We welcome the Harmony B’s for our Canada Day Celebration at Desboro Music Hall. It all happens between the Strawberry Supper and the Fireworks. PWYC (Pay What You Can). We’ll have lots happening:
~ Join us for a little Open Mic between sets from 7 – 8pm, 8:30 – 9:00pm-ish, 9:30 – 10pm-ish. We’ll have a guitar and piano. You bring your singing voice and songs or whatever you want to perform. Please sign up when you arrive.
~ The Harmony B’s play at 8pm & 9pm and the dance floor will be open.
~ Our Concession Stand will be open for snacks and drinks.
HAPPY 150th CANADA!
Opening Act: Madison Galloway
Desboro Music Hall 2018 Concert Series
**Please note this is a Friday concert (Friday April 20)**
All Ages Doors Open: 7pm, Music Starts: 7:30pm
Tickets: Limited Advance: $20, Regular: $25
*Advance tickets are only available up to the Box Office hours the weekend before the show or we run out (Note: there is a limit of 25 advance price tickets)
THE O’PEARS
The O’Pears are a Toronto-based contemporary folk trio made up of Lydia Persaud, Jill Harris and Meg Contini, three songwriters who weave stories that stir the spirit and capture the timeless character of folk music. Like Those Nights, their debut album, captures soaring harmonies and a seamless blend, evoking the profound intimacy of Nick Drake, the sister-like blend of The Staves and the dynamic harmony of Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Live performances turn the loudest bar into the warmest house concert, with their endearing, unabashed personalities balancing the intimate sincerity of the songs. They recently performed to high acclaim at festivals such as Summerfolk, Great Heart Festival, Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival, garnered radio play across Canada, including CBC, and have been featured live with Royal Wood, Good Lovelies, Michelle Willis, and Coco Love Alcorn. Each band member a distinctly talented musician with a stand-alone voice, style, and stage presence, when these three come together it is breathtaking. A striking mix of tight a cappella and rootsy instrumentation, Like Those Nights explores lessons learned about love and loss through the eyes and hearts of young Canadian storytellers. The O’Pears continue to bring a strong, honest voice to the modern female perspective.
The O’Pears Website
The O’Pears Facebook
The O’Pears Instagram
The O’Pears Twitter
MADISON GALLOWAY
Born and raised in small town Fergus, Ontario, 18-year old Madison Galloway is a driven and dynamic musician and singer-songwriter with a unique approach to her blend of folk, rock, and blues.
At 15, Madison set out to translate her youthfulness and energy into fresh hooks and appealing melodies with her debut EP “Who Knows Where” featuring five of her original songs that flirt with country influences, while retaining Madison’s signature style and direct attitude.
Madison takes the stage with guitar, harmonica, and ukulele performing solo, as part of the duo Fork n’ Harp, or accompanied by her band, The Mud Guppies. She has over 160 shows under her belt, having shared the stage with renowned Canadian artists such as 54-40, The Sadies, Alysha Brilla, and Coco Love Alcorn. She captures the ears and hearts of her audience with a performance that is riveting for its energy; imagine Janis Joplin jamming with Neil Young while Joni Mitchell looks over proudly.
Madison Galloway Website
Madison Galloway Facebook
Madison Galloway Instagram
Madison Galloway Twitter
Madison Galloway YouTube
Opening Act: Doris Folkens
Desboro Music Hall 2018 Concert Series
**Please note this is a Friday concert (Friday June 1)**
All Ages Doors Open: 7pm, Music Starts: 7:30pm
Tickets: Limited Advance: $20, Regular: $25
*Advance tickets are only available up to the Box Office hours the weekend before the show or we run out (Note: there is a limit of 25 advance price tickets)
OVER THE MOON
Canadian roots/swing duo Over The Moon‘s Suzanne Levesque and Craig Bignell are awarding multi-instrumentalists/vocalists that met, fell in love, got married and discovered their voices blend so well together that people often tear up upon hearing them sing.
Living on a ranch in the foothills of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, it’s inevitable there will be a strong sense of place- and the rhythms of the land when you start to make music. When the couple released their debut album, the resonances were there for all to hear. reflecting the pulse of life, lived in a territory that is both dirt-hard rugged and beautiful.
