Annie Lou Stops in Spruce Grove on Their ‘End Zone’ CD Release Tour

Juno Nominated Folk and Bluegrass Band Scheduled to Perform at Horizon Stage on Friday, March 23

Annie Lou is the project of Anne Louise Genest, an artist who walks with the spirit of an old storyteller, creating songs steeped in the flavours of old-time mountain, Appalachian, traditional country, and bluegrass music. She has spent years chronicling the rural life-paths of Canada, writing songs that tell the tales of the hard-won victories of everyday men and women. Annie Lou has toured major festivals and venues across the country and has been nominated for a Juno and several Canadian Folk Music and Western Canadian Music awards. Horizon Stage is pleased to present Annie Lou on Friday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m.

With humour, grace, and warmth, Annie Lou takes the stage with banjo and guitar, and invites you in to her colourful world of original music rooted in melodic traditions and delivered with an inspired energy and spark. She paints vibrant musical landscapes where you can laugh, cry, dance, reflect and connect with ballads, tunes, and songs inspired by lives and times and ups and downs. Her beautifully creative songs range from rousing and boisterous to gentle and poignant. They map a homescape of hard-drinking grandmas, rural dancehalls, blue collar fashions, small towns, and big cities. All are delivered with Genest’s vocal warmth; evocative of the sweet tones of Kate and Anna McGarrigle blended with the raw emotion of Hazel Dickens.

Annie Lou is releasing her fourth album, End Zone, a gorgeous collection of new songs that draw deep from the well, filling the bucket with rich melody and wry wisdom. No, it’s not about football. Most of the material for the album was written during the last months of her mother's life, and the title track is an exploration of that time when the end is near, but not quite. The album features a guest cast of Canadian acoustic innovators, including Andrew Collins on mandolin and guitar, Max Heineman on upright bass and vocals, Sarah Hamilton on fiddle and vocals, John Showman and Trent Freeman on fiddle, Frank Evans on banjo, Burke Carroll on pedal steel, and Ivan Rosenberg on dobro. Real, raw, and deeply honest, End Zone is a magical addition to the Annie Lou catalogue.

Annie Lou is headed out on a Western Canada CD Release tour this month, with Collins, Hamilton, and Heineman in tow. Together they are a tight vocal and instrumental unit that offers superb musicianship and an infectious delight in their craft. In live performance the band gallops along with joyful danceable precision, enticing audiences with twin fiddles, banjo, three and four part harmonies, call and response, and compelling instrumental solos.

Touring B.C., Saskatchewan, and Alberta, Annie Lou’s only concert in the Edmonton area will be at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Friday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 for Adults and $30 for Students and Seniors and may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090, and online through Ticketpro.ca.

“Genest’s remarkable songwriting about the tales of rural Canadiana…

(they) move across a range of emotions and each evokes the right texture."

 - Michael Rampa, High Octane Music

Still/Falling Offers an Eye-Opening Look Inside The Teen Mental Health Crisis

Horizon Stage Presents Green Thumb Theatre’s Groundbreaking Play on Monday, March 19

Still/Falling tells the story of Nina. Nina has a great life. She loves her family, she does well in school, and her friends are awesome. But suddenly Nina starts feeling… off, and she finds herself slipping into a dark reality she cannot understand, let alone articulate to the people around her. Still/Falling follows Nina as she tries to come to terms with what it means to struggle with anxiety and depression, and to rise above it with as much strength, and as few scars, as possible. A realistic, honest, and bitingly funny look at the difference between ‘teen angst’ and mental illness and the ways vulnerable kids can start to find their way out of the dark. Horizon Stage is honoured to present Still/Falling on Monday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Vancouver’s Green Thumb Theatre chose to produce Still/Falling to encourage conversation and awareness and to help students gain a deeper understanding of mental health, and especially how it can affect themselves and their peers. Green Thumb Theatre creates and produces plays that explore social issues relevant to the lives of children, youth and young adults. They provide theatre that celebrates the language and stories of today’s generation and culture to stimulate empathy, debate and critical thinking; challenging audiences to re-examine their beliefs and prejudices and to define their feelings and aspirations.

Mental illness indirectly affects all Canadians at some time through a family member, friend, or colleague and 20% of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness in their lifetime. Young Canadians are suffering from rising levels of anxiety, stress, depression and even suicide. The number of 12-19 year olds in Canada at risk for developing depression is a staggering 3.2 million. Once depression is recognized help can make a difference for 80% of people who are affected, allowing them to get back to their regular activities. But, sadly, in Canada only 1 out of 5 children who need mental health services receives them.

If you work with teenagers, love a teenager, or are a teenager then you must see Still/Falling at Horizon Stage on Monday, March 19. Tickets are $10 for all ages and may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave), by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090, or online through Ticketpro.ca. Seating is general admission and the show is recommended for ages 12+.  Running time is 50 minutes. There will be a question and answer period with the artist after the show. Still/Falling is presented in partnership with Spruce Grove and Stony Plain FCSS. If ticket price is a barrier, subsidies are available for eligible families by calling 780-962-7618 in Spruce Grove or 780-963-8583 in Stony Plain.

“This performance is a bold, moving, and compelling portrayal of a typical adolescent girl struggling 

with anxiety and depressions. I was impressed by the quality and accuracy 

of the mental health messages communicated throughout the play…” 

- Ekin Blackwell, Clinical Psychologist, Anxiety BC

“This is an incredibly important work - not just for teens to see- but I think necessary for parents to see… if parents of young people could see this play they might be moved… to offer help and understanding to their children instead of getting mad at them.” 

- Deborah Roberts, Parent