nickelodeon Music Club

Crescent Heights Community Hall - 1101 - 2nd Street N.W. Mailing address: P. O. Box 63016, Stadium RPO Calgary, AB T2N 4S5 33rd Season: Fall 2012

elcome to the 33rd anniversary season at the Nick! Tickets We will present some old friends along with some • Our 2012-2013 season’s pass GOLD CARDS are sold terrific newcomers. Please remember, we now start out. The Nickelodeon thanks all those returning GOLD Wall our shows at 7:30. CARD holders who are supporting the club once again. The home of the Nickelodeon is the Crescent Heights Community We also warmly welcome those who have purchased a Hall (1101 - 2nd Street NW). Seating is first-come first serve with GOLD CARD for the first time. GOLD CARD holders the following exception: season’s ticket holders who arrive early are reminded that your season’s passes are transferable if you will be given preferential admission from 6:50 - 7:00 P.M. Our cannot attend a performance. ticket capacity is 193 patrons, and 110 are season’s ticket holders. Online Ticket Sales Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. with the doors opening at 7:00 p.m. • $25 Advance Tickets for ALL 2012 concerts will go on sale SEPTEMBER 14 and ALL January to April 2013 concerts will An evening at the Nick begins with an opening act, followed by go on sale DECEMBER 14 at pumphousetheatre.ca two sets by our featured performer. Breaks between sets allow time for socializing and indulging in an entree, great cakes, Advance Ticket Sales At The Nick popcorn and other refreshments. • Starting at our first club on September 29, and at each club thereafter, Nick patrons may purchase advance tickets for Guitar Raffle! The Nick will once again conduct a raffle for a Bristol BD-16 Dreadnought guitar and wall hanger, generously donated by any of our upcoming fall shows. Mike MacLeod and The Acoustic Guitar. Tickets will be sold throughout • $25 door tickets are only available if we do not sell out in the season and our Nick performers will autograph the guitar. The advance. Any remaining tickets will be sold first come, draw for this one-of-a-kind guitar will be held on April 6, 2013. All first serve at the Crescent Heights Hall on the night of the proceeds from the Nickelodeon Guitar Raffle will be used to send youth show. participants to the Foothills Acoustic Music Institute camp in May 2013. The Nickelodeon Music Club is a volunteer operated, non-profit Smoke Free / Cell Phone Free Music! The Nick is a non-smoking organization. The Nick wishes to thank its volunteers for the and cell phone free venue. We appreciate the cooperation of our countless number of hours they dedicate. Without the work of our audience and volunteers in abiding by this policy and trust that it volunteers, these special nights would not be possible. keeps the ‘atmosphere’ even more pleasant. The Nickelodeon wishes to thank Calgary Arts Development and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts for their generous support. We also wish to acknowledge airplay support of our performers on CKUA and CJSW. The Performers Mighty Popo (Ontario/Rwanda) September 29

A Nickelodeon Debut! Mighty Popo is a Rwandan/Burundian refugee/survivor and a person of enormous charm, wit, resilience and joie de vivre. Popo demonstrated his effortless musicality as a member of the 2004 Juno Award winning African Guitar Summit. Gakondo, his latest CD, means origins in the Kinyarwandan language. In it Popo traces his own family origins, while working within the traditions of original Rwandan music. Popo has inherited a love of the traditional music of Rwanda and Burundi but he also has a lifelong connection with rock and roll, blues, jazz, R&B, Reggae and folk traditions. His music reflects his immersion in a world culture which he has navigated with grace, sensitivity and an enormous sense of exploration and fun. It is enriched by many traditions. It is authentically his. For his Nickelodeon concert Popo will be joined by Kofi Ackah on percussion and Aron Niyitunga on lead guitar. Brian McLeod (Alberta) A Nickelodeon Debut! Brian’s uplifting music is about love and life, inspired by a wide range of experiences with girlfriends, God, Mother Earth, traveling, Yoga, chocolate, Tibetan Lamas, friendship, sorrow, doubt, and redemption. Audiences are moved to both tears and laughter and with his intricate guitar work and soulful voice, his music highlights the celebration of each moment as a gift, and audiences are consistently drawn into the powerful yet affectionate energy that radiates from his Popo’s blues were always African-inflected, but (his CD) Gakondo, delivers us entirely into the soul of songs. Brian won first place & people’s choice award in the 2012 Easter Seals New Rwanda’s ancient traditional music. Talent Contest. His album Door Of My Heart was released in 2011. Lark Clark, CKUA John Wort Hannam (Alberta) October 13

