Vance Gilbert’s Masterful Guitar Work, Rich Vocals, and Sharp Wit Create an Unforgettable Concert Experience

Talented American Singer/Songwriter returns to Horizon Stage November 9, at 7:30 p.m.

 
Vance Gilbert burst onto Boston’s singer/songwriter scene in the early 90s. Buzz spread quickly through folk clubs about this “ex-multicultural arts teacher who was knocking them dead at open mics”. The Philadelphia-area born and raised performer caught the attention of Shawn Colvin who invited him to be a special guest on her 1992 Fat City tour. Gilbert took audiences across North America by storm. "With the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god, it was enough to earn him that rarity: an encore for an opener" wrote the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Ten successful albums later, Vance still gets standing ovations wherever he performs. He is looking forward to stopping at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Friday, November 9, at 7:30 p.m.
Whether performing classic, original songs or ageless interpretations of covers, Vance Gilbert’s music is steeped in humanism and bravery, stunning artistry and soul, and contagious, unbridled joy. Called a musical poet, his catchy, pop friendly melodies support keenly crafted, hard-hitting lyrics. His guitar work is supple and his tenor voice is smooth, warm, and gentle. Vance’s subject matter ranges from the wrenching separation suffered by single parents, to the tug of love’s desire, to the bitterness of being non-white in a Eurocentric culture. His albums are all considered essential additions to any American singer-songwriter collection.
Since working with Shawn Colvin, Vance has toured both on his own and with Arlo Guthrie, Anita Baker, and the late George Carlin. He last performed at Horizon Stage in 2004, where he received enthusiastic reviews.  A brilliant musician, Vance is also a personable performer, a gifted storyteller, and a witty comedian who enjoys tossing unexpected elements into his performances. His November 9 concert is guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience for all who attend.
Opening for Vance Gilbert will be Edmonton singer-songwriter and step-dancer, Lizzy Hoyt. Lizzy combines energetic and rhythmic fiddling from the Atlantic provinces with country-folk songs from the west. She is a gifted vocalist and musician who has been recognized both nationally and internationally. A 2011 Canadian Folk Music Award Nominee for Traditional Singer of the Year, Lizzy was a finalist in both the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the USA Songwriting Competition. A multi-instrumentalist with a pure, clear voice and an aptitude for audience interaction, she is truly one of Canada’s foremost up and coming artists.
Tickets to see Vance Gilbert, with opening act Lizzy Hoyt, Up Close & Personal at Horizon Stage on Friday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. are $30 for adults, $25 for students and seniors, and $5 for high school students through the eyeGO program. Tickets can be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995, or online at www.ticketmaster.ca.  

“He is that rare performer for whom people lean forward in their seats

as eagerly between songs and they do during them.”

The Boston Globe

Powerful Singer-Songwriter and Storyteller to Grace Horizon Stage

James Keelaghan scheduled to perform in Spruce Grove on Sunday, November 4, at 7:30 p.m.

James Keelaghan is one of our nation’s finest singer-songwriters. For almost a quarter of a century, this poet laureate of the folk and roots music world has gone about his work with passion, curiosity, and intensity. Possessed of an insatiable appetite for finding the next unique story-line, along with a beautiful and expressive tenor voice, James forges his lyrics with brilliant craftsmanship and artistic vision, making him one of the most distinctive and readily-identifiable voices on the Canadian singer-songwriter scene. Now, Edmonton and area music lovers can enjoy the James Keelaghan experience at Horizon Stage on Sunday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m.

 Alberta-born Keelaghan’s masterful storytelling has, over the course of eleven CDs, been the bedrock of his success. It has earned him multiple nominations and awards - including a Juno - and acclaim from Australia to Scandinavia. His musical  journey has attracted fans of literate and layered songwriting to join him on his artistic expeditions, some of which weave their way through marvelously etched historical stories with underlying universal themes, others of which mine the depths of the soul and the emotional trials of human relations.

A disciplined visionary, Keelaghan loves language and history, a subject in which he earned a degree.  He is a skilled thespian, which explains his ability to make an immediate connection with a live audience; and he has an ear for memorable melodies and harmonies that make those melodies glisten. "I’ve always had the urge to write," says the Calgary native who has been calling Winnipeg home for the past few years. "Some things weren’t being said in the way I wanted to say them, some things were not being written about at all. That's why I started to write the historical material. That led me to writing my own personal narratives as well.” His catalogue of timeless originals includes the haunting pieces “Kiri's Piano”, “Cold Missouri Waters” and “Hillcrest Mine”.

