Friday, October 25, 2019 | 8:30pm The French Connection $25 Advance / $30 Door Some of the biggest pop tunes and American Songbook favourites of the past 50 years were originally hits in French. Who better to interpret these tunes, in French and English, than Michel Bérubé who has had songs in both languages, including his duets with musical icons Jennifer Warnes and Chrissie Hynde, played on radio stations across North America. With The French Connection, Michel and Musical Director Mark Lalama explore the origins of hits like “Beyond The Sea,” “The Good Life” and “What Now My Love” and share French Classics by Brel, Piaf, Aznavour and more.  With video clips and interesting stories proving that music is indeed the international language, Michel takes his audience on a journey into the past performing some of the greatest songs ever written. Michel Bérubé Michel Bérubé’s debut album This Christmas which included a duet with Jennifer Warnes, had six tracks added to radio stations across North America with two being selected for Christmas compilations by Universal Music and EMI. Michel’s French/English duet with Chrissie Hynde from his CD “Hymnes à l’amour” charted in Quebec and his first mainstream single, Through Your Eyes was called “brilliant” by industry insider Larry Leblanc (Billboard Magazine, Canada). In 2009, Michel’s original Christmas song, Mama’s Words was the fifth most popular Christmas song on Canadian radio charts in only its second week of release. Famed fiddler Ashley MacIsaac and Canadian Jazz icon Guido Basso have also been featured on songs recorded by Michel. Michel has performed at casinos, Jazz Festivals and concert venues in Ontario and Quebec as well as at Town Hall in NYC, sharing the stage with the likes of Louise Pitre, Jackie Richardson, Amy Sky, Steven Page, José Feliciano, and Kenny Rogers to name a few and for three years hosted a bi-weekly French music program on 99.3 County FM in Picton, Ontario. In 2012 Jennifer Warnes asked Michel to join her on her Canadian tour to sing her Grammy and Oscar winning hit “Up Where We Belong,” making Michel the only singer other than Joe Cocker to ever sing this iconic duet with Jennifer. “Exceptional range and strong, flexible voice make these varied arrangements a treat” -Toronto Star “Brilliant. I just love the sound and emotion in his voice” -Larry LeBlanc, Billboard Magazine “Michel was born to sing Brel” -Karen Gordon, CBC Radio Mark is one of Canada’s most accomplished musicians having worked with Marc Jordan, Amy Sky, John McDermott, Mariah Carey, Anne Murray, Michael MacDonald, Jon Bon Jovi, Tom Jones, Olivia Newton John and numerous other musical icons. Mark is a composer and much sought-after producer with a number of chart topping hits to his credit and was also the piano player and arranger for the long running CTV show Canadian Idol. website: http://michelberube.ca * Advertised pricing excludes taxes and ticketing fees

Sunday, October 27, 2019 | 7:30pm Russell DeCarle with Paul Pigat and Steve Briggs $30 Advance / $35 Door * It’s late, and the bar is crowded. The music is loud, and people are dancing. The bartender needs a smoke, and you could use a smile, a conversation, a moment of recognition… But you are alone in this crowd, along with the singer Russell deCarle. Like him – and his music – you are holding it together with equal measures of heartbreak and hope. So join Russell; sink into his third album of songs that touch the heart, celebrate the truth, and provide warmth and company in the noise of the crowd. Alone in this Crowd is the title of Russell deCarle’s third album; it feels like the soundtrack of a movie in the days just before they invented Technicolor. And, even more than his two previous albums, it may surprise those who remember deCarle as the lead vocalist and bassist of the iconic Canadian country roots band Prairie Oyster. He is no stranger to awards and accolades — his “Oyster years” were rewarded with six Juno Awards, more than a dozen Canadian Country Music Awards and enough gold and platinum records and #1 singles to fill a living room wall. The truth is, though, that Prairie Oyster was always more than a “country” band, and deCarle’s warm, burnished and intimate voice has always honoured an eclectic range of songs. True to form, Alone in this Crowd offers a fluent collection of songs that mix southern soul and restrained balladry, with obvious touches of jazz, blues, old-school country, and western swing. For some artists, the urge to make solo records asserts itself almost as soon as they start to gain attention as part of a successful band. Not so for deCarle: “For decades people were asking for a solo record,” he says, “but I never thought I was ready and the band always satisfied the musical part of my life.” But that was then and this is now. This third record is a perfect example of what you get when you hear this artist live – in a club, in a concert hall, or at a festival. “I want people to be emotionally invested in these songs, whether I wrote them or whether they were created by others,” he says. “If they touched audiences in some way – well, that would be the best thing that could happen.” It’s his personal objective whenever he performs. “I’m a music lover first and foremost — a product of all the stuff I’ve ever listened to – and my tastes are very broad.” “To me, this is a torchy, bluesy record more than anything else. And I know in my heart that it’s something that people who hear it will understand immediately….” – Richard Flohil website: https://russelldecarle.com/ youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsTCBRby834   Paul Pugat “I think it is unlikely that I’ll review a better CD than “Jukin’” this year. It’s simply terrific and virtually every track is a highlight. Pigat is a ballsy, confident vocalist, at home equally with the forceful rockabilly that accounts for half of the CD, a trio of more laid back Western Swing tunes, a couple of unusual covers and the collection’s only slow ballad, “Louisa”. His lead guitar is stunning and the generous breaks bristle with invention and at times are lightning fast.” – Harry Dodds, Now Dig This magazine (UK) “Cousin Harley plays a mean guitar” – Michael Kissinger, Pier magazine “This collection could fit into any of Quentin Tarantino’s films… if you get a chance to hear Cousin Harley, you will dig it!” – Monte Nordstrom, Cosmic Debris   * Advertised pricing excludes taxes and fees