Where to find us: 5432 Dalhart Road NWCalgary, AB Canada
Since 1972, the home of folk music and the favourite venue of artists from all over the world between September and April has been Calgary Folk Club.
Lennie Gallant October 26, 2018
The East Pointers October 12, 2018
Earle and Coffin March 08, 2019
The Changing Room January 11, 2019
Liz Stringer January 25, 2019
Scott Cook April 05, 2019
David Francey February 22, 2019
Quartette November 23, 2018
Lizzy Hoyt November 09, 2018
Rawlins Cross Sept 14 2018
The Eisenhauers, October 26, 2018
Oliver Swain September 28, 2018
Korby Lenker November 09, 2018
The Slocan Ramblers March 22, 2019
Belle Plaine January 11, 2019
Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra, February 08, 2019
The Belle Regards September 14 2018
Oliver the Crow March 22, 2019
Shari Ulrich September 28, 2018
Son of Town Hall January 25, 2019
The Arrogant Worms March 08, 2019
Rotary Park February 22, 2019
Dala April 05 2019
Delta Whiskey November 23, 2018
February 22
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David Francey LISTEN
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A three-time JUNO winner born in Ayrshire to working-class Scottish parents who immigrated to Canada, David Francey criss-crossed Canada for decades working odd jobs, all the while writing and setting poetry to music until, in his 40s his wife, artist Beth Girdler, persuaded him to share his songs. Twelve albums later, David’s honest, wry stories of real people and real places have earned him a loyal following among critics and fans. A senior statesman of Canadian folk music, the closest thing this country has to Woody Guthrie according to The Georgia Strait and also an artist, David makes his second CFC appearance in the wake of The Broken Heart of Everything (2018).
Rotary Park
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Calgary-based quintet Rotary Park formed in 2011 and have criss-crossed Canada on three tours since then, serving up hard-driving bluegrass, ambient folk and tight vocal harmonies to national audiences. Call it alternative bluegrass, call it progressive Canadiana, or simply call it hot, toe-tapping, head-turning music by local heroes who are going places.
March 08
The Arrogant Worms LISTEN
The Arrogant Worms (Mike McCormick guitar/vocals, Chris Patterson bass/vocals and Trevor Strong vocals/merch counter) formed in Kingston in 1991 as a campus radio comedy troupe. 27 years and 14 albums later, their fast, furious and family-friendly shows continue to endear them to global audiences, having taken them to three continents and crowds as large as 100,000. Not ones to shy away from tough issues, the Worms fearlessly take on local politicians, yoga pants and Uncomfortable Chairs; and their work as champions of literacy has garnered them two Peter Gzowski Awards. Oh, did we mention that they’re funny? The Manitoban drolly advises that you bring along some Depends.
Earle and Coffin
There are young up and comers and then there are precocious teenage bluesmen Nick Earle and Joe Coffin from St John’s, who channel a pantheon of blues greats with soulful vocals, impressive acoustic guitar work, disarming personalities and uncanny maturity. Yeah, the kids are alright, although we’re not sure they can buy the next round yet!
March 22
The Slocan Ramblers LISTEN
The Slocan Ramblers are rising stars in the Canadian roots and bluegrass firmament. Frank Evans (banjo/lead vocals), Adrian Gross (mandolin), Darryl Poulsen (guitar) and Alastair Whitehead (upright bass). Toronto-based but rooted in traditional Tennessee sounds, they are no mere imitators. The Slocans have quickly built a reputation for their energetic live shows, impeccable musicianship and an ability to stand and deliver the polish and precision of bluegrass without frills or pretense. This is music to get your attention and move the crowd in a bar. Check out their latest release, Queen City Jubilee (2018), and discover why they’ve been turning heads and winning fans across Canada and the US.
Oliver the Crow
Classically trained in Canada but now based in Nashville, Kaitlyn Raitz (cello) and Ben Plotnick (fiddle) are boundary busters, synthesizing folk, roots, gypsy jazz, chamber music, Hank Williams and Prince with ease and superb artistry. NPR Radio has called Oliver the Crow an inspired collaboration. Hear them break all the rules on their self-titled debut CD (2018).
April 05
Dala LISTEN
Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther met in high school and have been sharing their lush harmonies, sensitive songs and infectious acoustic pop with adoring fans ever since. Dala has wowed critics and moved audiences alike from Alaska to Newport, where they were the only Canadian act invited to play the 50th edition of its eponymous folk festival. With a sound that is equally at home in intimate settings, concert halls and festival stages, the JUNO-nominated duo and 2010 CFMA Vocal Group of the Year recipients were also featured in the PBS documentary Girls From the North Country. Welcome Dala back to the CFC for their highly-anticipated fourth appearance.
