Lots of May Shows!

Howdy folks... writing to you from my new digs along the banks of the Detroit River here in downtown Windsor.. I'm finally a city slicker again after leaving the Paquette Corners HQ.  April has so far seen me painting and fixing up my new place... with lots of gigs cookin' up for May as we round into summer.

Starting off May with three shows with my friends, Puzzleroot, coming to Southern Ontario from Vancouver Island... we're at the Gallery Restaurant in Leamington on May 1st (a fundraiser for The Bank Theatre http://www.banktheatre.com/) , at Phog here in Windsor on May 2nd and on Thursday May 3rd we're at The London Music Club... Chris Crossroads joins me for my set...!

And... I've got a two week trip coming up at the end of May with Nancy Dutra and Willow Rutherford, and rounding off the month of May with my good pal String Bone...!  I head to Toronto, Campbellford, Perth, Ottawa, Montreal, Oakville, and Hamilton with a show at the 'end' with Nick Sherman here in Windsor at Taloola...

Would really love to thank all the listeners for voting "Border City Roots" as best Folk/Roots show as part of this year's Jammy Awards...!  Was very honored the show earned this win in its first year of being on the CJAM 99.1fm airwaves!

Also - I'm still doing weekly Friday music features on CBC Radio Windsor's "Early Shift" - Harper's almighty scissors have spared me for now, but more feedback always helps - be sure and let them know by using the contact form that you're digging my features and hope to continue to hear me..!

More to come as summer is on the horizon, looking forward to a hot time in the southlands!
Allison

March Music..!

March 24th at Taloola

March is easing in with a couple gigs on the calendar... March 10th I'll be playing at a special fundraiser at the Cooper's Hawk Winery in Harrow with Erin Gignac and Monique Belanger... then on Saturday, March 24th I'm back at Taloola for a show with Chris Crossroads, 9pm, PWYC...

The annual CJAM Jammy Awards are gearing up - you can vote for Border City Roots as favourite Folk/Roots show HERE... keep tuning in Monday's from 5 to 6pm on 99.1fm or the archive podcast at www.cjam.ca.

April 14th I join up once again with Lonesome Lefty & The Cryin' Shames as a special guest for the annual Harrow Fair Roast Beef Dinner at the Fairgrounds...

Coming up in May, I take the stage May 2nd with BC's Puzzleroot at Phog here in Windsor, and on May 3rd at the London Music Club....

Working on some spring singing across Ontario; stay tuned for more details on a tour at the end of May and early June that takes me to Montreal, Ottawa, Perth, Campbellford, Toronto, Oakville and Hamilton with Nancy Dutra and Willow Rutherford, and String Bone..!


Happy singing, Happy springing!
AB

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