“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” — Intense!!!!

Posted on 2016-01-19 by Rod Wilson

Family politics and sibling rivalry have been around since the beginning of time. All the way from royalty right down to the neighbour just across the street it is one of life’s constants. From Shakespeare’s King Lear to the play that is currently on the stage of the Studio/Stage Door in Cranbrook it is the raw source material of great literature. Once again Director Terry Miller and the Cranbrook Community Theatre have stepped up to the plate and this time they have taken on the monumental Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams. For this undertaking Terry has enlisted the following actors in the following roles:

Jennifer Inglis as Margaret
Sean Swinwood as Brick
Alexander Gilmour as Big Daddy
Nicola Kaufman as Big Mama
Brent Gill as Gooper
Nikole Spring as Mae
Galen Olstead /Bob McCue as Reverend Tooker
Peter Schalk as Doctor Baugh

This is a big three act play that, with intermissions runs for three hours. Set in the delta plantation home of Big Daddy Pollitt in the summer of 1955 it covers all the big themes – sibling rivalry, thwarted professional ambitions and dreams, alcoholism, greed, mendacity, sexual desire and sexual confusion, illness and death. You name it and it’s all in there. Here are some images from the dress rehearsal on Wednesday January 13, 2016 –

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Making God Laugh – Dress Rehearsal

Posted on 2015-10-09 by Rod Wilson

Cranbrook Community Theatre – Making God Laugh full dress rehearsal at the Studio Stage Door in Cranbrook. Wednesday October 7, 2015, 7:30pm.

A play written by Sean Grennan, Directed by Trevor Lundy, starring Melodie Hull as the mother Ruthie and Michael Prestwich as her husband Bill; Gina Martin as daughter Maddie, David Booth as older son Rick(y) and Woody McGuire as Father Tom, the youngest son.

Movies are about the wham, bam, bang factor with lot of action an unlikely plot twists. As a general rule, films do not emphasize inter-personal relationships and character development. Of course there are exceptions, but I think the general rule applies. Live theater does not lend itself to spectacular car crashes, chases, sinking ships and space Opera cliches. As a result plays tend to have more elements of human relationships. That is the case with the latest Cranbrook Community Theatre production of Making God Laugh. Here, without giving too much away is the synopsis of the play – “Making God Laugh follows the lives of Bill and Ruthie and their three adult children through more than 30 years of holiday gatherings. Sometimes uproariously funny and other times very moving, the play examines all of the facets involved in being part of a crazy, messed up, but mostly normal, dysfunctional family.”

Tickets are available at Lotus Books and at the door for October 9, 10, 14,15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24 performances at the Studio Stage/ Door in Cranbrook.

Here are the images from the Dress Rehearsal:

THANKSGIVING

CHRISTMAS

NEW YEARS CELEBRATIONS AND THE IMPEDING CHAOS OF A “Y2K” MELTDOWN

“EASTER” AND RECONCILIATION

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Locals Coffee House – The End of the Season

Posted on 2015-05-11 by Rod Wilson

LOCALS COFFEE HOUSE: The last of the season , Saturday, April 25, 2015 7:30 pm at the Studio/Stage Door, Cranbrook

Once again it was a night of attractive women, new and old tunes, some musical theatre and some low level testosterone enhancements. The night was kicked off by the MC Katie Elders ———Katie introduced Janice Nicili, best known as a kick-a***** bass player with the Little Jazz Orchestra and the Rosie Brown Band. Janice has been known to don an afro-wig and play masterful funk bass when the occasion calls for it. Tonight, on guitar she accompanied the mother and daughter duo Shawna and Meghan Plant . The trio chose a selection of contemporary songs that included The Lions Roar by the Swedish band First Aid Kit. For those not familiar with this band I have attached a couple of YouTubes at the end of this blog.

Next up was the first quotient of testosterone for the evening with Ian Jones playing a classic 1982 Gibson acoustic guitar that he appropriated from his mother some years back. As I was dealing with a camera malfunction I didn’t note down the tunes he performed. For some unknown reason or other I had disabled the auto focus and it required a little bit of fiddling and a hasty consult of the manual to get my eyes uncrossed and the equipment back on track. Below is one result of my attempt at unfocused photography. While it doesn’t do justice to Ian or his music it does have some sort of “Arty” quality that I kind of like. If I tried I probably could not duplicate the effect ………..ever.

I did manage to get my eyes uncrossed long enough to get the auto-focus working again for a couple of clear shots.

