Be Sure to Get Your Tickets!
Thanks to the support of our members and guests, every show in the first half of Season 44 sold out! Plan ahead and order your tickets for the second half of the season now, so that you don't miss out on any of the great music coming our way! And if you're planning to invite friends or family to dates in the second half of the season, don't let the show's popularity put a crimp in your plans! Tickets for every individual show - including special events hosted by the Calgary Folk Club - can be purchased at
calgaryfolkclub.com, or by calling
1-888-655-9090.
MARCH 11 (Mary Gauthier, Sam Baker) IS SOLD OUT!
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COMING O
N
FEBRUARY 26:
Lennie Galant
Renowned Canadian singer-songwriter, Lennie Gallant, a native of Rustico, PEI, has recorded ten albums (eight in English and two in French), which have won him a host of awards and nominations. He was recently honored with theCanadian Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year for his latest recording "Live Acoustic at The Carleton". Lennie has been busy with a new book,"Peter's Dream" and theatre show "Searching For Abegweit -The Island Songs & Stories of Lennie Gallant". An international touring artist, Lennie has represented Canada on songwriter events in Nashville, London and Texas, entertained our troops in Kandahar, performed at Canada Day events in Washington and London, and lit up the world stage at the XXI Winter Olympics. lenniegallant.com
Lynae Oliver Band
Lynae Oliver, formerly of Barrage, is a Gemini and CFMA award nominated championship fiddler. She has toured internationally and, as part of the duo Pear, is the recipient of numerous song writing and performance awards. Equally comfortable in the worlds of both country and folk music, she brings a wealth of talent and virtuosity to every event she plays.
AND ON MARCH 11,
A DOUBLE BILL FEATURING:
Mary Gauthier 
Alt-country singer/songwriter
Mary Gauthier
exploded onto the scene with her 1999 album, "
Drag Queens in Limousines
". The album, winning her an IMA award for "Best Folk/Singer-Songwriter" and a four-star rating in Rolling Stone, had critics comparing her to
Steve Earle
,
John Prine
, and
Lucinda Williams
. Embraced by critics, folkies, and No Depression fans alike,
Gauthier
's warmly candid treatment of her fringe-dwelling subjects rings true, as it never verges on sentimental; her characters' downtrodden lives are never coldly exploited. Her latest album, 2013's "Trouble and Love", reflects a human story of love, loss, and a life transformed. marygauthier.com
Sam Baker
Sam Baker, perhaps the most captivating songwriter in America, is a man of few words, with those few always beautifully chosen and fully wrought, placed like stones in a Zen Garden. You'll probably never catch yourself singing one of his songs in the shower, because his melodies generally tend to be as bare-bones serviceable as the raspy scratch of his singing; but by God, you listen to what he has to say, hanging on for every line. Songs on his latest (2013) album, "Say Grace", create tight masterpieces that range from poignant and sorrowful to surprising humour: "My wife God bless her and for what it's worth / thinks she and Taylor Swift / were twins at birth / separated at birth / Earth to wife / wife to earth!"
sambakermusic.com
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Attend a Songwriting Workshop with Lennie Gallant!
The celebrated maritime singer-songwriter brings his talent to Calgary.
NEW: CLICK HERE to check out an interview with Lennie Gallant and preview of his forthcoming workshop from friend of the Club, Dan St.Yves, of the Calgary Herald!
Hailing from Prince Edward Island, Lennie Gallant is one of the most prominent and lauded folk musicians working in Canada today. To name just a few of his many
honours, Gallant has taken home both "Francophone Album of the Year" and
"Francophone Recording of the Year" from the ECMAs, as well as "Artist of the Year" from the CFMAs. Add to this his JUNO nominations and a win at Gala des Étoiles for
"Acadian Album of the Year," and you have a some idea of the talent and emot
ional power behind his songcraft.
Awards and accolades aside, Gallant is most passionate about songwriting itself, particularly that singular creative moment "when you really feel locked in with the ability to tell a story or convey an emotion in a unique yet, hopefully, a universal way." His talents clearly resonate with other artists - more than 30, including Jimmy Buffett, have recorded Lennie Gallant songs, and his work has appeared in a wide array of productions, from movies (Mystic River), to TV shows (Dawson's Creek, Joan of Arcadia) and theatre. With a catalogue spanning decades and including some of PEI's most iconic songs, it's small wonder that Gallant's career has taken him to such diverse places as performing for Canadian troops in Kandahar, playing the world stage at the XXI Winter Olympics, and representing Canada in songwriting events from Nashville to London. lenniegallant.com
Not only a gifted songwriter, but a seasoned songwriting instructor, Gallant will bring his considerable talent to Calgary for a one-day songwriting workshop this coming February. The event is hosted by the Calgary Folk Club and co-sponsored by the Dalhousie Community Association.
When: Saturday, February 27, 2016, 9AM to 4PM
Where: The Dallyn Building, 4448 Dallyn Street, Calgary, AB
Tickets: $104.50
To register, or for more information, visit calgaryfolkclub.com.
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Backstage with Laura Smith
As the volunteers were tearing down and packing up around us, Laura Smith was kind enough to devote a few minutes of her time to share her thoughts and impressions of playing the Calgary Folk Club stage.
