Steve's Blog
Wednesday August 13, 2008

Hi everyone

This week we have two great concerts lined up, with the Vancouver debut of a spirited - and very talented - young quintet from Co. Antrim: Beoga. That's this Friday. August 15th, 8pm, at St. James Hall, 3214 West 10th Avenue. Tickets are available at Highlife Records, Rufus' Guitar Shop, and on-line. You can find out a lot more about the band on their Myspace site www.myspace.com/beoga which features a 10 minute You Tube video with some jamming with Lunasa on it. This is a very exciting young trad. band, and we really want to make them feel welcome in Canada, so come on down and hear - and participate in - some exhilarating Irish music at The Rogue.

On Saturday we have old time music from Erynn Marshall and Pharis & Jason Romero (The Haints) opening for B.C.'s finest Bluegrass outfit, John Reischman & The Jaybirds. This is also at 8pm at St. James Hall. Tickets at the usual outlets. The Haints are playing a Vancouver concert for the first time. Erynn is a fine fiddler who now lives on the Sunshine Coast. We hope she will come to the Rogue on a regular basis from now on. Pharis is the lead singer with Outlaw Social. She recently married Jason, a supreme banjo player and instrument maker from California. We are very pleased to report that she's brought him to B.C. and he hasn't whisked away south. John Reischman is one of the top mandolin players on the planet. The Jaybirds have Jim Nunally on guitar, Nick Hornbuckle on banjo, and Greg Spatz on fiddle - three superb musicians and composers. They also have the lovely Trisha Gagnon on bass and vocals. You won't find a better bluegrass band anywhere.

On Saturday morning I'll be spinning some discs from the Edmonton Folk Music Festival performers - what a time that was! I'll also preview the Paddy Keenan concert (Friday August 22nd) and have plenty of new releases as well. (Big thanks to Paul Norton for filling in last week while I was away. I was so wrapped up in the music that I forgot to phone in a report. I'll put a blog on the website when I get a chance.) Please join me for four hours of the best in Roots Music on CITR fm 101.9 or listen live - or later, via podcast - on www.citr.ca. The show runs from 8am to 12 noon.

Hope to see you all on Friday night, and we'll take it from there. Meanwhile, have a look at these photos I took last weekend.

Cheers
Steve

I just updated my website with some photos from the Edmonton Folk Music festival, and thought you might want to check it out: web.me.com/steveedge3/Site/EFMF_2008.html

Take a look and let me know what you think!