If you listened to rock radio or turned on Much Music in the 90s, you know this band’s songs, but unlike some of the other bands you heard a million times, you liked these ones, and they hold up very well 20 years later!

Odds

Backyard Bash (weather permitting) (Westwood, Winnipeg)
Friday, June 28
7:30 pm
Suggested donation $20-25 (price flexible, all proceeds to this legendary band)
Bring a lawn chair if the weather is nice (perhaps bug spray…), and/or a drink for yourself, and/or a snack to share, but we’ve always got plenty of all of those on hand!
All are welcome (bring the kids, friends, family, people off the street, whatever)
Questions? RSVP? Fill out the contact form below!
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The plan is to have an intimate, rockin’ bash in the back yard. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we will have a stripped down, more acoustic set indoors, where seating will be much more limited. If we need to cut down the guest list due to a move indoors, first responders and people who PAY IN ADVANCE will get preferred admission!

Odds hits are the soundtrack to many music lovers’ experiences in the 90s. Smash hits included “Love Is the Subject,” “Heterosexual Man,” “Eat My Brain,” “It Falls Apart,” “Jackhammer,” and the #1 hit, “Someone Who’s Cool.” The band played a big part in this history of The Kids in the Hall (and the Kids starred in a couple of very memorable music videos (see them again below). They toured as the backing band for the legendary late, great Warren Zevon (who guested on “Jackhammer”) and extensively with Barenaked Ladies and The Tragically Hip. After the 90s hits, the band went on hiatus and lead singer Craig Northey went on to a solo career, as well as to tour with Kids in the Hall, record and tour with Colin James, as Strippers Union (including Rob Baker from The Tragically Hip, backed up by Odds rhythm section), and as half of Northey Valenzuela, who were responsible for the beginning and ending themes for CTV’s classic comedy “Corner Gas.”

The band regrouped without original singer/guitarist Steven Drake, capably replaced by Murray Atkinson, in 2008. Their album “Cheerleader,” was a return to form. The recently released a very strong EP, “The Most Beautiful Place on Earth,” which proves that this is more than just a nostalgia trip, this is the return of a band that sounds as vital and exciting as ever!

The band was named the Vancouver Canucks ‘house band’ of the 2010 and 2011 NHL playoffs. Odds performed the theme music to the CBC/IFC television series The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town. They backed up Elvis Costello and Randy Bachman on Hockey Night in Canada!

To say that these guys are highly successful would be a major understatement. To see this band in an intimate house concert setting is an opportunity of a lifetime, and is not to be missed!

Special thanks to Romi Mayes at Sure Shot Bookings for making this amazing dream come true!

Confirm your attendance or just ask a question with the private & secure contact form below:

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Shannon Lyon
Outdoor house concert
July 6, 2013
7:00
Suggested donation $15-20 (price flexible, all proceeds to a talented musician making his way across this vast country)
Bring a lawn chair if the weather is nice (perhaps bug spray…), and/or a drink for yourself, and/or a snack to share, but we’ve always got plenty of all of those on hand!
All are welcome (bring the kids, friends, family, people off the street, whatever)
Questions? RSVP? Fill out the contact form below!
Forward this to a friend!

Last year I was thrilled to welcome one of my all-time favourite singer/songwriters to my house, as Shannon Lyon returned to Canada after a lengthy absence for a cross-Canada tour, making stops in several out-of-the-way locations, including some joker’s back yard! Hearing some of my all time favourite songs in my own backyard was a dream come true, and everyone who attended raved about the show afterward.

Well, we’re excited to welcome Shannon back again this year! Once again, he prefers to play outside (weather depending), so you may wish to bring a favourite lawn chair, or take advantage of whatever’s on hand here.

For those unfamiliar (you poor souls), Shannon Lyon is a Canadian musician and singer-songwriter. Born in Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada, Lyon began his musical career in Kitchener, Ontario in the early 90’s forming his first band Strange Days (1990-1993) recording one album entitled ‘Life Aint Easy’ produced by Nelson McCrossan. During this time Lyon also started his low-key solo career and released his first solo studio album entitled ‘Buffalo White’ in 1994 which was recorded by friend Bill Braun. 

Since 1994 Lyon has released ten studio albums and has received critical acclaim and commercial success in Europe, North America and Australia.

