Northern Groove

It's the first performance of 2012 and Henry See is at JD Fitzgerald's to make sure that the Tuesday Night Performance Series is alive and kickin'!

Henry is a familiar face to folks around town. He is the curator of cool things at Retro Relics / The Rabbit Hole, plays in bands with other distinguished fellows with grey beards, and most recently rang in the New Year with folky songstresses, Twin Peaks. He's an all-around cool guy and with musical talent and knowledge that easily puts me to shame. 

Come to JD's tonight at 8 for a great live music show by Henry See that will definitely start your musical new year off right.

You'd better hide your sons & daughters Fort St. John, because Miss Quincy's coming back to town with her brand new all-girl band The Showdown!

Miss Quincy doesn't fit the classic girl singer/songwriter mold and this isn't your average all-girl band. Instead of singing you pretty pages out of their diaries, they'll be getting down with dirty electric roots & blues at the Hudson's Hope Community Hall on New Year's Eve (9pm) and at JD Fitzgerald's on Fri, January 6th and Sat, January 7th (8pm).

Born & raised in the Peace Country, most of you probably know enough about Miss Quincy to blackmail her. What you might not know is that since the last time you've seen the her she has embarked on her second independently booked UK/European tour, toured across Canada with the aforementioned all-girl band, and opened for the likes of Fred Eaglesmith. Miss Q's debut album, Your Mama Don't Like Me (2010), was awardedFolk/Traditional Recording of the Year at the 2011 BC Interior Music Awards and has received accolades from BBC Radio (UK), Q Magazine (UK), and reached top 5 in the earshot! Folk/Roots/Blues charts in Exclaim! magazine (CAN). In 2012 Miss Quincy & The Showdown will once again be touring hard across Canada, the UK, and Europe to promote her new album Like The Devil Does. The album will be released in late spring 2012 and is being produced by Canadian roots & blues legend Tim Williams. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for a big album release bash happening in the Peace Region this summer!

You can check out photos and video clips from the new album's recording session on Jodie Ponto's photoblog: http://jodieponto.com/photoblog/category/music/recording-music/miss-quincy-like-the-devil-does-recording/

If you'd like to pre-order a copy of the new album drop a line to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Miss Quincy's website lives here: www.missquincy.net

Recap: Miss Quincy & The Showdown live at the Hudson's Hope Community Hall on Dec 31 (9pm) and at JD Fitzgerald's on Jan 6 and Jan 7(8pm).

Serious Sound is back and it's more serious than ever. Again they're bringing you the live debut of two brand new artists!

On Friday, December 30th from 8pm to 1am, Serious Sound is proud to bring you THE SICKEST Eve-of-New Year's Eve Party around! This time they're back with double the bass and extra lighting! Double the bass = double the fun!! Pretty sure that's how it works! Come out, dance, have fun and start the new year off right - before it even starts!

Here at Serious Sound, we are serious about showcasing sexy up and coming talent, and we are happy to bring you the debut of Self+Med and Zero Even Matters!

Let's do this - New Year's Eve Eve Party at Maxx Friday, featuring:

ZERO EVEN MATTERS

SELF+MED - Heavy Dubstep

CALMPOUND - Future Dancehall

SERIOUS.SAM - Get sexy, Fidget house, Deep Dubstep

Maximum Fitness
$10 @ the door
Epic sounds and crazy lights from 8pm - 1am

It's that time of month.

Time for The Ramblers to play a great show at JD Fitzgerald's!

On Thursday, December 21 and Friday, December 23, the ramblin' men themselves will be live at the Fitz. The show will start at 8pm and lead into the Christmas weekend. It's always a great night out at JD's and to take in a fun show like The Ramblers? Well, it's like an early Christmas present.

See Nick, Glen, Todd, and Ben put on a country/bluesy/pub rockin' show that will get you tapping your feet and perhaps singing along. 

Also, check out some photos from their last show and tell me you don't want to get in on the Rambler music experience.

Your launch to Black History Month! 