Carter Goldseth is an original. He has a voice and musical maturity beyond his years. It is hard to believe he is only in high school. He has stepped away from the usual pop music of his peers and seems to be focused on musical theatre. He is a strong singer who doesn’t really need a microphone to fill a room. He was accompanied on keyboards by Kia Hromadnik.

During the intermission, in amongst the gear stacked on stage I spotted a Romero Clawhammer Banjo. This is Paige Lennox’s new toy. This is another example of the finely crafted instruments that are currently being built in BC. Romero Banjos are much sort after and to have one built to order there is a four year waiting list. Apart from their magnificent sound they have this wonderful antique look.

For more eye candy click on the link to J. Romeo Banjos and Resophonic Guitars

The East West Connection may be old testosterone but there are three of them so that may make up for a slight loss in vigor. Gene Anderson on bass and Tom Bungay on vocals and guitar are the long standing members of this entertaining group. Recently they found the keyboard player Rick Parsons lying by the side of the road and they decided to give him a break by inviting him to join the band. They did a mix of old and new tunes and finished their set with a stomping version of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline.

For a while Connor Foote and Clayton Parsons had a country duo called Gold Creek. As a band they faded out when Connor went off to Vancouver for a while and Clayton spent some time down on the coast building a guitar. But here they are back with their special brand of Not-Nashville country tunes. This gig was part of their re-union one-stop world tour and it included Connor’s soon to be a world wide hit, his new original song Saw Mill Blues.

Last but not least for the evening was the Rosie Brown Band featuring Page Lennox on banjos and vocals, Janice Nicili on bass and vocals, Cosima Wells on guitar and vocals, Shawna Plant on Mandolin and Heather Gemmell on Guitar, Dobro and vocals. They did a selection of old time tunes but finished up with the Eagles Seven Bridges.

So ends another successful season of Locals. This is the second year in row that they have sold out all shows. Thanks should go to Lorraine, Mark and all the volunteers and performers that make the series possible and such a success. Thanks guys !!!!!!!

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As promised here are the YouTube links for the Swedish duo First Aid Kit

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SKIN FLICK – A Rollicking Good Time

Posted on 2015-05-04 by Rod Wilson

This is the press release and it pretty well says it all – it is a great show with lots of laughs. Give yourself treat – spend a night at the Studio / Stage Door.

Skin Flick is 50 Shades of Funny: The final production of Cranbrook Community Theatre’s (CCT) season featuring plays by Canadian playwrights ends with Skin Flick, a comedic romp written by Norm Foster. This hilarious one-liner comedy features a married couple and their friend united by unfortunate circumstance. When Rollie and Daphne suddenly lose their jobs and are facing unemployment, an opportunity presents itself that they just can’t refuse. Making a “skin flick” or adult film might not be the first thing that newly jobless professionals decide to throw their last remaining funds into, but after discovering how lucrative the porn industry is, they decide to go for it. With their crude yet savvy cameraman friend, Alex, Rollie and Daphne recruit improbable movie stars in Byron, an awkward bookie, and Jill, a feisty telegram performer. Norm Foster creatively uses Rollie’s character to narrate parts of the story for the audience. Despite the title of the play, there’s no nudity involved in Skin Flick; rather, Foster uses innuendo and suggestion to tell his tale which results in more than a few laugh-out-loud moments.

Skin Flick features phenomenal local talent on-stage and in the director’s chair. No stranger to heart-warming and funny plays, Bob McCue puts his director’s cap back on for Skin Flick after directing CCT’s highly successful production of Steel Magnolias in 2012. Starring Patrick Baranowski and Tracy McGuire, the cast rounds out with Bob Wakulich, Jerrod Bondy, and Lisa Aasebo.

Don’t miss this highly entertaining production running May 1 & 2, 6-9 and 13-16! Tickets can be purchased at Lotus Books or at the door and all shows start at 8:00 p.m. There is a stair lift available for those with mobility issues. Please call the Stage Door office at 250-426-2490 to book the stair lift in advance. This production is intended for adult audiences – mature content and language.

