LIVE! At The Oakville Centre January-May 2016

WINTER /SPRING 2016

AT T H E O A K V I L L E C E N T R E VOLUME EIGHT

|

ISSUE TWO | JAN~MAY 2016

RUTHIE FOSTER THE WAILERS BRUCE COCKBURN 54•40 UNPLUGGED PATRICIA O’CALLAGHAN THE TREWS -ACOUSTIC THE LEGENDARY DOWNCHILD BLUES BAND BOWSER & BLUE CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE BALLET JORGEN’S SLEEPING BEAUTY ...and more!

OakvilleCentre.ca Box Office: 905-815-2021

Oakville Centre

Oakville Centre

HOUSE NOTES

ACCESSIBILITY

Welcome to the Oakville Centre! We ask that you follow these simple guidelines to ensure a pleasant and memorable experience for all.

The Oakville Centre and the Town of Oakville place a high priority on accessibility to the public. We are constantly striving to meet the needs of our customers.

In consideration of those in the audience who may have allergies, please refrain from using perfume or cologne when attending a performance.

Patrons requiring wheelchair or accessible seating arrangements are asked to call the box office at 905-815-2021 or email boxoffice@oakville.ca. Our box office staff will be happy to book accessible seating and answer any questions you may have regarding accessibility at the Oakville Centre.

Cell phones and other electronic devices should be muted and not used while in the theatre.

Photography and recording devices are strictly prohibited inside the auditorium.

The Oakville Centre does have some accessibility challenges due to its design and age. The main auditorium of 17 rows has a steep incline and due to fire regulations and for the safety of all patrons, wheelchair and walker seating is located in Row S. The theatre does not have an elevator.

Food and beverages are available pre show and intermission in the lobby. Please note the bar closes once the performance is in progress. Food and any outside containers are not permitted in the theatre with the exception of clear plastic water bottles.

During designated performances only will all beverages be permitted in the theatre. In consideration of other patrons, please refrain from opening candy or gum wrappers during a performance.

There is one barrier free washroom on the main level in the lobby and one on the lower level for studio patrons.

Accessible features include curb cuts at the crosswalk and a ramp to the entrance of the theatre on Navy and Church street approach. Our main entrance doors are equipped with electronic openers and the auditorium offers handrails.

Latecomers and re-entries will be seated at a suitable break determined by the production. You may be asked to wait in the lobby.

Babes-in-arms and young children are welcome to the Family Series performances. Contact the box office for all other performances. Each person entering the theatre requires a ticket.

The Oakville Centre offers a Sennheiser assistive hearing system, free of charge.

Patrons can access the headset by requesting the equipment at the lobby bar on their arrival.

Group bookings are available for 10 or more.

Please contact us at 905-338-4161, ext. 3204. All ticket sales are final.

Two accessible parking spots are available on Navy Street and two spots in the Church Street parking lot. These spots are best suited for those attending performances in the Main Auditorium. Accessible parking spots on the lower level, at the back of the theatre would only be suitable for those attending an event in the Studio Theatre. For additional accessible parking spots, please refer to the map on page 4.

All performances take place in either the Willson Auditorium or the Studio Theatre.

The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts is a division of the Recreation and Culture Department of the Town of Oakville.

2

3

Oakville Centre DIRECTIONS & PARKING From the QEW or 401, exit at Trafalgar Road (Hwy. 3), drive south to Lakeshore Road, turn right and park in any of the more than 2,800 parking spots in Downtown Oakville.

To park behind the Oakville Centre, continue along Lakeshore to Navy Street, turn left on Navy then make your first right on Water Street and follow it along the river.

Municipal Parking Lots

Accessible Parking Spots

Street Parking Lot

The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts 130 Navy Street, Oakville, ON L6J 2Z4 Tel: 905-815-2021 or 1-888-489-7784 OakvilleCentre.ca All performances take place in either the Willson Auditorium or the Studio Theatre.

Volunteer with us!

The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts is looking for enthusiastic individuals with a passion for the arts to volunteer as ushers, ticket takers and outreach ambassadors.

Interested?

Visit OakvilleCentre.ca or call 905-338-4161 ext. 3237.

4

BIG TICKET MEMBERS CHOOSE THEIR SEATS FIRST!

Become a BIG TICKET MEMBER and SAVE…

BIG TICKET MEMBER Buy a Big Ticket Membership for $55 and receive: • The ability to purchase tickets one week before the general public • Savings up to $7 off the regular price of each ticket you purchase • Receive a $20 tax receipt

BIG TICKET PLUS MEMBER

Go to the front of the line and buy tickets before the general public!

Have one membership good for the whole family!

Buy as many tickets to the shows you want!

Buy a Big Ticket PLUS Membership for $110 and receive: • The ability to purchase tickets two weeks before the general public • Savings up to $11 off the regular price of each ticket you purchase • Receive a $50 tax receipt • Receive a $25 gift certificate from Paradiso Restaurant

(some maximums apply to each show)

5

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our sponsors.

Auditorium Sponsor

Performance Series Sponsors

Official Automobile

Learning with the Arts (Education) Sponsor

Official Jeweller

Official Winery

With appreciation

Associate Sponsor of the Family Series

Media Partner

6

After Show Artist Chats

Cover Photo Credit: Riccardo Piccirillo

The After Show Artist Chat is your opportunity to learn more about the artist’s background, their interpretation of the work or what makes them tick.

With the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage we are pleased to announce a series of complimentary After Show Artist Chats with a moderated discussion between the artist(s) and a featured guest moderator. These informal discussions around the creative process will be hosted by Paradiso Restaurant (unless noted otherwise), right across the street from the theatre.

Each chat will start a few minutes after the show at Paradiso and run for no longer than 30 minutes.

Tickets for the After Show Artist Chats are available now. There is a limit of four tickets per purchaser.

On the cover: RUTHIE FOSTER April 21

In this issue . . .

Family Series . . . . . . . . . . . December 12 to May 8 54•40 Unplugged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 15 Eh440 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 13 Bowser & Blue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 20 The Wailers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 25 Bruce Cockburn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 27 Ross Wooldridge & Alex Pangman . . . February 28 Bob McDonald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 29 The Trews-Acoustic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 3 Ballet Jorgen’s Sleeping Beauty . . . . . . March 18 Kat Danser's Mississippi Juke Joint . . . . March 19 CAL: Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 24 The Legendary Downchild Blues Band . March 30 Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys . . . April 8 Ruthie Foster & Harrison Kennedy . . . . . . April 21 Patricia O’Callaghan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 29 CAL: Led Zeppelin IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 13 LIVE! at the Oakville Centre is published twice each year for The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts by Green Light Graphics Inc. To advertise, please contact us at 905-469-8095 or green.light@sympatico.ca. Space is limited.

54•40 ~ January 15 Eh440 ~ February 13 Bowser & Blue ~ February 20 Kat Danser & Cécile Doo-Kingué ~ March 19 The Legendary Downchild Blues Band ~ March 30 Ruthie Foster & Harrison Kennedy ~ April 21 Patricia O’Callaghan ~ April 29

7

It’s All About Family!

The ACURA OF OAKVILLE Family Series

THE CAT IN THE HAT

CHARLOTTE’S WEB

Friday, February 19, 2016 at 7 p.m.• $20* Recommended for ages 2 to 9

Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 1 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.• $20* Recommended for ages 4 to 10 Presented by Theatreworks USA. Based on the book by E. B. White.

Based on the book by Dr. Seuss. Adapted and originally directed by Katie Mitchell. Presented by Childsplay, Tempe, Arizona.

Theatreworks’ production of Charlotte’s Web is based on E.B. White’s loving story of the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider named Charlotte. Wilbur has a problem: how to avoid winding up as pork chops! Charlotte, a fine writer and true friend, hits on a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman – she will create a miracle.

Spinning the words “Some Pig” in her web, Charlotte weaves a solution which not only makes Wilbur a prize pig, but ensures his place on the farm forever. This treasured tale, featuring mad-cap and endearing farm animals, explores bravery, selfless love, and the true meaning of friendship.

