New Years Eve with Pretty Archie
2024-12-31 21:00 - 23:30 (America/Halifax) | The Frolic’n Folk Pub & Grill, 4115 HWY 223, Iona, Nova Scotia, B2C 1A3, Canada
Tickets include admission, midnight snacks, swag, champagne and whatnot.

Cape Breton Americana band Pretty Archie to released their 6th studio album to mark and celebrate 10 years together
Long time friends Brian Cathcart (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Matt McNeil (Mandolin, Guitar), Colin Gillis (Harmonica, Bass, Vocals), Redmond MacDougall (Banjo, Percussion, Vocals) and Scott MacLean (Guitar, Mandolin) starting performing together in 2012. The band’s name is a nod to a Cape Breton local who embodied the love of playing and performing music. No matter where they tour or travel, Pretty Archie will always be representing their hometown.
Pretty Archie, their sixth studio album, is one of which they are justifiably proud. It represents a quantum leap forward in the evolution of the group’s sound. ”I feel each of our other records was a step ahead of the previous one, but this one is six steps ahead,” declares Colin Gillis. “We are proud of everything we’ve put out, but this is at a different level.”
Pinning down the ‘Pretty Archie sound’ hasn’t always been easy. Their style has incorporated elements of bluegrass, folk, country, and had that ‘East Coast vibe’. Describing the new album, Brian states “it is more focused, even though you still can’t quite put a finger on it. For us it definitely has way more of a country vibe. This is an alternative country or Americana-style…”
Helping the group realize the formidable creative achievement that is Pretty Archie was internationally-acclaimed record producer and engineer Mark Howard, whose star-studded resume includes work with the likes of Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, U2, Tom Waits, The Tragically Hip, Peter Gabriel, and more. Howard’s fortuitous recent relocation to Cape Breton afforded Pretty Archie the opportunity to take advantage of his skills, and the band couldn’t be happier with the results.
“It was all basically recorded live off the floor, with minimal overdubs,” adds Colin. “That’s something we had always wanted, and Mark was able to do that. There’s a certain ambience and energy in recording that way.”
With every record and tour Pretty Archie carries a little piece of home a bit farther afield. Since their 2013 debut album, Steel City, the band have built an ever- larger following on the east coast, across Canada and are now set to continue growing their International audience.
Cathcart explains that “as a band, we wear our East Coast hearts on our sleeves. We are very proud of where we are from, but our focus now is exposing people internationally to our part of the world.” Gillis adds that “if you are genuine and true to yourselves, then people will attach themselves to that, no matter where you are from.”
Pretty Archie have long been regional favourites, with a stack of Music Nova Scotia and East Coast Music Award nominations to their credit. They are now looking globally, and with Pretty Archie they have an album ready for international prime time play.
The upbeat and joyous “Familiar Feeling” and catchy “Reasons” showcase the band’s instrumental prowess, while Brian digs deep vocally on the haunting ballad “Feel It In My Bones.” At Howard’s suggestion, “Someone New” became a duet, featuring Austin-based Maritime honky-tonker Whitney Rose, and the contrasting vocals add real resonance. Brian is especially proud of “Maritime,” a song written right in the studio that features these poignant lyrics – ”If your heart breaks down, we’ll use mine. It is weathered and weary, but it is Maritime.”
Pretty Archie’s genuine, heartfelt writing connects listeners with a saltwater perspective on modern living. Their fun loving and at times heartbreaking music finds common ground in the blurred genres of Country, Folk, Bluegrass and Americana. Their unique sound and energetic shows leave listeners with a lasting memory.
QUOTES:
“It is hard to pigeonhole Pretty Archie. It encompasses an uplifting myriad of (but not limited to) hillbilly country, blues, bluegrass and folk. Throw a banjo, harmonica and mandolin in and together the foursome offers a different brand of music, a relentless, raw, uncontrived mash of genres that is distinctly Pretty Archie” -Andrew Rankin (Cape Breton Star)
“Cape Breton, Nova Scotia has a well known reputation for creating great musical talent. From The Rankin Family to Ashley MacIsaac to the late Rita MacNeil, this artistic hotbed on the country’s East Coast has produced some of Canada’s best musicians. From this proud region now comes Pretty Archie, a folk-bluegrass-country group from Cape Breton that will impress audiences with their strong chops…..With their impressive blend of folk, blues, bluegrass and country this band has produced a great sound that is oodles of fun to listen to” – Alejandro Bustos (Apt613.com, Ottawa)
“While Pretty Archie’s music blurs the lines between multiple genres, all the ingredients of their sound have been nurtured by the setting they grew up in.” – FYI Music News, Jason Schneider
“Pretty Archie always finds some way to encourage listeners to take lean times in stride, suck it up, stick it out and just keep going!” – BuzzMusic
Awards & Recognition:
5x Music Nova Scotia Awards nominations
3x East Coast Music Association nominations:
Country Album of the Year; North End Sky and Sing Alongs & Love Songs Roots Album of the Year; Running for Cover
Notable Appearances Include:
The Grey Cup Festival (Ottawa ON), Rogers Hometown Hockey (Dartmouth and Sydney NS), Sudbury Festival of Lights Boreal (Sudbury, ON), Celtic Colours (Halifax, NS) Stan Rogers Folk Festival (Canso, NS), Roots Night at Royal Botanical Gardens (Burlington, ON), The Ironwood (Calgary, AB), The Dakota Tavern (Toronto, ON), Writers at Woody Point (Woody Point NL), Tonder Festival (Denmark), Celtic Connections (Glasgow, Scotland).
Showcase Festivals & Conferences: Folk Alliance International, AmericanaUK Fest, Contact East, Nova Scotia Music Week, East Coast Music Week, Folk Music Ontario, NXNE and OSAC.
Discography:
Pretty Archie (2022)
Running For Cover (2020)
Hanging On (2019)
Sing Alongs & Love Songs (2016)
North End Sky (2015)
Steel City (2013)

