Have you ever had one of those days when you’re at a festival or some other multi-artist event and you accidentally catch a performance by an artist that you last saw five or ten years ago – and all of a sudden, this artist who barely made an impression on you back then is totally blowing your mind?

That was how I felt when I saw Dave Gunning showcase at Folk Alliance in February.

I think the last time I caught him was at a Juno showcase maybe seven years prior, and it failed to make an impression – though in fairness to Dave, the venue wasn’t the most condusive to listening intently. But now here he was cracking jokes, making everyone laugh, and playing a really diverse set of music that was at times poignent, impassioned and even patriotic (He has a hockey anthem called “A Game Going On.” Nuff said). Much of Dave’s material is about underdogs and heroes, family and heart, and it reflects a message of social justice and caring about the world around us. It was a stand-out performance in a week absolutely jam packed with great performances.

So I was pretty stoked to hear that Dave has a new single out. It’s called “Ferris Wheel,” and here’s what he has to say about it:

My favourite ride has always been the Ferris Wheel and, more specifically, the ‘Big Eli’ model which was the one we’d always see around the Pictou / North Colchester Exhibition and the Pictou Lobster Carnival. It was often powered by an old gasoline tractor engine that would be purring away quietly. I don’t know if it’s an insurance issue now or what but you don’t see them around anymore and I miss them. They were the best.

Have a listen to “Ferris Wheel” bellow, and check out all of Dave’s upcoming tour dates too!

“Ferris Wheel”

See Dave live!

• Sep. 6 – Highland Arts Centre, Sydney, NS
• Sep. 7 – Th’YARC Playhouse, Yarmouth, NS
• Sep. 8 – Bass River Community Hall, Bass River, NS
• Sep. 13 – College of Piping, Summerside, PEI
• Sep. 14 – Musquodoboit Valley Bicentennial Theatre, Musquodoboit, NS
• Sep. 15 – Evergreen Theatre, Margaretsville, NS
• Sep. 19 – Marigold Cultural Centre, Truro, NS
• Sep. 20 – deCoste Entertainment Centre, Pictou, NS
• Sep. 21 – Shannon Studio, Port Hawkesbury, NS
• Sep. 26 – House Concert, North Battleford, SK
• Sep. 27 – New Moon Folk Club – St. Basil’s Cultural Centre, Edmonton, AB
• Sep. 28 – Bow Valley Music Club – Strathcona Community Centre, Calgary, AB
• Oct. 4 – Louisbourg Playhouse, Louisbourg, NS
• Oct. 5 – The Carleton, Halifax, NS
• Oct. 16 – Trailside Cafe, Mount Stewart, PEI
• Oct. 23 – Music Runs Through It Concert Series, Dolans, Fredericton, NB
• Oct. 24 – Second Wind Music Centre, Florenceville-Bristol, NB
• Oct. 25 – Bates Barn, Long Point, NB
• Oct. 27 – Union Street Cafe, Berwick, NS

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