It’s been a long time since we’ve swung open the doors at the Sunset Saloon, but we were waiting for just the right act and just the right occasion to get back in the house concert hosting game. I’m super excited that it seems we’ve found a whole lot of both.
Tell the Band to Go Home and Steel Belted Radio are very excited to present:
Live at Sunset Saloon
Saturday, June 18, 2011, 8pm ish
$15ish (whatever you think is fair is fine)
Over the past couple of years, we at the Sunset Saloon have been lucky enough to have some great friends from across Canada swing through these parts, who just happened to have nowhere to play, so they were kind enough to set up in my living room and entertain friends and neighbours alike. We never really set out to “book” house concerts, they just kind of happened. But, for one reason or another, it hasn’t worked out for quite a while. So, rather than try to convince someone to come from elsewhere to serenade us, we started to look a little closer to home. Seems so obvious, doesn’t it? After all, Winnipeg has an amazing music scene chock full of great talent. And, even though Del Barber still refuses to play my house (we love him anyway), we’ve landed ourselves a pretty stellar talent for our big pre-Fathers’ Day spectacular.
You might not know Chris Carmichael’s name, and you likely don’t know his amazing solo work as well as you should, but you’ve certainly heard his work with his famous friends. He’s appeared on 23 or so albums by now! Our music scene is rich with talent, but if there’s one true MVP that nobody can live without, it’s gotta be Chopper Carmichael. As one of the city’s most in-demand musicians, he’s played his powerful electric guitar and bashed the drums behind just about everyone in town. Working quietly in the shadows, he built a reputation as one of this city’s (if not the country’s) most talented sidemen. But it wasn’t until 2009 that he finally stepped out of the shadows and released his own self-titled CD. Let me tell you friends, it was worth the wait.
Carmichael is clearly raised on classic blues and a heaping helping of Neil Young (he leads the “house band” at Times Change(d)’s annual Neilfest celebration), but he’s developed a wonderfully original style of his own. True to his reputation, there’s nothing flashy or flamboyant about his disc, it’s just one of the most solidly entertaining and amazing roots-rock CDs to come out of this town. It’s a wonderful disc, and one that should have made him a star in his own right.
But Chris is a family man, a quiet guy, and an unassuming character who is perfectly happy with whatever opportunity he has to play. He hasn’t taken the leap to tour and put himself out there as a solo artist, so it’s kind of a rare treat to get to see and hear him in solo mode, doing his own wonderful songs, as well as the many, many amazing covers that he can pull out any time.
This, friends, promises to be a stellar evening of entertainment. As if that weren’t reason enough, June 19th is Father’s Day, and what better way to celebrate than with a great dad who happens to make great music.
As usual, admission is kind of up to you. We suggest $15, but you’ll clearly see that he deserves $20. If $10 sounds about right for you, well, we can live with that. Just come, eat, drink, enjoy, and be prepared to be amazed. We’re family friendly, pet-free, and we welcome all comers.
As usual, we’ll have a solid spread of snacks and beverages to enjoy, but feel free to bring whatever you might like to enjoy for yourself or share. And, once again, Jaine has promised a special one-night-only homemade ice cream flavour in honour of our guest! The reviews for the ice cream have been as great as they have been for the amazing talent we’ve had performing, so whether you’re a music or ice cream aficianado, this is the place to be!
We always appreciate it if you book your seat in advance (it greatly reduces the “will anyone show up?” anxiety), so drop me a line and let me know if you can come or if you have any questions.
I really look forward to seeing you again on June 18! Please email me (tellthebandtogohome at gmail dot com) if you want to come or if you’ve got questions or just to say hi!
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