Dave Sampson
2025-03-21 20:00 - 22:00, 2025-12-06 20:00 - 22:00
Dave Sampson writes heart-on-your-sleeve folk/pop songs, delivered with a captivating and
authentic voice that could blow down a brick house. His knack for crafting simple ear-worms
and his high-energy shows have been winning him fans across Canada. He has collaborated
and shared the stage with some of Canada’s top exports such as Classified, Alan Doyle,
Donovan Woods, and more. His 2019 EP All Types of Ways, produced and recorded by
Grammy award-winning songwriter Gordie Sampson in Nashville, TN, earned him two 2020
ECMAs for Country Recording and Rising Star Recording of the Year, as well as a
nomination for Songwriter of the Year. The album features several singles which received
hundreds of thousands of streams on DSPs, were added to many editorially-curated
playlists, and were placed in several national television series and advertising campaigns.
In 2014, Dave released his anticipated debut album “No Pressure, No Diamonds” with
producers/collaborators Carleton Stone, Gordie Sampson and Dylan Guthro (Port Cities).
With the release of this album, “ No Pressure No Diamonds” was nominated for Music Nova
Scotia’s Pop Album of the Year, reached #1 on the East Coast Countdown charts twice and
received national airplay throughout Canada. Dave was also invited to Germany in 2014 with
songwriters Carleton Stone and Breagh Mackinnon to participate in a songwriting retreat
followed by a tour.
Fast forward to 2015, his song “No Pressure, No Diamonds” was interpolated by Canadian
Hip Hop icon Classified and released as his first single (“No Pressure”) on the billboard
charts via Atlantic Records. “No Pressure’ features hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg, and was
awarded Gold Record status by Music Canada. Dave also received a songwriting nod on
Classifieds “Oh No” track on his album “Grateful”, and Neon Dreams’ singles “Find a Way” &
“Love Experts” which made it to the billboard EDM top 40.
Dave has also been hand-picked as one of Nova Scotia’s most promising young songwriters
to take part in the prestigious, invitation-only Gordie Sampson Song camp for the past 10
years. Through this opportunity, he has been fortunate enough to collaborate with some of
Canada’s most sought after writers: Gordie Sampson, Caitlyn Smith (Nashville), Sam Ellis
(Nashville), Thomas AWG Salter (TAWGS), and many more.

“Heartfelt, energized and emotional, Dave Sampson has obvious natural talent as a Maritime singer-songwriter.
Recommended for fans of Joel Plaskett, David Myles and Hawksley Workman. ” – Grant Lawrence (CBC Music)

“Not only is Dave Sampson a fantastic singer/songwriter, but his live performance during both shows (as a band
and as a solo artist) was second to none. The level of comfort that he and his band have on stage oozes with
every movement made.” – HalifaxBloggers.ca @ EAST COAST MUSIC WEEK 2016

“Dave Sampson writes a great, heartfelt pop song and has a warm, inviting, laid-back style that will no doubt
appeal to a wide cross-section of people. It’s not hard to imagine his music lighting up the radio and drawing
crowds” – The Scope, St. John’s, NL

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Dave Sampson Redux
2025-03-22 20:00 - 22:00, 2025-12-05 20:00 - 22:00

Songstresses Showcase
2025-05-16 20:00
~ presents ~

Women are not just rising in the music industry—they are reshaping it. Wired Magazine predicts they will dominate, dismantle, and redefine the industry, “anchoring the cultural conversation” and driving its future!
Angela Macdonald : Based in Sydney, NS, Angela MacDonald, is a singer-songwriter and guitar player whose music can be best described as indie/folk alternative. Following in the footsteps of her aunt, Rita MacNeil, who inspired her to write and invited her to share the stage on several occasions. Her work as a solo artist captures a timeless essence, with a resonant, powerful and haunting voice complimenting her lyrical songwriting style.
Sonnie Greening : In addition to her work in music industry development, Sonnie is an emerging artist who has been evolving as a finger style guitarist and vocalist over the last three years, performing both as a solo singer songwriter and as one half of The Brackish duo. Rooted in indie acoustic folk, her style has branched into blues and rock with a gyspy jazz flair, she approaches music as an opportunity to relate and connect over the less tangible aspects of the human condition.
Colette Deveaux : Colette writes and performs solo and as a part of the band The Claudias. Through her music she explores personal stories, social issues, and themes of love and life. Inspired by memories, experiences, and the lives of others, her style is playful, engaging, and poignant—reflecting her keen ear for stories and details.
Abbey Mullendore : A Lake Ainslie born sensation, Abbey’s killer power rock vocals will take you right back to the 70s, so it’s no surprise that she has been reprising Stevie Nicks, note for note, in the Classic Albums Live tour in addition to her solo work as a songwriter and being entrepreneur in local farming. Her mushrooms might not be magical, but her voice is!
Stressed Out Charlee :This Ontario born jane of all trades and multi-instrumentalist is a solo singer songwriter on guitar with a voice that inspires 90’s nostalgia! In addition to her solo work, she teaches youth dance classes, upcycles local seaglass into wrap necklaces for her etsy shop, and absolutely rocks lead vocals on the drum kit for Cape Breton born band, Claverhouse! She is the living embodiment of soulful blues and uncompromising rock n’ roll.

