Fort St. John's Earth Hour celebration has a great line-up of local and far-away musicians set to rock the lights right out.

Earth Hour is always an intimate, acoustic, and unique show - it's the only day of the year when we have a concert completely lit by candlelight!

This year's celebration will be at 7pm on Saturday, March 27 at Whole Wheat n' Honey.  Tickets are $10 or $5 for NEAT members. Advance tickets can be purchased online at northerngroove.com (see link at bottom of article) or at Whole Wheat n' Honey.

Brian MacMillan and Dave Tolley

Toronto's Brian MacMillan (BMac) and Dave Tolley are two of FSJ's favorite musicians. They've both visited the city many times, and in fact Dave has taken to living and working here in his spare time.

Take the sweet vocals of James Taylor, the rhythm of Paul Simon, pepper it with a heartfelt message of love and you have the one-and-only Brian MacMillan.

Brian is one of Canada’s finest young musicians. An extremely talented singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, Brian’s uplifting music is a blend of all of his favourite styles; Folk, Reggae, World and Pop music. Equally at ease and captivating as a solo performer or with his trio, Brian aims to connect and convey his genuine love of making and sharing music.

Brian has released 2 critically acclaimed solo albums; Gone To See The Morning in 2001 and Let The Darkness Go in 2007. He has since been across Canada 4 times, gathering a solid fan-base along the way. He continues to be heavily supported by the CBC and many national college radio stations across Canada. His 3rd release, tentatively titled “Shine”, is to be released in the spring of 2010.

The Ontario Council of Folk Festivals recognized Brian’s songwriting abilities in 2005 by awarding him the Colleen Peterson Award for a song he wrote with juno nominee Lori Cullen. Brian is a 2x Ontario Arts Council grant recipient.

Brian was a guest performer on all 3 of the Barenaked Ladies, “Ships and Dips”, Caribbean cruises, sharing the stage with The Barenaked Ladies, Great Big Sea, Sarah Harmer and Guster. Outside of his busy solo career he has appeared on albums by Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle, The Wailing Jennys, Garth Hudson, Lori Cullen, Jory Nash, Mr. Something Something, Layah Jane, Nine Mile and Eden Hertzog.

Jolene Reid

Jolene grew up in a family of musicians. Her sisters and her would fall asleep to their mom singing and playing her own songs when they were little girls. It was an easy choice for Jolene to follow in her footsteps at 17 and coerce older sister into teaching her to play the acoustic guitar. She wrote her first song at 18 and has been writing ever since.

Lorissa Scriven

Lorissa Scriven is a beautiful young singer-songwriter on the verge of releasing her first album. She has been influenced by many artists and styles, but has refiner her own unique sound. Lorissa’s sweet and gentle voice cuts straight to the heart. Her poignant, “coming-of-age” lyrics are often based around the universal theme of breaking free and realizing hopes and dreams. Her pure sound is refreshing and her words are achingly honest.

Join the Earth Hour Celebration in Fort St. John for 2010 at Whole Wheat 'n Honey on Sat. March 27th, starting at 7pm.  It'll be a light out show featuring the music of Lorissa Scriven, Jolene Reid, and Brian Macmillan with Dave Tolley

Earth Hour in FSJ is being hosted by NEAT (Northern Environmental Action Team) ... and if you are a NEAT member (membership is easy and anyone can join, check out their website!) you will get $5 off the ticket price.  Non-Member tickets are $10. You can buy advance tickets online below or at Whole Wheat n' Honey.

A Little About Earth Hour

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet. So sign up now and let’s make 2010 the biggest Earth Hour yet!.

It’s Showtime! Show the world what can be done.

The Fort St. John Community Arts Council will host its first ever Toga Party on Saturday, April 10 at On the Rocks Nightclub. Doors open at 8pm.

This event will serve as fund raiser for the Community Arts Council, with proceeds supporting the continued operation of the ArtsPost facility. The ArtsPost is a storefront building dedicated to promoting and supporting arts and culture in Fort St. John. The ArtsPost is home to the Arts Council’s administrative office as well as meeting and workspace for its 24 (and growing) member groups and includes the North Peace Potters’ Guild studio and the North Peace Spinners and Weavers Guilds’ workspace. The ArtsPost is located at 10320-94th Avenue.