From the moment his tall, red-and-whitestriped hat appears at their door, Sally and her brother know that the Cat in the Hat is the most mischievous cat they will ever meet. Suddenly, the rainy afternoon is transformed by the Cat and his antics. Will their house ever be the same? Can the kids clean up before mom comes home? With some tricks (and a fish) and Thing Two and Thing One, with the Cat in the Hat, the fun’s never done!

Founded in 1977, Childsplay is an internationally respected professional theatre company whose chosen audience is children. Their mission is “To create theatre so strikingly original in form, content or both that it instills in young people an enduring awe, love and respect for the medium, thus preserving imagination and wonder, those hallmarks of childhood that are the keys to the future.”

SHARON, BRAM & FRIENDS Sunday, May 8, 2016 at 1 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.• $20* Recommended for all ages Since 1978, Sharon Hampson and Bram Morrison have been preeminent in all aspects of family entertainment across North America as members of the trio Sharon, Lois & Bram.

Together, the threesome produced over twenty recordings, beginning with their iconic One Elephant, Deux Elephants, three song-books, six national TV specials, sixty-five episodes of The Elephant Show, and fifty-two of Skinnamarink TV. They have received countless awards, including Gold and Platinum Records and JUNO awards. To date, they have sold over 3 million albums worldwide.

Sharon and Bram have carried on together since Lois Lillenstein stepped aside from live performing in 2000. This incarnation of one of North America’s most popular family acts ranges from a “sweet and simple” folksy duo performance, to a larger production featuring members of the versatile Skinnamarink Band.

“We love singing with our audiences; the sound of families singing together and the expressions of delight on the faces of parents and children as they share the music, it brings us deep satisfaction”, say Sharon and Bram.

Dr. Seuss text, character and images TM and © 2009 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. Dr. Seuss’ The Cat In The Hat is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International.

DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD LIVE! Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 2 p.m. & 5 p.m.• $35** Recommended for ages 2 to 8 Produced by Mills Entertainment. Executive Producer/Tour Booking: The Brad Simon Organization, Inc. Based on the television show, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, produced by The Fred Rogers Company.

The legacy of the beloved Mister Rogers lives on with the hit television series, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, from the Fred Rogers Company and PBS KIDS. Now, Daniel and all of his friends are hopping aboard the trolley to delight live audiences with Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live! Donning his familiar red sweater, Daniel takes the audience on an interactive musical adventure as he and his friends explore the vibrant world of their much-loved neighborhood.

This live theatrical production, filled with singing, dancing and laughter, will warm the hearts of multiple generations!

SPECIAL OFFER! *Purchase 3 or more shows & SAVE $5 / ticket! **NO discounts available for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood LIVE! TICKETS: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca. All prices include taxes and handling fees.

Presented by The Oakville Centre. Sponsored by Acura of Oakville in association with Whole Foods Market and The Munz & Planche Family Fund for the Performing Arts (a fund held within the Oakville Community Foundation).

8

2015

PERFORMANCE

MDX

SH-AWD® The stardard. Super Handling All-Wheel Drive TM (SH-AWD) is designed to intuitively sense driving conditions and react accordingly by sending up to 70% of the the ttorque orque tto o tthe he rrear ear wheels. A Att tthe he rrear, earr, SHSH-AWD AWD is also capable of mec mechanically hanically splitting that that torque torque b byy sending up to to 1 100% 00% tto o tthe he rrear ear wheel with with the the mos mostt tr traction. action. This sy system stem inspir inspires es conf confidence idence no matt matter er what tthe he dr driving iving intention intention or road road condition.

We W e of offer of ffer ffer f complimentary complime li Acura Loaner Vehicles, Vehicles, Wireless internet ett W Waiting aiting iti Lounge L and Local LocalValet V alet Service Serviceififyou yourequire. require.

SALES – SER SERVICE VICE – P PARTS ARTS

EXPERIENCE OUR CONCIERGE SERVICE 9

1525 North Service Road W West est e 905-825-8777 service@acuraofoakville.com parts@acuraofoakville.com

Dan Cooper Concert Series

From the opening guitar riff of Ocean Pearl, or the unforgettable baritone hook of I Go Blind, if you grew up in Canada in the 90s, 54•40 was the soundtrack to your childhood, whether you knew it or not. For many more seasoned fans, they were the post-punk icons that leapt from the early 80s Vancouver dive-bar scene and landed confidently on the international stadium stage. With over a million records sold worldwide, a career spanning 30 years and a catalogue of hits that occupy the airways to this day, singer-songwriter-front man Neil Osborne still finds himself with a restless soul.

54•40

UNPLUGGED Friday, January 15, 2016 at 8 p.m.

“Songs are stories - hit songs are classic stories and we’ve retold these classics and hopefully enhancing their appeal.” - Neil Osborne The search for new musical frontiers can often lead to unexpected places. In 2014 Neil and the band found themselves striking gold and beginning to develop an idea unlike anything they had ever attempted. These were the early stages of a double album that spans decades and finds the band rediscovering their roots while pushing their sound to a very new place.

Presented by The Oakville Centre.

Sponsored by the Dan Cooper Group.

10

“I simply can’t find the right words to describe 54 .40, one of the most respected Canadian bands ever. Can one possibly gauge the accomplishments they have attained during their twodecade-long journey in one sentence? The answer in my mind is no.” ~ Scene Magazine

“What a privilege to be able to reimagine our catalogue in a way that is equal parts fresh and familiar. Given the opportunity to frame Neil’s lyrics in a different light reminded me of the emotional connection between the words and music, and how that connection can be massaged in order to give the songs new moods and meanings. A thoroughly inspiring exercise, and a labour of love!” - Dave Genn

The first album La Difference: A History Unplugged, produced by Dave ‘Rave’ Ogilive, is an intimate and unplugged reimagining of 54•40’s greatest hits recorded as you’ve never heard them before.

Featuring original arrangements of violin, guitar, banjo, mandolin and more by guest musician Daniel Lapp, History gives new context and spirit to 10 classic songs fans all know and love. Re-approaching songs from the past is something the band had never thought they would do.

The fruits of the session are heard on the second part of this double album. Now, with two brand new fulllength albums in their pocket and a cross Canada theatre tour booked for 2016, is it fair to say 54•40 is officially back?

“54•40 is always future thinking, (after all the name does comes from a border dispute) as a band we’re always expanding our borders, what we call ‘future history’.” - Neil Osborne

“The four of us are perhaps 54•40’s biggest fans - as well as stewards.” - Neil Osborne

This new perspective is immediately apparent on La Difference, an album that feels at once familiar and entirely new. Fans will be delighted to hear the folky stomp of Baby Ran, or the middle-eastern influenced arrangement of One Gun - combinations that until now, would’ve been hard to imagine. For the band, dusting off and deconstructing their classic catalogue had an unexpected effect.

Regular Ticket: $65 | Big Ticket Member: $60 Big Ticket Plus: $58 All prices include taxes and handling fees.

Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

11

The Studio Sessions Series

Saturday, February 13, 2016 at 8:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre

Eh440 started harmonizing together in 2012. Using just their voices, this Toronto-based a cappella group has wowed audiences across the USA and Canada. In 2014, they began the next step in their journey – the release of their debut album Turn Me Up.

Mike Celia and Joe Oliva started their musical journeys a little later than the other three. Already into their teens, Mike taught himself to play guitar and sing while Joe joined his high school choir, just for fun, in his final year.

But their journey really started over a decade and half ago.

After coming together through the Toronto Independent Music Awards and mutual musician-friends, Eh440 was born - their first gig was performing the national anthems for the Valentine’s Day 2012 Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks NBA game.

Singing in an arena before 20,000 people? Pretty good first gig!

As kids, Janet Turner and Stacey Kay used to compete against each other in singing contests. The first time they met, Stacey was just eight years old and Janet a little older. Over the years they each took their turn winning various contests and even though some competitors took it a little too seriously, they actually cheered on the other and became lifelong friends.

