Steve's Blog
The Merry Month Of May at The Rogue
Friday May 10, 2024

Jim Byrnes & The Sojourners, Friday May 10th 8pm, at Mel Lehan Hall at St. James (3214 West 10th Avenue)

The Rogue celebrates our 37th Anniversary this evening, and what better way to do it than to share the evening with maestro Jim Byrnes OC. Yes, James T. Byrnes was awarded the Order of Canada this week in Ottawa! Such a richly deserved honour for the great man. He's bringing his fine band (Simon Kendall on keys, Eric Reed on guitars, Rob Becker on bass, and Geoff Hicks on drums) and the wonderful vocal trio The Sojurners (Marcus Mosely, Khari McLelland, and Will Sanders) to share the stage. Jim actually christened that band all those years ago, and it will be a rare treat to hear their sublime harmonies once again!

The show has been Sold Out for several weeks, but we have had a few cancellations in the last 24 hours, so if you feel like taking a chance on getting in, and you don't have far to travel (so you can get back home and watch the live stream if you don't get a ticket!) there will be a few tickets at the door. They will go to the first people in line. No reservations. 

There are still tickets left for the Live Stream, Watch At Home option, but we cut off sales at noon today. (Don't worry, though. We will make the show available later this weekend if you want to see it - or see it again!) It will most assuredly be a memorable concert!

The Rogue is holding a fundraising Toonie Auction this evening. You are encouraged to bring some extra cash and "bid" on the 10 amazing items up for grabs. Each item will have a separate "draw", and there are some great prizes, including:

1. unique CD collections, 
2. a weekend pass for the Vancouver Folk Music Festival (July 19th to 21st), 
3. a ticket to see Lionel Messi play against the Whitecaps on May 25th, 
4. a gift basket of Italian food and wine, 
5. a USB turntable, 
6. tickets to see Las Cafeteras tomorrow night at The Rickshaw, 
7. 4 house concert tickets to shows of your choice, 
8. and a Parcel O'Rogues & Family Membership with the premium bonus of reserved seats at the show(s) of your choice!
9. A Stan Rogers Box Set

Thank you for supporting real, live music at The Rogue!

Rogue 50/50

Our latest 5050 draw jackpot is currently just under $6,000. Due to circumstances beyond our control we will not have our Raffle Terminal available for the next few shows but you can still purchase tickets online at

https://roguefolkclub.rafflenexus.com/ up to midnight on May 28th.

East Van GoGos with The Arntzen Family and Kristina Olsen, Friday May 17th, 8pm, at Mel Lehan Hall at St. James (3214 West 10th Avenue)

The annual fundraiser for the Stephen Lewis Foundation takes place next Friday, and there is another fabulous Toonie Auctionhappening that night. The music will be amazing (Kristina Olsenhas long been a personal favourite of mine with her witty and soulful bluesy songs and fine picking), and BC's legendary Arntzen Family (featuring Lloyd, still going strong into his 90s, I think. He wrote The Coho Flash Silver amongst many songs, and is a fine clarinettist) He will be joined by one of his daughters, Georgina, on vocals and mandolin. 

Tickets are available here.

Cassie & Maggie, Sunday May 19th, 8pm, at Mel Lehan Hall at St. James (3214 West 10th Avenue)

Nova Scotia's MacDonald sisters have been performing and touring and charming audiences all over North America for well over a decade now, and their new CD, Gold & Coal, is their strongest collection of songs and fiddle tunes to date. I saw them at the Folk Alliance in Kansas City in February and they have never sounded better. Such great harmonies and arrangements! Maggie plays guitar and piano, and Cassie plays fiddle. They don't need a band. They are supreme entertainers with a full-on sound, playing invigorating Celtic medleys and singing songs from many regions in their own unique style. 

Sadly, their car was broken into in San Francisco last weekend, and all their merchandise was stolen. We will, however, have a CD Draw prize of the new album - complete wth a bonus track - and if you miss out on that, I'm sure they can sell you some tunes - and hats - from the store on their website.

We are delighted to welcome these young road warriors back to The Rogue. I hope you will join us. They might need cheering up after that theft, and what better way to do it than to play music for an appreciative audience at The Rogue? Tickets are available here.

Coming Soon to The Rogue

Don't miss these fabulous concerts in our fabled venue:

Stephen Fearing, Saturday May 25th - the return of the Founding Rogue and Member Number One, with a new album and a batch of great songs new and old

Deanna Knight & Friends, Sunday May 26th

The famed chanteuse with The Hot Club Of Mars returns with a new CD of original songs, an all-star band (including Simon Kendall, and Finn Manniche of Van Django) and a cabaret showcase with some amazing guest performers. 

Teddy Thompson, Sunday June 16th

The son of Richard & Linda Thompson makes his Rogue debut with a couple of new albums showcasing his love of old-style Country Music, and his incredible voice and guitar work. Teddy will perform solo in this uniquely intimate concert.

Tom Crean - Antarctic Explorer, Saturday June 29th

Aidan Dooley from Dublin brought his one-man play to Vancouver last September. We saw it, and I have to say it was one of the most compelling and rivetting evenings of stories I have ever witnessed. He sold out six nights at The Billy Bishop Legion - that's over 600 people - and is only performing one night this year. Tom Crean was an Irish adventurer who joined Shackleton's expeditions to the South Pole early in the 20th century. His true stories are brought to life in this one-man play. Don't miss it!

Shooglenifty, Thursday July 18th

Trippy sounds and Celtic grooves, anyone? From the Scottish Highlands we present the return of The Shoogs, performing their unique brand of Celtic tunes and multicultural beats in a style they like to call "Acid Croft Music"! Eilidh Shaw is the brilliant new fiddler, replacing the legendary Angus Grant, who died back in 2017. Kaela Rowan sings in Gaelic, her partner, James MacKintosh, remains the only full-kit drummer who keeps the bounce in Celtic music without squaring it up into rock & roll. He is the unrivalled master of blending hip-hop beats with scintillating fiddle tunes. 

We will have a dance floor for this show, their first in Canada since 2017, to revive memories of their appearance at Richard's on Richards many moons ago, when Angus remarked "there are a lot of people out there on the dance floor, swaying, with their eyes closed, smiling. We like that!" Don't miss this show, folks. I promise you it will be absolutely fantastic!

Radio Waves

On this week's edition of The Saturday Edge On Folk (8am to noon on www.citr.ca) I'm paying tribute to my old mate Ron Kavana, who died last Saturday in Cork. He was such an inspirational man, with solid roots in the Blues, Cajun Music, and Rock, as well as one of the most versatile band leaders in contemporary and traditional Irish music. He was an occasional member of The Pogues, too. I'll have more of his songs on next week's show as well.

I'll also spin new tunes gleaned from the pages and downloads of Songlines Magazine, and Irish Music magazine. You will hear loads of new music from across Canada and beyond, including some especially tasty previews of performers coming to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival in July, and some exotic new sounds from places like Norway, Poland, Ukraine, and Africa.

I hope you will join me. I love it when you tune me in and turn me on!