’ background is in blues and soul music. Nichol Robertson is an accomplished Toronto-based guitarist and banjoist, known for his numerous and eclectic musical endeavors that include bluegrass and country. Lowell Whitty has been a busy drummer in Toronto’s vibrant jazz scene for many years, with a leaning toward a New Orleans style. Blending these three styles into one trio should make for an interesting hybrid jazz.
Some shows are selling advance tickets, some ask for donations with no cover, and some include dinner with the price of a ticket.
The other venue that can be counted on to bring live music to Thornbury on a regular basis is The Corner Café, right across the street from Bruce Wine Bar. This place comes alive every Thursday night when David J. Russell hosts his open mic. Next Sunday afternoon, they will be contributing to Jazzmania with Brian Miessner and friends from 1pm to 3pm. While they are more in the progressive pop vein than jazz, Brian’s many years of experience as a performer and songwriter guarantees a good show.