Scott Cook
Edmonton-based but a true globe-trotter, Scott Cook shows are elusive because he so often gigs overseas. As David Francey says of him, "he has distilled his travels down into songs powered by a sharp eye for imagery, a healthy dose of humanity, and that unforgettable voice…intones the rigors of the road and the most comfortable couch you have ever slept on."
September 14
Sold Out
Rawlins Cross LISTEN
Since the late 1980s Rawlins Cross has been one of Canada’s most accomplished and beloved East Coast bands, fusing traditional Celtic with rock, pop and worldbeat sounds. Songwriting brothers Dave Panting (guitar and mandolin) and Geoff Panting (keyboards and accordion) are joined by Ian McKinnon (highland pipes and tin whistle), Brian Bourne (bass), Howie Southwood (drums) and Joey Kitson (vocals). Consistent fan favourites on the North American and European concert and festival circuits, they are touring on the heels of their 2017 EP Rock Steady, and return to the CFC after debuting in 2012. A must-see show if you prefer your kitchen parties shaken, not stirred.
The BelleRegards
The BelleRegards formed in Toronto in 2012 as a four-piece band that has since reinvented itself as a stripped-down duo in the form of Matthew Kingsley and Melanie Hilmi. Catchy, atmospheric, upbeat folk songs are the essence of the signature sound you’ll find on their excellent third album, Jameson Lake (2016).
September 28
Shari Ulrich LISTEN
Music is humans at their best, says Shari Ulrich, who relocated to Vancouver from the Bay area in her late teens. Since then, she has become one of the best-known and well-regarded figures on the Canadian music scene. Two JUNO awards, 23 albums and a string of successful collaborations (including Pied Pumkin, UHF and BTU) cemented her reputation as a prolific, relevant songwriter, major-label artist and versatile multi-instrumentalist. Welcome fan favourite Shari back to the CFC stage with her daughter Julia Graff and fellow High Bar Gang member Kirby Barber. They will be featuring songs from her new release as well as old favourites.
Oliver Swain LISTEN
A musical savant, Victoria’s Oliver Swain has been there, done that when it comes to roots and alternative music in Canada and beyond. His credits include stints with The Bills, Scruj MacDuhk and Outlaw Social. Banjo, upright bass, astonishing vocals and much more, he is an everyman and an instigator.
October 12
The East Pointers LISTEN
With dazzling musicianship and riotously fun, foot-stomping live shows, The East Pointers (Tim Chaisson fiddle/vocals, Koady Chaisson banjo, and Jake Charron guitar) make traditional roots music seem like the hippest scene going. Cousins Tim and Koady are seventh generation musicians, so to say they come by their jaw-dropping talent honestly would be putting it mildly. A devoted global following, industry buzz and accolades—including a JUNO award last year for their album Secret Victory—prove that all roads lead east when it comes to PEI, ever the hotbed of Canada’s thriving, Celtic-based music export market. Give it up for this fabulous young trio’s first appearance at the CFC!
100 Mile House
Edmonton-based husband and wife duo Peter Stone and Denise MacKay had already captured the hearts and minds of Western Canadian folk festival audiences before their breakout album "Hiraeth" arrived to a wave of critical success and laurels in 2016. Don’t miss the beauty and intimacy of 100 Mile House as they return to the CFC for their third appearance.
October 26
Lennie Gallant LISTEN
The pride of Rustico, PEI, recipient of the Order of Canada, CFMA Artist of the Year and live performer who regularly plays sold out shows, Canadian music icon Lennie Gallant keeps going from strength to strength. His multi-media hit musical Searching For Abegweit -The Island Songs & Stories of Lennie Gallant ran for four seasons and 140 shows, culminating in an ECMA award-winning double CD in 2017. Covered by artists ranging from Measha Brueggergosman to Jimmy Buffett, Lennie’s music is out of this world, having accompanied Canadian astronaut and Governor-General Julie Payette to the International Space Station. Hurry to catch Lennie’s 10th CFC appearance, which is sure to sell out!
The Eisenhauers
Kaslo, BC husband and wife duo Jeremy Eisenhauer and Sheree Plett Eisenhauer write riveting, sparse and heartbreaking songs about quintessentially Canadian themes such as distance, time and wilderness. Their powerful debut album The Road We Once Knew (2017) was recorded live on the studio floor by Steve Dawson in Nashville.
November 09
Lizzy Hoyt LISTEN
Possessing a crystalline, angelic voice and polished, note-perfect multi-instrumental talent, Edmonton’s Lizzy Hoyt is truly a musician’s musician and a singer’s singer. While albums like New Lady on the Prairie (2014) are steeped in Celtic and folk traditions, she manages to transcend genres and has the rare ability to make time seem to stand still with her exquisite sensitivity, emotional depth and musical range, as Club patrons will remember who caught her previous CFC appearance. Her honours include a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award and an International Acoustic Music Award for Best Female Artist. Join us for an evening of the unforgettable, spell-binding musical experience that Lizzy creates.