Stand Up Comedy Night
2025-05-30 20:00 - 22:00
Featuring:
Ian Black, originally from the west coast, Ian Black went against the traffic and moved east to Halifax, where he fell in with the wrong crowd and was pressured into trying standup. Since then, he has been voted Halifax’s Funniest, reached the semi-finals in SiriusXM’s nation-wide Top Comic competition, appeared twice at CBCTV’s Halifax Comedy Fest, and broadcast on CBC radio’s LOL. From theatres and clubs to retirement home dining rooms and boardwalk bandshells, Ian is a favourite across the Maritimes and has opened for such varied acts as Bob Saget, Tig Notaro, and Doug Stanhope.
Clare Belford is a comedian and a very nice person. Born and raised in the most blue collar parts of oil-country Alberta, she cut her teeth early on by forcibly telling deeply personal jokes about womanhood to drunk tradesmen. Nowadays she is a veritable fixture of Canadian comedy.
Clare has performed at festivals including Just For Laughs, the New York Comedy Festival, the Halifax Comedy Festival and she appears on CBC’s New Wave of Stand Up. She writes for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and her debut album, The Entire Cabbage, plays regularly on SiriusXM and was named one of the Best of 2021 by Bullseye on NPR.
Originally hailing from PEI, Dan Hendricken is one of the top comics to come out of the Maritimes. He cut his teeth in comedy at comedy clubs in Halifax and in just a few short years was featured on CBC TV as part of the Halifax Comedy Festival. Dan was the winner of the 2015 HubCap Comedy Festival’s CBC Open-Mic Contest and has since gone on to tour all over the country as a headlining comic. Dan has been seen on CBC TV and heard on CBC Radio (with CBC’s LOL) and has performed on the Halifax Comedy Festival and Hubcap Comedy Festival. Fans find Dan charming and hilarious. He draws in the attention of every audience he preforms in front of with his charm and likeability and keeps them laughing and entertained the whole time. He recently recorded his debut album “Last Call” which is available online.

Hearts of Kin
2025-06-13 20:00 - 22:00
Hearts of Kin is an emerging East Coast Americana band fronted by sisters Danielle MacDonald and Shellie Ann Tobin. The singer songwriters have been capturing audiences with their sweet sibling harmonies and signature slide guitar. Well known for their soulful songwriting, the darling duo’s style has been flavored by the early influences of Sheryl Crow, Jewel, The Chicks and the late great John Prine. Recently reunited in their Cape Breton hometown, the sisters have wasted no time establishing the band as an up-and-coming force. Their debut album, “Beautiful Burn”, has received significant recognition, winning Music Nova Scotia’s Country Recording of the Year 2024.
With several songs claiming top positions on east coast and national radio charts, Hearts of Kin have earned invitations to showcase for the East Coast Music Awards, the Stan Rogers Folk Festival, and the largest outdoor concert in Atlantic Canada, the Cavendish Beach Music Festival.
After sharing stages with names like Serena Ryder, Michelle Wright, and Lennie Gallant, the duo is touring locally, while working toward their next album.

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Lucy MacNeil & Band Redux
2025-07-08 20:00 - 22:00
Lucy has been performing with the Barra MacNeils for 37 years. They come from a long tradition of Cape Breton music and dance that has been the foundation of creative pursuits over their musical career.
Alongside her brothers she has travelled to Europe, Scotland, England, Wales,Ireland, the United States, Barbados, throughout Canada from Fogo Island, Nfld. To Iqualuit and a northern Quebec community, Puvirnituq.
The Barras recorded their first self titled album in 1986 and have continued making music, touring and recording throughout the years. During the 1990’s they were signed with record label Poly Dor and Opened for Celine Dion, Kenny Rogers and were special guests on two of Rita MacNeils’ Christmas specials.
The Barras made several appearances on Rita MacNeil’s CBC variety show from 94-97. In 2005 were guests on Rita’s beloved National Christmas tour in Canada. After separating ways with their label years later they continued on with recording and touring. Their lastest album is “On the Bright Side” recorded in 2017.
In 2015 Lucy was one of the artists in residence for the “Celtic Colours International Music Festival”. Here she was paired with Liz Doherty from Buncrana, Ireland to help select musicians and musical selections together for performances during the festival. It was a wonderful experience for both Lucy and the audiences who came to Celtic Colours and those that watched the online streaming shows.
In 2014 and 2017 Lucy was a special guest with Symphony Nova Scotia for their Rita MacNeil tribute concert. Here she performed with conductor Scott MacMillan, Symphony Nova Scotia and The Men of the Deeps.
During the pandemic which was a very quiet time for many Lucy started working on a solo album. Something she had wanted to do but the time never presented itself. She also felt in these uncertain times watching a world that was going through immense change and upheaval she wanted to leave something behind of herself and her lifetime attachment to traditional music and song.