One of Canada’s best folk/roots songwriters, John is known for his unique take on the simple day-to- 1st Nick headline, Mar. ‘05 (3-in-1 with Maria Dunn and Eileen Laverty) day dramas of common folk through songs that map the landscapes of both the human heart and this vast continent of ours. He is a born story-teller with a keen eye for the quirky, and lyrics that create 1st Nick opener, Nov. ‘03 stories behind the songs. A multiple award winner at the Calgary Folk Music Festival Songwriting Competition, in 2010, John’s fourth CD, Queens Hotel earned him a Juno nomination and the Contemporary Artist of the Year Canadian Folk Music Award. His Nickelodeon concert will celebrate the Calgary release of his newest CD, Brambles and Thorns. Thriving on live performance, John Wort Hannam is truly happy when he is on the road playing and connecting personally with an audience. At the Nick, John will be accompanied by Tyler Bird on bass and accordion and Scott Duncan on fiddle.

Bradon Gates (Alberta) A Nickelodeon Debut! Braden picked up the fiddle at age 5 and the guitar at 7. At 16, Braden became the Alberta fiddle champion. In 2009 and 2010, he was first runner up and in 2011 and 2012 he once again claimed Alberta’s top fiddle prize. Now at 19, he interweaves traditional Canadian fiddle tunes with beautiful original melodies on guitar. His mastery of the fiddle transfers seamlessly to guitar to underpin his If you’re a fan of Gordon Lighfoot’s first four albums, dirt folk storytelling style of homegrown original tales about stuff that matters. you’ll find Hannam’s music a particularly comfortable Braden’s heart felt lyrics and natural good humor creates a live show that leaves his fit ... he has all the marks of someone who’ll be in it for audience cheering for more. the long run. - Vintage Guitar Magazine The (Great Britain) October 27

A Nickelodeon Debut! As Strawbs celebrate four decades of music making, it is still difficult to categorise the unique sound that has made them Britain’s most successful international progressive folk-rock band. Strawbs are often mentioned with bands like Yes, King Crimson, and the Moody Blues. However, beyond progressive rock, Strawbs have another key component in their complex and intricate songs; they emerged out of the British Folk movement of the mid-1960s. The band started life as the Strawberry Hill Boys playing bluegrass, before moving into the mainstream by making the first Strawbs album with in 1967, a year before she recorded her first album with Fairport Convention. Acoustic Strawbs comprise David Cousins, along with lead guitarist Dave Lambert, and the astonishingly versatile Chas Cronk, who together formed the front-line of the classic 1970s line-up of Strawbs which had a remarkable seven consecutive albums in the Billboard Top 200 in the USA. Paul Rumbolt (Alberta) First Nick Opener Dec. ‘09 For Paul, the most rewarding aspect of a lifetime of music has been the opportunity to share, collect, and create stories with the people for whom he has performed. Paul traveled coast to coast and south of the border in search of experiences for his new album, SongSmith. Paul returns to his roots with a work The songwriting was phenomenal, and the way the trio embellished that speaks of his love of the people and places a life in music has brought him. sublime melodies with supreme harmonies and incredible Drawing on his storytelling gift, Paul revisits the singer-songwriter folk genre that instrumentation made their performance unforgettable. In fact, I has influenced him most in an album that highlights his intricate song stylings and repeatedly thought “music just isn’t this good anymore”. incredible voice. Philadelphia Examiner www.thenick.ca Jennifer Berezan (California) November 10