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The Cast of Characters: The husband and wife team of Rollie and Daphne Waters

Patrick Baranowski with his comedic face and persona plays the soon to unemployed Rollie Waters. His wife Daphne Waters, who is also currently unemployed, is played by Tracy McGuire

And, of course, every guy has a more than slightly worn best buddy. In Rollie’s case he has a now also unemployed TV camera man, called Alex Tratt played by Bob Wakulich. Alex has been fired because his attempts to correct the wardrobe “blouse malfunction” of a well proportioned female newscaster has been misconstrued as “fondling”. Unfortunately this was on screen at the time so it was pretty hard to deny. Also, true to form, the “more than slightly worn buddy” has a significant debt with a less than proficient “Bookie”, called Byron Hobbs, played by Jerrod Bondy. Byron has inherited the family business and, despite his snappy appearance, doesn’t have the muscle to make a success of the business.

Last, but not least, the Greeting Card Delivery Person Jill (I am not sure exactly of the job descriptor) is played by Lisa Aasebo. Jill is less than thrilled with her career choice and is also soon to be unemployed. There you have it; a quartet of economically less than successful protagonists thrown together in what may turn out to be fortuitous circumstances. During the course of the play this unlikely quartet stumbles on a possible solution to their economic troubles. There is money to be made in Porn videos. Without giving too much away here are some images from the dress rehearsal.

The Situations

“With my camera on my shoulder I reached out and tried to correct a blouse malfunction.”

Casting interviews and rehearsals

“All’s well that ends well”

Once again Cranbrook Community Theatre has another winner with lots of color, lots of costumes, lots of humor and ………. a rollicking good time.

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Continuing the Tradition

Posted on 2014-09-13 by Rod Wilson

Daniel Champagne at the Studio/Stage Door, September 12, 2014 8pm.

There is a whole cadre of musicians who are out of the musical mainstream and under the radar. There are performers who are a cut above the run of the mill. We have been very fortunate over the years in having local impresarios like Gord and Jill Johnston and Terry Miller who have extended themselves to present these unsung heroes of the music scene. The list of legends who have performed in the area include Martin Simpson, Kelly Joe Phelps, Andy Irvine, Garnet Rodgers, Steven Fearing and many, many others. Gord and Jill have moved on to other fields of endeavor and Michael and Corianna Robinson have stepped up to the plate to keep the tradition going. Some months back they brought in Old Man Leudecke and this past Friday they presented Daniel Champagne. Daniel is a young Australian guitarist and vocalist who is not (yet) a household name. The best way to describe his music is that it is a cross between Tommy Emmanuel (another Australian who is a household name), and Michael Hedges with a dash of Van Halen thrown into the mix. He is a dramatic performer who uses the open tunings and the percussive possibilities of his guitar. It goes without saying that his guitar has taken a lot of beatings in its short life (check the duct tape that seems to be holding it together). He has an endorsement agreement with Australian Cole Clark Guitars and maybe it is just as well. I can’t see his instrument lasting more than a couple of years. Despite his aggressive playing style and on stage athleticism he has a finely developed sense of dynamics that can take his playing from whisper soft to outrageous shouting. The shouter of the evening was Willie Dixon’s blues classic Spoonful. It was an extended performance that could easily match the many other cover versions that are out there. Apart from a number of original tunes, The Pendulum, I Grew Up Where I Could See the Stars, Wrecking Ball, Gypsy Moon, Renegade’s Rule there were a couple of covers tunes as well. They included Don MacLean’s Vincent. This was a masterpiece of deconstruction in which he took the melody apart and put it back together with wonderful instrumental shadings. For the guitarists in the audience here is a hint …. he plays the piece in the key of G using Dropped D / Dropped G tuning (the bottom E string is tuned down to D, and the bottom A is tuned down G ie DGDGBE). Daniel credits Chet Atkins with this arrangement

This was an especially fine concert and the second in this new series. For the purpose of this blog I have decided to “brand” the series by calling it the IN THE TRADITION CONCERT SERIES. The next concert will be the magnificent Freddie Eaglesmith at the Studio / Stage Door October 14, 2014 followed by Bow Thayer on November 7, 2014. CONTACT Mike for tickets at music@lotic.co.

Special Thanks to Mike and Corrina Robinson, Ben Blomander (on sound) and the other volunteers lurking in the background.