Luke Stapleton (aka Human Record) started beatboxing as a kid too. Coming from a “show biz” family, Luke would listen to his dad play the drums in their house and recreate the sounds using only his mouth.

Eh440 is a mix of five people from five very different backgrounds and musical genres. Joe’s been a low bass singer his entire life, Luke’s an urban beatboxer, Janet’s a country/pop singer, Stacey’s soul/pop, and if that isn’t confusing enough, Mike’s even more of a musical chameleon who cites blues, folk, and “anything with a good groove” as his influences.

Regular Ticket: $44 | Big Ticket Member: $37 | Big Ticket Plus: $33 All prices include taxes and handling fees. Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

SPECIAL VALENTINES DAY DINNER & SHOW PACKAGE - $150 per couple Saturday, February 13, 2016 6 p.m. Three course meal at Paradiso Restaurant / 8:30 p.m. Performance of Eh440 at the Oakville Centre To purchase this package call the Oakville Centre Box Office at 905-815-2021.

Price does not include taxes, alcohol and gratuities.

Presented by The Oakville Centre. Sponsored by Paradiso Restaurant.

Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

12

“Together they form an unforgettable combination of crazy beatboxing, sassy rapping, killer harmonies, and fresh, urban, R&B-influenced compositions.�

13

Epic 12.9-inch iPad Pro The new iPad Pro is available at Core 1~ Oakville’s Apple Specialist slim and light design – just 6.9 mm thin and 1.57 pounds.

Yet thanks to the strong unibody enclosure, it feels wellbalanced and sturdy. For all its capabilities, the most surprising thing about iPad Pro may be how easily it seems to disappear in the hand.

iPad has always offered a uniquely simple yet immersive experience. And now with its expansive 12.9-inch Retina display, nearly double the CPU performance of iPad Air 2, and refined Multi-Touch technology, iPad Pro adds another dimension to that experience. It’s not just larger. It’s an iPad that lets you be more creative and more productive – at a whole new scale.

Four Speaker Audio A rich listening experience at every turn.

Retina Display. A canvas designed for your biggest ideas.

With four new high-fidelity speakers built directly into its unibody, iPad Pro creates an audio experience as big as its display. The new design produces an engaging soundstage with three times the acoustic output of iPad Air. But it goes even further than that. iPad Pro automatically adjusts the orientation of the high frequencies according to how you’re holding it. So whether you’re playing a game or watching a movie, the sound of iPad Pro is more immersive than ever.

With 5.6 million pixels, iPad Pro features the highestresolution Retina display of any iOS device. The 12.9-inch screen makes everything you do – editing 4K video, designing presentations, running a business – easier, faster, and more engaging. And the Multi-Touch subsystem has been reengineered, expanding the ways you can interact with iPad.

Apple Pencil Our most powerful chip for our most capable device.

Apple Pencil for iPad Pro makes drawing and sketching feel remarkably fluid and natural, and delivers incredible accuracy for activities like fine art illustration and detailed 3D design. Apple’s new Smart Keyboard further extends the utility of iPad Pro, offering a full-sized keyboard in a thin, durable design so you can take it anywhere. The Smart Keyboard attaches to iPad Pro’s innovative Smart Connector port, eliminating the need for a separate battery, on/off switch or Bluetooth pairing.

At the heart of iPad Pro lies the new A9X, our thirdgeneration chip with 64-bit desktop-class architecture. It delivers up to 1.8 times the CPU performance and double the graphics performance of iPad Air 2. So even the most demanding apps run effortlessly.

Design Huge in almost every way.

Even with its massive display, iPad Pro has an astonishingly

Core 1 is your local Apple Specialist. Located in Downtown Oakville, Core 1 offers all the latest Apple products in a customer friendly environment. Come in and check out the latest Macs, iPads, iPods, iPhones and accessories. Having problems with your Apple hardware?

We are an Apple Premium Service Provider. We perform warranty and non-warranty repairs and upgrades on all Apple products.

Come in – NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY!

249 Lakeshore Road East (just west of Trafalgar), Downtown Oakville T: 905.849.0737

www.core1.ca 14

The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts would like to thank

The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts would like to thank the

CANADIAN HERITAGE

ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL

for ongoing programming support.

for ongoing programming support.

www.pch.gc.ca

www.arts.on.ca

15

Strange But True: Former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin once said Bowser and Blue are his “favourite band.�

16

&

Oakville Centre Comedy Series

Bowser

George Bowser and Rick Blue are a music and comedy duo from Montreal who have been performing together since October 1978. After years in their own “rock” bands, they joined forces as a duo when the disco phenomenon made gigs hard for bands to find. Rick plays acoustic guitar and harmonica. George plays electric and acoustic guitars, bass and banjo.

George Bowser and Rick Blue write and perform music and comedy. In 2011, their latest work; Schwartz’s - The Musical, inspired by Bill Brownstein’s best-selling book about the Montreal Delicatessen, ran for nine sold-out weeks.

They appear in theatres and concert halls across Canada, and from 2007 to 2012 they headlined the Canadian Snowbird Extravaganza concert series, both in Canada and the United States, returning again in 2013/2014.

They have appeared frequently at the Just for Laughs comedy festival, and they can often be seen on CBC television and the Comedy Channel. Their CTV Christmas special Two Nuts Roasting on an Open Fire was nominated for a Gemini award.

They perform at special events, such as fundraisers, annual dinners and awards galas for clients all across the country. In 2013, they received a standing ovation at the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference.

Blue

Saturday, February 20, 2016 at 8 p.m.

They have written and performed in many theatre shows, including 2008’s The 25th Century Belongs to Canada, and The 4 Anglos of the Apocalypse, a comic perspective on the last 30 years of politics in Quebec. These were collaborative works, written and performed with film-maker and humorist Josh Freed, and award-winning cartoonist Terry Mosher (Aislin). Their musical The Paris of America, ran for seven sold-out weeks at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre in 2003.

In 2003 they collaborated with Terry Mosher to produce The Illustrated Canadian Songbook, which comes with a companion CD. Colorectal surgeons around the world are familiar with them through the song Working Where the Sun Don’t Shine, which was first heard on Madly Off In All Directions in 1997.

They have recorded with Supertramp’s Rick Davies, and with Katrina and the Waves. They also recorded a song with the late Blair and Gary MacLean, Canada’s legendary MacLean & MacLean.

Bowser and Blue provided the music for the NFB animated film Scant Sanity, by John Weldon, and for the TV show Misguided Angels. The instrumental guitar music for that show, Red Guitars, is what you hear in the auditorium between shows at B&B concerts.

Regular Ticket: $45 Big Ticket Member: $38 Big Ticket Plus: $34 All prices include taxes and handling fees.

Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

Presented by The Oakville Centre.

17

18

Oakville Centre World Artists Series

With opening band TooNice Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 8 p.m.

There is no more legendary band in Jamaican music history than The Wailers.

Formed in 1969, the group has created an extraordinary body of work whose echoes are heard in every corner of the world today. Original members included the man hailed as “The Artist of the 20th Century,” Bob Marley and his vocal partners Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh, alongside the ground-breaking rhythm section of the Barrett brothers, Carlton on drums and Aston “Family Man” on bass. Today Aston leads the band as it continues its worldwide campaign of promoting peace, love and equality through the message of reggae and Rastafari.

HISTORY WITH BOB MARLEY In 1970, Bob, Bunny and Peter joined forces with the Barrett Brothers in the studio of famed producer Lee “Scratch” Perry, the Upsetter, who recorded the first versions of “Kaya,” “Duppy Conqueror” and “Trench Town Rock.”

When they parted company with Perry, the Barrett brothers decided to leave with them. “They were the best vocal group,” recalls Family Man, “and we were the best rhythm section, so we just decided to come together and mosh up the world.” That they did in a way that none of them could ever have predicted.

