1. John Wort Hannam & Chris Ronald, Saturday December 2nd, 8pm, Mel Lehan Hall at St. James (3214 West 10th Avenue)

This SATURDAY - Sparring Songwriters! Two of western Canada’s finest - John Wort Hannam & Chris Ronald, duking it out on stage, song by song! A play on duelling pianos, with all original songs by John or Chris, no covers. Trading tunes back and forth, both supported by multi-instrumentalist John Ellis. It's a melee of melodies, a contest of choruses, and a duel of ditties, all with tongue planted firmly in cheek and all in fun. Join them ringside for this battle royale of songs!

John and Chris have a few things in common – both were born in the UK and immigrated to western Canada, both are former school teachers who began their respective careers as folk/roots singer-songwriters later in life, both are recognized for their award-winning song writing and both have toured and recorded with Vancouver’s brilliant and versatile multi-instrumentalist and producer John MacArthur Ellis.

You will each be given a Score Card to judge the contest!

Click here for Live, In-Person tickets. We realize it's December already and you may be busy with shopping or other celebrations, so if you can't make it to the show, why not purchase a Watch-At-Home ticket instead? We offer this unique service courtesy of Hubcast Media, who have been doing a magnificent job of streaming our shows for the last couple of years. However we need more folks to take advantage of this service in order to cover our costs. It's only $15 and you can watch any time anywhere. Please support your Virtual Rogues!

2. Kyle McKearney, Thursday December 7th, 8pm, Mel Lehan Hall at St. James (3214 West 10th Avenue)

Alberta-based Métis artist Kyle McKearney has a soulful and relatable sound, encompassing not only country, but also folk, blues, R&B and rock ‘n’ roll. He exemplifies everything the Americana genre represents - music for anyone who appreciates pure heart and soul.  After placing as the runner up in the 2022 Project WILD competition supporting emerging artists, he hasn’t looked back and recently released his sophomore album “A Traveler’s Lament”. This garnered him no less than four Canadian Country Music Awards, a CFMA AWard, and now a Grammy nomination, too! He made a big impression showcasing here at the CFMAs back in April, he’s returning this time backed by his six-piece band. Don’t miss this chance to catch him on a rare visit to the west coast! Expect a rockin’ good time! Live & streamed. Click here for Live, In-Person tickets.

Once again, folks, if you can't make it to the concert, please consider purchasing a $15 Watch-At-Home ticket to help us keep this parallel, streaming service alive. 

3. Raffle 50/50

Congratulations to long-time Rogue supporter Sarah Munro who won over $4,180 in our latest Raffle 5050! And Big Thanks to everyone who bought tickets. We really appreciate your much-needed support.

4. Radio Waves

On this week's Saturday Edge On Folk I pay tribute to Shane MacGowan, the brilliant Irish songwriter who led The Pogues in their pioneering fusion of Irish trad with punk back in the early 1980s. Born and raised in Tipperary, he blossomed into one of Ireland's most gifted songwriters and poets, a worthy successor to the likes of W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, J.M. Synge, Christy Moore, Luke Kelly, and Dominic and Brendan Behan.

I would not have had a radio show at all were it not for my old mate John "The Beard" McGovern, who sent me a copy of The Pogues' debut album - Red Roses for Me - firstly on a rough-sounding cassette tape and later on vinyl (from a box of LPs salvaged after Shane had vomited on it on a European tour. My copy was not tarnished, other than bearing Shane's signature and - ahem - his critique of the late British PM: "Thatcher is a cow!") 

There are also previews of this week's Rogue concerts, and new music from around the globe including young Irish band Realta, Congolese guitarist Vumbi Dekula, Cape Verde singer Kavita Shah, Touareg guitarist Bombino, young Irish blues singer Muireann Bradley, NYC roots rockers Hazmat Modine, and Quebec's amazing La Bottine Souriante. 

I hope you will tune me in and turn me on tomorrow morning, 8am to noon, on www.citr.ca or 101.9fm in Vancouver.