Here is special treat from Youtube

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The Jazz Council Reunion at the Studio/Stage Door

Posted on 2014-08-17 by Rod Wilson

The Jazz Council Reunion Concert, at the Studio / Stage Door Friday August 15, 2014 8pm

Here are some brief words from their press release to get the ball rolling:

“Cranbrook, BC – It’s reunion time! Two years after their last concert together, the original members of The Jazz Council are bringing their infectious swing, magnetic energy, and new original tunes back to The Stage Door in Cranbrook on Friday, August 15 at 8 PM. Drummer Sven Heyde, pianist Tim Plait, saxophonist Bernie Primbs, trumpeter Laurel Ralston, and bassist Joel Kroeker have been honing their skills and exploring new musical horizons – here in the Kootenays, across the country, and abroad. They are thrilled to meet back at home this summer and pick up where they left off – making great music in their signature style.The Jazz Council has given over 40 performances since forming in 2010, and released their successful debut album, Dawn, in 2011. They are renowned across the Kootenays for their unique sound and blend of instruments, skillful playing, and irresistible stage presence. The Jazz Council firmly believes that jazz is, at its core, popular music, and can be both authentic and accessible. Their original compositions and their covers weave together many different strands and sub-genres of jazz, giving the listener’s ears a well-balanced diet, while their ability to select sounds from a specific palette gives them a unique, clear sound that is all their own.”

In the meantime there are a lot of images to browse:

The Jazz Council kicked off this concert with Bernie Primbs ode to his wife with Quiere Casarte Conmigo followed by the Miles Davis tune Four. That first tune was off their CD Dawn. So that set the pattern for the night – a mix of tunes they had recorded and mostly new and original material. Their playing was very “snappy” and precise with lots of swing, so much so that it was hard to believe that they have not had many, if any, opportunities to practice together over the past two years. In her never ending search for technical and spiritual inspiration Laurel has been dipping into to playing of Booker Little. The results of her research was her rendition of Booker’s composition Bee Tee’s Plea (check the YouTube link Bee Tee’s Plea ). Booker was a disciple of the Jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown who died in a car crash in 1956 at the age of 25. Booker was only a couple of years later and was only 23 when he died of the complications of uremia. Considering how short their respective careers were it is amazing that here in this day and age, 50 years after their deaths, these two musicians are still exerting a significant influence on new generations of trumpet players. Other compositions played were Drifting (Herbie Hancock), If I was a Bell, A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square (a piano trio outing with some nice brush work from Sven). No night of jazz would be complete without at least one Thelonious Monk’s tune and the band did the honors with the jazz standard Well You Needn’t. The original compositions presented were Laurel’s Broken Drill Bit Blues and Cinder; Joel’s 5/4 romp Rainy Night Caper and his funky January 29th; and Bernie’s “creepy Jazz Style” On the Prowl and for the encore his Everybody Could Use a Minor Funk. There was lots of humor in the evening and it was evident that these musicians really enjoy what they are doing. It is a pity we may not get to hear them more often. Laurel is heading back to Ottawa, Tim to Edmonton and Joel to Fernie. That only leaves Bernie and Sven around town. Too bad.

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LOCALS – a sold out show ends a sold out season

Posted on 2014-04-30 by Rod Wilson

Locals Coffee House, Saturday April 25, 2014, 7:30pm at the Studio / Stage Door, Cranbrook

As always LOCALs served up the cream of local talent in this the last concert of the 2013-2014 season. The old, the young, the novice and the seasoned performers were once again putting themselves out there. The show opened with the well known Daze of Grace and a selection of Sharon Routley’s original material with a slightly different band configuration. Sharon Routley on guitar and vocals; Jubal Routley on lead guitar; Warren Routley on Conga and Rod Wilson Percussion (Darbuka, Cojon, Djembe and Shakers). The songs included The River, Waiting in the Rain, The Balloon Song (aka as The Dream Song). The novice of the evening was Josh Norgard, and although he confessed to some nerves on this his first on stage appearance, it was not evident when he played and sung I’m Yours, Come and Feel the Noise, Say Yes and Electric Rock. Doug Mitchell (guitar and vocals) is a political satirist and humorist whose classic line My Baby Loves Starbucks but doesn’t care a Bean About Me is forever stuck in my head. His opening assault was on Coke (Cola, that is) in Open Happiness ( Open up a Coke, add a little Ice cream, make a float) that explored the diverse uses of the ever popular soft drink. The anti-Fracking song Fracking has found favor with the environmental activists and we are sure to hear more of this little ditty as the political debate over this technology heats up. Last but not least was the song Sibling Rivalry (I wish I was hung like my brother Dave) that raised way more than a giggle from the audience. Tom Bungay is ex-military so it came as no surprise when he selected J.P. Cormier’s ode about PTS in the song Home Town Battle Field to open his set. He followed that up with Learning to Live Again, the patriotic Maple Leaf and the trials and tribulations of domestic relationships in Get out of Here, but Come Back Soon. Erin & Ferdy Belland (“Torch and Twitt” upright bass and vocal duo) ran through some Cole Porter, Miss Otis Regrets; Nat Cole’s It’s Only a Paper Moon (a personal favorite of mine) and Tom Waitts’ Little Boy Blue. Ferdy looked majestic, sinister and super cool dressed in black, sporting a Rasputin beard and playing that super-cool black upright bass. Robin Sudo (vocals) and Jim Cameron (Guitar) chose to do a single medley, or as Jim described it, a triptych that explored the themes of love and loss in three related songs (To Know Him is to Love Him / That Loving Feeling / and a third song whose name escapes me). In true “Goatish” style The Good Ol’ Goats finished off the evening with some new material and a charming new member on keyboard and trumpet. (The trumpet was a really nice touch). Here are some more images from the evening:

Thanks Lorraine, Mark, Jon and all the LOCAL’S crew for such a great season.

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The End of the Beannick Concert Series

Posted on 2014-04-30 by Rod Wilson

With the David Francy concert tonight (Wednesday April 30, 2014) at the Studio / Stage Door the Beannick Concert Series unfortunately, like all good things, comes to an end. The Musical Director, Gord Johnston, is moving onto other challenges thus bringing the series to a close. Over the past seven series the following performers have graced the stage at The Studio / Stage Door:

Series #1

Heather Bush and the Uppercuts
Martyn Joseph
Travelin’ Light

Series #2

Matt Anderson
Marc Atkinson
Colin Hay

Series #3

Stephen Fearing and Andy White
John Cruz
Suzie Vinnick

Series #4

Garnet Rodgers
Sue Foley and Peter Karp
Kelly Joe Phelps

Series #5

Cahalen Morrison and Eli West
Carlos del Junco (The Blues Mongrels)
Stephen Fearing

Series #6

Dave Gunning
Woody Holler and his Orchestra
Suzie Vinnick and Rick Fines

Series #7

Martyn Joseph
Michael Jerome Brown
David Francy

Gord Johnston is retiring from his career at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club and is ready to move on to new adventures. It’s been a good run and we can’t thank Gord Johnston and Terry Miller enough for enriching Cranbrook`s cultural landscape. We should also thank the audiences who`s support of the series and made it such a success. Thanks too, to Ben Blomander for keeping things sounding great, to Jean Ann and Joe Debreceni for keeping us in drinks, to Kris Aasen and Rusty Gahr and a few others for keeping the lights on and, once again, thanks to the patrons who keep on supporting live music at every opportunity.

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Please note the following:

Lotus Books is hosting ‘in store’ concerts of very talented musicians. Erin and Ferdy are Beannick members and their guest artists consist of an eclectic and talented line up. Their next show is on Friday. That’s right, May 2 with Tom Holliston, who is known for his connection with NoMeansNo, bringing his own acoustic sensibility to the store. Lotus Books, 8pm, tickets at the door (or in advance, I’d guess)..

Mike and Corinne Robinson, also Beannick members are creating a concert series that is similar to Beannick. They have already hosted Old Man Luedecke and have Sept and Oct dates booked at the Stage Door. For more info, contact Mike at music@lotic.co

There is also a couple in Kimberley hosting house concerts. They’ve had an impressive lineup and there may be a few seats available. You can try them at driftwoodconcerts@gmail.com.

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Beannick Subscription Series #7 – The Last One

Posted on 2014-02-22 by Rod Wilson

Terry Miller and Gord Johnston have just released the line up for the Beannick Subscription Series #7.

Monday March 24, 2014: MARTYN JOSEPH, Marty returns – he performed in the second concert and left a huge impression and it will be good to have him back. Click on Review of Martyn Joseph Concert

Monday April 7, 2014: MICHAEL JEROME BROWNE is a highly acclaimed and recognized roots musician. Check his website by clicking on Michael Jerome Browne

Wednesday April 30, 2014: DAVID FRANCEY. “One of Canada’s most revered folk poets and singers”, David is a multiple Juno winner who performed in Cranbrook some years back. This is a fitting finale for the series.

All shows are at 8:00pm at the Stage Door.

Note that this is a fully subscribed series but occasionally a few tickets may be available at the door.

Series 7 of the Beannick Concert Series will be the final series.

Gord Johnston is retiring from his career at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club and is ready to move on to new adventures. It’s been a good run we can’t thank Gord and Terry enough for enriching Cranbrook`s cultural landscape. We should also thank the audiences who`s support of the series and made it such a success. Thanks too, to Ben Blomander for keeping things sounding great, to Jean Ann and Joe Debreceni for keeping us in drinks, to Kris Aasen and Rusty Gahr and a few others for keeping the lights on.