Korby Lenker
One of the most original and fiercely inventive voices on the American music scene today, award-winning songwriter Korby Lenker’s seventh album, Thousand Springs (2017) was recorded in seven states and features Molly Tuttle, Carrie Elkin and dozens of other folk luminaries. This renaissance man’s work includes television and a collection of short stories, Medium Hero (2015).
November 23
Quartette LISTEN
It’s hard to believe that 25 years have elapsed since Peter Gzowski hosted Quartette on CBC radio, prompting calls for them to record what became their stellar, eponymous debut album. Since then, this Canadian supergroup (currently Cindy Church, Caitlin Hanford, Gwen Swick and Sylvia Tyson) has continued to grow and evolve artistically, both as individuals and collectively. Certified doyennes and national living treasures of the Canadian music scene, they span genres effortlessly and create aural alchemy whenever their distinctive solo voices merge into a seamless whole. Catch their 2013 release Rocks and Roses, which includes a bonus CD of the best of their sublime back catalogue.
Delta Whisky
Under the moniker Staggered Pints, Delta Whiskey has held down a regular spot at Fionn MacCool’s in downtown Calgary since 1999, offering rousing, kitchen party-style entertainment with a huge, eclectic repertoire that extends well beyond East Coast and Irish traditional tunes. And bonus: the fiddler happens to be CFC’s favourite son, Scott Duncan!
January 11
The Changing Room LISTEN
A five-piece traditional folk ensemble from Looe, Cornwall, The Changing Room was founded in 2014 by Tanya Brittain and Sam Kelly. The lineup met with instant success, wowing critics, charming audiences and piling up awards from the start. Dollops of humour and Cornish-language songs feature in the chemistry of their collaborative and musically eclectic live shows. Far from merely curating museum music, however, the band is breathing new life into old forms, showing contemporary audiences how English trad folk can be as vibrant and relevant as ever. UK Folk Radio said that “The Changing Room is where the magic happens.” Experience the magic yourself at their first Canadian appearance.
Belle Plaine
Canadian prairie chanteuse Belle Plaine hails from Fosston, Saskatchewan (population: 54). Her unique, eclectic approach to roots music combines vintage blues, 1940s swing and the classic country twang of Grand Ole Opry, binding these elements together with engaging stories, a charming stage presence and a formidable voice. The CBC’s Kelley Jo Burke says of Belle Plaine’s oeuvre: “your cheatin’ heart will have a very dry martini in hand.” Try her live concert recording The Unrequited Love (2016) for a taste.
January 25
Son of Town Hall LISTEN
What do you do for an encore after you team up to be the first to sail a junk raft (called Son of Town Hall) across the Atlantic in 1998? If you’re from London (Ben Parker) and Santa Fe (David Berkeley), you transform the songs, experiences and mythology you created on the voyage into an acoustic duo that ignites critical buzz and casts a spell over sold-out audiences wherever you go. Equal parts performance art, salty sing-alongs and shaggy dog shanties, you haven’t heard anything quite like this before. If Simon and Garfunkel jamming with Johnny Depp in steampunk couture on the high seas floats your boat, this is the ticket!
Liz Stringer
Melbourne native Liz Stringer formed her first band after traveling to Germany at age 16 and has established bases in Melbourne, Europe and Toronto since then, honing her considerable songwriting skills and growing a devoted international following along the way. With six albums to date and a new release scheduled for 2019, she continues to refine her singular, roots-inflected and assured talent, and counts among her fans the likes of Frazey Ford and Bonnie Raitt.
February 08
Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra LISTEN
Roma-flavoured accordion, bluegrass, African percussion influences, West Coast environmentalism and je ne sais quoi? That would be Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra, an eclectic quintet from Victoria that re-defines world music with a tight-knit accordion and fiddle-driven sound that is both rooted in time and timeless. In its four-star review, Songlines UK praised TMO’s album Follow My Lead, Lead Me to Follow for its catchy tunes, high quality playing and “wide eyed appreciation of the beauty of western Canada.” The 5/5 review of the same album in Fulcrum concluded: “it has been a long while since an album has left me this much in awe.” TMO continues to test the limits of ordinary on Love (2015).
Don Amero
With five solo albums behind him and a sixth in the works, Winnipeg’s Don Amero is going from strength to strength, both as a solo performer and as a collaborator with Indian City. To add to his riveting stage presence and mesmerizing guitar work, honours include a CFMA, numerous Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards and multiple JUNO nominations.
David Francey
Map to Calgary Folk Club