Never shying away from collaboration in his live and recorded performances, James has toured or laid tracks with Steven Fearing, Oliver Schroer, Oscar Lopez, David Francey, and Hugh McMillan (Spirit of the West). "If you work with people who are better than you, you become better," he observes. “The sparks of collaboration and the batting of melodies back and forth have produced some wonderful results”. Other artists, including Garnet Rogers, have lovingly covered James’ material and he, on occasion, has interpreted his fellow musicians’ work including a gripping take on the epic “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” on the Gordon Lightfoot tribute disc, Beautiful.

James Keelaghan finds a balance between examining the lighter and heavier sides of life and ties everything together with his powerful vocal delivery and a commanding stage presence. He has performed everywhere from large festivals and concert halls to intimate folk club venues and sometimes invites the audience for a beer after the show. Tickets to see him Up Close & Personal at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove are $30 for adults, $25 for students and seniors and, $5 for high school students through the eyeGO program. Tickets can be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995, or online at www.ticketmaster.ca. To learn more about James Keelaghan visit www.keelaghan.com.

“James Keelaghan is a voice in contemporary Canadian songwriting that has helped us define who we are as a people. He writes with great humanity and honesty, with an eye to the past and a vision of the future. He has chronicled his times with powerful and abiding songs, with heart and eyes wide open.”

David Francey, Juno Award-Winning Musician

 “A brilliant tunesmith who has become one of the most engaging performers of our time. You always know the journey with James is going to be great, you just never know what all the destinations are.”

Terry Wickham, Producer of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival

“Canada’s finest songwriter.”

Dave Marsh, award-winning American music critic and historian

Back By Popular Demand - Live the Laughter in Spruce Grove

Horizon Stage presents Hypnotist Wayne Lee on Saturday, November 3, at 8 p.m.

After selling out in January, Horizon Stage is pleased to be presenting an encore performance by powerful and engaging hypnotist Wayne Lee on Saturday, November 3^rd at 8 p.m. (Special Time!). Named ‘Entertainer of the Year’ by the Canadian Events Industry, Lee’s Live the Laughter stage show is never the same twice. Audience members can either sit back and enjoy themselves or play a pivotal role onstage as they leave their fears and inhibitions behind, access their subconscious, and act out improbable and side-splittingly hilarious scenes.

More than just a hypnotist, Wayne Lee is a potent and charming performer and motivational speaker. The messages of empowerment that he shares linger long after the laughter fades way.  Members of his audience will be invited to explore their creativity by dancing outrageously, acting out their dreams, or impersonating celebrities! They will also re-discover their deepest passions, experience new-found confidence, learn visualization techniques to reduce stress, and leave feeling energized, inspired, and empowered.

 If there’s one thing peak performance experts like Wayne Lee agree on, it’s that the mind is capable of leading us anywhere.  Wayne’s own journey to excellence was fueled by an unrelenting passion for entertaining and empowering people. From a childhood fascination with magic and visualization, his gift for seeing and acting on what’s possible has grown to international proportions. As one of Canada’s premier corporate presenters, a veteran of thousands of successful shows, a published author, and a peak performance coach to professionals in all walks of life, he is constantly in demand both in the Edmonton area (his home town) and across North America.

So if you would like to be hypnotized, or if you would rather watch and have fun, plan to attend Wayne Lee: Live the Laughter at Horizon Stage on Saturday, November 3^rd, at 8 p.m. (Special Time!). Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for students and seniors and, $5 for high school students through the eyeGO program. Horizon Stage tickets can be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995, or online at www.ticketmaster.ca. To learn more about Wayne Lee visit www.waynelee.com.

 

Spruce Grove Director of Cultural Services Wins Prestigious Provincial Award

Lawrie Seligman presented with the Arts Touring Alliance’s Rhoda Taylor Award

 
Rhoda Taylor was a founding member of the Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta (ATAA), an organization that offers programs and services that promote arts touring, and provides networking opportunities and professional development for artists and arts presenters. Ms. Taylor passed away in 1997 and since 1999 the ATTA has presented an annual award, in her name, to an individual who has made a significant contribution to arts touring in our province. The 2012 Rhoda Taylor Award was presented to Spruce Grove’s own Director of Cultural Services, Lawrie Seligman, on Friday, October 12.

