The Thursday Outlook – Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, 2017
Live music fans have some tough choices to make on a very busy Thursday night tonight.
Meaford Hall presents Measha Brueggergosman tonight on a return visit. This year she has released a memoir called “Something is AlwaysOn Fire”, reflecting on the ups and downs of her life in opera on the world stages. Her work is not restricted to opera. On stage she explores spirituals, gospel hymns and jazz standards, following her own personal path. Earlier in the year she released “Songs of Freedom”, a collection of songs that, as she told Vision TV, “were born out of a time when my people were oppressed and needed to find a way not only to communicate with each other, but also to express themselves”. Selections include Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Got Tell It On The Mountain, This Little Light Of Mine, He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands and, Amazing Grace. With her four-piece band, she usually mixes in some jazz standards like My Funny Valentine. All of these elements will combine tonight to give the audience a sense of the things that are most meaningful to her.
Fans of local talent are excited about the CD release party tonight at Heartwood Hall in which Drew McIvor performs his new recording with a 10-piece band, with an opening set by Luke Martin. Drew will have copies of “Through The Tangle of Trees” hot off the press for sale at the concert.
Piano man Tyler Yarema, who specializes in stride piano and boogie-woogie, will be joining Tamica Herod and The Harbour Street Band tonight at the Harbour Street Fish Bar for what is sure to be a rocking show. Tyler will be back in Collingwood a week from tonight with a special concert at The Historic Gayety Theatre. He and Chuck Jackson, lead vocalist for the Downchild Blues Band, play a lot of duo dates together and at next week’s concert they will be recording a live CD in a celebrative event that gathers a number of friends to join them.
This Saturday at The Gayety Theatre, rockabilly fans will be treated to a performance by Robert Gordon, voice of the rockabilly revival that engulfed England in the late 70’s. Celebrated for his authentic sound, his debut album paired him with Link Wray, a guitarist who didn’t mimic the early rockers but actually was one. Gordon’s repertoire spans early Elvis, Gene Vincent and others from that era who defined a new sound that disappeared all too quickly for some people. His show in the town that hosts the world’s largest annual Elvis festival, should attract a cohort of discerning fans.
Why not make it a rockabilly weekend? Catch The Firecats at the Harbour Street Fish Bar on Friday night. This is a new band in which members of the Campfire Poets have joined forces with Greg Kowalczyk, bonding over their mutual love of rockabilly music to offer a mix of classic hits from the genre mixed in with some blues, country and a few originals, all designed to get you up on the dance floor.
Adam Webster will be at The Huron Club in Collingwood tonight on vocals and guitar. You’ll also find him playing bass at The Simcoe Street Theatre on Sunday evening when he and drummer Mike Weir sit in as a rhythm section for a special concert by Honeymoon Phase.
On Saturday at The Marsh Street Centre in Clarksburg the smokin’ funk band, Higher Funktion, will be the latest in the “Turn Up The Heat Concert Series” designed to raise funds for a new HVAC system in the building, which is entirely owned and operated by volunteers.
The Roxy Theatre in Owen Sound has a couple of must-see concerts this week. Tonight it’s local heroes RPR, playing the Roxy for the first time. The band consists of former members of Tanglefoot, Rob Ritchie, Al Parrish and Steve Ritchie along with percussionist/singer/songwriter Beaker Granger. The show is part of the “Hats Off To Canada” concert series sponsored by 560 CFOS and Country 93.
Sean McCann is returning to the area on Saturday night with a concert at The Roxy. Former founding member of Great Big Sea, Sean left the band because he had to deal with his struggle with alcoholism. Since becoming sober, his concerts have evolved to become joyous life-affirming celebrations. He was such an important part of Great Big Sea that the band disbanded rather than carrying on without him, and he always remembers fans of that band by including some of their signature tunes.
Take a look at the listings on the right and you’ll see that the above barely scratches the surface of the great variety of live music on offer this weekend.
Alexi P Suter Band will be taking the stage at Simcoe Street Theatre in downtown Collingwood on Saturday.