As the summer winds to a close, folk club season is getting fired up, and the Rogue Folk Club is giving us plenty of reasons to spend an evening indoors this month, especially if you’re a fan of Celtic music and/or amazing guitarists.
Tony McManus and Steve Dawson (who will perform with Joachim Cooder – son of Ry) will both grace the St. James stage this month, and Tony will even be doing a workshop.
And Tony’s beautiful renderings of Celtic music will be complimented by opener Pat Chessell, while San Miguel Fraser will bring their Celtic Castilian fusion to the hall on the 13.
As always, the Rogue continues to offer virtual tickets to nearly all of its shows, so you don’t need to be in Vancouver to see them.
For more information and tickets visit http://www.roguefolk.bc.ca.
Steve Dawson and Joachim Cooder – Sept. 10 at Mel Lehan Hall at St. James
Canadian-born and Nashville-based Steve Dawson brings decades of roots-driven musicianship to the stage. He first gained international recognition as half of the Juno Award-winning duo Zubot & Dawson before carving out a wide-ranging solo career and establishing himself as one of North America’s leading roots music producers.
Joachim Cooder’s musical path has been just as adventurous. Raised on the road alongside his father, legendary guitarist Ry Cooder, Joachim began playing drums at an early age and went on to contribute to iconic recordings including Buena Vista Social Club and the Grammy-winning A Meeting by the River.
This rare collaborative run sees the two artists sharing the stage for an entire night, swapping songs, backing each other up, and following the music wherever it leads. There’s no strict division of sets here, just an open, intuitive flow built on listening, trust, and the joy of discovery. With Steve on a rotating cast of guitars and lap steels, and Joachim anchoring the groove with mbira and percussion, the evening unfolds as a living dialogue. Songs from each artist’s catalog weave together, traditions blur, and familiar material takes on new shapes.
San Miguel Fraser – Sept. 13 at Mel Lehan Hall at St. James
San Miguel Fraser is redefining folk music with their dynamic fusion of Castilian and Celtic traditions. The duo, featuring María San Miguel – an Ovideo Conservatory graduate deeply rooted in the vibrant music of Castile, and Galen Faser – a Berklee Colledge of Music alumnus and osn of the legendary fiddler Alasdair Fraser, blends heartfelt vocals, intricate string arrangements, and the lively charm of the cittern. Their music celebrates the shared spirit of their homelands while embracing the beauty of innovation.
Their latest album, Dots of Light, is a testament to their artistry, shining with vibrant new compositions and imaginative reworkings of traditional tunes. With their unique chamber-folk style, San Miguel Fraser crafts performances that resonate deeply with audiences worldwide.
Tony McManus / Pat Chessell – Sept. 20 at Mel Lehan Hall at St. James
Conjuring a unique but universal language from that most ubiquitous of instruments, the acoustic guitar, Tony McManus has both extended and transcended the parameters of contemporary Celtic music. Ranked by peers and predecessors alike alongside the guitar world’s all-time greats, his fiendishly dexterous, dazzlingly original playing draws on traditions from the entire Celtic diaspora – Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, Galicia, Asturias, Cape Breton, Quebec – along with still further-ranging flavours, such as jazz and east European music. Long applauded for his uncanny ability to transpose the delicate, complex ornamentation characteristic of traditional bagpipe or fiddle tunes – even the phrasing of a Gaelic song – onto his own six strings, Tony is increasingly being acknowledged also as a pioneering figure in bridging the realms of Celtic music and other guitar genres.
Opening the night is the Pat Chessell Trio with Michael Burnyeat (fiddle) and Brendan Mooney (bass). Pat has been nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Awards for Best Traditional Singer, and his rootsy vocal style, charismatic stage presence and expert musicianship on guitar make for an ever-growing audience of enthusiastic fans.
Note: Tony is also giving an instructional workshop on the afternoon of the 20 covering some altered tunings – dropped D, DADGAD, Csus2, etc.
Leeroy Stagger / Sun Card – Sept. 26 at Mel Lehan Hall at St. James
Listening to Leeroy Stagger’s music, one is privy to intimate flashes; he doesn’t dilute the gritty, dark moments endured in the ebon gloom of the soul. Yet his music lifts, fueled by brutal candor and an unquenchable desire to capture the luminosity lurking on the other side of the shadowed horizon. The songs rove with the acumen of ancient peoples exploring variegated landscapes, goosed along by flashes of old-school punk iconography, kinked chords reminiscent of the harmonies and optimism of the 1960s, and raw, rockin’ rhythms that shake your butt while they stir your mind.
Above all, the music sounds born to soar over those vast, airy prairies where Leeroy’s songwriting journey accelerated. It’s open-stringed, open-minded, open-hearted melodies heading toward a wide-open future, bathed in glorious, long light.