To date, The Wailers have sold over a quarter of a billion albums, including seven top-ten entries on the British pop charts. Widely hailed appearances at major festivals include Lollapalooza, Glastonbury and Rothbury, along with superstars such as Carlos Santana, Stevie Wonder, Sting, the Fugees and Alpha Blondy. More than 24 million fans have seen them performing live. In 2012 alone, they played an impressive 180 concerts.

Signed to Island Records in 1972 by Island Records’ chief, Chris Blackwell, they released two albums, Catch A Fire and Burnin’, that fused rock licks with the sound of modern roots reggae, startling critics and breaking through onto the airwaves of the UK and the U.S. Like the Beatles, each of the three Wailers vocalists was capable of composing and singing lead, and by the end of 1973, the singers split apart to pursue successful solo careers. Carlton and Family Man decided to stay with Bob and the group now became known as Bob Marley and the Wailers.

Their first album with Bob as the sole front man was its breakthrough, particularly in England, Natty Dread. A debut performance in 1975 at London’s Lyceum was captured on the thrilling “Live” LP, and produced a huge hit with No Woman No Cry. It also contained Bob’s own version of the song he composed, I Shot the Sheriff, which was then an enormous international smash in a cover version by Eric Clapton. By 1976, Marley and the Wailers were in the top ten of the U.S. charts with their Rastaman Vibration album.

They would continue on the hit parade throughout the remainder of Marley’s life. Marley’s largest audience came in June of 1980 when 110,000 people

19

filled Milan’s San Siro stadium. Two months earlier they were the headliners at Zimbabwe’s Independence celebrations.

“Drummie Zeb” excels on percussion. He is a founding member of Chicago’s Awareness Art Ensemble, and has toured with Kenny Chesney. Lead and rhythm guitar and backing vocals are handled expertly by Audley “Chizzy” Chisholm. Backing vocals are also supplied by the elegant Trinidadian Cegee Victory.

At the millennium, The Wailers’ 1977 masterpiece, Exodus, was chosen by Time magazine as the best album of the 20th century. It contained Bob’s anthem, One Love, called the Song of the Millennium by the BBC, which played it every hour for 24 hours during its globe-spanning coverage of the turn of the century. The New York Times called Marley the most influential musician of the 20th century, and placed a copy of the video of his performance at London’s Rainbow Theater in a time capsule to be opened in the year 3000, calling it among the most significant musical performances of our times. The Grammys bestowed upon him a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award and he received a star on Hollywood Boulevard. During his lifetime he was given Jamaica’s highest civilian award, the Order of Merit, and in 1978 he received the United Nations Medal of Peace on behalf of 500 million Africans.

A recent highlight for the band was being asked to join The Stone Roses’ reunion concerts last year in Manchester, England. Acknowledging the influence of Family Man’s inventiveness on the bass, the Roses were eager to pay homage to him and The Wailers in concerts that drew 90,000 people.

Their tight and historically sensitive blend was never more apparent than at the beginning of 2013 during The Wailers’ Survival Revival tour of North America, on which the band reproduced what many critics consider Marley’s most profound statement of his personal philosophy, 1979’s Survival album. This follows other recent critically praised tours on which they have played the Exodus and Uprising albums in their entirety.

Marley passed away from melanoma cancer at the age of 36 in 1981, instructing the band to carry on his mission.

Family Man, the rock hard foundation of The Wailers’ sound, has led the band through various incarnations ever since. Because he was the arranger and co-creator of Marley’s finest works throughout the 1970s, hearing him play the Wailers’ songs today is the closest one can come to experiencing the excitement of those immortal performances during Bob’s lifetime.

Never ones to be pigeonholed in the past, The Wailers reaffirmed their continuing relevance and versatility in modern music with a guest spot on country superstar Kenny Chesney’s hit single, Everyone Wants to Go to Heaven, and also appeared in a video for the song which was shot in Jamaica. They have just rejoined him for a new single called Spread the Love, released in June of 2013. Nor have they forgotten their social consciousness, currently spearheading the I Went Hungry charity, designed to use funds designated for touring bands’ lavish “riders” to benefit the World Food Program (WFP) in conjunction with the United Nations, feeding thousands of starving children around the globe.

POST MARLEY Carlton Barrett was murdered in 1987, leaving his brother as the main beneficiary of The Wailers’ mantle. Subsequent lineups have revolved around Family Man, who was recently honored by Bass Player magazine with his own Lifetime Achievement Award as one of the world’s greatest bassists. With Fams at the helm, The Wailers are heralded as one of the last great reggae institutions, history in the flesh, continuing to tour and breathe new life into their universally loved catalog of reggae’s greatest hits.

Now well into their fifth decade, The Wailers truly are living legends who embody the nobility, conviction and progressiveness of Bob Marley and his music. Their journey is far from over as the world awaits The Wailers’ next move in their “One Love” revolution. “Our music is the magic,” says Fams “the oxygen of the people. It’s the message of roots, culture and reality, meant to spread peace and love to all.”

The current lineup includes the veteran keyboardist Keith Sterling, a veteran of ‘70s studio greats, the Soul Syndicate, as well as Peter Tosh’s Word Sound and Power band.

He is so respected by his colleagues in The Wailers that they call him “Coach.” Fams’ young son, Aston Jr., a multi-talented musician, plays organ and is the heir apparent, helping bring the music forward to a new generation.

Filling the role of lead singer is a highly disciplined young Jamaican star on the rise, Dwayne Anglin, known as Danglin. Of particular note, he is a Navy veteran who already holds a masters degree in criminology and is actively pursuing a Ph.D. in that field, while nightly bringing audiences to their feet in loud acclaim for his vocal prowess.

Regular Ticket: $74 | Big Ticket Member: $67 Big Ticket Plus: $63 All prices include taxes and handling fees.

Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

Presented by The Oakville Centre.

20

We’ve had a $3.5 Million Facelift!

uPdated gueSt rOOMS All of our 147 guest rooms have new beds, linens, flat screen televisions, furniture… even new exterior windows!

tHe COurtyard grill Our new modern Restaurant and Lounge is perfectly suited for corporate events or casual get togethers.

We’d love to show you our NEW look* (*Bring this ad and receive a free appetizer!)

HOliday inn Oakville @traFalgar 590 Argus Road, Oakville 905-842-5000 www.hioakville.com 21

The Cooking

Follow us on twitter @ristoparadiso

Like us on Facebook RestaurantParadiso

STUDI @ You’re the Chef!

Visit our website for the full listing of classes offered in Oakville and Burlington.

www.paradisorestaurant.com Oakville 125 Lakeshore Road E 905-338-1594 • BurlingtOn 2041 Pine Street 905-639-1176 21

Dan Cooper Concert Series

BRUCE COCK Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 8 p.m.

In contrast, one light-hearted number reflects Cockburn’s frequently underappreciated sense of humour. Called Me Back is a comic reflection on the frustrations of waiting for a return phone call that never comes. Meanwhile, listeners are bound to be intrigued

by Call Me Rose, written from the point of view of disgraced former U.S. president Richard Nixon, who receives a chance at redemption after being reincarnated as a single mother living in a housing project with two children.

Bruce Cockburn has always been a restless spirit. Over the course of four decades, the celebrated Canadian artist has traveled to the corners of the earth out of humanitarian concerns – often to trouble spots experiencing events that have led to some of his most memorable songs. Going up against chaos, even if it involves grave risks, can be necessary to get closer to the truth.

“My mother once said that I must have a death wish, always going to what she called ‘those awful places,’” laughs Cockburn. “I don’t think of it that way. I make these trips partly because I want to see things for myself and partly out of my own sense of adventure.”

Brooklyn-based violinist Jenny Scheinman is one of Bruce’s two female collaborators on Small Source of Comfort. Scheinman, best known for her work with Bill Frisell and Norah Jones, provides some thrilling flourishes to instrumentals like Lois on the Autobahn and the bluesy, gypsy-like swing of Comets of Kandahar, a track that Cockburn describes as “Django meets John Lee Hooker.”