Guests are invited to don their best toga or attire recalling the days of ancient Greece and Rome. Creativity is highly encouraged (floral sheets make excellent togas). Prizes for best costumes will be awarded.

For entertainment, guests will be treated to an evening of dancing, complementary appies, a chance to win a stunning diamond necklace. In addition, there will be a very tongue and cheek ‘Slave Auction’, where upstanding gentlemen will be auctioned off to the highest bidder as the perfect date for an evening. These good sports excel at drink delivery, purse holding, have exceptional dancing skills, and are adept at arranging a safe ride home for you upon the evening’s conclusion.

Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at the following locations: the Fort St. John Visitor’s Centre, Whole Wheat ‘N Honey Café, Retro Relics, and at the door.

As part of Open Mic's grand tour of the city it will be stopping at Jackfish Dundee's this Wednesday, March 10.

As Jackfish Dundee's is out of town, for the Open Mic night they are offering a shuttle to anyone who may need that sort of service. I thought I would post the scoop about it to clear up any confusion.

The shuttle holds 6 people and will make 3 runs from FSJ to Jackfish Dundee's. 

Pick-up point: Co-op Mall Parking Lot

Pick-up times: 7:00pm, 7:45pm, and 8:30pm

To make sure everyone has a safe ride home the shuttle will also offer rides back into town.

The night will be hosted by Open Mic veteran Steve Ryan, and as per usual will get rolling around 8:00pm-ish MST (Musician-Standard-Time). So bring your instruments down, get your name on the list, and let's play some music!

Stay tuned to Northern Groove if you're interested in Open Mic's other March tour stops.

Hello, all you music lovers!

You know, as the days are getting longer, I am always inspired to write songs about the positive weather changes of spring! So when I thought about that this week, knowing that I was needing a theme for 'Mysteries of Music', I came up with this:

'Soft Spring Breezes Blow'

Now as a theme, I do not imply that this will be the song title. It is only to be the inspiration for your suggestions. You can suggest a story line, a thought, a lyrical line (or even a complete lyric!), a tune suggestion (a line of notation, tabs, etc, or an already written song tune) or even some personal experimenting recorded in mp3.

I will sort the suggestions and give the best ones to three anonymous consenting musicians to make into a song (if you wish to know if your suggestion is to be used, leave contact info, and I will let you know).

If this project works, the songs produced will be performed on a single night once a year, arranged by Mysteries of Music. So let's work together to give this our best shot! I can't wait to see your suggestions!

I was listening to Lindsay Pratt sing 'Acid Tongue' the other night when I noticed a very interesting Mystery about music. Did you ever notice how many songs have lyrics that do not completely tell the story? The lyrical lines seem to carry a mystical element of intrigue about the story, but the listener must make his own story in his mind.

Music makes this possibile in a way that naration never could. the tune remains in your head, helping you to remember the lines that are there, and giving you the subconscious time to fill in those details that are not clear. In a song, the real complete story could never be given in detail, yet the beauty of the music allows every person to enjoy it as it is, without the need to explain. This makes music one of the least offensive forms of communication, and so it can be used in all types of social gatherings.

This is probably why love songs have become so popular in publicly played music. Each person can apply the emotions of the song to his own experience, even if the details are very different. And every human has some emotional feelings tucked away in his head!

So let your thoughts soar, and bring in some ideas that will provoke a musical thought in others - and dont forget to write it down and send it in! Comment on this column, or send your idea to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or send it to 'Hilding Donaldson, Box 167, Montney BC, V0C 1Y0.

Till next time,

Hilding Donaldson.

On Thursday, March 11, 2010, Holly and Kevin will be at the North Peace Cultural Centre performing with a 130-voice choir from Alwin Holland School, in a concert called Be the Change – it’s a celebration of the new Community Energy Plan.

On Friday, March 12, Holly and Kevin will give a rocking duo performance at the Whole Wheat and Honey Café.

