Get Out Of Your Groundhog Hole..!

I confess,  I'm still 'hibernating' through February here at the homestead in Paquette Corners... but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy!  I've officially launched my new publicity/promotion business, "Brown Paper Publicity", and my first client is DAVID ESSIG, touring through Ontario this February on his "Rolling Fork" Tour.  

David Essig's Rolling Fork Tour - Poster By Tim Swaddling

David's "Rolling Fork Tour" is highlighted by a show in Toronto at the Tranzac on Sunday, February 12th, in Hamilton on February 16th at the Artword Artbar, and Winterfolk in Toronto the weekend of February 17th to the 19th.  David brings the Mississippi Delta blues to Ontario's deep south in Windsor on Friday, February 24th at Mackenzie Hall and London at Grosvenor Lodge as part of Home County's Acoustic Series on Saturday, February 25th.  


As for me, I'm not on the gig trail too much this month, but thrilled to be playing as part of the Rebel Cowboy Music Second Saturday Songwriter Series at the Wheatley Legion on Saturday night, February 11th..!

Next up, I'll be playing with Lonesome Lefty and The Cryin' Shames at a wedding out in Arner at Heritage Village....  March 3rd and I think the public is invited - stay tuned for details.

And March brings me back to Taloola on the 24th where I'll be sharing the stage with Chris Crossroads...!


On the horizon for the springtime I'll be heading out to Montreal and the Eastern bits of Ontario with NANCY DUTRA and WILLOW RUTHERFORD reprising our super fun tour we did last May.  We'll be stopping in Toronto, Campbellford, Perth, Ottawa and Montreal.  


Had some great interviews in the early parts of 2012 as part of CBC Radio Windsor's "Early Shift" show on 97.5fm... from Elvis Impersonators to Garage Rock I cover it all when it comes to Windsor and Essex County's vibrant music scene.  I'm on Friday mornings at about 8:15am...!   And still more tunes for you on "Border City Roots" every Monday from 5pm to 6pm on CJAM 99.1fm.  My special Valentine's show airs on Monday, February 13th.... 


No need to stay in your groundhog hole this mild February - get out and see some live music!!!


Allison

Long Winter Nap.... zzzz....

It's been a whirlwind of autumn adventures on the road and at home... now it's time to curl up fireside and rest up for a busy 2012..!

To round out the year I'm playing my last show of 2011 at PHOG on December 22nd for a special JOE STRUMMER tribute show raising money for a local shelter helping out those in need at a tender time of year..!  

Tune in to my 'fireside' Christmas Hour on Border City Roots on CJAM 99.1fm December 19th for some festive tunes and stories by the glow of your radio tubes..!  

Reminding you that "Viper At The Virgin's Feet" makes a great gift, as do limited edition Allison Brown T-Shirts - I still have time to make custom shirts and send them out for the holidays so order now!
And you can get CDs at all the Independent Record Stores across Canada on the 'Shop For Music' section here on AllisonBrown.ca...




Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone - and see you in 2012...!


Allison

Six Nights In November!

November 13th at The Artbar In Hamilton

... Fall is coming to Souwesto and the air is crisp as the apples fall from the trees... looking forward to one more round of Ontario shows before I settle in for a winter touring nap.... "Uncle" Dan and I hit the road again in the faithful Jeep Cherokee for a ramble taking us to Hamilton for a show at the Artword Artbar on Sunday, November 13th, to Toronto for two shows at Not My Dog as part of the Ladies In Waiting Series on Monday, November 14th, and on the 15th we're back at The Local with our pals A Yellow Field.  We join up again with A Yellow Field and Richard Garvey the next night on November 16th for a show at Kitchener's L-Lounge, and Thursday the 17th I join Scott Wicken for his songwriters' series at the Princess Cafe.  We round out the week with a show at the London Music Club with east coast songbirds Kim Wempe and Gabrielle Papillon on November 18th...!

November 16th at The L-Lounge In Kitchener with A Yellow Field

Monday, November 7th is the very special CJAM PLEDGE DRIVE EXTRAVAGANZA episode of "Border City Roots", so be sure to tune in for some radio antics with my special guest Chris Crossroads as we raise some dough for campus community radio here in Windsor/Detroit...!  You can pledge online at www.cjam.ca, make sure to include "Border City Roots" as one of your favourite CJAM shows..!


And, I'm still doing features every Friday morning on CBC Radio Windsor's "Early Shift", tune in at about 8:15 every Friday for my report on all the great south coast sounds... and don't forget to check in on OurWindsor.ca for my music features, interviews and reviews.

PLEDGE DRIVE!!  DONATE AT www.cjam.ca !!

See you for Six Days On The Road, Six Nights In November for an autumn ramble...!

Antiques Freakshow Comes To Town October 28th!

A spooky wind is blowin' here in Souwesto as September eases us into October... I went up the creaky attic stairs here at the homestead and this is what I found in a dusty ol' trunk....

 

The Antiques Freakshow

… a one-time only…

… oldtyme goth revival …

Friday, October 28^th

At The FM Lounge (Fish Market)

Beginning at 9:30pm, Pay What You Can

            Exhumed from the attics of musical antiquity, a collection of long departed porch pickers and ancient warblers resurrect from their dusty old trunk this Halloween weekend for an oldtyme goth revival known as The Antiques Freakshow.  An entourage of roots, country, and folk musicians that could be hell’s own house band takes to the stage at Windsor’s FM Lounge (The Fish Market) on Friday, October 28^th beginning at 9:30pm. Banjo, Guitar, Accordion, Clarinet, and haunting harmonies rise through the night air telling classic country and roots music tales from beyond the grave; murder ballads, ill-fated outlaws, deathbed confessions, soul selling, phantom trains, dark dungeons, tragic bar-room brawls, and graveyard ghosts. 