Small Source of Comfort, Cockburn’s 31st album, is his latest adventurous collection of songs of romance, protest and spiritual discovery. The album, primarily acoustic yet rhythmically savvy, is rich in Cockburn’s characteristic blend of folk, blues, jazz and rock. As usual, many of the new compositions come from his travels and spending time in places like San Francisco and Brooklyn to the Canadian Forces base in Kandahar, Afghanistan, jotting down his typically detailed observations about the human experience.

Produced by longtime associate Colin Linden, the album also features Annabelle Chvostek, a Montreal-based singer-songwriter with whom Cockburn wrote two songs on which they also harmonize: the introspective Driving Away and the driving, freewheeling Boundless.

In addition to newcomers Scheinman and Chvostek, Small Source of Comfort includes such regular Cockburn accompanists as bassist Jon Dymond, drummer Gary Craig and producer Linden, who also plays guitar.

Each One Lost and Comets of Kandahar, one of five instrumentals on the album, stem from a trip Cockburn made to war-torn Afghanistan in 2009. The elegiac Each One Lost was written after Cockburn witnessed a ceremony honouring two young Canadian Forces soldiers who had been killed that day and whose coffins were being flown back to Canada. It was, recalls Cockburn, “one of the saddest and most moving scenes I’ve been privileged to witness.”

As always, there’s a spiritual side to Cockburn’s latest collection, best reflected on the closing Gifts, a song written in 1968 and but recorded here for the first time, and The Iris of the World, which opens the album. The latter includes the humorously rueful line, “I’m good at catching rainbows, not so good at catching trout.”

“Here come the dead boys, moving slowly past the pipes and prayers and strained commanding voices,” Cockburn sings solemnly on Each One Lost. Over a mournful accordion, the simple chorus sums up the gravity of the hymn-like song: “each one lost is a vital part of you and me.”

That admission serves as a useful metaphor for Cockburn’s approach to songwriting. “As you go through life, it’s like taking a hike alongside a river,” he explains. “Your eye catches little things that flash in the

22

BURN water, various stones and flotsam. I’m a bit of a packrat when it comes to saving these reflections. And, occasionally, a few of them make their way into songs.”

Those songs, along with his humanitarian work, have brought Cockburn a long list of honours, including 13 Juno Awards, an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award and several international awards. In 1982, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Officer in 2002. Last year, the Luminato festival honoured Cockburn’s extensive songbook with a tribute concert featuring such varied guests as jazz guitarist Michael Occhipinti, folk-rapper Buck 65, country rockers Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, country-folk singers Sylvia Tyson and Amelia Curran, pop artists the Barenaked Ladies and Hawksley Workman, and folk-pop trio The Wailin’ Jennys.

Never content to rest on his laurels, Cockburn keeps looking ahead. “I’d rather think about what I’m going to do next,” he once said. “My models for graceful aging are guys like John Lee Hooker and Mississippi John Hurt, who never stopped working till they dropped, as I fully expect to be doing, and just getting better as musicians and as human beings.” Small Source of Comfort, a reflection of Cockburn’s everexpanding world of wonders, is the latest step in his creative evolution.

Regular Ticket: $82 | Big Ticket Member: $75 Big Ticket Plus: $71 All prices include taxes and handling fees.

Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

BRUCE COCKBURN AT A GLANCE • Born May 27, 1945 in Ottawa, Ontario • Won 11 JUNO Awards & Nominated for 31 • Officer of the Order of Canada • Released 31 albums over four decades

Presented by The Oakville Centre.

Sponsored by the Dan Cooper Group.

23

24

Oakville Centre World Artists Series

Ross Wooldridge and his Tribute to the Benny Goodman Sextet with Alex Pangman Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 3 p.m.

Spanning the years from 1935 - 1961, Benny Goodman was a world leader in the field of small group jazz, breaking racial boundaries, introducing unforgettable talent like Lionel Hampton and Teddy Wilson to the world, and in general being a jazz trend-setter with his trio, quartet and sextet.

ber Don Thompson on Vibes. Revel in the musical memories of such hits as Memories of You, Moonglow, Airmail Special, Slipped Disc and many others.

“Ross Wooldridge is the best jazz clarinetist that Canada has ever produced... Amen!.”

“Her upbeat positive attitude make Pangman a perfect choice as Top Canadian swinger. She brings the songs of the early jazz alive.”

~ Bernie Turcotte

~ CBC’s Tim Tamashiro

Canada’s Clarinet King, Ross Wooldridge presents a dynamic and engaging retrospective of those groups, fronting an outstanding ensemble featuring world class musicians including Order of Canada mem-

Added entertainment pleasure are the vocal stylings of Canada’s Sweetheart of Swing, Alex Pangman, who adds the icing on the cake with period perfect interpretations of hits of the era.

Ross Wooldridge - Clarinet • Don Thompson - Vibes • Danny McErlain - Piano Jesse Barksdale - Guitar • Chris Banks - Bass • Glenn Anderson - Drums Alex Pangman - Vocals Regular Ticket: $45 | Big Ticket Member: $38 | Big Ticket Plus: $34 All prices include taxes and handling fees. Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

Presented by The Oakville Centre.

25

In Conversation With... Series

Bob McDonald Host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks “Being there: Science as I've Seen It” • Monday, February 29, 2016 at 8 p.m.

After more than 30 years of reporting on science, this journalist has seen a lot, from the exploration of our entire solar system by robots, to the computer and genetic revolutions that have profoundly changed our lives.

We live in remarkable times where the most powerful tools humanity has ever known are in our grasp. Do we have the wisdom to use these tools wisely?

host of the children’s series Head’s Up. As a writer, he has authored four bestselling science books, and contributed to numerous textbooks, magazines, and newspapers (including The Globe and Mail). His latest book is Canadian Space Walkers: Hadfield, MacLean and Williams Remember the Ultimate High Adventure.

McDonald has been honoured for his outstanding contribution to the promotion of science within Canada. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Queens Jubilee Medal. He has been awarded the Michael Smith Award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Sir Sanford Fleming Medal from the Royal Canadian Institute, and the McNeil Medal from The Royal Society of Canada.

ABOUT BOB McDONALD Loved by audiences across Canada for making complex scientific issues understandable, meaningful, and fun, Bob McDonald is in high demand. A fixture in broadcasting for more than 30 years, he is currently the host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks – the award-winning science program that is heard by 500,000 people each week – and is the author of numerous bestselling books.

He also won a 2008 Gemini Award for Best Host in a Pre-School, Children’s or Youth Program or Series.He holds eight honorary doctorates from Canadian universities.

In addition to hosting Quirks & Quarks, McDonald is a regular reporter for CBC TV’s The National and

All Tickets: $30 All prices include taxes and handling fees. Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

Presented by The Oakville Centre, Oakville Public Library and A Different Drummer Books.

26

27

Though the Toronto-based foursome made its name dishing intense, hooky, melodic rock and roll that won fans and critics worldwide – not to mention heaps of awards and countless radio hits pulled from a clutch of live and studio albums and EPs – The Trews discovered, serendipitously, that turning down the volume actually dialed up the heft.

Dan Cooper Concert Series

The Trews Acou s t i c

Rewind to early 2009 and Toronto’s legendary Glenn Gould Studio where our guys - singer Colin MacDonald, guitarist John-Angus MacDonald, drummer Sean Dalton and bassist Jack Syperek – acoustically cut a collection of fan favourites, rarities and three new songs before a live audience that, not to put too fine a point on it, kind of lost its mind.

By the time The Trews issued the Friends & Total Strangers CD without fixes or overdubs and alongside an accompanying DVD, the supporting tour dates were already hotly anticipated from coast to coast. This, after all, was a different but no less commanding Trews: looser, more relaxed, heavy on the vocal harmonies and with all the familiar songs but sketched in charcoal instead of ink.

Thursday, March 3, 2016 at 8 p.m.

“We had no idea the acoustic shows would be so popular,” confirms songwriter/guitarist and producer John-Angus MacDonald. “It was something we just did because it came

Presented by The Oakville Centre.

