Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage

Subject: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 26 Oct 06 - 02:27 PM

Well, I know it's a bit far for Mooh to travel :-)
but any 'catter's' within reach of visiting us?

Here's the blurb:


The Brantford Open Stage meets Friday, October 27 at the Best Western / Brant Park Inn.

Host Dave Jensen welcomes folk as well as other styles of music. Performers, both accomplished and developing, are invited to present a 2-song (10-minute) set.

There is a full-size electronic keyboard available for performer's convenience. Festivities commence at 8:30 pm, and audience admission is only $3.

Those wishing to be on the e-mail list should send a request to [e-mail] .

Visit the web page at www.brantfordopenstage.org.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 26 Oct 06 - 03:08 PM

"Donald & Brenda McGeoch have devoted 23 years to creating a club"

As in the Don McGeoch who wrote the song "Homeland"???? (That I stole from Bobby Watt and recorded with the band Celtic Cross)

Too bad it's WAY too far to go for 2 songs....

Good luck though

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 26 Oct 06 - 08:56 PM

Indeed, laddie; the very same. We're doing a fundraiser next month (Nov 24) and Don will be one of the 3 features that evening. Think that might be worth a drive?

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 27 Oct 06 - 01:52 AM

Almost 4 hours there, and 4 hours back?

Wow...   I think I'd have to get paid for that :-)

Maybe one day, I'll move back to Canada, and you'll be a lot closer

(Down here, I'm of the opinion that the real border between Canada and the US follows the 402 from Sarnia to London, and then sorta follows a straigh line to Buffalo.... )

Do me a favour though, ask him if anyone ever sent him a copy of our recording of Homeland....

:-)

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 27 Oct 06 - 04:44 AM

An inquiry is in progress, Clinton.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: GUEST,Strollin' Johnny at the Mill
Date: 27 Oct 06 - 07:25 AM

Wish it had been on when I stayed there in September 2005!
Maybe meet y'all next time (hopefully June/July 2007)?
S:0)

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Mooh
Date: 27 Oct 06 - 08:59 AM

Jeremiah...Funny, I was through Brantford last weekend, but didn't leave the 403...I spent most of my elementary school years there, but so much has changed since then. Would love to attend, but as you said, it's a bit far. If I'm not gigging on Fridays I generally work (guitar lessons) until 8:30 or so, so even then I'd be hard pressed to arrive before 10:30. Someday I will retire and spend all my time attending such events!

Have fun folks!

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 09 Nov 06 - 01:57 PM

Refresh time; another of these comin' up tomorrow. Sorry to bug you with repetition, but . . .

The Brantford Open Stage meets Friday, November 10 at the Best Western / Brant Park Inn (at the HWY 403 / Wayne Gretzky Pkwy interchange).
Host Dave Jensen welcomes folk as well as other styles of music. Performers, both accomplished and developing, are invited to present a 2-song (10-minute) set.
There is a full-size electronic keyboard available for performer's convenience. Festivities commence at 8:30 pm, and audience admission is only $3.
Those wishing to be on the e-mail list should send a request to [e-mail].

Visit the web page at www.brantfordopenstage.org.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 09 Nov 06 - 01:58 PM

"Sorry to bug you with repetition"

PLEASE keep bugging us!!!!!

:-)

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Inukshuk
Date: 09 Nov 06 - 09:51 PM

WOW! Only five minutes from where I live. Expect me there tomorrow night.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 10 Nov 06 - 03:37 AM

Really? How lovely, Inukshuk. Make sure you say hello. I'd be the little round guy with the oddly-shaped bass.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 09:50 PM

Inukshuk, didja make it after all, or did my red heart-shaped bass scare you off from making yourself known? :-)

'Nuther session comin' up this Friday - a concert in fact. Here's what I just sent out to my list on the subject:

Friday, November 24 which will be a fundraising concert evening for the Brantford Open Stage. Triple bill! We'll be featuring a youngster named Don McGeoch (yay!), have a bit of bluegrass from Otter Creek, and Poor Angus, which is Scott Cameron Smith's Irish pub band.

