July 28 Performers
The Sadies – 9:00pm
Without doubt or qualification, The Sadies are one of this continent’s greatest extant rock ’n’ roll bands — just as they have been for the last quarter-century. Versatile and imaginative, they skip from astral psychedelia to shuffling bucolics and leap from puckish pop to righteous garage-rock without losing momentum or mastery. Their albums deliver masterclasses on pointed songwriting, lockstep harmonies, and a devil-may-care attitude to expectations and past successes.
With their new album – Colder Streams – out now, check out what Shindig Magazine calls “a stone-cold masterpiece”.
Shaela Miller – 7:30pm
Shaela Miller’s years spent doing good country music work are safely etched into public consciousness. A turn at this point is by no means an undoing, but a welcome lead into new territory. Miller’s fast-rising path is set to be amplified by a sonic reintroduction to one of Alberta’s best voices and most sincere stage personalities.
On the heels of a 1st Place Project WILD finish, years of top-tier folk festival circuiting, TV placements like HBO’s True Blood, and many other accomplishments, Shaela is set for much more in 2023.
Early dreams stay in the blood. Pulsating drum beats meet ring-spun synthesizers balanced by steel guitar professions as the listener is introduced to a captivating story. It’s one of a dual world – a binary of New Wave and Classic Country – the expression that reared a young songwriter years ago. For Shaela, it’s a self-indulgent trip back to a world of music she’s been patiently waiting to explore. The listener should take comfort in feeling a little tense, but this is no sleight of hand. It’s all from the deep well of emotion where Shaela lives as a songwriter. Where dreams go unspent, the host can be left to wither. Take a small comfort knowing that Shaela is guiding her own career path as every artist should – with no fear of expectations.
Special Guest – 6:30pm
July 29 Performers
The Boom Booms – 9:00pm
“Feel-good music, soaked in classic soul and server on a 21-century platter.” – BeatRoute Magazine
The Boom Booms are a celebrated Canadian band from Vancouver, BC. They blend storytelling and dance music with draws on funk, soul and latin styles. The Boom Booms have spent the last decade touring the world and playing festivals (Pemberton, Squamish Live, Toronto Jazz Fest and more). Their debut album ‘Hot Rum’, written on their inaugural tour from Vancouver to Panama, garnered a dedicated fan base spanning continents and generations. Their sophomore album ‘Love is Overdue’ is produced by Grammy-award winner Chin Injeti, and draws on more soulful influences. The band spent three months in Brazil shooting their socially charged documentary, “Boom Boom Brazil”. They were winners of BC’s prestigious Peak Performance Project (100.5 FM) and The Georgia Straight readers voted The Boom Booms as Best Unsigned Band in Vancouver five times. In 2015 the band sold out Vancouver’s renowned concert venue, The Commodore Ballroom. The Boom Booms released their third album, A Million Miles, in September 2017. They held their album release show at The Vogue Theatre.
Kim Churchill – 7:30pm
I feel like I am just beginning. Which is strange because for the last 15 years I’ve been living in the back of a camper van playing gigs and chasing this crazy dream. I grew up in a small town on the east coast of Australia called Merimbula. We’re mainly known for Surfing, Oysters and Whale Watching. I started busking at local farmers markets when I was 15 and had a fake ID so I could play some pubs around my area. I set off in a van straight after high school to chase my dreams and surf my way across the country. In that first year I was lucky to win the Byron Bluesfest Busking comp and became Folk Artist of the Year and the National folk Festival. This led to some incredible adventure to Japan, North America and Europe. I busked all over the world and bought 2 more camper vans on different continents. I have three now and each year I fly between them playing festivals and seeking the far corners of world and all the beautiful places I can play music.
I was lucky enough to become good friends with Billy Bragg from England early on and he taught me a lot about longevity and living as a artist for the long haul. He took me across America, Canada, Europe and England in a tour bus for a whole year and we played Glastonbury Music festival together. After that time, I wrote a song called “Window to the Sky”. It was on an album called “silent/Win” which really helped me step up a few notches. I signed major record deals with Warner, Atlantic Records (UK) and Universal (Europe). “Window to the Sky” was the most played song on triple J at that time and it went on to be 42 in the Hottest 100 and is Platinum in Australia, Gold in Canada and Germany and has over 50 million streams.