Lucy MacNeil & Band
2025-07-09 20:00 - 22:00

Ben Caplan
2025-07-16 20:00 - 22:00
A Singular Voice in Contemporary Folk Music
Ben Caplan is a genre-defying troubadour whose deep baritone voice, theatrical stage presence, and poetic songwriting have earned him a devoted international following. Blending folk influences from Eastern Europe with the grit of North American blues and the sensitivity of confessional songwriting, Caplan has carved out a space that is uniquely his own.
His work is grounded in the folk idiom, but he is not a traditionalist. Instead, he treats tradition as a living thing—something to be interrogated, reimagined, and re-enchanted. His live performances are cathartic experiences, marked by intensity, humour, tenderness, and bold vulnerability.
Career Highlights
● Over 2,000 live performances across 27 countries including Canada, the USA, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Spain, Australia, the UK and more.
● Five studio albums, including the forthcoming The Flood (May 30, 2025), and the critically acclaimed Old Stock (2018), a theatrical concept album exploring migration, identity, and resilience.
● Festival appearances at international events include Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Fest (UK), Haldern Pop (Germany), Byron Bay, Woodford, and Sydney Festival (Australia), SXSW (USA), Into the Great Wide Open (Netherlands).
● Extensive theatrical collaboration, including co-creating and starring in Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, which toured extensively (over 400 performances) in North America, UK, Europe, and Australia. The show won multiple awards and the Off Broadway production earned Caplan seven Drama Desk Award nominations, including Outstanding Actor in a Musical and Outstanding Musical Score.
● Multiple awards and nominations, including a Nova Scotia Music Award and East Coast Music Award wins. Caplan’s work has also been featured on CBC, NPR, BBC Radio, and in The Guardian, Rolling Stone Germany, and Songlines magazine.
Touring & Live Performance
Ben Caplan is known for transforming rooms. Whether performing solo in intimate performance spaces or with a full band in clubs, theatres, and festival stages, he commands attention and connection. His concerts combine storytelling, songcraft, and a magnetic theatricality that leaves audiences moved and changed.
He is currently booking tours in support of The Flood, a new album that deepens his sonic palette, integrating dark, textural electronics with his signature lyrical force and folk roots.
What Makes Caplan Unique
● A theatrical musical presence, bridging the night club, the concert hall and the theatre.
● Deeply engaged storytelling that fuses history, politics, mythology, and the personal.
● A borderless sound, drawing from klezmer, folk, gospel, blues, and Balkan traditions, without ever becoming pastiche.
● Independent artist ethos with international touring infrastructure and a proven record of drawing audiences worldwide.
“Caplan roars like a hurricane and whispers like a ghost… one of the most singular performers of his generation.” — Songlines Magazine
“A giant bearded folk god… capable of coaxing laughter and tears in equal measure.” — The Guardian
“With a powerful, booming voice that vibrates your very soul long after the record draws to a close, Ben Caplan doesn’t just write music – he crafts emotions that leap from the song and on to the listener.”
— Americana Highways
“Caplan’s music is freewheeling stuff — he’s been described as a cross between Tom Waits and Gogol Bordello.”
— NPR’s World Cafe

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The Town Heroes
2025-07-22 20:00 - 22:00
Whether a sweaty rock show or an intimate acoustic environment, The Town Heroes want you to be entertained. Born and raised in small town Nova Scotia, Mike Ryan and Bruce Gillis have played together for the past 15 years—touring 9 countries, releasing 6 critically acclaimed albums, raising over 30k for charity, and winning an array of industry awards (13 Music Nova Scotia Awards, 5 ECMA’s).

Anthemic choruses, danceable arrangements, and tender falsettos highlight their catchy yet thoughtful songs. At heart, a perfect soundtrack for contemplating life with a bounce in your step. Musically, the band blends their 90’s alt-rock influences with singer-songwriter stylings in the vein of Neil Young or Ryan Adams. On stage they move like intense caricatures—soaked in sweat, pushing every chord, note and beat to the limit. A structured wall of sound emerges; familiar yet distinctive.

The Town Heroes have shown dedication to their craft and prolific output over the past 12 years. Each album has garnered them an increase in fanbase, industry recognition, and bigger stages and venues. The band won Music Nova Scotia’s “Entertainer of the Year” in both 2021 and 2022—the only act to ever win two years in a row. They have risen to be one of the most popular and sought-after bands on the East Coast of Canada.

In addition to their music, the band has become known for their ability to make people laugh. Through comedic videos gone viral, online bingo, unexpected wardrobe, operating late night sandwich stands at music festivals, amusing acceptance speeches and interviews, the band has earned a reputation for making people laugh.
Though vastly different, the band has found a way to balance these two sides in a seamless, cohesive manner. They see it as a crucial, necessary part of what they do. In a world where so much negativity fills the news, where the media endlessly focuses on the bad, The Town Heroes want to bring something positive into it all, as small as it may be. They see it as necessary because it is: it’s who they are. That’s something they’ll never change.
Since 2018, The Town Heroes have raised over $30,000 for various charities. Done entirely through grassroots initiatives on their social media, the band’s philanthropic side has supported groups like Feed Nova Scotia, The Red Cross, various animal shelters, and even paid for life saving hospital treatment for a young Colombian boy who singer Mike had met on his travels.
The band released their 7th full-length album SINGIN’ on June 21st, 2025. The album is a 9-song collection of songs that each reflect memories of the past—both the good and the bad. Each track serves as a vignette, offering listeners a journey through the corridors of time and nostalgia.
From “Hockey Fights” — a fun, youthful recollection of falling in love at a hockey game while fights are taking place on the ice in front of you—to “In Your Head” — a song about zooming out and looking at your life from 30,000 feet and seeing that the little things that bother us often aren’t that big a deal. Each song looks at how we perceive memories and how the past comes to shape who we are. Sometimes it’s a warm nostalgia smothering you in all the best ways, other times it’s a punch in the gut you’re still trying to come to terms with.

Ultimately, the album is a reminder of our shared humanity. It reminds us that despite our unique stories and backgrounds, we all navigate the same fundamental emotions and experiences. Through its honest and heartfelt exploration of the human experience, SINGIN’ fosters a sense of empathy and unity, encouraging us to embrace our commonalities and support one another through the ever-changing journey of life.

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The Town Heroes Redux
2025-07-23 20:00 - 22:00

Joel Plaskett Redux
2025-07-29 20:00 - 22:00
For over three decades, Joel Plaskett has proven himself a spinning wheel of reinvention. The Nova Scotia songwriter’s eclectic body of work reveals a restless and playful spirit, always transforming and expanding.

