This Week In Art/Culture/Entertainmen
By John Swartz
Jug bands aren’t exactly a lost art from, but it’s possible to live a lifetime and never experience hearing one perform. The instrumentation is generally things homemade from things not made as instruments; washboards, spoons, washtub basses and of course old whisky jugs.
Some popular bands started out as jug bands; Country Joe and the Fish, Mungo Jerry, the Grateful Dead, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are some that traded for manufactured instruments and on to some level of fame. Some musicians started their careers in jug bands; John Sebastian, Jesse Colin Young, Steve Katz (Blood Seat and Tears), and Maria Muldaur are a few.
You have a chance to hear a semi-local take on a jug band January 25 at Couchiching Craft Brewing when the Big Bad Jug Band performs with Space Quaker opening.
The local part is Sean Patrick on banjo, Jessica Martin on fiddle and Nate Robertson playing things you can basically hit (He does have a snare drum, but the rest of it the band calls his Frankenrig of noise makers used for keeping time).
Chris Lamont of Toronto plays acoustic bass and leading the band in song is Hamilton’s Jim Fitzgerald doing the singing and jug playing.
Those of us who frequented the Brownstone had a taste of the kind of music to expect if they were there on a night Frankie and Jimmy played. This band’s music is also irreverent in tone and often social commentary.
If you drop into the Big Bad Jug Band’s Bandcamp page, and listen to the 4 tunes they have posted there (with titles like Don’t Touch My Stuff, The Bossman Don’t Love You Like I Do, Grocery Wars, and Wake In The Morning (Wanna Die)) you’ll find yourself chuckling as the titles give away, and slightly amazed at how they put ideas we’ve all had at one time or other into song.
It’s like they don’t care about calling out the absurd or staying strictly in time with each other, even presenting like a polished bar band. That’s the charm of the band, they’re having fun and my recollection of their performance last year at St. Paul’s Centre is the audience did too.
The other half of the bill is Space Quaker. The band is a project Alex Rabbitson has had for a few years and the current band members are; Robert Redwood-drums, Nate Roberts –percussion, Mike Davies – guitar and vocals Mike Smit – keyboards, and Alex Rabbitson – bass and vocals.
Alex told me the kind of music they play is hard to categorize, but if one must it’s, “hard edged bangers to soft synth ballads to psychedelic synthy funk.” He also said they have 15 tunes of their own and only do a couple of covers. If you go here and scroll down you’ll find a couple of videos to give you a taste of their music.
There is a cover charge of $20 or pay what you can at the door.
Speaking of the Brownstone. Saturday January 18 Alex is stickhandling an event called The Brownstone is Closed! Closed Mic! At the Lone Wolf Café. The Brownstone had a weekly open mic where quite a few young musicians got their first experience playing in front of people. Unfortunately this is a ticketed event and it is sold out.
Other Gigs
Tangents are headlining a show at ST. Paul’s Centre March. This is a head up for when tickets are available for Fridge-A-Palooza: A Rock N Roll Benefit Show For The St. Paul’s Food Pantry/Fridge.
The other acts are the Terry Collins Band, from Barrie, and Kasey Kohring. It’s an all ages show, so no alcohol. Admission is $15 at the door, or $10 in advance, so keep looking it for the link when it’s available.
There is a benefit concert for the Orillia Youth Centre happening March 28 and 29. The first will happen at Creative Nomad Studios and the other at the youth center.
Tim Barry headlines the both shows with Billy the Kid and Nixon Boyd also performing. Tim is another one of the finds Kevin Gangloff discovered on his travels. He is from Richmond, Virginia (and wouldn’t you know Andrew Ali who was here for a youth centre concert last fall plays on Tim’s new album). He gravitated from punk rock to folk. Folk music typically is about commentary and most of Tim’s music follows along. But, his song, My Dad Got an iPad, while humourous, illustrates what has happened to the generation who warned their kids about believing everything on the internet and the downside – only to fall victim to the content themselves. You can listen to his music here.
Billy the Kid is Billy Pettinger. She played here (along with Meredith Moon and Danny Michel) at Fern Resort for a youth center fundraiser in 2019. At that time home was in Alabama, but she’s back in Canada, Vancouver, now. You’ll like her tunes and you can check all of them out here.
Nixon is formerly of the band Hollerado and since moving to Orillia has been working solo. He played a couple of youth center fundraisers last fall and you can listen to his music here.