I manage myself these days and am at the wheel of this beautiful ship. I have amazing people around the world who have become dear friends over the years and help me on my path. But I’m so so proud to be an artist in control of my own journey. Big thanks to Billy for setting such a fine example.
A few tears ago, I started waking up before Dawn and creating a little sunrise ritual out of my song writing. Every morning, I get up at about 5am and light some candles and write music. This inspired my last album “Dawn Sounds” which cam out in January 2023. I toured it around the world as an independent self managed artist and sold over 12 thousand tickets and played 149 concerts.
Now I’m back in Australia in my camper van writing this from a small town on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. I have a new album coming out October 11th and am excited to tour it all around the world. It’s called “It’s Lovely to Have You Here”.
Special Guest – 6:30pm
July 30 Performers
WESLI – 9:00pm
Wesli’s musical journey has gone from stringing up an oil can ….. with nylon fishing string to winning a Juno for World Music Album of the Year (Rapadou Kreyol, 2019). Uniting a large cross-section of Montreal talent, his music links Haitian vaudou and rara with roots, Afrobeat and hip-hop. His 8th album, “Tradisyon Vol. 2”, was released in 2023 in partnership with the famous American label Cumbancha.
Born Wesley Louissaint in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, he has grown into his role as a prolific songwriter, guitarist and producer. Guest spots on his albums include the likes of Tiken Jah Fakoly, Paul Cargnello, and Malika Tirolien. Touring under the GlobalFest banner with the Caribbean All Stars Wesli has toured across North America, Haiti, Colombia, Brazil, and Europe, and participated in WOMEX, Mundial Montréal and Cape Verde’s Atlantic Music Expo.
Blue Moon Marquee – 7:30pm
They are poised for worldwide recognition in a brilliant and unique genre-bending ride through American blues and folk, Gypsy jazz, Native American themes, jump blues, swing and more. – Duke Robillard (Roomful of Blues, Fabulous Thunderbirds), Award-winning guitar player and producer
Blue Moon Marquee writes and performs original compositions influenced by anything that swings, jumps or grooves. A.W. Cardinal (vocals/guitar) and Jasmine Colette a.k.a. Badlands Jass (vocals/bass/drums) have played for a vast gamut of crowds at jazz clubs, Lindy Hop dance halls, folk venues, blues haunts, hospitals, prisons, markets, motorcycle joints, dive bars and prestigious festival stages.
Colette not only commands the upright bass but also brings the rhythm with her feet on a custom foot drum kit, all while singing in her signature honey-dipped tone. Cardinal’s distinctive and soulful vocals barrel out like a raging bull while his guitar crackles with the swinging energy of jazz-tinged blues.
The result of 9 years of rigorous touring, crisscrossing Europe and North America, is a distinct energy and style from this acclaimed duo. Carving a path through blues, jazz, jump jive, folk, country, swing, and Indigenous soul with an authentic spirit, their sound does not idle easily in one certain category. It stomps and struts through the wilds, conjuring a blend where Howlin’ Wolf tangos with Django, Earnest Tubb shoots firecrackers with Cab Calloway, and Memphis Minnie throws dice with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.
Their gift is bringing all these elements together without anything sounding out of step. They collect the roots and smoothly braid them with lyrics that often touch on the underbelly of society, woven with elements of Indigenous storytelling and poetic cadence.
“Blue Moon Marquee has its own completely original style. Modern Blues doesn’t really get any better than this. This is a tremendous sound by a hugely talented duo” says American Roots UK.
With their highly anticipated 5th album Scream, Holler & Howl (SHH), Blue Moon Marquee have captured their most sophisticated collection of songs yet. Co-produced by Duke Robillard and recorded live to tape, SHH blazes forward with a full band featuring some of Canada’s finest veteran players. While they have primarily performed as a duo since 2013, over the last couple of years they have been performing often as a trio or quartet featuring Darcy Phillips (Jann Arden) on piano and Jerry Cook (Colin James) on tenor and baritone saxophone.
Special Guest – 6:30pm
Doors open at 6:00pm and music ends each evening at 11pm.
Wide Skies Music & Art Festival 