Roaming Reviews

The Annual Preston Music Festival Grooves into its Second Year. Highlighting Local Talent within the Region. Central Park. Cambridge Ontario. Weather Conditions – Perfect. Saturday September 19th 2009.

Photo courtesy Sandy Rousseau

The 2nd Preston Music Festival is soon to earn the reputation of becoming an annual end of the summer garden and gazebo event in historical downtown Preston, thanks to Event Coordinator and front man Matt Storch of The Usual Suspects. Gillian Stagg is also ” a huge part of the success of this event” states Matt Storch.

Central Park which is located in the core of the Preston Towne Centre and across the street from the Groove Kitchen and Music Room was a maze and mingle of lawn chairs, glowing vinyl Chinese lanterns, string lights and a tremendous display of community spirit – less umbrellas.

The Preston Music Festival just into its second year featured not only the more established local musicians such as Cambridge acts West Memphis Suicide, Lucas Stagg and Tracenine but new and upcoming talented performers as well.

Opening the music festival this year at noon were the winners of the Junior Gem Kids Karaoke Contest presented by Gemstone Entertainment.

Weeks prior to the festival Teri Parr friend of Rob Puschelberg of the band Bad Pickle, created quite a buzz and organized a Kids Karaoke contest resulting in six winning contestants appearing on the festival stage [gazebo] for the first time.

Last year’s Soul Man – James Knowles [photo top left] seemingly highlighted this year’s Preston Music Festival with his stellar R&B performance and announcement of the newly formed James Knowles Band featuring Lewis Leone.

James Knowles is known for his impromptu appearances last year with the Groove Kitchen and Music Room’s house band Matt Storch and The Usual Suspects’ Friday night Open Jams. James was also invited on stage with The Usual Suspects as they closed the music festival with the popular 1960’s R&B hit Soul Man, originally written by the late Issac Hayes [August 2008] and David Porter then later recorded by the Blues Brothers.

With the effort and dedication of musician Matt Storch and his crew at the Groove Kitchen, fellow and local musicians and artists, the Preston BIA and supporters, the Preston Music Festival may be one of the largest single showcases for regional music talent and sure to become a cultural tastemaker, paving the way for other outdoor community events, festivals and happenings in this region.

Regrets to Malachi & The Music, Ties That Bind, Firetrain and the Gabe Lee Three due to festival fatigue and first year volunteerism.

www.thegroovekitchen.com

Roaming Reviews

Paul Maxwell announced the Winners of the ’09 Waterloo Songwriters Competition at Maxwell’s Music House. Winners were announced last night after the final performances. August 16th, 2009. And the winners are…

Photo courtesy Bob Nolan

Maxwells Music House hosted their first songwriters’ competition with sessions being held on Sunday evenings over the months of July and August. The 24 initial entrants were required to submit a short bio, a picture and 2 songs.

The competition was free to enter and singer/songwriters were judged on the basis of originality, performance and song structure. Judges included music industry professionals, sponsors and media folk.

“It is young, marketable talent that we are looking for from this competition”, states venue owner Paul Maxwell on the suspenseful final evening, while serving a full house of customers and emceeing the competition.

Catering to musicians of all skill levels, Maxwell’s Music House offers Lessons, Jam Spaces, and Group Workshops that specifically promote artistic growth and development.

Mandippal Jandu of Cambridge Ontario received 4th place and a featured paid gig in the Waterloo Uptown Square.

3rd place went to Todd Donald of K/W. Todd is currently producing his third album and has recently won the K/W Arts Award.

Zubin Thakkar aka Prize Fighter, placed second to Grand Prize and first place winner Mr. Chris Miller of now Toronto.

Judges for the night of the finals were singer-songwriter Matt York, SOCAN member James Leacock and Arts and Entertainment Writer, Colin Hunter.

1st place winner Chris Miller received $1000 cash and a host of surprises, including his final live performance portrait painted by Laurie Wonfor Nolan, side-stage.

A $50 gift certificate to Mill Street Brewery was available to each of the finalists.