Sponsored by the Dan Cooper Group.

28

to us like second nature. We had written songs that way – sitting around together and strumming guitars with everybody singing. We hadn’t planned to tour but the reaction was a lot bigger than expected.

“I think the idea of everybody singing became the real hook of the thing. It wasn’t just electric music played quietly; some songs sounded totally different by the time we had re-arranged them in that format.”

Indeed, songs that had been wallflowers in The Trews’ electric set suddenly bloomed, notably a pair of tracks from 2005’s celebrated Den of Thieves. “The band really liked The Traveling Kind but it always seemed to be the song where people at our electric shows would go grab a beer,” MacDonald laughs.

“I think that was because the vocals were just too buried whereas acoustically we are able to showcase the harmonies, really bringing the tune to life. Same with Montebello Park. I guess the more vocal-driven tunes suffer a bit played at lightning speed and thunderous volume.”

These days, the acoustic shows bookend a career still laser-focused on rock but - more than a decade in and

with most of the boxes on the wish-list checked off - can comfortably a accommodate new ventures and fresh ideas. And the shows bring added benefits: more diverse audiences and a chance to play festivals and theatre venues in markets often underserved by marquee artists.

“We grew up in Antigonish Nova Scotia; not exactly a mecca of touring bands,” MacDonald says. “When something finally came through town, we were just floored. We went out and loved every minute of it.”

“And I do think these shows have grown the fan base at both ends – people who know us as a rock band and people who don’t. We notice people a bit outside the age group of our usual fans turning up because we’re playing more intimate settings where people aren’t necessarily into having beer spilled on them or being crushed up against the stage,” he howls. “I think in that setting the music has a little more reach to it, and goes down a little easier.”

Regular Ticket: $68 | Big Ticket Member: $61 Big Ticket Plus: $57 All prices include taxes and handling fees.

Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

29

Paradiso Dance & Drama Series

SleepingBeauty

by Canada’s Ballet Jörgen Friday, March 18, 2016 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Sleeping Beauty is one of the world’s most famous classical ballets and holds a place in the repertoire of virtually every major company.

After more than 25 successful years, Canada’s Ballet Jörgen has created its own unique classical ballet rendition with its World Premiere Tour during the 2015-2016 season. This major new ballet tells the enchanting story of Aurora and her prince complete with its inherently magical qualities and dazzling choreography.

The fairy tale about a young woman placed under a spell to sleep for a hundred years only to be awakened by a kiss is an easily accessible story. It appeals to a child’s imagination and holds a special place in the hearts of adults. The underlying theme is the tug between the forces of good (the Lilac Fairy) and evil (Carabosse), serving as an important thread to the plot. Told in three acts, the ballet benefits from the character development and technical expertise for which Canada’s Ballet Jörgen is known.

Artistic Director and award-winning choreographer Bengt Jörgen focuses on the magical elements and the interpretation of the ballet as a nature allegory. The young woman represents nature, the wicked fairy is winter, who deadens life with pricks of frost until a young man, spring, cuts away the brambles to allow the sun to awaken sleeping nature.

Sleeping Beauty by Canada’s Ballet Jörgen draws on the traditional choreography by Marius Petipa to spin a tale of nature and love that will inspire young and old alike. The delightful story is danced to the original 1890 score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set to a libretto based on Charles Perrault’s story La Belle au bois dormant.

In ensemble with stunning costumes and captivating lighting design, Sleeping Beauty by Canada’s Ballet Jörgen is guaranteed to provide an entertaining and inspiring live performance.

Regular Ticket: $35 | Big Ticket Member: $30 | Big Ticket Plus: $30 All prices include taxes and handling fees.

Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

Presented by The Oakville Centre. Sponsored by Paradiso Restaurant.

30

Winner of the 2011 National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring

Choreography: Bengt Jรถrgen Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 31

“Kat Danser, a woman with a commanding presence, powerful and expressive voice and a deft touch on guitar and other stringed instruments. In a word, her performance glistened.� ~ David Farrell, FYI Music

32

The Studio Sessions Series

Kat Danser's Mississippi Juke Joint featuring Cécile Doo-Kingué Saturday, March 19, 2016 at 8:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre Dubbed the Queen of the Swamp Blues, Kat Danser is a slide guitar slinger and powerhouse vocalist who channels the spirits of legendary Mississippi blues and gospel pioneers, with her award winning work. Infusing each performance with a deep knowledge of the genre and her big, bright, personality, she takes audiences on a mesmerizing musical journey, using songs, storytelling and humour, to evoke the musical spirits of the deep south.

Known for her powerful stage presence and stellar guitar playing, New York city born and raised - and now Montreal based - Cécile Doo-Kingué, blends blues, afro-roots and soul, to create a unique sound all her own.

Powerful and raw, her live performances are an enthralling and intimate communion for all involved. She was featured on the October 2015 Toronto Blues Society MapleBlues cover and was a vocalist at the 2015 Women's Blues Revue. Performing together and on their own, these two talented songsmiths are sure to delight, with their shared musical passions and easy going interplay.

Regular Ticket: $44 | Big Ticket Member: $37 | Big Ticket Plus: $33 All prices include taxes and handling fees. Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

“A unique sound, and exceptional stage presence, singer, songwriter and guitarist, Cécile has been sharing that distinctiveness exclusively since her debut solo release Freedom Calling.” ~ Erin McCallum, MapleBlues

Presented by The Oakville Centre.

33

Chinwagn Classic Albums Live Series

ANIMALS Pink Floyd • Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 8 p.m.

under-the-fingernails reality, the common smallness that simultaneously binds and repels us all. Dogs, a 17-minute study in the commonest of all faults, lazily dispenses bite after venomous bite into the desires that drive us to seize the fast buck and screw anyone that gets in our way: “You have to be trusted by the people that you lie to, So that when they turn their backs on you, You'll get the chance to put the knife in.”

It begins somewhere for everyone. There’s the first song that grabs your attention and seizes the imagination, the first album that demonstrates such overall strength and originality that it becomes something more for most listeners, just as there is the first kiss that awakens the soul and forever changes the vision.

I admit without qualm that it began for me with Animals. My brother was in college, and one day I went through his records and listened to the ones with the coolest covers. Animals fascinated me then as it still fascinates me today. It is the acute anthropomorphic fantasy, possessing a timeless quality that has thrust it into the category of “classic,” though it may remain forever in the shadow of its more commercially successful older brother, Dark Side Of The Moon.

Consisting of three tracks each longer than ten minutes and two tracks under two minutes, Animals is not for the attention-span-deficient.

However, within this impenetrable fortress of radio-unfriendly tracks, we hear Dave Gilmour's guitars at their absolute best, get a full-on dose of Roger Waters' powerful lyrical imagery, and are presented with the worst elements of our own humanity- packaged in the skins of Sheep, Dogs and Pigs (Three Different Ones). For those weaned on The Wall and Dark Side, you'll find Animals to be a whole new bag of feed. Where Floyd’s two most recognizable albums made their mark with operatic aggression and fear, Animals deals in dirt-

All this wrapped up in the flaky coating of two hauntingly similar and musically identical tracks casting opposite views of cynicism and hope on the proceedings. Animals is like George Orwell's Animal Farm run through a full- audio acid testspectacular in every aspect and now in full color.

I admit without qualm that it began for me with Animals. ~ pitchfork.com

Regular Ticket: $65 | Big Ticket Member: $58 | Big Ticket Plus: $54 All prices include taxes and handling fees. Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

Founded by Craig Martin in 2003, Toronto-based Classic Albums Live recreates famous rock albums without the gimmickry, relying solely on the music. It has become the ultimate destination for music lovers wanting to hear the greatest albums performed live.

Presented by The Oakville Centre. Sponsored by Chinwagn Inc., in association with Data Media Inc.

34

35

Dan Cooper Concert Series

Can You Hear the Music starts the way all things Downchild should: With the jump blues sound that makes you want to jump up and dance. And, as bandleader Donnie Walsh will tell you himself, that’s the sound Downchild audiences all over the world want to hear.

