Bands

Led by Toronto-born Jim Cuddy – Canadian music icon and lead singer of Blue Rodeo – The Jim Cuddy Band features musicians Bazil Donovan, Colin Cripps, Joel Anderson, Anne Lindsay and Gavin Brown with guest performers including Kathleen Edwards, Sarah Harmer, and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. Since the late 90’s Cuddy has released three solo albums; All in Time (1998), The Light That Guides you Home (2006) and Skyscraper Soul (2011). A Juno nominee in 2012 in both the Songwriter of the Year and Adult Alternative Album categories, Cuddy landed the number five spot on CBC Radio 2's Top 50 Artists list, behind UK sensation Adele, and fellow Canadians Hey Rosetta!, City & Colour, and Sam Roberts.

With four critically acclaimed albums, Canada’s Eccodek has gained fame as a leader in the world of global fusion. A Juno nominee in 2009, recipient of multiple Canadian Music Awards, with releases on Buddha Bar, Six Degrees and White Swan albums, their dub wise mix of African, South Asian, Turkish and island sounds, steeped in electronica and funk, is a dance floor crushing favourite. Eccodek’s latest release, Remixtasy, features remix tracks from the group’s three previous albums. Come see the powerful six-piece rework the tracks from their new album like a DJ come to life.

This Folk and Jazz singer from Toronto has established herself as one of the most engaging and versatile instrumentalists in Canada. Audiences across the country have been delighted by Anne’s unique music - incomparably expressive, capturing the violin’s unique ability to sing like the human voice. With her innovative, yet down to earth compositions, and exquisite lyrics, Anne and her violin sing together in a universal language.

Recipient of numerous awards including, Violinist of the Year CFMA 2007, Solo Instrumentalist & Producer of the Year CFMA 2007, and nominee for Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year at the 2011 Canadian Folk Music Awards, Lindsay is currently composing, performing and recording with her own band and is sought after by some of Canada’s top musical acts including Blue Rodeo, Jim Cuddy, and John McDermott. She played a key role as folk fiddler in The Lord of the Rings stage show and has been resident fiddler for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Her three albums include Hurry On Home (2011), News From Up The Street (2006) and Eavesdropping (2001).

Frank is a talented and versatile singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and adventure seeker. He is an active contributor to the Canadian indie-music scene, touring and collaborating with several acts, covering a wide cross-section of musical styles and genres.
Frank Deresti and the Lake Effect Band recently released their debut album This Time. The cross-genre versatility of each of the players results in a fresh new sound covering elements of folk, jazz, roots, and various other influences sure to engage a wide variey of listeners.

Freeman Dre and the Kitchen Party
Like a slug of vodka straight from the bottle, Freeman Dre and the Kitchen Party deliver music that is strong, honest, and full of a spirit that goes straight to your head. Winner of NOW magazine's reader's poll for best songwriter in 2010, this band likes to spin a tale. The band features core members Lonny Knapp (mandolin, guitar) and Marlon Chaplin (piano, bass, drums), and a roster of musicians plucked from the Toronto-based multidisciplinary urban-folk collective. Together they blend pub anthems, blues stompers, alt-country ballads, and gypsy jams to create a distinctive brand of ‘street folk.’

Joni NehRita’s music is a breath of fresh air for those who still like their music served with, well...soul. An accomplished singer/songwriter/musician, she manages to blend the time-honoured qualities of classic soul with a modern sensibility that flirts heavily with jazz and pop. It is this effortless and seamless fusion that gives Joni her distinct sound and makes her feel familiar yet fresh and new.

NehRita is a seasoned performer having toured extensively in Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. She has two independent albums under her belt including A Fine Time (2008) and The Bare Truth (2011),

Original and traditional blues served up in a funky, heart wrenching, howling, screeching commotion that will have you shakin’ your tail feather and swaying to the music. Founded by Owen Sound guitar hero Trevor MacKenzie, the band features songstress wife Tara MacKenzie, Michael Weir (Drums) and Joel Dawson (Upright Bass and Electric Bass). They like to play in two configurations, “low down and dirty” acoustic as well as “electrified energized and amped up” sets.

Mittenz is a trio of female powerhouse musicians from Toronto. With singer/guitarist Emily Bones, Mary Deth on bass/vocals and Youtube sensation drummer Lindsay Bird, this pop/rock/punk band has become unstoppable. Diverse influences explain how they can flow from the Distillers to the Dixie Chicks, to a side order of No Doubt without missing a beat or raising an eyebrow. Their matching outfits, intricate harmonies and collaborative song writing illustrate their guiding principle that one Mitten is never complete without the other.

2007 Toronto Independent Music Award winner for best country band, Romney Getty is a singer-songwriter on the rise. Following her first album Fill In Your Gray, Romney has recently released her second album Ramblin Girl and loaded it with some of Canada's best musicians including Bob Egan of Blue Rodeo, Colin Cripps of Bryan Adams fame, and accomplished guitarist/vocalist brother Jeff Getty. Touring the international festival scene for the last four years has marked her as an incredible solo performer. Her soul-influenced and haunting country voice captures the audience, always leaving them wanting more.

Whitney is no stranger to the stage with eight years of writing and performing under her belt. Her playful sound features whimsical lyrics that illustrate the connection between the heart and nature. Originally from Niagara, Whitney has most recently lived and performed in Vancouver, returning to Ontario to release her debut album With a Heart Intending Forward. With a new record and continued love for the stage Whitney is poised to make an impact on the Canadian Music scene.

Founded by Drew Gonsalves in 2004, the band - named after the historic Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, neighbourhood where calypso was born - released their debut album, Independence, in 2007. They have entertained audiences across Canada and the United States to great acclaim and have garnered numerous award nominations including the Indie Award, Canadian Folk Music Award, and International Folk Alliance Award. With an evolving style influenced by their global exploration of new sounds and arrangements, this tight eight-piece outfit exemplifies the satire, storytelling and social concern that lie at the heart of Trinidad's national art.

There is a kind of magic created when two voices - each exquisite on their own - meld together as one. Beckon is just such an enchanted pairing. Two individually versatile musicians, Beth Hamilton and Connie Rossitter, have combined their talents, trading off between piano and guitar, and effortessly shifting between lead and harmony. So seamless are the transitions it is at times difficult to distinguish one amazing talent from the other. Quite simply, one listen "Beckons" you to hear more...

Put together a group of fun-loving friends and foot stompin' good times and you've got Shred Kelly. Hailing from the town of Fernie, in the Kootenay's of British Columbia, this five-piece band is best known for mixing clawhammer banjo riffs with high voltage guitars, fierce drums, and hauntingly sweet harmonies to produce a sound known as "Stoke Folk". Singing songs about powder days, tornado destruction, and a sincere distaste for work, these ski bums, are consistently turning doubters into sweaty folk rock believers on the dance floor.