While continuing to celebrate—and be celebrated for—his regional ties and embrace of East Coast musical traditions, Joel’s omnivorous appetite for new sonic horizons is an integral part of his work. His discography includes heavy riff epics, like Thrush Hermit’s now-classic swansong Clayton Park (1999); low-fi and wide eyed solo records like In Need of Medical Attention (1999) and La De Da (2005); lean, loose and lyrical rock and roll with the Emergency on Down at the Khyber (2001) and Truthfully, Truthfully (2003); and a father-and-son nod to English folk traditions with Solidarity (2017). Then there are the endeavours that push the envelope further: the Emergency’s romantic epic concept album Ashtray Rock (2007); the months-long songwriting challenge Scrappy Happiness (2012); and Three (2009) and 44 (2020), Joel’s sprawling, multi-record ventures exploring love, loss, and existential investigation. For his latest release, the 4-track project One Real Reveal (2024), Plaskett strips his songwriting down to its raw materials, allowing everything in—all the human touches the tape could pick up—and letting (almost) everything out.Coast-to-coast and the world ’round, Joel has rocked crowds at clubs, festivals and grand old theatres with longtime Emergency bandmates Dave Marsh and Chris Pennell as well as drawn audiences close with intimate acoustic shows, both solo and with his father, Bill. Then there are the special events that have really allowed Joel to reach the rafters, like headlining Toronto’s Massey Hall with everyone in tow, playing the NAC in Ottawa backed by the national orchestra, and warming up huge stages for artists like The Tragically Hip and Paul McCartney.Joel and the Emergency have also been roundly celebrated within the music industry for their work, racking up awards and nominations from the JUNOs, the Polaris Music Prize, the East Coast Music Awards, Music Nova Scotia, and numerous others.While Joel’s songs are beloved far beyond the community that helped forge his sound, his creative heart is still found at home in Nova Scotia. At 45 Portland Street in Dartmouth there’s Fang Recording, the studio where he’s made many of his albums and produced records for other great artists like Mo Kenney, Steve Poltz, Shotgun Jimmie and Jimmy Rankin.
And through the door to the front of the building lies Taz Records, Morley’s Coffee and Friction Books. Since 2023, Joel has used the space to present Window Inn Wednesdays, a monthly, no-phones-allowed variety show that pushes back—like most of his projects—against the speed and din of modern life, making space for real engagement between art, artist, and audience.

2025 saw the release of ‘Songs From The Gang – A Celebration of Joel Plaskett’ – a deluxe covers album featuring the music of Joel Plaskett performed by Arkells, Sloan, Jill Barber, The Sheepdogs, Julian Taylor, Jenn Grant, Bahamas, City and Colour, Rose Cousins, Frank Turner, and many more.

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Joel Plaskett
2025-07-30 20:00 - 22:00

East Pointers Redux
2025-08-12 20:00 - 22:00
Adding to their volumes of East Coast myth-making, The East Pointers’ forthcoming anthology of celebratory anthems and incendiary tune sets is a natural evolution of playing to ‘hometown’ crowds of thousands the world over, full family kitchen parties and an honest reckoning with heartbreak and victory.
Still channeling Koady Chaisson as a writing partner, Tim Chaisson (fiddle, vocals, guitar) and Jake Charron (keys, guitar, vocals) have alchemised the love, grief and experience of years of musical map-making, traveling, partying and friendship into an album that captures heroic joy, sharp pain, courageous expansion, lonely challenges and triumphant homecoming.
In their ten year career, The East Pointers have gathered many accolades, winning a JUNO for their debut album Secret Victory and further nominations for their double EP House of Dreams and Safe in Sound, and multiple East Coast Music and Music PEI awards. Alongside traveling the world and supporting their community through such initiatives as Koady’s Stay Cool Swim Cold challenge, which has raised thousands of dollars for diverse charities, and Annedemic: The East Pointers and Friends Read Anne of Green Gables, they are also the founding directors of Goolaholla! festival, a gift of love and music to Tim and Koady’s hometown of Souris.
Their base in Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island, provides both inspiration and challenge, and a sensibility tempered by grueling winters, short-lived golden summers and a tight-knit community of some of the best songwriters and musicians in the world. Confidently grounded by the band’s traditional roots and spotlighting their most honest songwriting to date in an album that is jubilant, entrancing and frank by turns, The East Pointers continue their legacy of packing the dancefloor while celebrating the Sisyphian task of being human.
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The East Pointers
2025-08-13 20:00 - 22:00

Old Man Luedecke
2025-08-20 20:00 - 22:00
Old Man Luedecke is the recording name of two time JUNO award winning and Polaris prize nominated singer songwriter Chris Luedecke. A multiple East Coast Music Award winner known for his high energy banjo driven stompers, touching guitar ballads and dry humorous stories, Luedecke has been making a soundtrack to an authentic life for nearly twenty years.
Born in Toronto and long time resident of the country near Chester Nova Scotia, Luedecke began recording in the early 2000’s DIY folk scene of Halifax. He made his two JUNO winning albums for Black Hen Music in the late 00s with Steve Dawson as producer at Vancouver’s famed Factory studio. While on a tour of England in 2009, he met and supported folk roots legend Tim O’Brien who produced Luedecke’s next two albums. Tender is the Night was recorded at John’s Prine’s Butcher Shoppe Studio in Nashville in 2012 and 2015’s Domestic Eccentric was recorded in a cabin Luedecke built himself at his home in NS. 2019 saw Luedecke recording Easy Money at both the Banff Centre in Alberta and at Hotel2Tango in Montreal.
Songs like “I Quit My Job” at the beginning of his career and “The Early Days” at the beginning of his family and dozens of other fan favourites trace a warm line of effort, sadness and joy and provide a soundtrack to many peoples’ own progress through adulthood, touching a rare place of truth and charm in the holiness of the mundane. His performing style with his easy going humour and storytelling creates a rare space of hopeful and intimate magic.
Luedecke has kept up many worldwide concert appearances, playing in Europe and around Canada and the USA and six trips to Australia, including a memorable tour where his whole young family travelled with him around rural Queensland for the Festival of Small Halls.
In May 2022 Luedecke was awarded an honorary doctorate from King’s University in Halifax for his cultural contributions.

