Category Archives: Canadiana

Proud Windsor, ON native, Kelsi Mayne is a Canadian Country Music singer-songwriter, 2016 FACTOR grant recipient, and Top 7 Finalist in the upcoming Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase. With an award-winning journalist as father and an acclaimed sculptor/muralist as a mother, Kelsi was constantly surrounded and influenced by a world of art. She developed her performing skills early on, competing on the Canada-U.S. Highland Dancing circuit. Soon she made moves to become a vocalist and began to achieve success in several talent competitions – once winning the opportunity to open for the Neverending White Lights when she was just 16 years old.

Sometimes I just need to sit back and recall that just 6 summers ago I started Sound Check Entertainment, almost by accident. The traction it received from festivals and events across Ottawa and Ontario almost immediately was mind blowing but nothing compares to the feeling this week as we stage a massive benefit for Fort McMurray in Toronto on Thursday called “Bright Lights, Big Country”.

It’s CMAO Monday so I thought it would be fun to dedicate this week’s edition of Monday Musings to discuss my picks for the third annual event. I should mention that I personally am not a member of the Country Music Association of Ontario, yet, so my picks have not influenced the outcome of tonight’s awards. 

So Gord Bamford brought his buddy Joe Nichols & Autumn Hill along for the ride on the Country Certified tour that landed at Algonquin College this past Monday night.   Our Sean Sisk was there to capture the show.  Here is his Photo Review of the event.  

HERE THEY ARE… Tragically Hip Announce the Man Machine Poem Tour Dates…

Local singer-songwriter, Danielle Allard, is gearing up for her second Canadian tour, this time focusing on the East Coast. She will be holding a tour fundraising event at Live on Elgin on TONIGHT.

Our friends over at the CMAO’s have their upcoming R2I Spring TuneUp Conference taking place in Markham, Ontario on May 28-29th.   We have an opportunity for 2 lucky readers to attend the Conference thanks to the folks at The Country Music Association of Ontario.

I had a chance to chat with Honeymoon Suites Derry Grehan a week or so before they hit the stage in Hamilton & Mississauga this week.  

KX Country and Boots & Hearts teamed up to bring the biggest Country Show to CMW.  With the likes of red hot Meghan Patrick and a band that had by far one of the best performances of last years Boots and Hearts Festival with Blackjack Billy taking the headlining honours.  For those of you that were part of that 30,000+ Kick off party you will know that the boys in BJB tore the roof off the Front Porch stage on that beautiful Thursday night.  

Madeline Merlo released her debut album Free Soul, on Friday April 29th. Following her earlier EP release back in 2014, let me tell you, this girl put her heart and soul into this album. From her radio hit “Whatcha Wanna Do About It”  and “Honey Jack” to some older hits such as “Sinking like a Stone” and “Alive”.