Lyon was the first Canadian signed to Richard Branson’s post Virgin Records label V2 in 2004(becoming label mates with The White Stripes and Paul Weller) with the release of the critically acclaimed album ‘Wandered’  which was recorded in a 17th century farmhouse in the south of Holland with Dutch producer Bj Baartmans. Wandered was released in Australia on Collision records and in Europe on Inbetweens Records. 

In 2003 Lyon signed with Canadian Roots label Busted Flat Records (Matt Anderson, Jay Semko, Paul MacLeod), a roots music label founded in 2002 by Mark Logan and based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Busted Flat has released 5 of Lyon’s albums to date. (Bound, Safe Inside, Someday Mourning, El Sol, and Broken Things).

Lyon moved to Holland in 2000 and spent the better part of a decade living and touring in Spain, Germany, France and The Netherlands.

Lyon is currently located in Canada.

(Lyon has toured and shared the stage in Europe, Australia, USA and Canada with such artists as Lucinda Williams, Richard Buckner, Jay Farrar, Ray LaMontagne, Blue Rodeo and Bruce Cockburn).

“When I hear Shannon, I hear the rhythms of the Midnight Cowboy, the 
harmonies of an earth-bound angel, the acoustic guitar that knows the pain 
of a heart, the steel guitar that stirs the lonely and restless lovers. But 
most of all I hear the voice that echoes Earle, Farrar and Buckner, a voice 
that haunts you like a heavy fog on a barren field on a cool October 
morning.”
Bob Egan (Blue Rodeo, Wilco)

Some highlights from last year’s show:

More Shannon:

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Express and Company 

www.expressandcompany.com

Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Live at Sunset Saloon (house concert, West Winnipeg)
7:30
Suggested donation $15-20
All are welcome (bring the kids, friends, family, people off the street, whatever) As usual, you can bring a beverage of your choice or food to share if you wish, but we’ll have plenty of both on hand, so feel free to save yourself the trouble and just enjoy whatever’s on hand!

*If for some reason you can’t make it to this show (and we genuinely hope you will), or if you love it that much (as I suspect you will), Express and Co. will be doing another show on March 28 at River City Social Club! Fill out the contact form below and let me know your particulars, and I’ll pass them along to Gord at River City Social Club!

I just love it when something new enters my ears and blows my mind. The joy of discovering something new and amazing never gets old, nor does the joy of sharing the news with others.

One of my favourite discoveries of 2012 was a young lady named Melissa Payne. Her self-titled debut was full of interesting lyrics, great musicianship, and her warm, inviting voice. It was one of those surprising ones – someone I’d never heard of and an album featuring players I didn’t know, but someone impressive and exciting. She’s a talented singer/songwriter, and also an accomplished fiddle player. She took lessons from the Leahy family and toured with Natalie McMaster, so she’s learned from the best.

And she puts those skills to good use backing up Dylan Ireland as Express and Company. Dylan comes from a very musical family who have prepared him well for a promising career leading another of the most impressive debuts I’ve heard in a long time. The songs are just the kind of intelligent, melodic, interesting roots rock that I love.

Express and Company dropped by Steel Belted Radio recently for a conversation and live performances. I was so impressed that I just had to hear more. So we set out to plug a hole in the tour schedule with another stop in Winnipeg. I’m very excited to share this new group with you, and I know that you’ll be impressed with these songs and these musicians. You might not have heard of Express and Company or Melissa Payne yet, but I’d bet that those names will become a lot more familiar to a lot more people over the next few years.

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It’s been a while since we’ve had any guests performing live on the shows, but tomorrow on Steel Belted Radio, we’ll break the silence with two stellar live guests!

Steel Belted Radio
Thursday, February 28
6:30 – 8 pm central
CJUM 101.5 UMFM
www.umfm.com

Stephen Fearing has been kind enough to visit us a couple of times in the past, and it’s always a real pleasure. A thoughtful, intelligent interview and one of the great singer/songwriters in Canada, with an enviable catalogue of great songs and a reputation as one of our most engaging live performers. Stephen has a fine new album, Between Hurricanes, and he’s in Winnipeg to perform a solo show at The West End Cultural Centre on Friday.