Calgary Folk Club: What are your impressions of the show tonight?
Laura Smith:
Well, the calibre of the audience matched the calibre of the people putting on the event. I'm not surprised it's such a great and sophisticated crowd, because the pe
ople who brought me here, everybody that I've met, is just so much into folk music, so much into the people who make folk music, and I felt appreciated from the get-go.
CFC: All of the stories that you told on stage seemed to address, in one way or another, the different ways that you've been inspired to write songs and make music. Have you found sort of a magic bullet that jumpstarts the creative process?
LS: Well, time and privacy.
Lots
of time. Lots of time.
CFC: Is that what you'd suggest to younger songwriters?
LS:
No, everybody's different.
CFC:
In reconnecting with your birth family, how did you feel to know that the rich musical tradition you were already participating in was part of your birthright as well?
LS:
Relieved!Blessed. Like, vindicated, because I'd felt it in my bones, but I had no idea, I didn't know what the truth was.
LS:
Just thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
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Backstage with Bill Garrett and Sue Lothrop
At the end of our last club night, I found Sue and Bill chatting with appreciative fans by the merchandise tables. They graciously gave us a bit of their time to answer some questions about their evening and their music.
Calgary Folk Club: What sort of experience did you have at the Calgary Folk Club?
Sue Lothrop: It was my first time here, I was thrilled. I knew what this club was like, and ... it was great. We had a wonderful time, we had lots of fun, and we want to come back!
CFC: So our reputation preceded us then?
SL: I knew about the club, I'd heard about it from everybody including Bill. It's just that I had never travelled, or sung in particular, [in the prairies]. Oh, that's not true, we played the Winnipeg Folk Festival, but it was very quick! But I was really up for coming to Calgary, and I loved it. Great audience, great club.
CFC: Bill, do you have any thoughts on this specific venue?
Bill Garrett: Well, it's not the first time I've been here - it's the first time I've played it, and it was everything that I'd hoped that it would be. I've seen audiences in the room before, and knew what it was, knew what a great club it was and a great audience, so I was just happy to be able to play it tonight and interact with that audience. We had a great time.
SL: A short time, but a great time. We're headed back to Montreal tomorrow ... but we'd like to come back.
CFC: The way that you two interact on stage is very fun, and very open. Do you find you bring that to all of your performances, or does that vary from room to room?
BG: I think we always start with it, certainly, because that's how we feel, but when you have a good audience, it just makes it that much easier to be yourself, and you don't feel like you have to pay quite as much attention to stagecraft. You can be a little looser, and when it's a good audience, they get it right away, like they did tonight. They were with us, and we could feel it. And when you feel it, then you can let go a bit, and be goofy.
SL: We do always try to have fun, and isn't this why were doing it? We work, we practice, we write, we practice, we write, and when we get up there, all that work is done - it's time to have fun. And fun is contagious.
CFC: Could you tell us a little about your songwriting process together? Is it collaborative or do you tend to alternate?
BG: It's both - we've been collaborative on songs, and written them by ourselves. We don't have a plan - if somebody gets an idea, they run with it.
SL: You never know when the inspiration's going to come.
CFC: Any final thoughts about the show tonight?
SL: We're happy to be here with our friends Laura and Paul, and share all the love and the warmth.
BG: We hope to come back one day.
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CD Release Concert for The Bills - Trail of Tales
A night in concert from our friends at the Calgary Folk Festival.
Hailing from the west coast of Canada, the Glasgow Herald calls The Bills "the biggest blast of fresh air to come out of Canada since The Band". And now, our friends at the Calgary Folk Festival are offering the chance to see The Bills in concert for the release of their forthcoming album, Trail of Tales.The new CD
will be officially released worldwide on March 4th and features 14 new tracks in a wonderfully collaborative offering. The album has all five members of the band contributing compositional talents. With two previous JUNO nominations and multiple Western Canadian Music Awards under their belts, expect the musical magic you've come to love from this extraordinary quintet. They are renowned for their instrumental virtuosity, lush vocal arrangements, evocative songwriting, and a refreshing sound that transcends musical boundaries and defies simple categorization. If you caught them rocking the 2015 Calgary Folk Fest, you'll want to come and hear this new music!
The Bills play Festival hall on March 6th. CLICK HERE for tickets and more information.
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Calgary Is Hosting the 2016 JUNOs - Volunteers Wanted!
Help make this a memorable showcase of the best of Canadian music.
The 2016 JUNOs are coming to Calgary, March 28 to April 3, 2016!
If you want to be a part of this exciting celebration of Canadian music, the JUNOs are currently seeking volunteers to assist with the festivities. Events will be going off all across Calgary during the weak of the JUNOS, and there will be opportunities for people of all ages to contribute. If you love music, arts and entertainment, the JUNOS want your help!
Volunteer opportunities are already open, so be sure to contact the JUNOs volunteer coordinators right away if you're interested. Please visit
junoawards.ca to submit your application. If you have questions regarding volunteering, please contact
volunteer@junoawards.ca.
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Connect with Us!
Tune in to Alberta's vibrant folk music scene!
For concert videos, interviews with your favourite artists, and a wealth of information about your favourite Calgary Folk Club alumni and upcoming performers, come join the conversation on
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram, and
YouTube.
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