History was made in 2004 when the super group African Guitar Summit assembled at the CBC studios to record what has been widely hailed as the greatest recording ever to come out of the fertile African music scene in Canada. Following their Juno win for World Music Album of the Year in 2005, the group has performed to sell-out audiences throughout Canada, and at memorable events such as Bob Geldof’s Live 8 (shown on 182 television networks and 2,000 radio networks). The CD also charted in the top 10 most downloaded albums for a period on iTunes’ Today’s Top Album chart, and in the top 20 of the World Music Charts Europe.

The star-studded collective unites the talents of 9 musicians, each an expert in their individual style. The African Summit features: From Guinea, the smooth fire of Juno Award winner Alpha YaYa Diallo, with his countryman Naby Camara on balafon from Ghana, the elder master of the guitar, Pa Joe, with “golden voice” Theo Boakye, and the heartbeat of drummer Kofi Ackah; from Kenya, the Fiesta guitar of Professor Adam Solomon; from Burundi/Rwanda, the bluesy Mighty Popo; and from Madagascar the quicksilver guitars and harmonies of Donne Roberts and multiple Juno Award winner Madagascar Slim.

Their debut CD “African Guitar Summit” was honoured with a Juno as World Music Album of the Year at the 2005 Juno Awards in April. Their second album, "African Guitar Summit II", garnered a 2007 Juno award nomination in the same category.

Considered the finest Canadian guitarists of African origin, the African Guitar Summit brings a veritable honey pot of picking and riffing that's as authentic as any ancestral drum rhythm.  See them live on stage at the Cultural Centre. Experience this superb and truly incredible performance…and take note: while you take in the rich, harmonized vocals, the movement, the rollicking guitar lines and unmistakable African flavor, you’ll need to look around at your surroundings to remind yourself you’re in Fort St John and not in the artists’ African home. It will be easy to forget!

The show starts at 7:30 and the tickets are $40.00 Adult, $35.00 Seniors/Youth, $25 12 and under.  Tickets are available at the box office, by phone at (250) 785-1992 or online.

The brand of music that The Irish Descendants are known and loved for is steeped in a rich tradition. The Irish Descendants are like all of the Newfoundland Irish, passing on the traditions and culture of their Irish home, generation to generation! The Irish Descendants are one of the products of this proud heritage!

Formed in the spring of 1990, The Irish Descendants, have been a mainstay in the Newfoundland and Canadian music industry for over two decades. In that time the band has performed over 4000 shows across North America and beyond!

On Friday, February 17, 2012, The Irish Descendants will be performing at The Lido… You do not want to miss out on the fun!

Tickets:
$35 Advance General Seating (available at Systems and the FSJ
$40 for Reservations of four or more
$45 at the Door

For more info contact The Lido at 250-785-3011

This weekend there's a double treat coming your way at JD Fitzgerald's! Two nights - two great musicians! On Friday, December 16th Ryan Hennessey is live and thrivin' and on Saturday, December 17th Joel "Huck" Maddigan brings friends for a jammin' session.

Ryan is the music man of FSJ what with him being an amazing musician as well as top dog music scene supporter. He rocks out with the best of them and does a great live set!

Joel is the resident cool guy at JD's and his smooth vocals are perfect for the blues and roots. You may even get the odd drinking song! See what musical genius comes from the Huck & Friends collaborations.

Two nights of great local music talent at JD's - Friday night with Ryan Hennessey and Saturday night with Huck! Shows start at 8pm.

Voices raised in song is a common theme around Christmas with caroling and choirs singing "Silent Night" and "All I Want for Christmas is You". The Cultural Centre has been alive with music these last weeks and coming up on Friday, December 16th is the amazing Annual Community Choral Christmas. With that thought in mind, we asked members of the North Peace Community Choir about what it's like being involved in Choir, some of their favorite memories and why the Cultural Centre is such a great place!

Here are some of the amazing answers... 

The Choir is such a cool way for the community to come together, what is your favorite part about being a part of the choir?      