One of my favourite discoveries of last year was a young singer/songwriter/fiddle player extraordinaire, Melissa Payne. She released a very promising self-titled debut full of interesting songs. But she also plays nicely with others, as she is one half of The Express and Company, along with singer/songwriter Dylan Ireland. Also tomorrow, we expect to announce where you can see The Express and Company live for yourself next month!

We are very pleased to welcome back our very first headliner at Sunset Saloon, and definitely one of our most popular, Brock Zeman on November 5! He christened the Sunset Saloon back in 2009 and returned for another great show in 2010, but it’s been a couple of years, which means that he’s written a lot of great songs since then, including the ones that make up his most recent, and one of the very best albums of 2011, Me Then You.

 

Brock Zeman (trio)
Monday, November 5
7:30
Suggested donation $15-20
All are welcome (bring the kids, friends, family, people off the street, whatever)
As usual, you can bring a beverage of your choice or food to share, but we’ll have plenty of both on hand, so feel free to enjoy whatever’s on hand!

Facebook event

Questions? RSVP? Fill out the contact form below!

Brock Zeman isn’t all that old (he was born in the 80s!), but he’s obviously got an old soul, because he writes with a depth and wisdom well beyond his years. He’s also got a songwriting style and quality that fits in with the Texas songwriting greats, even though he’s from Southern Ontario. The guy’s too prolific and too talented to be believed, yet there’s wonderful authenticity in everything he does.

Over the course of 9 albums and countless tours, Zeman has established himself as a respected and renowned songwriter who has played concerts and festivals all over North America. Whether it’s solo, or with a backing band, Zeman’s shows are always engaging and intimate, but you won’t find a more intimate and amazing environment to catch a show than my living room. He’ll be bringing his talented rhythm section along for a memorable performance at The Sunset Saloon on Nov. 5.

In addition to songwriting and performing, Zeman also founded Mud Records a few years ago to help spread the word about other artists that he’s passionate about. Recently, he produced an album for Tennessee songwriting legend Tom House, which has been hailed as House’s finest work, largely thanks to the input and guidance of Brock Zeman.

He’ll have a million songs to draw from and a whole bunch of stories to tell.

Other upcoming events at Sunset Saloon:

Sunparlour Players, Oct. 29

Murdoch & Sparrow, Nov. 21

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Murdoch & Sparrow
Live at Sunset Saloon (house concert, West Winnipeg)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
7:30
Suggested donation $15-20
All are welcome (bring the kids, friends, family, people off the street, whatever)
As usual, you can bring a beverage of your choice or food to share, but we’ll have plenty of both on hand, so feel free to enjoy whatever’s on hand!
Facebook event
Questions? RSVP? Fill out the contact form below!

James Murdoch and Jay Sparrow met years ago at the beginning of their diverging musical careers. Although Murdoch had a pop singer-songwriter background and Sparrow leaned toward the punk rock vein, their paths often crossed as they traversed the globe on respective tours and music festivals.

James and Jay both garnered the attention of the Canadian music industry, media and music fans at large as they progressed and grew as songwriters.

Eventually, James and Jay got together and spent 10 days in Nashville writing a concept album that culminated in a LIVE recording at The Arden Theatre in February, 2012.

The result is a collection of songs that follow the lives of two characters as they make their way across turn-of-the-century Canada through heartbreak, tragedy and love.

Murdoch & Sparrow weave heartfelt storytelling with beautiful, often haunting melodies, into a record that is distinctly, “Canadiana”.

“We really feel that this album is greater than the sum of its parts and we’re excited to send it out into the world.”, says Murdoch.

Murdoch & Sparrow release their album “DOMINION DAY”, in June 2012.

Contact us privately with the form below:

Other upcoming events at Sunset Saloon:

Sunparlour Players, Oct. 29

Brock Zeman, Nov. 5

Let the world know what you think by leaving a comment below!

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy is in town and all of Steel Belted is going. To add to the excitement Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller and Darryl Scott are his band. We are Buddy Miller and Patty Griffin crazy so the $00 pop for the tickets doesn’t every hurt. The gig is part of the Winnipeg Jazz Fest which  seems to grow every year. Good on you guys. They are fabulous. Robert Plant looked and sounded fantastic and the Band is second to none. What a blast. We all went home happy that night. More stuff coming up on Steel Belted so stay tuned.