Folkus Concert Series

12/06/2024

A new/old track from the fabulous Whitehorse! Coming to Folkus March 29 — passes are on sale now at Tickets Please. A limited number of tickets will go on sale January 1.

If there’s one song that captures the wry wit and compassion built into Lyle Lovett’s entire body of work it’s the weird and wonderful narrative spun on If I had a Boat. When I was in my late teens and trying to crawl out from beneath my (fabulous) Beatles/Kinks/Who/Stones childhood, Lyle emerged as a wise elder Texan to guide me back to the American(a) roots of the former: the uncle we all deserve.

“Kiss my ass I bought a boat and I’m going out to sea” was a rallying cry for the relentless urge I had to explore the world — a cri-de-coeur for a Winnipeg kid with congenital wanderlust.

— Luke

Whitehorse's version of "If I Had A Boat" is streaming now on all platforms via Six Shooter Records — the link to listen is below.

https://SixShooterRecords.lnk.to/IfIHadABoatFA

11/01/2024

Our season passes are live at Tickets Please!

https://folkus.ticketsplease.ca/product/folkus-2025-series-pass/

07/24/2024

A bit of a silver lining with the rain today. 5 Wednesdays in July has been relocated to the Old Town Hall for this evenings show. Come experience free music in this beautiful venue with amazing sound!

More music is good!

06/24/2024

Gentle people --

LIke Puppets Up says, you cannot get by on love alone. Sponsors are a big help, and so are advance ticket sales. If you're thinking of going, please buy your tickets in advance. Lots of festivals across the province are struggling in the wake of funding shortfalls, and we don't want to lose this one!

05/27/2024

Our friends at Farmgate Cider are bringing in Newfoundland troubadour Sherman Downey for a really fun concert. Tickets for this afternoon event are bound to go quickly — don’t leave it till the last minute!

Tickets for Sherman Downey LIVE at Farmgate Cider are now available! 🎉 Secure your spot for an afternoon of music, cider, and fun with friends and family! Hurry, they're selling fast! Get your tickets https://farmgatecider.ca/products/sherman-downey-concert-ticket!

04/28/2024

Part performance art, part natural history, all music, The Moth Project has taken over the Almonte Old Town Hall. Feels like a fitting wrap-up to Arbour Week!

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04/27/2024

Folkus alumna Vicki Brittle is playing a special event at Farmgate Cider? Pinch me! Only a handful of tickets left!!

New Acoustic Album coming soon 🌸❤️‍🔥🌱
Thank you, for being here with the music and me 🫶

04/25/2024

Folkus folks! Our friends at SPARC Supporting Performing Arts in Rural and Remote Communities are holding their biannual symposium or meetup in Minto this year. Rural performers, presenters, and community volunteers from across the province will be gathering to exchange ideas and explore ways of practicing their art in their rural communities.

If you have friends in the area, please tell them! If you’d like to travel down, there are seats available in a carpool, please dm us!

Join us in the Town of Minto for the 2024 SPARC Symposium! / Soyez des nôtres pour le Symposium de 2024 qui aura lieu dans la Ville de Minto

03/13/2024

Gentle people, it is ticket scam season.

There is a waiting list at Tickets Please. Any legitimate tickets can be returned there and passed to the next person. Please not buy any via messenger or in a dark alley.

03/08/2024

What better way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day than with our pals at Almonte Celtfest? The Almonte Old Town Hall will ring with toe-tapping tunes from The Broken Bridges. We like the description of “fun and casual “, too!

Looking for a fun, casual way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year? 🍀 Join us on Saturday, March 16th at the beautiful Almonte Old Town Hall for an evening of Irish Celebrations.
🎻🍀 🎶 Session and sets from The Broken Bridges

Tickets: $25 available through Tickets Please

Cash bar hosted featuring Calabogie Brewing co.

Slainte! 🍻

02/26/2024

I am Kentucky and The Family Band
Kentucky comes out on stage sporting his classic outfit of a white muscle shirt with black jeans.

‘I’m a man’ kicks off the show. The vibe is chill. As Kentucky starts into his third song ‘Mistakes’ his voice relaxes into a tone that feels welcoming and loving like the kind of dad we can imagine he is. The song is dreamy and sweet.