Cathy Coles: My favorite part is the beautiful sound listening to us all sing.  Then of course there's the entertainment.  We're a pretty relaxed group and there are a lot of chuckles floating around the room.  many I might add on behalf of our directors.  We're laughing with you, Jen and Dave!  Thanks for all the bright moments.

Chris Zackodnick:  I enjoy the singing. I enjoy learning new songs, remembering just how to read new music and stretching my vocal range.

David Batterham: I like the way everyone works together and we have lots of fun at rehearsals.  We have a big age range within the choir and we all have something to share with each other - skills, energy, laughs and, or course, the music itself.  We learn a lot about music by simply making it happen.

Do you have a favorite memory about the choir or the Cultural Centre? 

Cathy Coles: I think my all time favorite at the Cultural Centre was the first time we did Beatles. Gord had gone overboard with the sound track and it really clicked that night for us. Also O Holy Night with Jim Bell.  There was one time when he hit the last note of "O night-" and I could literally hear the glass breaking.  Shivers for sure.  As to the Cultural Centre itself - it has been home for many things.  Plays and performances I've personally done, but also what I've got to go see.  Phenomenal!

Kathy Strebchuck: The performances are the best! It is that moment when everything you've been working towards comes together. It's very fulfilling. My most favourite memory was watching our past choir director 'tear up' during a performance. I knew we did a very good job that night!

Brenda Cholin: The night a stranger popped his head in the door with the comment that we sounded awesome and then he burst into song for us. He was an excellent tenor! And, it was his first day in Fort St. John.  We invited him to come in and join us. So he sat and sang with us for the rest of that practice. I think we made his first day in FSJ a memorable one too.

Janet Haley: I'm not  from FSJ - I'm a long way from home. I remember my first Christmas with the choir clearly. I had a strong sense of community and felt that maybe I could feel at home here.

Why is important to have places like the Cultural Centre for the community?

Alan Stebbing: A place like the Cultural Center gives a space to artists of all different types and creates some great chance meetings. It also make it possible and “OK” to be involved in various artistic pursuits just as having sports fields do for outdoor sports.

Jackie Carew: It is important to have the Cultural Centre as it is a place where we can share our music & songs with the community. It provides opportunity for artists to perform and live out their passion. 

Joy Morrison: The Cultural Center is important in a community for sharing of the many talents the town has and to promote growth in the arts, Childrens programs that are held there help get this started at a young age  Sports, arts and community involvement are essential for our youth to grow. The middle aged and seniors also need a place for entertainment and cultural growth which the Cultural Center provides both by local and well known artists that perform. So now it's up to you to get involved and embrace it!  

It's really easy to get involved in the Community Choir!  All you have to do is show up to a practice.  Most weeks they practice on Tuesday in the Cultural Centre at 7pm and they are usually done by 9pm.

Thank you to the choir members who shared such amazing, heartfelt feelings about arts and culture in our community, Choir, and the Cultural Centre. See the North Peace Community Choir at the Cultural Centre on December 16th at 7pm!

Head to Jackfish Dundee's to see Floyd Leavitt perform some great songs on December 15th at 7:00pm.

Come enjoy great food and great atmosphere at JFD's while Floyd sings some favorite songs of the past. He is sure to entertain all audiences!

Good times are happenin' at JD's this week! Not only are they a great place to hang out, eat some delicious food, and raise a glass with buddies - they've upped the ante by adding AWESOME live music to the mix.

On Thursday, December 15th, the one and only Dayna Manning will be live in the house. Juno-nominated, continental-traveller, and local music treasure, Dayna's song-writing and musical skills are unbelievable. Her songs are unique and personal takes on pieces of life and her voice is passion-filled and unmistakable. Her website - heartist.ca - has even more about her and her creative talents.

Don't miss out on a great night out at JD's on Thursday! The show starts at 8pm and Dayna Manning will deliver a live music show - no, a music experience - that you don't want to miss.

Oh. And Dave Tolley will be there too. Banging away.