Category Archives: Country, Bluegrass & Folk

Twas the night before Bluesfest and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse.  The grounds are all ready, the stages are set in hopes that the music will soon be here.  The fans are nestled all snug in their beds; While visions of music and lights danced in their heads.  It all kicks off tomorrow afternoon and here are my picks for week #1!

It may have been over a decade since the reigning Queen of Canadian Country music has hit the road for a full tour but it definitely didn’t show.  Coming off of a 2 year run at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas Shania kicked off her first tour earlier this month in Seattle, WA.

June 2, 2015, Ottawa, ON— CityFolk music festival organizers today announced the initial line-up for their 2015 program. Confirmed acts to date include: Van Morrison, The Avett Brothers, Wilco, Of Monsters and Men, Passenger, UB40, The Tubes, The Sheepdogs, Patrick Watson, Walk Off The Earth, Lord Huron, Elle King, Lisa LeBlanc, Lucinda Williams, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Amy Helm, Lucius, Lee Harvey Osmond, Steep Canyon Rangers, Built to Spill, The Barr Brothers, Wintersleep, Sun Kil Moon, Will Butler, Steve Poltz, Fortunate Ones, The Everyone Orchestra, Frank Fairfield & The Down Hill Strugglers, Terra Lightfoot, Scarlett Jane, and Charlie A’Court, with more to be announced in the weeks ahead.

This past Monday night we were in Markham taking in one of Canada’s most celebrated Country Music nights.  The 3rd annual CMAO Awards took place in Markham, Ontario.  For those of you who haven’t been lucky enough to secure tickets to this outstanding event I would have to suggest buy early next year.  This year’s line up was over the top with the likes of Tim Hicks, Autumn Hill, Deric Ruttan, Small Town Pistols and Jason Blaine to name a few.

So Jason McCoy is set to host the 2nd Annual CMAO Awards being held at the Flato Markham Theatre and I had the chance to catch up with Jason earlier this week.

RBC Ottawa Bluesfest organizers today announced two major additions to an ever-burgeoning line-up, which already includes such heavy weights as Keith Urban, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kanye West and more.

Republic Live, organizers of the Boots and Hearts Music Festival,has announced the Top 8 Finalists for the Emerging Artist Showcase presented by SiriusXM Canada. The final eight artists include Birds of Bellwoods, Eric Ethridge, James Barker Band, Johnson Crook, Leanne Pearson, Ray Gibson, Tenille Arts and Travis Wood. The finalists will be competing for a chance to perform on the Main Stage at Boots and Hearts prior to Thomas Rhett on Sunday, August 9^th, in addition to winning a single release with Universal Music Canada and an opportunity to perform on the Main Stage at Boots and Hearts 2016. Fans are invited to vote for the Top 8 Finalists at www.bootsandhearts.com/showcase. Fan votes will determine the artists’ placement in the performance line up on the Front Porch Stage in front of a panel of judges at Boots and Hearts on Saturday, August 8, 2015.

We listen to a lot of music, some good, some bad, some really bad and sometimes once in a while we come across an artist or a song that has a certain quality about it that makes them, or it, unforgettable.  It’s the type of song that you can’t just listen to once.  Most recently, Bridget Leigh, a young lady from Daytona Beach Florida sent us a tweet with a link to her song “Driveway” on Spotify. 

Jason McCoy (submitted photo)

The Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAO) is pleased to announce the much-anticipated list of nominees for its 3rd Annual CMAO Awards Show. This year’s star-studded event will once again be hosted by Jason McCoy of the Road Hammers, and will be held Monday, May 25, 2015, at the Flato Markham Theatre.

Dear Rouge – Black to Gold

The list of performers at this summer’s RBC Royal Bank Ottawa Bluesfest continues to grow with Vancouver’s Dear Rouge now added to the list.