Jennifer Berezan is a unique blend of singer/songwriter, teacher, and activist. Over the course of 1st Nick headline, Feb. ‘89, (3-in-1 with Oscar ten albums, she has developed and explored recurring themes with a rare wisdom. Her lifelong (Lopez) and Manuel and Su Chong Lim) involvement in environmental, women’s, and other justice movements as well as an interest in Buddhism and earth-based spirituality are at the heart of her writing. Her most recent release Home continues her signature mix of emotionally rich songs, original guitar work, a collection of esteemed musical friends and themes that touch on “home as everywhere” California, Beijing, the Yukon, and the internal realms of the heart. Her work continues to expand artistic boundaries, blurring the distinctions between musical styles, politics, and spirituality. Though her songs often confront universal issues, her perspective is informed by a refreshing and honest intimacy. Jennifer will be accompanied by Julie Wolf on keyboards, Jon Evans on bass and Geoffry Pearlman on guitar. Kris Demeanor (Alberta) First Nick Opener Mar. ‘01 Kris Demeanor is a songwriter and performer who writes and sings about the funny, dark, absurd, maddening, and the joyful for people who like to think, dance, laugh, cry and party. Kris has put out six CDs and his music draws on classic folk story telling, spoken word/rap, and shamelessly hooky pop, and delights in exposing the underbelly of western Canadian culture - gambling, drug use, One of the folk world’s most expressive voices, uniquely murder, religion and the suburbs. Kris has become a fixture of Calgary’s spoken incorporating various musical traditions while pulling no word, theatre and music communtites, creating music and lyrics for numerous punches lyrically. James Muretich Calgary Herald Tribune. award-winning projects and this year he was named Calgary’s inaugural Poet Laureate. Genticorum (Quebec) November 24 Genticorum won 2011 Canadian Folk Music Awards for Traditional Album of the Year and A Nickelodeon Debut! Ensemble of the Year. They weave precise and intricate fiddle and flute work, gorgeous vocal harmonies, energetic foot percussion and guitar and bass accompaniment into a big and jubilant musical feast. Their distinctive sound, sense of humour and stage presence make them a supreme crowd pleaser. With its latest album, Nagez Rameurs the band continues to develop its unique sound, which is at once ancient and modern. As with previous Genticorum offerings, here the traditional songs and instrumental pieces are intermingled, resulting in an overall recording that is wide-ranging and rich. The theme of voyages, and more precisely voyageurs travelling the waterways of North America, runs throughout the album. Genticorum are Yann Falquet on guitar, jew’s harp and vocals, Alexandre de Grosbois-Garand on wooden flute, electric bass, fiddle and vocals and Pascal Gemme on fiddle, feet and vocals. Bardic Form (Alberta) A Nickelodeon Debut! Bardic Form draw inspiration from intense and exciting melodic riffs in folk and power metal, beautiful and lulling passages in classical and global music, as well as the inexplicable and untraceable expression that comes from playing an instrument. Justin Song and Reece Runco seek to play with the passion and energy that drove them to their unique sound. They were inspired by Celtic traditional tunes as well as Eastern European melodies and the For a three piece, Genticorum makes a very full and glorious noise, both instrumentally and vocally. This is a band that’s percussive rhythmic flavours of flamenco style guitarists. They perform traditional tunes going to go places. SING OUT! from other artists, as well as their own arrangements, in which they incorporate the Celtic low whistle. The Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra (British Columbia) January 12

The Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra is a creative collaboration between Capilano College Jazz-trained A Nickelodeon Debut! bass player Peter Mynett, multi-instrumentalist and Berklee College of Music graduate Patrick M’Gonigle, Canadiana/folk singer-songwriter Kurt Loewen, world-influenced accordion/vocalist Ian Griffiths, and percussionist Paul Wolda. It’s hard to describe music in the age of cross pollination; where do you begin with the definitions when one minute a song starts in a tango, builds up with African Rythms, hooks you with some gypsy-roots-grass riffs, and pours out psychedelic waves of sound walls to a crisp finish. Early tours had them playing pop up shows across Europe, hitting the streets and festivals across Canada and the US, and carefully cultivating a solid reputation as dedicated, talented and ambitious young musicians. The past two years has seen the band headlining festivals and stages across Canada and the Pacific NorthWest. Call it gypsy-roots-folk-tango-afro-psychedelic-soul-music. Micah Turchet (Alberta) A Nickelodeon Debut! Micah takes classic flamenco styles and adds his unique creative flourishes to them. Flamenco expresses the emotions of the gypsies of Andalucia. Many songs describe the harsh conditions they’ve lived with over the centuries, and then there are those which are beautifully melodic. You can hear the influence of the masters Juan Martin, and ...exciting musical growth and exploration that feeds off the instant connection they establish with their audience the minute Paco de Lucia in his playing. His performances are an invitation to celebrate a vibrant they start playing. Gypsy Ska meets Bluegrass on the dance floor people and their way of life. Always mindful of the tradition of this richly expressive and the crowd goes nuts. and culturally-rooted music, Micah plays flamenco with youthful joy, sensitivity, and a Dan Cowan, Skaspot Live Network passion beyond his years. www.thenick.ca Upcoming Concerts

JANUARY 26 Lynn Miles Lynn is a 2003 Juno Award winner and winner of the 2011 Canadian Folk Music Award for English Songwriter of the Year. Lynn is an exceptional singer who writes traditional country and folk-roots melodies with unbridled feeling and vulnerability. She will be accompanied by Prairie Oyster’s Keith Glass on guitar.

FEBRUARY 9 Jeremy Fisher Jeremy, a two time Juno nominee, is a troubadour, creating art rooted in timeless imagery, dressed with a consummate wit, honesty and light- heartedness. The acoustic-driven collection of 12 songs on Mint Juleps reunites Fisher with his folk-drenched musical roots and is a veritable throwback to the golden era of the singer-songwriter.

FEBRUARY 23 Little Miss Higgins Little Miss Higgins struts and serenades her way, guitar in hand, lips blazoned red, onto any stage. As if she just drove in off the back-road of another time with gravel dust trailing behind her, this powerhouse plays old- time country blues sprinkled with a little jazz and maybe a hint of folk.

MARCH 9 Amelia Curran Winner of the 2010 Roots and Traditional, Solo Juno award and multiple Newfoundland and Nova Scotia music awards, this exceptional singer- songwriter grapples with notions of self, memory, forgiveness and desire. Rich in metaphor and instrumentation, Hunter, Hunter speaks to unrequited longing, the notion of belonging and reflections on love both lost and found.

MARCH 23 Maeve MacKinnon This award-winning young Gaelic singer and songwriter has emerged to become one of the leading Scottish folk musicians of her generation. Twice nominated as “Gaelic Singer of the Year” at the Scots Trad Music Awards, she was also a finalist for BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year award.

APRIL 6 The Steel Wheels This four piece band, based in the Blueridge Mountains of Virginia, is rooted in musical styles that explore the territories between blues and bluegrass, old-time sing-alongs and foot-stompin’ fiddle tunes. Their song Nothing You Can’t Lose took top honors as Best Country Song at the The Independent Music Awards.

Guitar Raffle! The Nick will once again conduct a raffle for a Bristol BD-16 Dreadnought guitar and wall hanger, generously donated by Mike MacLeod and The Acoustic Guitar (www.acousticguitar.net). Tickets will be sold throughout the season and our Nick performers will autograph the guitar. The draw for this one-of-a-kind guitar will be held on April 6, 2013. All proceeds from the Nickelodeon Guitar Raffle will be used to send youth participants to the Foothills Acoustic Music Institute camp in May 2013.

The Nickelodeon Music Club is a volunteer operated, non-profit organization. The Nick wishes to thank its volunteers for the countless number of hours they dedicate. Without the work of our volunteers, these special nights would not be possible. www.thenick.ca