Tag Archives: Mo Kenney

Music

Songwriter Series Up Next

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Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre hits full tilt this month as the Homburg Theatre reopens and the Songwriters Series continues at The Mack. First up. the Centre’s winter performance program features the fun-loving musical Dorothy in Wonderland on Saturday, March 4 at The Mack. This truly mad adventure from dance umbrella’s musical theatre classes finds Dorothy and Alice becoming best friends in a rollicking musical setting alongside the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Tinman, Toto, and more! Select tickets to go down the rabbit hole are still available.

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Focusing on sea island spirituals, Creole calypsos and stomp-down Appalachian dance tunes, Jayme Stone’s Folklife follows the bends through the deep river of song and story. This gathering of versatile musicians blows the dust off of old songs and remakes them for modern ears. Vancouver’s Georgia Straight dubbed the show “a truly inventive spin on some very old tunes.” With mesmerizing singing, virtuosic playing, and captivating storytelling, this is a moving and participatory experience presented one night only, March 9 at The Mack.

The Songwriter Series welcomes James Hill – “possibly the best ukulele player in the world” (Waikato Times) – and Anne Janelle – “a cellist of true beauty” (Ottawa Citizen) – to The Mack on March 18. Together, James Hill and Anne Janelle craft an award-winning sound that is intricate, enchanting, and engaging. In concert, James is a dazzling performer with a warm sense of humour and Anne brings her gorgeous syrupy voice to songs that are inventive, entertaining, and expertly performed. In short, a night out with James and Anne is “the perfect evening of tunes, stories, and musical virtuosity” (Wellington Dominion-Post).

Recently hitting number 1 nation-wide on CBC Radio 2’s Top-20 for ‘Back to the Bottom’, Halifax’s Port Cities will launch their first album on March 24 at The Mack. With layered pop production and catchy guitar, synth, and beats, the buzz-worthy trio hits home with all the spirit you would expect from its members, Dylan Guthro, Breagh MacKinnon, and Carleton Stone—each already a singer-songwriter with an established solo career. The results of this partnership and combined experience is nothing less than magical: songs with guts, songs with hooks, and songs that surprise and inspire even the band themselves.

The Songwriter Series concludes April 1 with a must-see performance from emerging East Coast icon, Mo Kenney. The baby-faced singer-songwriter proved her writing chops with 2016 album In My Dreams, picking up ECMA and Music Nova Scotia awards plus a Juno nomination. Her angelic voice and edgy songwriting caught the ear of now producer Joel Plaskett, who fused a classic rock touch to Kenney’s charming folk sound. Called “Nova Scotia’s rising star” by The Scene magazine, she has toured with Plaskett, Ron Sexsmith, and more.

A full LIVE @ the Centre calendar for these and other shows is available online at confederationcentre.com. Tickets are available at the box office, online, or via phone at 902-566-1267 (toll free at 1-800-565-0278.) Special thanks are extended to title sponsor Sobeys, as well as media sponsors Ocean 100, Hot 105.5, and The Guardian.

Music

Songwriter Series Launches at Mack

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Sobeys LIVE @ the Centre returns in February with three first-class concerts at Confederation Centre. The first of these is also the kick off to a three-part Songwriter Series at The Mack, sponsored by Fly PEI.

On Thursday February 2, Vancouver folk-rock trio Lion Bear Fox bring a grit-tinged sound to the Centre’s intimate cabaret hall. Drawing comparisons from everyone from Royal Wood to Bruce Springsteen, Lion Bear Fox is three huge voices joined as one musical beast, telling compelling stories with unbridled passion.

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Originally known for their respective solo careers, Christopher Arruda, Ryan McMahon, and Cory Woodward joined forces under one name in 2012 and was immediately selected as one of the top 20 unsigned bands in British Columbia The trio are described as “a musical force of nature”, an “emotional awakening” that’s sure to “be around for a lifetime” (Nanaimo Daily News/ Terry David Mulligan).

2016 saw the trio further cementing themselves as the new Canadian band to watch and their single “Battle of Me” has been described as a “manthem’ for the ages”. With their new album and national touring on the docket Canadian Beats recently named the trio one of 17 Canadian artists to watch in 2017.

Their debut record, Lion Bear Fox, comes out this month — a collection of songs steeped in character and full of warmth. One part folk, one part rock – a pinch of gospel and a dash of growl, the self-titled LP is a testament to the trio’s strength as songwriters. Lush acoustic guitars are bookended by buzzing electrics and sizzling organs; all tied together by rich percussion and three voices in harmony. It’s a sound that harkens back to an era when the song was paramount.

The Mack Songwriter Series runs February 2, March 18 (premiere roots duo James Hill and Anne Janelle), and concludes April 1 with East Coast emerging star, Mo Kenney. All are available under a package deal until February 2. If patrons book all three, the package offers savings of 25%. For more, visit the Confederation Centre box office in person, online, or via phone, 902.566.1267.