8 pm, $15 at the door ($12 advance).

If you'd like to reserve tickets to be picked up at the door (at the advance price), please phone me, Jeremiah, at 519-753-2820 ('cause Dave doesn't have an answering machine) or email me.

We will ask one favour of you: ticket sales have been encouraging and we might even have a capacity audience. That being the case, if you reserve and your plans have to change (these things do happen), please please please just let us know at the above phone number - I'll be checking it it right up to showtime.

At the risk of getting even more commercial, I would point out that each of our performers have CDs available - a perfect opportunity to do some of your Christmas shopping!

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 23 Nov 06 - 03:06 AM

Thanks, Inukshuk, for your email (he said, pleased with himself that he'd found a way of unobtrusively refreshing the thread, in case someone else might decide to come out to the concert at the last moment).

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Inukshuk
Date: 23 Nov 06 - 09:32 PM

I wouldn't miss this one for the world Jeremiah. I learned today from the Expositor that Otter Creek includes the original bluegrass band Grass Tax. I played mandolin with that lot for almost ten years. Naturally I will be extremely critical. Too bad buddy John Dorlas is off visiting his daughter in San Diego. Fine banjo player that. I understand he is also a member of Otter Creek. Don is always brilliant and I really dig the celtic stuff, so I'm totally hyped for this concert.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 01:39 PM

Good to hear. One late change, alas, is that Don won't be able to perform due to illness (he'll be fine, just not in time). Filling in, we'll have a set by David Rogers, who is a wizard fingerstyle guitarist.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: open mike
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 05:17 PM

ha! i was just in ontario last week!
I was on the Cowboy train from Vancouver to Toronto.


I believe Garnet Rogers lives near you there.

hope the gig goes well.
thanks for keeping us posted.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 07:52 AM

Good grief! Out of sight; out of mind! And with another open stage tonight (Friday Dec 8) - the last session before Christmas, no less. Means I get to unleash my parody-lyrics-sort-of-co-written-with-Wendell-Ferguson Christmas number on an unsuspecting public yet again.

I did also want to post a bit of a report on the concert we did last time around. Neat thing is I finally got to connect faces with names in the case of (Mr & Mrs) Inukshuk.

Here's most of what I sent to my email list:


What a superb evening it was! Don McGeoch was unable to perform, and he was certainly missed, but David Rogers was a short-notice fill-in and did an excellent job. His set relied largely on his superb fingerstyle-guitar instrumental ability, but he leavened the set with some vocal work. Particularly well-received was a humourous Eric Shwartz song about "Hattie & Mattie", a 'same-sex' couple way before it was trendy.

Otter Creek gave us a fine bluegrass set with fine musicianship and tight harmonies from all concerned. I was particularly impressed to notice that when guitarist Gary Bridgett and mandolinist Bill Gall were doubling a line on a instrumental break, bassist Dennis Rondeau was doing the same!

And then there was Poor Angus. As often as I've heard (and played with) Scott Cameron Smith, I'd not heard his current band configuration until the concert. Celtic pub rock would be a fair description. High energy is a term that would apply also. Guitars, fiddle, bodhran, mandolin, two kinds of bagpipes! They quite simply rocked the place.

The place was completely filled, standing room only, in fact - we almost had to turn people away! Which brings me to another matter - you good folks. I had appealed to everyone reserving tickets for pick-up at the door to pretty please let us know if they needed to cancel, even if it was the last moment. As it was, we had enough reserves alone to pretty much fill the room. Only 3 people needed to cancel, and each of them let us know in advance, and everybody else who booked showed up. That is a completely mind-boggling level of consideration from all concerned and us BOSians are both humbled and grateful. Thankyouallsoverymanymuch!

