And boys you’d better get your good times in
While the weather’s still nice and cold
‘Cause the Devil’s way down in Mexico
He ain’t got no winter coat
— Brock Zeman
Brock Zeman knows the depths of winter. The good times he sings about here are ice fishing, snowmobiles, and skating across the lake. Zeman also knows how turn it into a great song. With nine albums under his belt, this soulful, gravel-voiced singer songwriter brings us the stories of the the lost and the lonely who are getting by, one day at a time. Some stories come from as far away as Texas, some from just down the road in Hopetown. “It started off as a novel…and ended up as a three-and-a-half minute song,” pretty much describes his approach to all his tunes. Zeman has been touring North America and getting radio play here and in Europe for years, (his latest album, Me thenYou, will be available at the show); he has also added producing to his skill set, and now owns his own label. We’re thrilled he’s appearing at folkus, as appearances on such an intimate acoustic setting are too rare.
Fish & Bird hail from the warmer climes of Victoria, but they are not immune to the charms of winter. They explore the quirky side of life in their lyrics, celebrating body heat in a Winnipeg winter, the Northern Lights, and the wonder of looking up into space. Running banjo, fiddle, and harmonies through the eclectic filter of their generation’s tastes, Fish & Bird refresh the tropes of bluegrass and folk. Growing from an initial two-piece, whimsical project to a five-person band with a full, maturing, sound, Fish & Bird are a tight group of players, trading leads from banjo to fiddle to bass to guitar with ease. The band members are founders Taylor Ashton (vocals, banjo) and Adam Iredale-Gray (fiddle, vocals), joined by Ryan Boeur (electric and acoustic guitars), Ben Kelly (drums) and Natalie Bohrn (upright bass, vocals). Their sound is plangent without being plaintive, their lyrics are clever, and the melodies and time signatures intricate without drifting off into art-grass. The band is currently touring in support of album number 3,Every Whisper is a Shout Across the Void, (which picked up a Western Canadian Music Association nomination last year). Their set promises to fill the hall with a full-on folk jam session.
folkus concert series is held in the winter months at the Almonte Old Town Hall, 114 Bridge Street, Almonte. Our goal as series is to present great Canadian and local talent. This is made possible with the support of our sponsors and the Ontario Arts Council. As alway, doors open at 7:30. Show time is 8:00. Refreshments and merchandise will be available; debit will not. Details and tickets are available at Mill Street Books in Almonte and at www.folkusalmonte.ca . Singles are $27 in advance or at the door.