 Lawrie has had an active and varied career in the field of the performing arts. As a stage director, he has worked at theatres in Edmonton and across Canada including the Citadel, the Mayfield Dinner Theatre, Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Stratford Festival and the Banff Centre for the Arts. He has produced radio arts at CBC Edmonton and television arts and drama at CBC Calgary. After graduating from the Arts Administration course at Grant MacEwan, Lawrie worked for three years as Artistic Director of Sunshine Theatre in Kelowna, before coming to Spruce Grove in 2000.

 Under Lawrie’s capable guidance and leadership the City of Spruce Grove has built a solid cultural foundation both within its boundaries and the surrounding areas.  A man with vision, Lawrie spearheaded the journey that took Horizon Stage from being a small, isolated theatre to a significant regional presenter in the Edmonton-area performing arts scene.

 The quality of entertainers that pass through the doors of Horizon Stage is second to none, and artists and audiences truly appreciate the “Up Close and Personal” experience. Lawrie’s commitment to presenting a variety of genres to promote cultural diversity at Horizon Stage is a part of why he is so highly regarded and respected.  His vast knowledge of the arts, and his willingness to share and mentor, has fellow presenters from Morinville to Leduc and Fort Saskatchewan singing his praises. To say that he is loved, respected, and greatly appreciated by all those who work with him is an understatement.  Many members of the City’s Cultural Services team and Horizon Stage volunteers were thrilled to be on hand to see him receive this award.
 

“Lawrie’s depth of commitment to his community, the arts, and all that it encompasses,

is an example to us all.”

Lynne Bailey, Executive Director of Prairie Debut

 

“This is truly a great achievement from one who has done so much to advance the arts in our great city. 

He is a leader and a pioneer in his field, and his achievements are appreciated.  Lawrie has truly added to the quality of life of our residents and should be applauded.”   

Tim Duhamel, Community & Protective Services General Manager

Blues/Roots Duo Peter Karp & Sue Foley are Going to Heat up Horizon Stage

Join them for a night of high-voltage, plank-spankin’, blues-rockin’ fun on Friday, October 19^th

Spruce Grove, AB—Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In the case of blues/roots duo Peter Karp & Sue Foley, two great solo artists have come together to create something incredible. Working together since 2009, Peter and Sue have released two critically-acclaimed, and artistically-daring, CDs, He Said - She Said and Beyond the Crossroads. Now touring Canada and the United States, they will bring their “high voltage, plank spankin’, piano boogyin’, slide guitar stompin’, blues-rockin’” show to Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Friday, October 19^th at 7:30 p.m.

Peter Karp is a gifted singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and American troubadour with a knack for spinning true-to-life emotions, humor, and candor into his music. Critics compare his songwriting to John Hiatt and John Prine, with impressive guitar and slide licks infused by his love of Freddie King and Elmore James. With an upbringing that was equal parts southern Alabama and the swamps of New Jersey, Peter’s music is fueled by the Yankee-Rebel juxtaposition. He first caught national attention as a solo artist with help from former Rolling Stone guitarist, Mick Taylor, who recorded and toured with him on his first label-release, The Turning Point, in 2004. He then further established himself with the release of Shadows and Cracks in 2006. Peter Karp personifies the Americana sound, seamlessly blending blues and roots music with a high sense of entertainment.

Sue Foley is considered to be one of the finest Canadian blues and roots artists working today. Born to a working-class family, she spent her early childhood moving from town to town with her mother. At sixteen, Sue embarked on her professional career and by twenty-one she was living in Austin Texas and recording for the legendary blues label, Antone’s Records. Her first release, Young Girl Blues, quickly established her unique talents as a blues guitarist and songwriter. Throughout the 90s, Sue took to the road with her paisley Telecaster guitar and honed her craft, working and sharing the stage with such artists as BB King, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams and Tom Petty.  Now back in Canada, she has released a total of 13 solo CDs, won 17 Maple Blues Awards and a Juno.

Peter and Sue’s partnership came together from out of the blue; a rushed and forgotten meeting at the 2006 Ottawa Blues festival, a phone call from his manager to her, a haphazard recording session that they both sang horribly at but that made them laugh, and then two years of email correspondence during a dark time in Peter’s life, turned into a CD, a tour, an entirely new concept and show, the reinvention of two careers, and a whole new approach to making music.

Don’t miss Peter Karp & Sue Foley Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Friday, October 19^th at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for students and seniors and $5 for high school student. Tickets may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre at 315 Jespersen Ave, by phone at 780-962-8995 or online at www.ticketmaster.ca. To learn more about Peter and Sue visit www.karpfoley.com.