Trivia Night at The Frolic
2024-05-16 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-05-23 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-05-30 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-06-06 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-06-13 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-06-20 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-06-27 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-07-04 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Halifax) and 2 more dates | The Frolic’n Folk Pub & Grill, 4115 HWY 223, Iona, Nova Scotia, B2C 1A3, Canada
Come test your wits & win prizes!
3 Rounds – 12 general knowledge questions each round.
Play solo, or form a team. Funniest team name gets showered with accolades.
Hosted by your man – Ruarí Aonghas Lonce Murphy, every Thursday Night

Dave Gunning
2024-05-17 20:00 - 22:00
With fourteen albums to his credit, there’s no denying Dave Gunning’s impressive body of work. Fortunately, he’s just getting started…
The Nova Scotian folk musician has shared the stage with legends like Ron Hynes, Rita MacNeil, Stuart McLean, and Stompin’ Tom Connors, and has been recognized in his own right as a master of his craft, both as an award-winning singer-songwriter and a captivating performer.
Known for his abilities as a gracious storyteller, Gunning’s knack for connecting with audiences precedes the skills and experience he’s earned on the road—It is, for him, very much a way of life. Gunning shares the same sort of relationship with music as an eagle does with the sky. From a very young age, music has been Gunning’s way of interpreting the world around him, the lens through which he sees it, and the medium by which he engages with his community.
Dave has never needed to look far beyond his Pictou County, Nova Scotia backyard for inspiration. That’s where the characters live. That’s where the stories come from. Often shining a light on the well-deserving underdogs, he’s also never shied away from tougher topics, staying true to the folk music tradition. In recent years, those topics have tended to be more social and environmental in nature – causes that he holds near and dear. Nowhere has that been more evident, or public, than Dave’s strong stance against a local bleached kraft pulp mill – a proven polluter in the community.
Despite delivering some very important messages in his songs, audiences should also be prepared to laugh at a Dave Gunning show. His banter is perfectly timed, self-effacing, and very, very funny. It’s this finely-tuned balance of sincerity and impeccable performance that makes him one of the country’s most engaging entertainers.
“Once I’m out on stage and the audience has had their first couple of good laughs, it puts me at ease. I believe that’s why I lean toward stories with humour,” says Gunning. “It makes me less nervous. I love seeing people laugh, and I love knowing that there are moments when they are feeling emotional.”
2022 welcomed the release of Gunning’s latest recording, The Same Storm. Written and recorded mostly at home during the pandemic, the album continues along a similar path its predecessors walked – celebrating moments big and small, lending a voice to the folks that need it most, and indulging in a bit of nostalgia on the way. But always with an eye toward the future and the stories it will bring.

Céilidh Matinee
2024-05-18 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-05-25 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-06-01 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-06-08 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-06-15 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-06-22 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-06-29 17:00 - 20:00, 2024-07-06 17:00 - 20:00 and 2 more dates
Get a taste of local celtic music & culture with our Saturday ceilidhs (kay-lee).
Expect to see world-renowned talent & budding entertainers from all over our native Cape Breton.
General admission seating ranging from $5-$10
First come first serve at the pub. No reservations. Minors allowed up until 10PM

Songwriters Circle
2024-06-14 20:00 - 22:00
Jordan Musycsyn, Elyse Aeryn & Brian Cathcart
After a sold out songwriters circle in April, Jordan Musycsyn, Elyse Aeryn and Brian Cathcart decided to take the show on the road to beautiful Iona. Join us on June 14th for an evening of stories and songs with 3 of Cape Breton’s finest songwriters.
Jordan is a hard-working singer/songwriter and a masterful storyteller, writing songs about life and love with pathos and humor in a Folk/Americana style. He sustains a busy touring schedule throughout Canada in support of his third album ‘Around The Fire’ which won him an ECMA in 2021. His sophomore album ‘Old State Of Mind’ (2017) was nominated for a Music Nova Scotia award for best Americana album of the year. Drawing on his own life experiences he writes relatable songs of love, loss and the human condition. A dynamic performer, Jordan moves the audience from laughter to tears and back again. His first album ‘The Pitch’ (released in the fall of 2014) was nominated for 2 Music Nova Scotia awards. He has toured across Canada many times playing his songs solo and with his band. He has played the majority of the major music festivals in Atlantic Canada such as ‘Stan Rogers Folk Festival’, ‘Cavendish Beach Festival’, Celtic Colours Festival’ and the ‘Evolve Music Festival’. He also writes, performs and tours with the ‘Cape Breton Summertime Revue’ and ‘Tis The Season’ annually since 2015.
Singer-songwriter Elyse Aeryn is known for her fiery and rebellious rock and roll. Her soulful melodies paired with her bold, warm voice make for an authentic and ageless sound. From supporting names like Amanda Marshall and Blue Rodeo to being named one of five JUNO Wavemaker Ambassadors for the 2024 JUNOs in Halifax, Elyse is making a name for herself with her dynamic, high-energy live show. Her debut album “Joy State of Mind” won Music Nova Scotia’s Country Recording of the Year and earned an East Coast Music Award nomination for Rock Recording of the Year.
Brian Cathcart is the lead singer for the ECMA nominated group Pretty Archie. Known for his high energy performances, Brian will have you on your feet and singing along.
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Cape Breton Celtic Trad Sessions
2024-06-16 16:30 - 19:30, 2024-06-23 16:30 - 19:30, 2024-06-30 16:30 - 19:30, 2024-07-07 16:30 - 19:30, 2024-07-14 16:30 - 19:30
Come and enjoy a casual gathering of musicians who have come together to play traditional Cape Breton celtic music.
Anyone is welcome to join in, or just sit back and enjoy the tunes.
Sundays at The Frolic 430 – 730pm
Full kitchen and bar service.
Minors allowed till 10pm