THE LEGENDARY DOWNCHILD BLUES BAND

Forty-four years on, Downchild remains a blues force, true to itself and without equal. For just about every waking moment since he formed the Downchild Blues Band – Canada’s best known and best loved blues outfit – Walsh has been living the dream that changed his life back in the mid 1960s when someone dropped a Jimmy Reed album onto the turntable at his girlfriend’s 16th birthday party in suburban North Toronto.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 8 p.m.

It’s a moment Walsh – he also answers to his “given” name, Mr. Downchild, taken from a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II – says he will never forget. “That was it. I was hooked. I never wanted to play anything else.”

Regular Ticket: $64 | Big Ticket Member: $57 Big Ticket Plus: $53 All prices include taxes and handling fees.

Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

He drove his girlfriend crazy learning Reed’s lip-splitting harmonica technique, then James Cotton’s. He locked himself away from the world while he picked apart Muddy Waters’ and Albert King’s guitar licks, reconstructing them in his own distinctive style on a beat-up electric guitar. And when he did venture out, it was to one of Toronto’s legendary blues dives to catch his heroes Luther Allison, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, all of them regular visitors in those days to

Presented by The Oakville Centre.

Sponsored by the Dan Cooper Group.

36

The inspiration for Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi’s fabulous creation, The Blues Brothers – they recorded Downchild’s Shotgun Blues and Walsh’s (I Got Everything I Need) Almost, the latter shortlisted as one of Canada’s Essential Songs in a survey conducted by the Toronto Star in 2007 – Downchild is an institution in their homeland, and revered by blues fans around the world.

Walsh’s hometown of Toronto, Canada’s blues capital.

Walsh was a good student. He is recognized around the world as both a blues harp virtuoso with few equals, and an unusually expressive guitarist. He wasn’t the only one, of course. They say Toronto’s built on the blues, but all across Canada the blues, particularly jump-style and Chicago blues that used to blast across the border from radio stations in northern U.S., is a basic, shared language.

But musicianship of the highest order, sharp arrangements, strict adherence to its legitimate sources, slick pacing and a steely fix on the moods of its audiences, have always set Downchild apart. This has been a class act for the better part of its 40-plus- year life.

Singer Chuck Jackson, tenor sax player Pat Carey, drummer Mike Fitzpatrick, bassist Gary Kendall, and pianist/organist Michael Fonfara – Walsh’s compadres in Downchild for the past decade and a half, and, he says, the “best musicians I’ve ever played with” – were soaking up the blues in their teenage years as well, in different parts of the country.

About the reasons for Downchild’s success, Walsh is succinct and unequivocal. “First, it’s knowing your audience, and knowing when to give them what they want,” he says.

“If they want to dance, you step up the groove. If they want to watch, you give them lots of solos.

Walsh and his band mates have won countless music industry awards, including a Juno for Best Roots and Traditional Album in 1991. They also received a Juno Award nomination in 2005 for Blues Album of The Year for their album Come On In. In 2007, Downchild was named Entertainer of The Year at the annual Maple Blues Awards.

“As for keeping a band together for as long as Downchild has been around, it’s an unspoken thing, finding a balance between what I need and what I know each musician can give. Every member of this band is well equipped to do what each of us wants and needs. Downchild has always been bigger than the sum of its parts, and I can’t really explain why.”

With more than 80 great musicians on the payroll during its long life, Downchild is a robust road beast, having racked up thousands of performances at concert halls, fairgrounds, saloons and roadhouses in every corner of the continent.

37

“This band is a real breath of fresh air and fun. Given the generic ‘roots’ label, there are heavy influences of bluegrass, western Swing, Celtic and even Scottish country dance music in here. It all adds up to a mighty fine package.” ~ Maverick Magazine, UK

38

Dan Cooper Concert Series

Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys Friday, April 8, 2016 at 8 p.m.

With a slight bend of his knee, Gordie MacKeeman launches into a song. Guided by the sharp cuts of his fiddle, his famous crazy legs shake and twist with a laughing regard for physics. The whole time, his Rhythm Boys deliver a surefooted roots instrumentation to accompany the spectacle. It's a joyful sight that divides the line between the band and the audience. It is this pomp and spirit that Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys set out to capture on their new album, Pickin' n Clickin'.

Hailing from Prince Edward Island, The Rhythm Boys' exhilarating live show instantly enamors audiences with their engaging, sometimes jaw-dropping, stagecraft and showmanship. With flavours of traditional bluegrass and roots music bolstered by their stunning musicianship, the group is poised to take the world stage. The band features Gordie MacKeeman (fiddle, feet, and vocals), Mark Geddes (bass, drums, percussion, mandolin, and banjo), Thomas Webb (vocals, banjo, guitar, pedal steel guitar, and bass) and Peter Cann (vocals and guitar).

Their album Pickin' n Clickin' was honoured with the 2014 East Coast Music Award for Roots Traditional Group Recording of the Year and the band were awarded the Galaxie Supernova Award at the 2012 Ottawa Folk Festival for their outstanding high-energy performance. The Rhythm Boys have performed at the legendary Glastonbury Festival, The Woodford Folk Festival, WOMAD, Celtic Connections, and to enthusiastic audiences at sold-out venues, festivals and theatres across Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Malaysia and Australia.

Pickin' n Clickin', produced by Nathan Wiley, offers up rockabilly-inspired rhythms, upbeat reels, weighted laments and MacKeeman's stunning fiddle work.

Somehow, the band still makes each new tone and style sound like an expression made in the same voice. Songs like the MacKeeman’s Jim’s Lament and the traditional Black Velvet Waltz both nod to the roots of bluegrass with gratitude, while high-energy tracks like Champagne Polka and King Ganam Style feature delightful up-tempo arrangements. Their original compositions Gonna Get Out, Hay Boys, Scrape the Paint, Working Title and the cover of Two Hours Traffic's Heroes of the Sidewalk portray a solid demonstration of their versatility and diverse musical style. It is a refreshing mix of traditional-leaning ideas, with modern influences, that ultimately makes Pickin' n Clickin' an absolute must-have for fans of Celtic, roots and bluegrass music.

Regular Ticket: $42 | Big Ticket Member: $35 | Big Ticket Plus: $31 All prices include taxes and handling fees.

Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

Presented by The Oakville Centre. Sponsored by the Dan Cooper Group.

39

B. B. KING

COREY HARRIS

MIGHTY MO RODGERS

KEBMO

PATTI SMITH

TONY LEVIN

I’m Riccardo Piccirillo. I was born in 1972, in Naples, Italy. I love Naples and I’m proud to be Neapolitan.

Music and photography are my passions. In 2007 I put my guitar into the case and in 2010 I decided to bring my camera to live concerts. It was a revelation . . . a surprise! It was like I was continuing to play music, but the instrument was now my camera and I discovered that I could actually play it much better than my guitar!

I’m at the halfway point of my life and there’s no reason to NOT do what I’m doing, there is only one obstacle: Time.

Time obsesses me. Time seems to be my worst enemy, since there seems to be never enough. It doesn’t allow me to relax. While I relax I always think that I can spend my time doing something that I love. Maybe this is the reason why I sleep less than I should.

When I’m by the the stage during a live concert, I sometimes feel as if I’m one with the band. I’m one with my camera and I engage the rhythm – clicking on the beat of the snare.

But my favourite photos are portraits. I love taking portraits of musicians. When I’m involved in a portrait session I always try to create an empathy with the subject. I feel something magical, and my camera is like a passport to the soul of the musician.

I’m made this way: If I don’t have anything to dedicate myself to, I’m not in peace.

Yesterday there was music. I was a blues guitar player.

Listening and playing music, were the only way to express myself, but there was not enough time. And life events no longer allowed me to be a blues guitar player.

In a portrait I try to show my personal vision. What you see in a photo is justs a partial vision of a man, it’s what the photographer wants you to see.