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J.P. Cormier
2025-08-27 20:00 - 22:00
Nobody really knows who J.P. Cormier is for sure. That’s to be expected, believe me.
In 1974 he was a five year old boy, discovering an innate talent for playing the guitar, I had a little hand in that, guiding him through the beginning stages. He learned faster than I could teach.
By the mid eighties, not out of his teens, he was a sideman for bands and artists of many different genres in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and all across the deep south. As he travelled and worked he added more and more instruments to his arsenal of capabilities. He became indispensable to the bands he worked for.
In the early Nineties, he became a sideman for one of Canada’s favourite sons, Stompin’ Tom Connors and also became a staple of the recordings at Studio H in Halifax. His work with the CBC there, spanned musical, production and arranging duties.
All this before he was 20.
In the mid nineties he reentered the musical scene of his beloved East Coast and the Island called Cape Breton. He exploded onto the trad music scene there as a fiddler, performing some of the most difficult music ever produced by legends like Winston Fitzgerald and Angus Chisholm with a facility that stunned onlookers. Especially those who knew he wasn’t born there, but born in Ontario to Cape Breton parents. Somehow, some way, his music was the real thing, sounding like he had been steeped continually in a handed-down brew of family tradition from the old country.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
His previous gig was in Nashville playing mandolin and banjo in a grammy nominated bluegrass gospel band and performing on the Opry, and playing television shows with the likes of Waylon Jennings. All those people also thought he was one of them, American, reared in the ways of bluegrass, old time and Americana music. They knew he was from Canada, but it just didn’t seem possible.
Then in 1997, something amazing happened.
An album released in Canada, out of nowhere, called Another Morning. This time it was him as a songwriter and a lead singer.
And what a songwriter he turned out to be. Some of the performances on that album are literally part of the musical vocabulary today in the East Coast. Songs like the title cut, and Kelly’s Mountain, The Molly May (co written with his cousin Gervais) and others. It inspired, 25 years ago, some of the biggest names in the business today. People like Dave Gunning, Matt Andersen, David Myles, Joel Plaskett, all of which will tell you: that record changed things.
The Canadian industry thought so too, and it received a juno nomination and won an ECMA.
And that was just the beginning.
36 years later after stepping on stage as professional union musician for the first time at the tender age of 13, JP is still going, and frighteningly, still getting better.
16 albums followed the success of Another Morning, winning 12 more ECMA’s, another Juno nomination, a Canadian Folk Music Award and 5 Music Nova Scotia Awards. Each album was a snapshot of each thing that he can do. There are fiddle albums, Mandolin, Banjo, Guitar, tribute records, songwriting collections, a purely astounding spectrum of talent and musical vision.
His catalogue of recordings and the 150 or so records he’s produced on other artists, resemble the tapestry he weaves in live performance. Where he used to carry 3 and 4 piece bands, he tours alone now.
Just him and the instruments.
People still leave his shows confused, amazed and wondering what they just saw. Did they see a storyteller? A Songwriter? Arguably one of the best guitar players in the business today? Someone who crosses the lines between different instruments like there are no lines? Who was that masked man, anyway?
Accolades aside, and there are many from people like Chet Atkins, Marty Stuart, Waylon Jennings, Gordon Lightfoot; JP sees himself as just a performer. He’s shy, but has a razor sharp wit and lightning sense of humour. He can be reserved or edgy to the point no return. He speaks for soldiers, first responders, other artists, the forgotten and lost. He speaks sometimes only for himself and refuses rebuttal.
Of all the things he is, foremost he is an entertainer. I think one of the best. After you’ve seen what he does, I’m certain you will too.