Carleton Stone
2024-07-03 20:00 - 22:00
Carleton Stone is an award-winning artist, a songwriter with a growing list of credits, and a founding member of the hugely successful Port Cities. He has recently added producer to his list of accomplishments with both Willie Stratton’s award winning “Drugstore Dreamin” and his own self produced, Papercut – a collection of sophisticated singer-songwriter pop with well-crafted lyrics and memorable melodies.
An outstanding writer, Carleton has written songs for and with such diverse artists as Ria Mae, Matt Andersen, The East Pointers, Quake, Donovan Woods, Classified, Bobby Bazini, and Neon Dreams.
Carleton has three solo records to his credit, multiple awards, and has toured internationally, most recently in the US with The Crash Test Dummies where he received an outstanding response to his solo show.

NOMINATIONS

2024 ECMA SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
MNS POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR
ECMA CONTEMPORARY ROOTS RECORDING OF THE YEAR
CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARD ENGLISH SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR
TIM CHAISSON, KOADY CHAISSON, JAKE CHARRON, COLIN MACDONALD, CARLETON STONE (“HOUSE OF DREAMS”)

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Rose Cousins
2024-07-10 20:00 - 22:00
Bravado is a record for those who struggle with loneliness and those wishing they had more time alone. It’s for those attempting to make their hearts go in more than one direction and those trying to make it go in just one. It’s for those who present a version of themselves to the world that doesn’t quite match how they feel inside. It’s for those who feel misunderstood or unseen. It’s for those who have a hard time saying what they feel, who hide or can’t let themselves off the hook. It’s for those asking, “is this it?” and questioning if the character they play in the movie of their lives is authentic or just a role they’ve accepted. It’s for those who have a hard time asking for help and for those desperate for and terrified of change.

“I think about how we’re so disconnected. I get sucked into my phone and forget to go for a walk because of this sense of obligation that I have that convinces me to get as much work done as possible. It feels like we’re not connecting in person as much as we used to and that we may be the loneliest we’ve ever been. We’re missing what’s actually happening, like, the earth being on fire. We get caught in the spin of comparing our lives to social media depictions, false standards of a good life. I’ve been thinking about how we must be getting close to a breaking point.”

For Cousins, this chapter is a personal and professional metamorphosis. She is in the producer chair, applying her years of experience, trusting her own ear and pulling thoughtfully from her network of talented colleagues.
“I booked some studio days in February with the intention of making a single and working with some Toronto based musicians I’d always wanted to including Joshua Van Tassel on drums, Robbie Grunwald on keys, Brian Kobayakawa on bass, Dean Drouillard on electric guitars and with Chris Stringer as engineer. Soon after I realized I was chasing a theme and a feeling I’d been pondering for months and it turned into a whole record of, perhaps, my best writing.”
The record is flanked by two distinct renditions of the same song, The Benefits of Being Alone/ The Reprise reinforcing the record’s examination of emotional duality. The record starts in bravado’s swagger then drops us into The Fraud which wrestles with the desire to stay hidden and be seen. The Time Being (Impending Mortality Awareness Society), reminds and invites us to pay attention to what’s most important, to be present. The album lifts to its highest level of hope and most pop production in The Return (Love Comes Back), solidifying Cousins’ collaborative nature by recruiting an international choir of friends to join in at the end. The Lullaby (My Oldest Love) written with Tim Baker (Hey Rosetta), touches the desperate need for affirmation, The Benediction, a yearning for acceptance.
Rose Cousins’ newest offering, Bravado, is the sound of a heart trying to open. It explores the complication of emotion, its irrational tendencies and its wisdom. It invites us to feel the courage it takes to be vulnerable.

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Old Man Luedecke
2024-07-17 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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