Also noted, if anyone within striking distance is interested:

Sunday, December 10: Waterford Old Town Hall Folk Club (about 30 km south of Brantford) open mic from 2pm to 5 pm. A little off-schedule this month from its usual 1st Sunday slot. 2-song (okay, sometimes three) sets, and it happens in the now-restored 1902 concert hall. $3 admission; performers and children free. Kim (Berry) Moverly hosts.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 04:05 PM

Horribly short notice (like . . . tonight), I know, but . . .


The Brantford Open Stage's next session is this Friday, January 19 at the Best Western / Brant Park Inn. Host Dave Jensen welcomes folk as well as other styles of music. Performers, both accomplished and developing, are invited to present a 2-song (10-minute) set. There is a full-size electronic keyboard available for performer's convenience. Festivities commence at 8:30 pm, and audience admission is only $3. Those wishing to be on the e-mail list should send a request to [e-mail]. Visit the web page at www.brantfordopenstage.org.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: black walnut
Date: 20 Jan 07 - 01:42 PM

Hi Jeremiah. Wondering why you opted for 2 songs rather than 3? 3 seems more balanced somehow. Maybe it's just my predeliction for odd numbers...

And how did the last-minute evening go?

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 19 Feb 07 - 10:41 AM

Sorry BW, didn't realize I had a question to answer. We ask whoever's willing to do that opening set to do 3 songs, but otherwise two numbers each seems to work out timewise. A slow night has a dozen performers; normally there's 15 or 16 to accomodate (the record so far is 23!)

*coming up*

Friday, February 23rd - The Brantford Open Stage is having a special fund-raising concert at the Best Western / Brant Park Inn starting at 8 pm. The evening will feature an opening set by Bob Baker and his granddaughter Annie Shippam. Also on the bill are Ed Vandendool and Bill Crawford and rounding out the evening is Donald McGeoch.

Admission is by donation ($10 is suggested). Inquiries and reservations may be addressed to Jeremiah at 519-753-2820 or email to [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: black walnut
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 09:31 AM

zzzzzzzzzzzzz.....wha...a....??? Oh, sorry, I fell asleep there waiting for you, Jeremiah.

Okay, I'm going to say something you won't like. My preference for an open stage is 3 songs - and a limit to the number of people performing (lottery works fairest). To me that's a more settled and enjoyable evening for the listener and the listenee.

My 2 cents worth. Back to sleep now....zzzzzzzzzzzz

(Wake me up when you're ready to disagree with me). (Hey it's really okay, everybody, because J.M. knows me!)....

~b.w.

P.S. Have fun on the 23rd. It's a bit far for me to come. :-(

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 21 Feb 07 - 04:43 AM

Don't completely disagree; ideas to think about, for sure. Big problem with the lottery idea is them as is left out. What do you say to someone who's driven a considerable distance? We often have performers who drive from London, Waterloo, Guelph, even Scarborough fer cryin' out loud. Only thing certain is that there's no one solution that can be considered ideal. The debate shall continue.

Back to nap mode now, Debbie, sorry to disturb you.   :-)

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: black walnut
Date: 21 Feb 07 - 10:14 AM

I'm in hibernation mode. It's over zero now and I'm yawning!

If I drove that far, I'd not want to do only 2 songs. If my name wasn't picked, I'd be inclined to be a 'polite and receptive audience' and then do the trek another time to hopefully do my thing.

The fact that there's such popularity with your club shows there's a real need and want for this! Wow. It also says something about your hosting, setting and organization.

A couple of other ideas...do more of these open stage nights. Double the number. That would cut the numbers down a wee bit.
OR do it as first come first served (isn't that how the Black Walnut open stage works in Waterloo?

I do hope you encourage people to stay to hear everyone to the bitter end. It's sad when people leave right after they've performed, and not there to hear the others.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Brantford (Ontario, Canada) Open Stage
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Nov 14 - 04:17 AM

Why no reply to the 'Garnet Rogers' inquiry earlier, some 8 years ago ?

or is that another Brantford? Ont