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Lennie Gallant
2025-09-03 20:00 - 22:00
East Coast songwriter Lennie Gallant has released fifteen albums of original songs which have won him a host of awards and nominations from the JUNOs, Les Prix Éloizes, and The ECMAs. His songs have been described as “true slices of life delivered with a poet’s flair and a rugged emotional sensibility”. His multimedia production, Searching for Abegweit, ran for 190 shows in Eastern Canada. His song Peter’s Dream, from that show, was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Lennie is an international artist who has performed all over North America and Europe. His songs have been covered by many artists and he has shared the stage with several orchestras and with performers such as Lucinda Williams, Patti Griffin and Roger Hodgson. He has performed with the late Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers and with David Foster and his band. Lennie struck up a friendship with Jimmy, has two co-writes on his upcoming posthumous album, and was invited to sing on both songs. One of Lennie’s albums also went up to the international space station and circled the planet 248 times. His album, Time Travel, was voted a top ten Album of the Year by a panel of Canadian music industry personnel, and his recent all original Christmas album has received rave reviews.
He and partner Patricia Richard also record and perform as the popular Francophone duo, Sirène et Matelot. Their songs have achieved strong radio play in francophone circuits and have consistently remained on the charts! Lennie Gallant is a member of The Order of Canada and has been recognized for his humanitarian efforts.
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Lookout Tower with special guest Mike McKenna Jr
2025-09-19 20:00 - 22:00
Winter Swamp Music! Lookout Tower hails from memories of days gone by and of moments yet to come. Storytellers inspired by the cultural landscape of Cape Breton and woven from the yarn of hard times – their songs are the culmination of musical paths not commonly crossed. Defying genres with a no holds barred approach, vintage soul meets modern Americana, where old-time harmonies and bluesy influences are dashed with Acadian roots, creating their original Winter Swamp Sound – a sonic palette of soulful ballads, rousing blues rock and hypnotic funk. Their albums have been nominated for multiple ECMAs.
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Singer-songwriter Mike McKenna Jr. is an award-winning artist from Cape Breton Island. With a raspy and soulful voice, his warm indie folk and Americana tones decorate powerful original and traditional songs laden with captivating storytelling. Born in Glace Bay and raised along the Mira River, Mike’s songwriting aesthetic points heavily to his roots growing up in small-town industrial Cape Breton. Over the course of 4 studio albums, including his latest record ‘Smokey Mountain High’, he brings us the nostalgia of his home through profoundly-written narrative, poetry, protest, and true stories about life and death in Nova Scotia’s coastal, working-class communities.
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John Chiasson Trio
2025-10-03 19:00 - 21:00
Music brings people together. Music inspires us to go beyond what we see and strive for more. It makes us want to stand up for ourselves, save the world, and fall in love. Every now and then you find yourself lost in a piece that reminds you of times gone by, adventures to come, and the people who weave in and out of our lives. When The John Chiasson Trio started making music over 25 years ago, they couldn’t have known the impact they’d have on fans around the world. Individually, John Chiasson, Charlie
Cooley, and Dave Staples have written, produced, engineered, scored, and taught music in a way that has influenced others in all corners of the globe; but when they get together, it is, as the old saying goes, where the magic happens.
As an established musical group that celebrates that beauty and mystery of jazz around the world, The John Chiasson Trio reminds you that inspiration comes in many forms and the members invite you into their world where you’ll not only appreciate the smooth-sounding soul of jazz, but you’ll discover new ways of looking at music. Jazz music is for everyone, but it speaks to everyone in a different way. You just need to listen. And when you listen to the Trio, you’ll find yourself lost in deep and rich melodies that are inspired by music of all shapes and sizes. Providing audiences with show-stopping performances and an energy that leaves you wondering why you didn’t start listening to
these guys sooner, you’ll find yourself a fan of the jazz world and have a new appreciation for what is possible when three musicians care about the music as much as they care about entertaining their audience.
J o h n C h i a s s o n
Described as a musician in a class of his own, John Chiasson has been a celebrated musician throughout Nova Scotia for over 40 years. Whether he’s shining on stage or perfecting his sound in a studio session, John is dedicated to delighting and creating an experience that reminds people why they love music. John enjoys playing instruments as much as he loves singing and values the diversity and challenge of each. Having worked with the likes of Lennie Gallant, Scott Parsons, The Rankin Family Band, Natalie MacMaster, and Myles Goodwin, John lends his smooth vocals to a wide range of musicians and enjoys blending his strong musical talents with a variety of Nova Scotian artists. Drawing on several influences, John blends his love of soulful jazz with rich music such as swing, Latin, blues, and more. In any situation, John brings his talents to stages around the world and has continued to call Nova Scotia home. Hailed as multi-talented musician with a precision voice that lends well to jazz, John puts on show-stopping performances for his audiences near and far. When John isn’t playing music, he expresses his creativity through photography and enjoys connecting with people who share his love of creation and broadening the awareness of jazz music throughout Canada and the world’s stage.
D A V E S T A P L E S
Dave Staples is a veteran East Coast performer and music educator and maintains a busy freelance career as a pianist, trombonist, composer and recording artist. Dave has performed and recorded with such artists and groups a s Mike Murley, Renee R o s e s , Kenny Wheeler, Kurt Elling, Omar Hakim, the Maritime Jazz Orchestra and Bicoastal Collective as well as numerous East Coast musicians and ensembles, including John Chiasson, Ian Janes, Scott and the Rocks, Mike Cowie, Latin Groove, the Blakey Project, the Mingus Project, the Horace Silver Tribute Band, the Halifax Trombone Summit, the Back Alley Big Band and his own Dave Staples Septet. In 1995, he received the East Coast Music Award (ECMA) with Jeff Goodspeed as Jazz Artists of the Year for their album release of “Eastern Passage”(CBC Productions) and is featured on the 2006 ECMA Jazz Album of the Year “Tom Roach: Piano Trios “(CBC Productions).
Dave taught instrumental music with the Halifax Regional School Board for over 30 years and is co-founder and director of the Nova Scotia Honour Jazz program, which
has worked with talented students of jazz in Nova Scotia for the last 25 years. He has also served a s a board member of JazzEast and was on the Canadian Executive Board
of the International Association for Jazz Education a s Newsletter Editor and Director of Communications from 2003 to 2008.
Charlie Cooley
Charlie Cooley is one of Canada’s most in-demand drummers. He has performed and/or recorded with such artists as: Leonard Cohen, Randy Brecker, The Guess Who, Long John Baldry, Anne Murray, Sass Jordan, Amanda Marshall, K.D. Lang, Jimmy Rankin, and The Blues Brothers (musical director – Paul Shaffer)
Charlie is also a member of the Juno Award winning world beat jazz ensemble Manteca. Charlie has been the in-house drummer for many of Canada’s award shows such as The Junos Awards, The East Coast Music Awards, The Gemini Awards, The Canadian Country Music Awards, and the Canada Day Celebrations from Parliament Hil (CBC)
“When I’m playing music – in whatever situation – I’m thinking – what can I do best to support the music? My goal is to help the composition speak directly to the listener.’

