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It’s a hillbilly hop tonight at The Hideout

Impressive Ontario songwriter Sean Burns appears tonight at The Hideout with country throwback Buzz Elroy fighting his way out of 1957 on Saturday night. A night of hillbilly hop is guaranteed.
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Impressive Ontario songwriter Sean Burns appears tonight at The Hideout with country throwback Buzz Elroy fighting his way out of 1957 on Saturday night. A night of hillbilly hop is guaranteed.

Generating some positive buzz, The F-Holes bring an energetic brand of primitive roots music to The Hideout on Sept. 16.

With their feet firmly planted in Manitoba country, this quintet isn’t afraid to get a bit of dirt on their boots as they blend blues, Louisiana horns and roots rock.

Quaint soulster-folk comes via Royal Wood on Sept. 27.

Matt Andersen brings his popular blues to The Elks Lodge on Sept. 23.

Tickets for this concert, which features upcoming Canadian talent Del Barber opening, are available at the Black Knight Inn outlet.

Bill Bourne has two upcoming Red Deer shows slated. On Sept. 23, he appears solo at The Hub on Ross while Oct. 1 finds Bourne with his Free Radio Band at The Vat.

Many of the members have changed, but the music remains memorable: The Irish Rovers come to the Memorial Centre on Sept 24.

The Canadian Supreme Horse Show presents an afternoon of bluegrass on Oct. 1. Featuring local performers as well as Calgary’s Wild Rose Xpress and The Tragically Hick, full-day access to the various happenings of the horse show including admission to the bluegrass show and an Ian Tyson book signing is $12.

The Prairie Pavilion at Westerner Park is the venue.

The Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society concert season features Nova Scotia’s popular The Spinney Brothers at the Elks Lodge on Oct. 23.

Tickets on sale soon at 53rd Street Music, Parkland Mall, The Key Hole, and Jackson’s Pharmasave in Innisfail.

Blues-rock with the Johnny Winter Band at the Memorial Centre on Oct. 13. British Columbia’s David Gogo opens.

This week’s disc reviews:

Guy Clark

Songs and Stories

Dualtone

Guy Clark isn’t for everyone. But for true believers, those who feel strongly that he is every bit the writer and singer that Townes Van Zandt was — and on a good day, more so — hearing Guy Clark live is a treat. Van Zandt gets the tribute albums; Clark gets to continue making music.

There have been other live collections from Guy Clark and each has shown a portrait of the artist as an aging craftsman.

Songs and Stories is the new release, coming out to relatively unexpected fanfare: it spent a few hours at No. 1 on the Amazon digital chart, hit the Billboard country Top 30 and debuted on the folk chart at No. 6.

It is a beautiful recording, the type you just can’t help smiling about.

As Clark nears 70, the voice that was never polished to begin with has acquired a patina that reveals the treasure of the past while allowing the depth of experience and the craftsmanship of mastery — that which has true value — to be appreciated.

With greater effort than displayed on previous live albums, Clark performs his nine songs here admirably and with distinctive flair.

Doesn’t matter that he has qualified for seniors benefits for several years, Guy Clark remains the coolest guy in any room he finds himself in.

Several songs will be familiar to any Clark aficionado: L.A. Freeway, The Randall Knife and Dublin Blues.

Maybe I Can Paint Over That is the early highlight, but Townes’ If I Needed You is most certainly appreciated: still one of the most honest songs ever written.

What sets this album apart is the extra time afforded accompanists Verlon Thompson and Shawn Camp. In his easy-speaking manner, Thompson charms while he entertains.

Shawn Camp brings some acoustiblue fire to the show, spinning through Sis Draper and bringing a more subtle touch to Magnolia Wind (both songs just happen to be Camp/Clark co-writes).

While some may argue that a Guy Clark live album should feature more than nine Guy Clark performances, by highlighting the talents of those who surround him, Clark gives evidence to all the stories one has heard about his honesty and mentorship.

By not excising the mid-set interlude, the album feels like a performance that the listener is witnessing.

Songs and Stories is a wonderful artifact of songwriting mastery and performance.

Donald Teplyske is a local freelance writer who contributes a twice-monthly column on roots music; visit fervorcoulee.wordpress.com for additional reviews. If you know a roots music event of which he should be aware, contact him at fervorcoulee@shaw.ca