Kentucky’s fingers glide across the strings like they are dancing to the very music they are creating. A melody flows out to the crowd. His last song plays out and he sings ‘Today’s the first day of the rest of your life’. He moves to the front of the stage to finish the act.

Nathan Sloniowski takes centre stage with Vicki Brittle to his right. Barry Buse on bass and Bill Serson on percussion. Nathan introduces the band. His classic story telling starts with a tale about meeting Barry and discovering the open mic/jam which Barry runs out of Carleton Place. Vicki, he met through the Folkus coffee house last year at OVC. Though, their voices go together so well that you’d think they’ve known each other for eons. He discovered Bill's rhythm magic in Pakenham at Love That Barr.
Nathan tells his story of the well-dressed “Mayor” of Elora, Archie Smith, before he starts his song called Archie’s Good Night.

Build an Ark is soft like the hearts of George and Edna who took in ‘the troubled boys’. Nathan’s voice is just as haunting as the tale he just told. It’s enough to tempt tears to start falling.

Vicki’s voice compliments Nathan so well. It feels like a kind of energy that could make the flame of a candle stand tall and still.
‘Kathy’s Café’ Nathan explains he has imagined it from Kathy’s point of view. He describes an image of Kathy driving in her car while thinking back over the many years of music played. ‘6am came around a little early after 2am the night before’.

“If you haven’t noticed yet, I write a lot of music about musicians.” Nathan says between songs.

An announcement is made about The Maywoods gig where Vicki and Nathan along with Jess Winskell and Tyler Craig will be interpreting the music of John Prine. May 11th at Clayton Hall. Tickets can be purchased at Tickets Please.

‘Bury the Hatchet’ is followed by Vicki’s tune which has made the top hits list in Germany. “It’s Only Love” is played slower than the original and in a way that penetrates the heart and soul. Her voice is so strong, beautiful and carries the weight of the tune itself. It’s a relatable topic. When life gets tough, it’s hard to keep going. As her voice fills the room, goosebumps engage.

Next, Nathan pipes up and says, “We have some special guests”. Out comes Rob Riendeau from The Ragged Flowers, another band Nathan plays in, with a bass.

Nathan’s next story is about the church in Elora. It needs a new roof. He’s quickly recruited to play a concert there to help the church pay for the costs. He goes in for an audition and plays the first 3 lines of his song and is told to stop. It’s too saucy for the church… but he can play it here. “You Know That I Want You”, a double entendre song about the incurable lust for six-stringed instruments, is next on the set.

Two other members of the Ragged Flowers, George Birchall and Steve Reside, are called out onto the stage. They take the mic to Nathan’s left.

Nathan picks up a uke while starting into another story. As the next song starts, the singers join in what seems like one by one in a symphony of harmony. Vicki’s upbeat energy and dancing is contagious. It’s hard to not start dancing from the audience.

When the music ends, the crowd knows the drill. Attendees get up and start to gather their belongings before Nathan pipes up. He calls people back onto the stage, including Ken Friesen, who produced Nathan’s album at The Tragically Hip's Bathouse studio, along with his son, Gabe, who recorded and mixed it, and his son Aaron, who created the album artwork and website for thE lost LOve letteR to a smAll town. They all take a bow and the crowd cheers.

Another show well done!

Next show we welcome The Once with Christine Graves on March 23rd.

Written by Violet Bova

02/25/2024

We ❤️ seeing the next generation of musicians shine!

Join us for an evening of live music on Saturday, March 2nd for our very first coffee house fundraiser hosted at the Hummingbird Cafe ☕

With some top tier talent from across the Ottawa Valley it's sure to be an eventful evening filled with some great tunes!

If you have any questions feel free to reach out at 613-256-5959 or email us at [email protected]

02/25/2024

“Every small town has stories to tell…”
(We will have more and better shots later, but we’re so delighted to have everyone here).

02/25/2024

Full moon rising over Kentucky. With a strong voice, nimble picking, and a clear vision for his songwriting, we think he’s destined for bigger stages.

02/04/2024

A friend of Folkus has two (2!) tickets to give away to the William Prince show in Kingston on Thursday night. If you caught him in Almonte a few years ago, you know what a mesmerizing performer he is. That voice — you could just curl up in it! DM for details.

http://www.kingstongrand.ca/events/william-prince