Thanks again and keep on supporting live music at every opportunity.

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LOCALS COFFEE HOUSE – January 11, 2014

Posted on 2014-01-18 by Rod Wilson

Bill Cleland – MC

The original “Maddy” was the English singer Maddy Prior who, along with Sandy Denny, virtually defined the female voice role in the British Folk Rock genre of the 1960s. Sandy Denny may have had the looks and the rock persona but Maddy had the voice. Young local singer Maddy Prinn has a voice that does not suffer from any comparison with either Maddy Prior or Sandy Denny. Miss Prinn, accompanied by her father Dave, made her first appearance at the Local Coffee House on Saturday. It was a stunning performance. She dipped into the recent rock repertoire to sing U2’s With You or Without You, The Dixie Chicks Easy Silence, and, for me two unfamiliar tunes, Sky Scrapper and Love your Memory. Maddy played Ukelele and guitar and, off to one side her father sang harmony and played some really beautiful back up and lead on his vintage Martin D-28. Dave looked so happy I thought he was going to burst. As they say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and Maddy sounds like she will continue the Prinn legacy and in all probability out shine her dad. Here are a couple of links worth checking: Maddy Prior singing Gaudette and Sandy Denny singing “Who Knows Where the Time Goes”.

Mark Casey – “a folk singer with attitude” (guitar and vocals) is a big fan of the 60’s British invasion band The Kinks. His special treat for the evening was a collection “Kink” songs. He was joined on a couple of tunes by Barry Coulter on blues “harp”. The other “Mark”, there are many “Marks” around this town, Mark Rosini and his partner Krista have recently returned to the area and this was their first exposure at Locals. Mark on guitar and vocals backed up Krista on some songs that include Smokey Robinson’s You’ve Got a Hold on Me. “Mr. eclectic” (Barry Coulter) on such diverse instruments as blues harp, guitar, 12 string guitar and amplified dulcimer is a frequent performer on local stages. His special treat for the evening was a full-on “Nic Drake” experience. For those who don’t know Nic Drake “he was an English singer-songwriter and musician known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He failed to find a wide audience during his lifetime but his work has gradually achieved wider notice and recognition” (from Wikipedia). He suffered from chronic depression and towards the end of his life was smoking what has been described as “unbelievable amounts” of marijuana and exhibiting “the first signs of psychosis”. By the winter of 1970, he had isolated himself in London and in 1974 he died from an apparent suicide. The resurgence of interest in his music may be due to the use of Pink Moon in a 1999 VW Cabrio commercial. Drake tended to use open tunings in his guitar music. So, to achieve the full “Nic Drake Experience” Barry has opted to use some of Nic Drake’s tunings such as B E B E B E (alternating 4th and 5ths), E A D F# B E, and C G C F C E (? Csus) and, rather than haul a number of pre-tuned guitars on stage, he felt the experience demanded the full visual and aural sensations of re-tuning the guitar for each song. Barry is not only eclectic he like to be authentic as well. His final piece of the evening was Pink Moon. Darin Welch is a local singer / song writer who runs the Driftwood Concert House in Kimberley. Darin and his family (Jen and Silas) are dedicated to promoting intimate and sustainable music in a house concert setting. To read reviews and see images from recent Driftwood Concerts do a “Driftwood search” in this blog. He performed three of his original songs that included Wilderness, Pretty Water and Simple City. Darin writes great songs for his own unique voice and his guitar finger picking technique on an outstanding instrument. His performance strength is in his sensitive use of dynamics. RedGirl (Anie and Mike Hepher and Steve Jones) need no introduction. They have been staples on the local music scene for years and during that time they have continued to grow and evolve. Each performance is a fresh look into their musical world. They were joined on guitar by Keith Larsen. Prior to the show they were busy in the “Green Room” pulling together the material for this performance and the result, as usual, was smooth, polished and flawless. For RedGirl there is no other way to perform. For the evening they performed a few bluegrass and “old-timey” tunes (with the emphasis on “old-timey”). Keith was given ample opportunity to display his flat picking talents on Lazy John. Their encore was the old American bluegrass favorite Darli’n Corey.

Once again the Stage Door was sold out and thanks should go to Lorraine Casey and all the volunteers that make this wonderful institution such a joy. Here are some more images from the evening.