Both shows start at 7pm. Admission is free.

Based on Vancouver Island, BC, Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright perform music about sustainability, ecology and the human dilemma: folk pop to rock your world! They are creating the new edge of environmental music by blending their very diverse musical backgrounds and weaving them into songs that touch people’s souls and make them think about the world around them. The two are a powerful unit that interweave stories, personalities and a true belief that this world of ours can get better.

When Holly and Kevin sing together - think Joni Mitchell and Bon Scott. Many people comment on the full sound that comes from just two people. With Holly on slide dulcimer and piano and Kevin playing percussion and sax, they produce a wide range of sound and feeling. It’s a blend that leaves people feeling like they’ve experienced something fresh and real.

With over 30 years as a folk/jazz performer, Holly has appeared at most major music festivals in Canada and has shared the stage with artists such as Bruce Cockburn, Stan Rogers and Herbie Hancock. Since the mid-80s, Kevin has been a pioneering member of the Victoria rock scene performing in seminal bands such as Armoros, Turk and the Rat (Rocktoria 1 winner) and After Dark.

Holly and Kevin form the core of the Artist Response Team (ART) - a ground breaking production house that delivers fabulous Voices of Nature community outreach events throughout BC and Alberta. Using their award winning and provincially recommended Cycle of Life learning resources, they travel the land bringing music and science education to entire school communities. The 4-day artist in residence school music program culminates in fabulous theatre concerts, bringing hundreds of young singers together with The Dream Band to sing and speak out for sustainability.

Join the folks down at Retro Relics/The Rabbit Hole (10140-100th Ave) on Friday, March 5 as they host Leonard & Jordan for the fifth in FSJ's series of six Home Routes house concerts.

I, for one, have been buzzing around the office all day in anticipation of this show.

First of all, house concerts freakin' rock my music world and are one of my favorite concert experiences. They are intimate and memorable shows that allow you to get up close and personal with the artists.  Everyone who is there is there for the music and often times the nights end up with late-night after-jams or parties - mostly because many of the attendees are your friends, family, and local musicians themselves. Retro Relics/The Rabbit Hole is a great venue for a house concert (imagine listening to a concert surrounded by shelves and shelves of books and walls and walls of music posters) and Henry and Beau are fantastic hosts.  If you haven't been to one of the shows they've hosted do yourself a favour and take a plunge down The Rabbit Hole this Friday.

The second reason I'm stoked for this show is that Leonard (left photo) and Jordan (right photo) are none other than Leonard Podolak and Jordan McConnell - two members of the legendary Winnipeg folk rock band The Duhks. The Duhks first album, Your Daughters & Your Sons was nominated for a Juno Award, their eponymous second album won a Juno for Best Roots & Traditional Album by a Group, "Heaven's My Home" from their third album was nominated for the 2007 Grammy award for Best Country Vocal Performance, and the band has played at some big, big festivals (like Bonnaroo in the USA!). Also, if Leonard's last name looks familiar it could be due to the fact that his father is Mitch Podolak - founder of both the Winnipeg Folk Festival and the Home Routes House Concert project itself. 

Within The Duhks, Jordan is the guitar genius while Leonard is the banjo baron ... and I can't wait to see what they bring on their Home Routes duo stint.

The show starts at 7:30pm and tickets are $15 at the door. All proceeds go to Leonard & Jordan (another cool feature of house concerts - all ticket sales go directly to the artists). Seating will be first come, first served, and there are a limited number of people that can be accommodated at the store (although if you're are supple enough, you can bring some cushions and enjoy the show from a horizontal position on the floor) so make sure to get there early if you want a chance to get intimate with these magnificent musicians!

The last show in FSJ's Home Routes House Concert series will be on Saturday, April 10 at 7:30 pm when Canadian folk and blues musician Rick Fines stops in at Retro Relics/The Rabbit Hole.

Hello, all you music lovers!