Chris Miller performed his final set, solo, not realizing the finalists could utilize the additional support of a band or back up musicians. Though not appearing nervous at all, Chris humored the audience as he frequently interchanged guitars to show his diversity and adaptability in stage presence.

Chris Miller’s songs were structured with a great vocal range of melodies, lyrics and choruses that reminded me [and most others] of the quirks and fumbles of Bob Dylan and Woodie Guthrie.

No one really noticed Miller’s amplifier feedback or his eye glasses sliding, it was part of the performance. Chris Miller’s set list consisted of “The Ballad of Jack and Jill”, “The King” and “You’re Probably Right”.

Local commercial artist, Laurie Wonfor Nolan produced live performance acrylic paintings of each of the finalists while they performed on stage. The proceeds from the silent auction will benefit Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

Sometimes it pays to go solo. Kudos.

Mandippal Jandu - http://www.myspace.com/mandippal
Todd Donald - http://www.myspace.com/todddonald
Zubin Thakkar - http://www.myspace.com/prizefighterrock
Chris Miller - http://www.myspace.com/christopherjmiller

Many thanks to all that contributed and or sponsored the event in support of local live music.

bluecowphoto.ca
lwnpaintings.fotopic.net

maxwellsmusichouse.ca
220 King Street N.
Waterloo, ON

Roaming Reviews the Kitchener Blues Festival.  Rural South Blues Jam the Urban Streets for four days and five nights. Downtown Kitchener Ontario. August 2009.

Photo courtesy Sean Jasmins  FUSION Marketing

This was the Kitchener Blues Festival’s 9th year - a free, well organized celebration and support of the blues tradition with nearly 65,000 thousand music fans in attendance over the 5 day event in downtown Kitchener Ontario.

The 2009 Kitchener Blues Festival has gained momentum and a large caliber of sponsors over the years with Kitchener City Hall originally hosting the first blues festival in 2001 and 3000 visitors on one day.

Each subsequent year, the blues festival news has continued to attract more talented musicians and dedicated fans to the local area known as already having a vibrant blues based culture, thanks to musician Mel Brown and his many protégés.

How can one think about the blues Festival without noting the contributions of the Brown family from the south?  With the local legend Mel Brown’s recent death this past March many blues musicians will continue to feel his influence and presence as they move forward in maintaining the blues spirit in this community.

The Kitchener Blues Festival has become successful in retaining the best regional and international talented blues artists, continuing a sold out Gala fundraiser, an awards ceremony, expanding showcases and offering audiences more than enough music to fill any void keeping enthusiast blues fans content this weekend without mentioning weather concessions or construction.

The rain and lightening in the distance made it very surreal. The audience was prepared with golfing umbrellas and blue tarpoulines.

And who more experienced though perhaps expected to fill a gap and pay  tribute to Mr. Brown and heal a community as it reflects on the blues genre but Multiple Grammy Award winner, Grammy Hall of Fame Award Winner and recently - Member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame vocalist and band leader David Clayton –Thomas.

David Clayton Thomas, known in the blues circle as DCT along with his 10 piece big band celebration brought a generation back 40 years to Café Au Go Go of which they will perform with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Massey Hall in February 2010.

David’s popular renditions of “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” “And When I Die”, and “Spinning Wheel” still complement the era of his recognizable past performances with Blood Sweat and Tears and his vocal strength he has embellished as a solo act.

DCT has appeared at major venues around the world - Royal Albert Hall, The Metropolitan Opera, The Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden and Caesar’s Palace, as well as the Newport Jazz Festival and Woodstock.

Closing the 2009 Kitchener Blues Festival Main stage were Mel Brown’s backup group The Homewreckers with Kitchener natives Ian Taylor, Shawn Kellerman and Steve Strongman.

Miss Angel, Mel Brown’s wife, left us with her popular “Just Your Fool” and “Hip Shake”.

Michelle Malone and Ronnie Baker Brooks finished the Bar Blues at Bobby O’Briens and the Boathouse.

I didn’t notice the King Street construction and I had the perfect parking spot at the court house.

I listened to the KBF 2009 Volume VIII CD which featured the many blues artists on the way home.  The CD was another fundraiser in support of live blues music.