Their music is a wild ride from 40’s sounding western swing and Appalachian old-time, to cowboy blues. Simple and sweet, all of their material has a common thread that speaks of the Canadian west and on their UK release, reviews were glowing. American Roots UK saying it was “Exceptional” and Country Music People adding “There’s so much to enjoy here.” The editor of Maverick Magazine told readers “You will love this” Elmore Magazine, New York “We knew we were on to something special”
Over the Moon Website
Over the Moon Facebook
Over the Moon Twitter
Over the Moon YouTube
DORIS FOLKENS
Born in Burlington, Ontario, Doris Folkens grew up playing a piano which survived the bombing of her grandmother’s house in Hamburg during WW2. She began playing guitar- a more portable instrument- during university. After graduating and settling into a health care career, she went on to study songwriting with Berklee College of Music, where she strengthened her skills at writing songs about family and community.
Her debut, old-time inspired album is produced by Toronto’s 7x Canadian Folk Music Award winning mandolinist, Andrew Collins, and arrives Spring 2018. Her music is already receiving recognition from the Ontario music scene- she’s the 2017 recipient of Folk Music Ontario’s “Songs from the Heart- Humorous” Award. A rare singer/songwriter, the vibrant narratives of her folk songs will evoke nostalgia for who you are and where you came from.
Doris Folkens Website
Doris Folkens Facebook
Doris Folkens Instagram
Doris Folkens YouTube
Opening Act: Dana Sipos
Desboro Music Hall 2018 Concert Series
All Ages Doors Open: 7pm, Music Starts: 7:30pm
Tickets: Limited Advance: $20, Regular: $25
*Advance tickets are only available up to the Box Office hours the weekend before the show or we run out (Note: there is a limit of 25 advance price tickets)
DURHAM COUNTY POETS
The Durham County Poets are a lively and soulful group, who write and perform an eclectic blend of blues, folk and rock, with tinges of country, gospel and swing tossed in for good measure.
They are five seasoned musicians, all of whom are songwriters, who work together individually and collaboratively in composing their music. Delving into a variety of styles and genres, their musical influences include a broad range of artists. From The Band to Dire Straits, Leon Redbone to James Taylor and Neil Young, they have managed to put it all together to create their own musical style. The obvious joie de vivre expressed while performing together is reflected in the good-time feel that the band creates, which has been captivating their audiences consistently since their inception 6 years ago.
Fronted by Kevin Harvey, a self proclaimed blues crooner on lead vocals, The Durham County Poets also feature David Whyte on electric and acoustic guitars and vocals, Neil Elsmore on acoustic guitar and vocals, Carl Rufh on double bass and vocals and Rob Couture (formerly of The Echo Hunters) on drums and percussion.
Popular at music festivals and venues across eastern Canada, the band is branching more and more into the U.S. market, with more bookings up-coming in 2018.
DANA SIPOS
Dana Sipos inhabited the far north before going nomad and her captivatingly nuanced songs are filled with surrealism and a wild wind. She tours by bicycle, tall ship, canoe and train. Her last album, Roll Up the Night Sky, received critical acclaim and was nominated for a 2015 Canadian Folk Music Award in the Pushing the Boundaries category. Recorded with experimental Toronto producer Sandro Perri, she’ll release a new album, Trick of the Light, in early 2018.
Dana Sipos Website
Dana Sipos Facebook
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Dana Sipos Twitter
Opening Act: The Crew
Desboro Music Hall 2018 Concert Series
All Ages Doors Open: 7pm, Music Starts: 7:30pm
Tickets:Regular: $25
THE YOUNG NOVELISTS
When they first met, Graydon James and Laura Spink had no idea that they would be married one day — much less touring the world together as The Young Novelists. Since the band’s inception in 2009, they’ve played stages across the U.S. and Canada, released three full-length albums, won numerous awards and continuous praise for their unmatched, effortless harmonies. But for their new album in city & country, the Toronto-based band decided to travel out of the city and in to small-town Ontario in order to connect the two places. After years of firsthand experience combined with historical research, James and Spink wrote over 30 songs inspired by a dozen Canadian towns. From that set, in city & country was born — a collection of ten songs that tell the universal stories of both parallels while highlighting the differences, similarities, and everything in-between.