Ria Mae
2025-10-24 20:00 - 22:00
Ria recently had her collaboration “Too Close’ with Canadian singer Dan Talevski certified Platinum, having garnered over 15 million streams on Spotify and counting.
Since the June 2016 release of her full length, self-title album, the three-time JUNO nominee, and multi-platinum selling artist has toured Europe with Tegan and Sara, North America with Dido, and Canada with Scott Helman. She has performed with Elle King, Xavier Rudd, Shawn Hook, Family of the Year, Francesco Yates, Coleman Hell and more.
Ria has enjoyed radio chart success in Canada with platinum certified singles, ‘Clothes Off, Ooh Love, and ‘Bend’, and her songs have been streamed over 70 million times worldwide.

“Amazing show! A great combo of new and old songs. Lots of audience interaction – she even came off stage into the crowd to dance with us! Great lyrics and dance beats. Always a fun show to see Ria!” – loriesen
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Ria Mae Redux
2025-10-25 20:00 - 22:00

Crowdis Bridge
2025-11-14 20:00 - 22:00
Join us for an evening with some of Cape Breton’s finest multi-instrumentalists, vocalists & songwriters.
Crowdis Bridge are lovers and purveyors of roots & traditional music, steeped in bluegrass, old-time, folk, Celtic and country-blues.
Together they promise to create a musical landscape as amazing and diverse as the Island they call home.
Kitchen open till 9PM, Bar licensed till 2AM

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New Years Eve with The Turnbull Brothers
2025-12-31 21:00 - 23:59
Ring in the New Year with Cape Breton’s Turnbull Brothers.
Famously known from their talent, and deep run on Canada’s Got Talent, the brothers bring tight harmonies, upbeat covers of hits from the ’70s–’00s (often with a country or Southern rock edge), and original songs, that are crowd-pleasing, and dance-floor-ready!
Admission includes concert tickets (general admission non assigned seating), NYE swag, champagne, & midnight snacks! Doors open at 4pm, show kicks off at 9pm

Craig Cardiff
2026-02-07 20:00 - 22:00
Join Craig Cardiff in concert. Come ready to sing, dance, and become part of the show. Everyone comes as strangers and leaves as a group. Folk music, singersongwriter, canadiana / americana – label as needed. Four chords and the truth, capo’d as required. Invite your friends and enemies – they all need to be there. Juno / Canadian Folk Music award Nominee, streamed often, and 100% fan powered.

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Dave Gunning
2026-03-20 19:00 - 21:00
With over two decades on the road and fifteen albums to his credit, Nova Scotia’s Dave Gunning has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s most engaging and respected folk singer-songwriters. A multiple East Coast Music Award and Canadian Folk Music Award winner, Gunning is celebrated for his warm stage presence, razor-sharp wit, and songs that honour everyday heroes while tackling hard truths.
His music has long reflected his deep roots in Pictou County, where stories of working people, small-town struggles, and local pride shape his songwriting. Whether he’s shining a light on unsung community champions or confronting social and environmental issues close to home, Gunning brings an honesty and empathy to his work that have become his trademark.
Known for his ability to connect with audiences through both laughter and reflection, Gunning’s live shows balance heartfelt storytelling with moments of perfectly timed humour. His rapport with listeners—equal parts genuine, self-effacing, and deeply human—has made him a beloved fixture on stages across Canada and beyond.
Over the years, Gunning has shared the stage with folk greats like Ron Hynes, Rita MacNeil, and Matt Andersen, yet he continues to carve his own path, grounded in the values of community and craftsmanship.
In June 2025, Gunning travelled to Point Lonsdale, Australia, to record his fifteenth studio album, Field Notes, set for release in 2026. Stripped-back and emotionally rich, the new collection returns to the heart of what he does best: telling stories that remind us who we are, where we come from, and what matters most.

Steve Poltz
2026-04-20 20:00 - 22:00
It might’ve even been last night, but Steve Poltz just played the greatest show of his life. Guess what?
The next show will be even greater, making that show the greatest show of his life.
Are you starting to notice a trend?
He isn’t shy about it either.
Even after most likely thousands of shows (but who’s counting?), he hits the stage with the same amount of energy and always makes sure to declare, “This is the greatest show of my life.”
It’s why he’s quietly emerged as the kind of live phenomenon celebrated passionately by a diehard fanbase worldwide and renowned as a festival favorite everywhere from Bluesfest in Byron Bay and High Sierra Music Festival in California and Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado to Cayamo Cruise (where he actually got married). It’s why his music has crept into pop culture via collaborations with everyone from Jewel and Billy Strings to Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Nicki Bluhm, Oliver Wood, and even the late Mojo Nixon. It’s why after over a dozen albums, he’s still creatively firing on all cylinders and critically acclaimed by the likes of Rolling Stone, Associated Press, Billboard, and many more.
Nevertheless, the next gig will be the greatest show for him (and maybe for you too)…

The Back Pack
2026-05-08 20:00 - 22:00
The Back Pack is a band from Sydney, Nova Scotia, known for their incredibly smooth and funky sounds. The group uses live looping to seamlessly blend vocal harmonies with both real and synthesized instruments. The “pack” is full of Viktor Dugandzic, Jeff Shaw, Ed Woodsworth, and Steve Luxton. Their sets are marked by tight grooves that get people moving, and instrumentation that gets you grooving.
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