Ah, dear readers, let me start with an apology. We had the dates wrong for some events in the last column (not trying to make excuses but there is an awful lot happening in Flin Flon and area! Well… maybe a little excuse!)
However, it did give you a bit more breathing space to fit everything into your schedules.
That being said, we do have a Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) film, Home Routes shows and the Johnny’s Anti Social Club Band playing songs of the Rolling Stones, all for your entertainment, coming up in the next week or so.
Let’s start with Home Routes. The Home Routes/Chemin Chez Nous organization is working so hard to bring us the very best folk/roots music that this country has to offer.
To prove that point, let’s have a look at the 2018 nominations for the Canadian Folk Music Awards, which will be presented in Calgary, Alta. on the weekend of Nov. 30.
The nominees were announced at the end of September in 19 categories, with awards including traditional singer of the year, contemporary singer of the year, traditional album of the year, contemporary album of the year, solo artist of the year, and vocal group of the year. There are also awards for children’s music, world music and emerging artist of the year. in all, 96 individuals and groups were nominated.
The reason this is important? Several of the nominees have played in Flin Flon, as part of the Home Routes concert series.
Matthew Byrne, nominated as best traditional singer and for traditional album of the year, was here three years ago in 2015.
Rob Lutes, nominated as best contemporary singer of the year, was here in 2010.
The Good Lovelies, nominated as vocal group of the year, were here in 2009.
Jolene Higgins of Little Miss Higgins fame has been nominated as solo artist of the year. She was here in 2014.
Suzie Vinnick, nominee for producer of the year was here just last season.
Most exciting of all is that Lynne Hanson, a folk and blues artist who is coming to Flin Flon in February 2019, is nominated in five categories: producer of the year; contemporary album of the year; English songwriter of the year; vocal group of the year (with Lynn Miles in a group named The LYNN(e)S); and ensemble of the year (same band). You just know she is going to be terrific. What is difficult to understand is why people are not beating down the doors to get tickets for these events.
You can see the last artist for this half of the 2018-19 season tomorrow evening, Thursday, Nov. 22 at 19 Hemlock Drive or Friday, Nov. 23 at 183 Murton Blvd.
Oh, the artist, you ask? It’s a trio of young women from Toronto called The O’Pears. They sing fantastic harmonies and they play very well, too. Seats are $20 and all of the door goes to the artists. Email timelly1@gmail.com or rossann53@hotmail.com to hold a seat.
The other event on Thursday evening is the TIFF Film, The Third Murder, by Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda. You may not have heard of him yet but he is quite brilliant. He won the Palme d’Or at Cannes just this spring for a film called Shoplifters.
The Third Murder is about the difference between the law and justice, but Kore-eda is best known for his insightful character studies. The film will be shown at Hapnot Collegiate at 7:30 pm, with doors opening at 7 pm. Cost is only $10. Huge thanks to the Central Canada Film Group for making it possible for us to get these fabulous films here.
The other event for the next two weeks is Johnny’s Anti Social Club Band performing the Songs of the Rolling Stones. They will play for four evenings, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 23 and 24, and the following Friday and Saturday, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Tickets are almost all gone, but any that are left are at the Orange Toad until showtime. Tickets cost $25 and the shows start at 7:30 pm with doors opening at 7 pm.