They both grew up in Ontario; Spink in Peterborough, James in Verona, a small eastern town with a population of a mere 1,800. They both moved to Waterloo for university, where they met via community theatre; but it wasn’t until James decided to refocus his career from drummer to frontman that they combined their talent musically. “I had written a bunch of songs and recorded them in my basement, mostly for posterity,” says James, “I asked Laura to sing harmony on some of the songs and it instantly had this magical vibe.” Shortly after James released his solo album Goodnight, Young Novelist (2009), he realized that in order to perform live, he needed to assemble a band to match the record’s full sound. After recruiting some musicians he had met over the years and touring the east coast as a six-piece, the band decided to stay together, becoming Graydon James & The Young Novelists. Between 2011 and 2012, they released two albums: live at dublin st. church (2011), and in the year you were born (2012). However, it became clear that Spink was taking on more lead vocal duties. By the time they recorded their next album, made us strangers (2015), it made the most sense to simply shorten their name to The Young Novelists.
While their upcoming album in city & country will technically be their fourth album, it is their third studio album and second under the current moniker. Their last record made us strangers landed them a Canadian Folk Music Award for New/Emerging Artist, a Vocal Group of the Year nomination, and reached top 20 on !earshot’s and Stingray Music’s (formerly Galaxie) folk charts. The same year, the band won the Grassy Hill Connecticut Folk Songwriting competition and James received the Ontario Art Council’s prestigious Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award. But 2016 was an even bigger year for the two — Spink quit her job as a scientist, they packed their things (and their five year old son Simon), and went on a massive North American tour. After over 100 shows, including a 10-week stint on the road, the pair returned to Toronto to start working on in city & country, drawing inspiration from their travels.
Set for release on May 4, 2018, The Young Novelists recorded in city & country with the help of JUNO-winning producer Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Leonard Cohen, The Wooden Sky). Recorded at Bilerman’s Hotel2Tango studios in Montreal, the duo returns with their classic him-and-her vocals, with James playing acoustic guitar and Spink on percussion and vibraphone. For the album’s fullness, they enlisted the help of bassist Derrick Brady, drummer Rory Calexico, and guitarist John Law.
“It was a new experience – being away from home and recording,” Spink says, adding, “It was magical to be in a beautiful, new (to us) city, spending our time and creative energy in a great studio, working with fun and fantastic people who were equal parts talented and devoted to the project.”
The album opens with “Two Of A Kind” a sentimental ballad inspired by the town of Goderich; keyboardist Jeffrey Louch shines on the almost-love song that tells the tale of a woman trying to choose between two men. The album continues with the delicate, mellow “Back To The Hard Times,” but this time, focusing on Spink’s vocals, perfectly complemented by violinist Lana Tomlin (noted for her work with Canadian band Stars). The song is inspired by Ridgeway, a town on the shores of Lake Erie, and compares two very different kinds of sadness: the failure of an old amusement park and a friend’s relationship ending. “This sort of thing happens in lots of small towns – an industry is built up and torn down. We tried to combine aspects of the grandiose industrialist dreamer who started the Crystal Beach Amusement Park, and the small-town kids who tried their best and got their hearts broken there.” The album takes a leap on track 5 with the upbeat, energy-packed “Come Round Again”. Written about a Bonnie & Clyde-style heist in Halton Hills, the song’s adrenaline draws from a guitar-heavy intro and super catchy hook — it’s a challenge to not airdrum along to this one.
The title track, “City & Country”, ties the album together in more ways than one; listening wise, the track brings together the entire studio band (including cellist Justin Wright). Inspired by Toronto, Waterloo, and his hometown of Verona, James’ reminisces on crucial times and places in his life. “This is really a song about my experiences living in a major city and a small town, and the fact that I think there are more similarities than differences.” No matter where you’ve lived, the dichotomy that exists on in city & country is universal; it’s not just a memoir of the duo’s experiences or the histories of small towns, it’s about appreciating where you’ve been and where you’re at — and finding the good and bad that lies within both
The Young Novelists Website
The Young Novelists Facebook
The Young Novelists Twitter
The Young Novelists Instagram
THE CREW
The Crew is a folk/trad band from Ontario. Made up of multi-instrumentalists, this brother-sister group writes and performs songs full of heart and rhythm, the kind you can’t sit still to. They braid flavours of the east coast, power-house vocals, and a pulsing folk drive seamlessly to make their signature Crew sound.