I was shocked, as I guess all the 'Egan's Open Mic Family' were about the closing of Egan's Pub with all of its musical events. But it can have its benefits too. I went to the first Open Mic at Casey's Pub on Feb 17, and was pleasantly suprised to meet some local musicians who hadn't been to Open Mic before. Now it will be interesting to see who we picked up at Jackfish Dundee's this past week. There are always some folks that have always been regulars at certain places - and if we have our Open Mics at different places we can gather more interest!

The night of local talent at the Lido for 'Travscend' was a real pleasant one for me. The Open Mic helps us to know what the various musicians are practicing, but a scheduled event on stage once in a while really brings out the finished product, or at least more refined versions!

I was specifically impressed with the Mystery of using silence to enhance sound. 'Miss Quincy' showed a very dramatic use of this effect in her personal style of blues. Usually, a silence gives you an unexpected pause that enhances expectancy, but in her songs, silence enhanced the rhythm of the beat. This is something that many singers do not realise - that a beat does not need to be filled with sound to be part of the song. Listen closely to all types of music, and you will be surprised how often this is the case.

Some of the other Rock music of the evening brought out the other effect of silence - that of causing suspense. In some cases, your heart seems to clog your throat and in others, the music can totally change beat after the silence, and you can follow it without realising what happened.
In short, I think we should all think about the importance of the absence of sound - in the right places, of course - as a more positive effect to enhance our music, and we will broaden our versatility on stage.

I have been considering the various styles of music, and how to relate them to each other in order to enhance the musical abilities of our musical comunity. I had suggested a song writing group for Fort St. John, but it seems that it is hard to get strong committed interest. However, if you are reading my column, there is some interest.

So starting in March, I will be posting a theme each month. During the month, anyone who has any musical ideas about that theme can post them in the comments below that article. The following month, I will process these comments, and assign a group of musicians to make a song out of them. At the end of the year, I will arrange for a 'Mysteries of Music' concert, where these songs will be staged by the groups who wrote them. The live recording will be made available for sale, and the proceeds go to development of local music.

So get your comments and suggestions ready - anyone can participate! You can suggest a phrase, a lyric, a guitar lick, an mp3 of your own music or vocals, a sheet of music, a set of tabulature - anything that can be helpful in creating a song! If you can't put it into the comment section, you can email it directly to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or send it to me by snailmail to: Hilding Donaldson Box 167 Montney,BC, V0C 1Y0. Watch for my first theme comming out next week!

Till March...

Hilding Donaldson.

The response to holding Open Mic at different venues has been super positive. It's been great to introduce our music community to new venues and also for our community to be introduced to new groups of people.

With that said, we've liked being on the road so much that we've decided to take Open Mic On Tour.

Open Mic's grand tour of our city will see the Wednesday night legend visiting various venues around town.  For the first two tour dates Open Mic will be returning to Casey's Pub and Jackfish Dundee's.  We'll be releasing the rest of the month's tour stops closer to their respective dates - stay tuned to northerngroove.com to find out more info.

Wednesday, March 3 - Casey's Pub

Wednesday, March 10 - Jackfish Dundee's (Jackfish offers a shuttle back into town to ensure everyone has a safe ride home).

These two nights will be hosted by Open Mic veteran Steve Ryan, and as per usual the night will get rolling around 8:00pm-ish MST (Musician-Standard-Time). So bring your instruments down, get your name on the list, and let's play some music!

Canada's newest super group is set to rock On The Rocks on Saturday, April 3. Crash Karma is comprised of members straight out of a Canadian music lover's wet dream. The self-titled debut album from the Toronto band - Edwin (ex-I Mother Earth), drummer Jeff Burrows (ex-The Tea Party), guitarist Mike Turner (ex-Our Lady Peace) - is the result of three musicians with multi-platinum pedigrees coming together with one equally skilled musician, Amir Epstein (Zygote). Crash Karma is an all-out rock band with songs that are heavy, intricate, big, intense, and melodic with a sound that can only result from the combination of these four guys with their respective history, chemistry, and musical prowess. You've probably heard their first single “Awake” on the radio and their sets weave material from the new album with songs from their Our Lady Peace, I Mother Earth, and Tea Party repertoire.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. The only place to buy advance tickets is online: