Category Archives: roots

Primarily Roots, alt country, blues

Winterfolk XI gets underway Tonight!

Hey All, the annual Blues & Roots festival Winterfolk, gets going today, Friday the 15th, and runs thru till Sunday. The 11th edition of the festival, held at the Delta Chelsea hotel on Gerrard @ Yonge features a ton of performers to see and hear. On Friday night, there will be solo acoustic shows by Al Lerman, Jory Nash, plus the Winterfolk All Star Blues Band with Jack De Keyyzer , Al Lerman and members of Downchild.Jack De Keyzer

Al Lerman

On Saturday, there will be song circles, story telling, and a very long list of performers throughout the day and into the night. Of note, The Wanted, Cris Cuddy Acoustic Unit and also, Grainne will be doing a Live CD recording backed up by Winterfolk alumni Tony Quarrington, organizer Brian Gladstone and others.

The Wanted Richard Henderson

Chris Cuddy Acoustic Unit

Grainne

Continuing on Sunday, more Singer/Songwriter circles and discussion about the music, Jack De Keyzer returns with Danny Marks, Tony Springer, Wendall Ferguson and others for a Guitar Jamboree. The Moonshine cafe showcases their best, plus a special tribute to Phil Ochs, the Songs of Phil Ochs. The ‘Honouring Our Own’ people showcase the talent of Brent Titcomb later in the evening and also my good friend Irene Torres, brings her seductive voice to the main stage as Irene Torres & the Sugar Devils.

Tony Springer

Irene Torres

This is open to all, friends, family, kids and it is mostly free. There are a couple ticketed performances. Everything is under one roof on 4 different stages, the main stage in the Monarch’s Pub, the open Market Garden stage, the Community Club Easy Listening Room stage on the second floor and the intimate up close and personal stage on the 27th floor. I’ll be doing sound in this room on the Friday and Sunday nights and taking pix the rest of the time. Hope to see y’all there!

For all the details, times and a full list of performers, check the main web site at www.winterfolk.com

SoHo Ghetto @ the Horseshoe Tavern Photo’s

Hey all, it’s been awhile, sorry about that, but patience is a virtue, and I’m sorry to the featured band it’s taken so long to get these pix up, so….. that said.

This show was a blast!

It all started with a ‘pre-show’ bevy or three at my buddies place in the east end. He knows one of the guys in the band from back home, and, true to spirit, we prep accordingly. Ya see, Soho Ghetto are from Halifax, NS, Canada. One of the best places in Canada imo. So prep we do—and watch for the streetcar.

Then a rather spirited street-car ride to Spadina via the storied Queen St 501 rocket, a short trip to the abm for cash, then to the ‘shoe.

This would have usually been fine— except for a small trip on a sidewalk edge, misconstrued as a drunken stumble by the resident door-man, hence giving us the third degree and ‘what’s in the bag’ questions… it’s a camera. Well, we where fine and everything worked out easy.  Then into the show!

It was a Halloween themed night at the Horseshoe, with all bands in costume of one sort or another. ( I honestly don’t remember–except from the pix!!, lol)

SoHo Ghetto gave us a great performance. I loved the songs, melodies, harmonies and the amazingly interesting drum beats, mesmerizing.  Definitely a band to check out every time they come around.  Here are a few selects from the many pix I took that night, plus more in the full Soho Ghetto gallery, Link below, enjoy.

all pix ©2012 michael wiensczyk

Marc Antoine, Soho Ghetto

Marc Antoine, Soho Ghetto

Brian MacKay, Marc Antoine, Peter Smith, Soho Ghetto

Brian MacKay, Soho Ghetto

Rachel Sunter, Soho Ghetto

Marc Antoine, Soho Ghetto

Full gallery — Soho Ghetto at the Horseshoe Oct 27th, 2012