Featuring: Allison Brown ~ Erin Gignac ~ Max Marshall ~ Chris Crossroads ~ Richard Dreiger ~ Tim Swaddling ~ Kate Romain and secret surprise special guests...


Artwork by Kate Romain


Highly appraised by expert collector Allison Brown, it would be grave indeed to miss this “PBS meets Day Of The Dead meets Oh Brother Where Art Thou” evening of music kicking off your Halloween weekend.  Wear your black lipstick, your long boots, top hats and black jackets and join us in the afterlife at the FM Lounge on October 28^th…!


While I'm not out on my usual haunts, I'm the new arts/music correspondent Friday mornings on CBC Radio's "Early Shift", here in Windsor on 97.5fm and 1550 am... and I'm still blogging on www.ourwindsor.ca, so be sure and stay tuned for all the great stuff happening here in the Windsor area.  I'm also still filling in on Mondays from 2:30 to 4pm on CJAM 99.1fm, as a guest host on "Deliverance", but hoping to have my own show "Border City Roots" on the CJAM airwaves soon....


Fire up your broomsticks and fly on down here for Halloween weekend and the ANTIQUES FREAKSHOW!


Allison

Southwestern Ontario September

Sleeping Giant ~ Thunder Bay

.. Howdy folks.. back home from our amazing "Wake The Sleeping Giant" Tour across the north shore of Lake Superior and on to Winnipeg.. finally washed the Manitoba road dust off the mighty Jeep Cherokee and been back at home in Windsor cookin' up some plans for the fall around Southern Ontario.  

... Huge thanks to all the new friends we made along the way, especially all the friends who opened their doors, couches and extra beds while we were on our journey... big thanks to all the volunteers and organizers of the Live From The Rock and Trout Forest Music Festivals... time of our lives!  And of course a huge thanks to the ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL for helping us fill the tank along our way.
... now that I'm back, stay tuned to www.Ourwindsor.ca for more blogs about music, arts and more here in on Canada's south coast, and to CJAM 99.1fm as I hope to be filling in for more shows on the Windsor-Detroit airwaves.  September gives me a little rest, with a House Concert show opening for Linda McRae on September 15th, and a special gospel music show at Taloola on September 16th.. I may be appearing on occasion with the one and only Lonesome Lefty and his Cryin' Shames so keep your ears open for some oldtyme country sounds here in the great Souwesto... 

Goodbye Manitoba Road Dust

 

 

On 'Vacation' after our last show in Sauble Beach

... also cookin' up a special Halloween show on Friday, October 28th at The FM Lounge with a collection of specters and ghouls known as the "Antiques Freakshow"... murder ballads, ghostly songs, beyond the grave roots music style.. stay tuned..
 
Back home....
Allison

Eastward Bound....

Vintage Truck Stage We Played on in Altona, Manitoba

Howdy Folks... greetings from Thunder Bay on our second spin through the Lakehead on our way back from adventures in Winnipeg and rural Manitoba last week.. had a blast up at the Trout Forest Music Festival in Ear Falls, some great gigs in Winnipeg at Times Change(d) and Le Garage and we're here for a stopover show opening a secret post-waterfront concert for The Sheepdogs at the Black Pirate... 


This week we head back south for a show on Friday, August 26th at Fanshawe Pioneer Village as part of their summer concert series, and round off our tour with a grande finale in Sauble Beach at Two Chicks Cafe on August 27th... 

You Know You've Made It When...

See you back in the semi-southlands... back in Windsor for some fall shows coming up!

Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club ~ Winnipeg

Allison

Across The North Shore - The Giant Wakes!

Howdy Folks... greetings from high atop The Apollo hanging out in the band room before our show tonight here in Thunder Bay.. the giant himself is still sleeping in our sights on the T-Bay waterfront.. will tonight's ruckus raise him to his feet..????  We've had a blast all along the north shore of Superior making great new friends along the way and sharing the stage with Will Gillespie in Sudbury, Cody McMillan, Brad Example, and Greg Callaghan in Sault Ste Marie, and on to Wawa at Naturally Superior Adventures, at the parking lot of Pizza Hut in Marathon and at Serendipity Gardens in Rossport (you can buy my CDs there!).  

Live From The Rock was incredible - big thanks to Jennifer Ives and Co. and all the volunteers on a fantastic festival.. sharing the stage with O My Darling, Harlan Pepper and Amanda Rheaume and Marc Charron ... check out Amanda & Marc's tour blog at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q10pxNCrIc..

We're off to Atikokan tomorrow and head for the Trout Forest Music Festival on Friday - onwards to Winnipeg from there..!

Here's some photos of our adventures so far - again big thanks to the ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL Ontario Touring Program for help along the highway!!

The Wawa Goose Lands atop the Cherokee

Dan cookin' some hobo beans on the campfire at Pukaskwa National Park

Backed up by a truck rollover on #17 between the Sault and Wawa

Me, Dan & Will road stop in Parry Sound

Lake Superior from Rossport Campground