Today, taking pictures, analyzing them, being proud of them, gives me the sensation that I’m finally spending my creative time in the best possible way.

Photography doesn’t always tell the truth. Even in a portrait.

When I take a shot, I’m always in search of me, of my essence. I try always to find the beauty and when it happens, I’m the first to enjoy it!

Because now I know what has to be done – to stop time in a picture, nothing but a beautiful picture.

www.riccardopiccirillo.com 40

marbled meats OAKVILLE

Owner Tom Stasiuk is passionate about his products and is happy to answer any and all questions. Seriously.

lOCal ~ Free range ~ natural

905-582-4272 115 Lakeshore Road West | www.marbledoakville.com Open Wednesday to Sunday

Please mention this ad on your next visit and we’ll reduce your bill by 15%.

Hair Design for Everyone Come in for your personal complimentary consultation.

We have your style!

905-842-1095 We are at 181 Church Street (on the second floor) in Downtown Oakville 41

Those who have followed Ruthie Foster’s eclectic musical history know that she can burn down any stage with her combustible blend of soul, blues, rock, folk and gospel.

Photo Credit: Riccardo Piccirillo 42

Dan Cooper Concert Series

Ruthie FosteR

With special guest Harrison "SWEETTASTE" Kennedy Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 8 p.m.

RUTHIE FOSTER Those who have followed Ruthie Foster’s eclectic musical history know that she can burn down any stage with her combustible blend of soul, blues, rock, folk and gospel. Ruthie’s astonishing voice has taken her on an amazing ride. She came from humble church choir beginnings in rural Texas, followed by a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy Band, and ended up in Austin, Texas.

Ruthie’s list of achievements include Best Female Vocalist in 2007, 2008 and 2013 from the Austin Music Awards, a 2012 and 2009 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album, the 2010 Living Blues Music Award Critic’s Poll for Female Blues Artist of the Year and recent Blues Music Award wins for Best Contemporary and Best Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year.

HARRISON KENNEDY Hailed by B.B. King as Canada’s premier blues performer, Harrison Kennedy is a vocal chameleon, at ease performing funk, soul, R&B, folk, gospel and blues. In the 60s and the 70s, as a member of the Detroit soul pop group The Chairmen of the Board, Kennedy played all the top venues and shows, including the Apollo Theatre, The Tonight Show, Soul Train, American Bandstand and England’s Top of the Pops, performing the group's millionselling hit, Gimme Me Just A Little More Time. The Chairmen had performances with B. B. King, James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and The Parliament Funkadelics, to name but a few. After a string of million selling singles in the early 70s with The Chairmen, Kennedy returned to his roots as a blues troubadour. He continues this tradition today, concentrating his efforts on combining his vocal, harmonica, mandolin and guitar talents into a unique acoustic, folk-blues approach that highlights his unique songwriting skills.

Regular Ticket: $62 | Big Ticket Member: $55 | Big Ticket Plus: $51 All prices include taxes and handling fees.

Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

Presented by The Oakville Centre. Sponsored by the Dan Cooper Group.

43

Dan Cooper Concert Series

Patricia O’Callaghan Sings Leonard Cohen Friday, April 29, 2016 at 8 p.m.

Patricia O'Callaghan is something of a wandering minstrel. Her fifteen-year career has taken her across genres, continents, and a range of disciplines and passions.

Her recording career spans five solo albums and many interesting visits along the way as a guest on other artists’ CDs. A speaker of French, Spanish, and German, her early recordings focused on European cabaret, and she is considered a specialist, most significantly, in the music of Kurt Weill. Patricia has performed his Threepenny Opera, Seven Deadly Sins, and Kleine Mahagonny with Soulpepper Theatre Company, Edmonton Opera, and Vancouver Opera.

“O’Callaghan sings her diverse material as if it was always meant to go side-by-side and by the end of the evening, it's easy to believe her.” - Chart Attack Magazine She has sung with some of the world's great ensembles and artists (Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Don Byron Quartet, Bryn Terfel), and has performed in venues that range from London's Royal Opera House to New York's Noho cabaret Le Poisson Rouge.

Patricia also writes and co-writes songs and has had the honor of premiering many new compositions, from both the classical and pop worlds. It has been her great privilege to work with such creators as R. Murray Schafer, Dennis Lee, Christos Hatzis, George Aperghis, Steve Reich, and Steven Page.

Patricia’s film, theatre and television credits include her own Bravo! special, The CBC produced Ken Finkleman series Foolish Heart, and the semi autobiographical Rhombus / Westwind film Youkali Hotel, which has won several prizes, including a Golden Sheaf Award to Patricia for best female performance. Ms. O’Callaghan has also received other awards, such as a Chalmer’s Grant from the Ontario Arts Council and a Fleck Fellowship from The Banff Centre for the Arts.

Regular Ticket: $42 | Big Ticket Member: $35 | Big Ticket Plus: $31 All prices include taxes and handling fees. Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

Presented by The Oakville Centre. Sponsored by the Dan Cooper Group.

44

“O’Callaghan's voice is as rich, pliable and luminous as ever, interpreting Cohen’s songs with tremendous tenderness and a mature, worldly sensitivity and insight.” ~ Sharna Searle, The Wholenote

“A genuine phenomenon in the making, Patricia O'Callaghan turns heads and opens ears her devotion to ... offbeat repertoire may make the Canadian singer the unlikeliest new star in ages.” ~ Michael Posner, The Globe and Mail

45

Chinwagn Classic Albums Live Series

LED ZEPPELIN IV Led Zeppelin • Friday, May 13, 2016 at 8 p.m.

Recorded at Headley Grange in Hampshire, Island Studios in London and Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, Led Zeppelin IV is the album that put Led Zeppelin into homes around the world, acting as a successful marriage of the hard rock from their second album with the folkier meanderings of their third. It is an album that demonstrates their subtlety and restraint as much as their stadium-filling grandstanding and it confirmed their superstar rock status.

The actually untitled album (it was also known as Four Symbols or The Runes Album), a chart-topper on both sides of the Atlantic, captures the group’s schizophrenia perfectly. On the one hand, they wallop away through genre-defining rock standards such as Rock And Roll, Black Dog and Misty Mountain Hop; yet on the other, they are gentle and restrained on the folk mysticism of Going To California and the Sandy Denny co-sung The Battle Of Evermore.

It is on their anthem, Stairway To Heaven, however, that both strands come together in perfect accord. Starting as a recorder-driven acoustic folk ballad, it culminates in its closing minutes as a fullon, much emulated rock classic, with Robert Plant’s vocals and Jimmy Page’s guitar both approaching career-bests. Led Zeppelin IV also demonstrates the singular talent that was drummer John Bonham – the blues driven When The Levee Breaks is one of the most heavily sampled drum tracks of all time.

With immaculate playing (multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones’ contributions are not to be underestimated, either), a mystically obscure sleeve, and a remarkable range of tunes, Led Zeppelin IV, is still, for many, the best example of the group’s craft. Robert Plant thinks so himself. He has been quoted saying, simply: “the Fourth Album, that's it.”

– Daryl Easlea, BBC Review 2007 Regular Ticket: $65 | Big Ticket Member: $58 | Big Ticket Plus: $54 All prices include taxes and handling fees. Box Office: 905-815-2021 or OakvilleCentre.ca

Founded by Craig Martin in 2003, Toronto-based Classic Albums Live recreates famous rock albums without the gimmickry, relying solely on the music. It has become the ultimate destination for music lovers wanting to hear the greatest albums performed live.

Presented by The Oakville Centre. Sponsored by Chinwagn Inc., in association with Data Media Inc.

46

ur e !

O n s y i Pha u o B vine t nce R ra a Ch U L A t s la CTAC E SP

Beautiful porches and so much more!

Visit the village Presentation Centre ~ 2 Macdonell Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake. (Just look for the beautiful porch!)

Semis from the $500s. Detached from the $600s. less than an hour from the Oakville Centre.

We’re open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Visit www.TheVillageNiagara.com or call 905.468.0050 47