Tickets for either concert are available online.
The week of the annual February Blues concert (on the 22nd) is a busy one at the Opera House. That gig is preceded by Dwayne Gretzky on the 20th (only 4 tickets left) and the Mudmen on the 21st.
This is the 13th version of the Mariposa Folk Festival’s most popular event (after the festival each July. It has sold out so many times I think the streak is at 11. So you might want to get tickets right now (the balcony just went on sale this week).
Of course the band is lead (and recruited) by Lance Anderson. I remember the first time Jimmy Bowskill played here for the Spring Blues Festival back in, back in, 2003, yeah, that’s it, at a packed Weber’s. He was just a little guy then, not even in high school yet, and he had the Weber Brothers (from Peterborough, not John and Paul) in his band. Lance also had Jimmy in one of his tribute show bands a couple years ago and he’s just a bit better musician now. Jimmy’s wife Brittany Brooks is also in the band.
Emily Burgess has her own band as well as being in the Weber Brothers Band. On her own she’s got a Juno nomination. Selena Evangeline has been here so many times (often as part of a band Lance put together) not much needs to be said, other than she’s a stunning musician.
Gary Craig (Jann Arden, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings) will be drumming, Roger Williams is on bass, and Andrew Craig on keyboards.
Lance also has his Last Waltz show happening March 1 at the Midland Cultural Centre.
Mariposa also announced this week their spring concert is happening March 15 at St. Paul’s Centre. Headlining the gig is Amanda Rheaume, who opened last summer’s festival, and School House, who I correctly predicted was going to get the summer gig based on their audition concert performance. Get tickets online.
The Shorts
- Blue Moon Junction has a comedy night Jan. 25 with 9 comics and Samatha Windover playing some of her music. The comics are Gary Austin, Luke Lyndale, Munish Joshi, Sean Creighton, Allie Moore, Levi Mann, Pierce Hughes, Vince Carmichael and Matt Lund. You can get tickets online.
- The Orillia Concert Association’s next concert is Jan. 25 with the Elmer Iseler Singers at 2:30 p.m. at the Opera House. Season tickets are $90 (this and the next two concerts included). You can get them at the door or by emailing orilliaconcert@gmail.com or calling 705-325-3532. You can also get individual concert tickets online.
- Mariposa Arts Theatre is doing the comedy, The Thanksgiving Play, Feb. 6 to 16. You can get tickets online. Their next film night is Jan. 22 at the Galaxy with the comedy, Drive Back Home. They have The Outrun playing Jan. 29. You can get tickets ($10, $5 for students) at the door; showtimes are 4 and 7 p.m.
- The Gojijing Friendship Circle and St. Paul’s Centre has an evening of song and story called The Fire Still Burns Feb. 8. Music is by J.D. Crosstown, Guy Monague and Jakob Pearce and John Rice is the storyteller. Jeff Monague is the emcee. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.
- North Simcoe Arts have a series of dates every quarter for their Art and Culture Roundtables. The first is Feb. 20 at Creative Nomad Studios. They are inviting representatives from area arts groups to attend. You can drop a note to communications@NorthSimcoeArts.ca that you are going.
- OMAH is opening three new exhibits with a reception Jan. 25; the shows are: Four Seasons in Orillia , Nathalie Bertin’s Loup Garou and Mocassins, and Harley Duck’s Behold A Man Who Is A Bean… Hibernation Arts is featuring Rodney Frost’s fabric creations and there’s some new stuff from the other artists… Cloud Gallery is featuring the work of Chatham, Ontario’s Tracy Bultje in their Collection Corner.
- Couchiching Craft Brewing has the Old Dance Hall Players doing improv Jan 24 (tickets); Space Quaker and the Big Bad Jug Band are in Jan. 25… Quayle’s Brewery has Andrew Walker in Jan. 18; Jamie Drake host an open mic Jan. 23; they have a comedy show Jan. 24; Kyle Wauchope is in Jan. 25.… the Hog ‘N Penny has a revolving cast of characters lead by Sean Patrick playing music every Saturday evening… the ANAF Club has an open mic Jan. 26 at 2 p.m.; Outcast plays Jan. 18… Samantha Windover has a show on Valentine’s Day at the Washago Lions Hall; email washagolions@gmail.com or call 705-323-3383 for tickets ($15).
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia and Images Supplied)
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