I snagged a Mel Brown poster and a new florescent pink T shirt too.  Somewhere I lost my VIP pass.

*Regrets to other blues performers that I could not capture due to scheduling conflicts.

www.kitchenerbluesfestival.com
www.davidclaytonthomas.com

Roaming Reviews

The Mill Race Festival of Traditional Folk Music, Civic Long Weekend, Cambridge Ontario 2009. Tanglefoot Highlights and Farewell Finales Up close.

Photo courtesy Derrick Hind

The Historical Mill Race Park amphitheater in Cambridge Ontario staged the 17th Annual Mill Race Festival of Traditional Folk Music this past weekend in Galt.

Local and internationally renowned folk performers such as Tanglefoot were selected to reflect the diverse and entertaining mixture of musical cultures that exist nationally and abroad.

The setting of the old mill on the Grand River in Cambridge is indicative of the nostalgia for old traditions and adaptations to new environments of future generations of folks and folkies.

Canadian Folk Music Award winners Tanglefoot closed the Mill Race Festival of Traditional Music both Saturday and Sunday nights.

The group of five talented Ontario singing storytellers professed in bold song and bravado stomp, the ‘tangled’ tales of many a local farmer of southern Ontario and of banked fishermen on the shores of Lake Erie being plucked up by Ms Becker of Long Point Bay, reminding some of us of home or at least close to it.

Tanglefoot longest member guitarist and backup vocalist Steve Ritchie of Owen Sound joined the group in 1988. When asked about some of the highlights of the group’s Canadiana Folk performances, Steve shares “there have been a lot”.

A gig in the 1995 Lunenburg Festival at the Old Lunenburg Opera House, as “ we stepped out and played our first song the place went off like a bomb, we’d never had a reaction like that before, it was the first time we started thinking seriously about taking the band on the road”.

This year there have been quite a few significant highlights for Tanglefoot. The Birdsedge Festival in England last month “was pretty poignant. It’s kind of a home-town show for us.

The first time we played in Philadelphia for the Philly Folk Song Society was really cool too. Tons of people all there to hear this Canadian band that sang songs about Canada. It was a sell-out.

I suppose everywhere we’ve played all year has been a finale of some sort, every night has been a farewell”.

Tanglefoot will complete touring as we know them as Tangflefoot as of their December finale concert but all will continue to Dance Like Flames.

The Mill Race Folk Society will host Tanglefoot in concert Friday October 9, 2009 at the Cambridge Arts Theatre.

www.millracefolksociety.com
www.tanglefootmusic.com
www.thruthelenz.ca

Roaming Reviews News

Congratulations to those who have made it into the Top 8! The Waterloo Songwriters’ Competition hosted by Maxwells Music House announces the top 8 performers that will progress to the semi finalists’ stage August 9th.

The songwriters’ competition is judged according to skill in originality of lyrics, performance and structure within a 3 song time frame on stage in front of a live audience and a panel of judges.

The previous 3 Sunday evenings have showcased 24 songwriters sharing great musical energy and emotion. Song titles such as Pictures on the Wall by Matthew De Zoete and a ‘working song’ of a Short Road to Success written by Genevieve Beaton of Cambridge Ontario highlight the relevance, diversity and creative process in mastering lyrics that capture and connect an audience with meaningful songs.

The 8 first round winners are Genevieve Beaton, Todd Donald, Either Day, Allister Bradley, Mandippal Jandu, Matthew De Zoete, Zubin Thakkar, and Chris Miller. Only 4 songwriters will advance to the finals on August 16th. The winners showcase will be announced August 23rd.

Doors will open at 6:30pm for the evening of the $1000 cash prize and other prize announcements. Cover charge for the 9th and 16th is $10 for all non-performing patrons.

Maxwells Music House in Waterloo offers music lessons, jam spaces and group workshops that specifically promote artistic growth and development.

For complete profiles of ALL the participating songwriters visit:
maxwellsmusichouse.ca

Maxwells Music House

220 King st N
Waterloo, ON N2J 2Y7
(519) 498-5705