The Iona Heights Inn

Adam Baldwin
2018-07-04 20:00 - 22:30 (America/Halifax) | The Frolic’n Folk Pub & Grill, 4115 HWY 223, Iona, Nova Scotia, B2C 1A3, Canada
Adam Baldwin is a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia based musician and songwriter, perhaps best known as a member of Matt Mays’ band since 2008. His self-titled EP, released in 2013, won the Nova Scotia Music Week award for Male Artist Recording of the Year and he was named Musician of the Year in 2014.
Baldwin’s debut full-length album is called No Telling When (Precisely Nineteen Eighty-Five) and was released on June 24, 2016. The album was produced by Liam O’Neil (The Stills, Metric) and also features the talents of Josh Trager (Sam Roberts Band), Brian Murphy (Alvvays) and Leah Fay (July Talk).
Of making the record in Toronto during the lead up to the last federal election and the Blue Jays dramatic playoff run, Adam says: “Toronto was alive… indeed, Canada was alive. I walked down Dundas and Ossington every day to the studio and passed hundreds of election signs. You could feel the hope and you could feel the fear. It was on everyone’s tongue. If folks weren’t talking about the election, they were talking about baseball. The Toronto Blue Jays, an entity that falls just below rock and roll in terms of my devotion, had ended a playoff drought that almost precedes my memory. The Jays’ run into the American League Championship Series was the perfect foil for the very stressful federal election.”
The title track and first song describes events in New York City in 1985 (the year before Adam was born) and suggests how, thirty years on, not a lot in our culture has really changed. A particular unnamed real-estate developer, reality TV star and politician personifies this idea.
The first single “Daylight” was inspired by the political events in Canada surrounding the recording sessions. From Adam: “It’s a song about both the unity and division we felt as a country. It’s a song that should remind us that this change was spurred by a desire for a different direction, and that while our course appears to have changed, we have to demand that it continue to do so.”
“Anytime” and “Sparrow Song”, both featuring back up vocals from Leah Fay, loosely form a two act play and the centerpiece of the album. In “Anytime” Adam sings about young love and all the hopes and fears that come with that, while “Sparrow Song” describes those fears when they become reality.
“Rehtaeh” is about the systemic failures that led to the death of Rehtaeh Parsons in 2013 and is, as Adam puts it “maybe the most important song I’ll ever write.”
The album closes with “Living Proof”, a song about the Canadian Dream, and how as Adam points out, “The dream is elusive because it isn’t made available to everyone. It can’t be attained by just anyone.”

Kitchen Fest
2018-06-29 19:00 - 22:00
Rosie MacKenzie, Colin MacDonald, David Rankin, Kevin Dugas
Fiddles and bagpipes, concerts and céilidhs, food and drink, Gaelic language and song, cheering and dancing, informality and hospitality — consider this your official invitation to Cape Breton’s biggest kitchen party!
Full kitchen and bar service as well.

Dave Gunning
2018-06-27 20:00 - 22:30
“Truly, what makes Gunning so remarkable as an entertainer is his rare gift to be able to befriend the audience as a whole from the stage throughout the course of the concert. And, indeed, you do feel as though he’s as good of a friend as any after a night of songs, stories and lighthearted laughs.” – The Guardian
Call it the silver lining in the cloud of a brutally cold Nova Scotia winter. When acclaimed folk singer/songwriter Dave Gunning decided it was time to make his 11th solo album, he found the bleak weather outside a blessing, not a curse. “We were literally snowed in, but the power was on and I was good to go,” he says of the making of that album, Lift.
Eleven albums in, Dave Gunning has become a truly masterful songwriter, one who has earned real peer respect from such Canadian folk songwriting legends as Ron Hynes, David Francey, and James Keelaghan. “I grew up listening to people like Ron Hynes,” says Dave. “I look up to them but then it hits me sometimes that I’m their peer and they like my stuff too. It’s a weird headspace, flipping from being a fan to being a peer.”
Co-writing with his peers has had a major impact on Gunning. “The co-writing process has really helped my career, as it helps you keep the energy momentum going,” he explains. “Noted co-writers on Lift include Matt Andersen, Thom Swift, Catherine MacLellan, Jamie Robinson, plus American Sally Spring and Dave’s Pictou pals, Jim Dorie, John Meir, and Ray Stewart. One song here, “Alberta Gold” has already been something of a radio and video hit for Matt Andersen, who included it on his popular album Weightless. Gunning’s banjo-fuelled campfire singalong version is equally rousing in its depiction of the present-day migration of Maritimers to the Albertan oil patch.
The 13 songs on Lift cover refreshingly broad lyrical terrain. Story and character-based songs fit snugly alongside more personal material, and in true folk music tradition, some numbers could be considered protest songs. Gunning acknowledges that “this album has more personal and introspective songs than my past recordings. I do still love songs that are about things and tell a real story, like the songs of Stan Rogers. They inspire me.”
A fine example of that here is “I Robbed The Co. Store,” which tells the true story of a group of British settlers in Nova Scotia in the 1770s forced to steal from a storehouse reserved for troops just so they could feed their families. A more contemporary song with a Pictou County setting is “They Don’t Do That No More.” “That one is inspired by the fight we have here against a pulp mill that is just an environmental disaster,” explains Gunning. The mournful sound of the pedal steel punctuates his lament that “there’s poison on the harbour floor.” It’s a song one of Dave’s key inspirations, the late folk great Pete Seeger, would have been proud to call his own.
Another song, “Sing It Louder,” is actually a tribute to Seeger. “My goal was to write a song you could imagine him singing,” says Gunning. “As folk singers we should all aspire to carry the torch of Pete Seeger and his message of social justice.” Dave’s talents as a poetic lyricist are vividly displayed on the haunting “Breaker’s Yard” and the plaintive “Pasadena,” a co-write with Catherine MacLellan.
Gunning’s recording career is now approaching a full two decades in length (his debut album, Lost Tracks, came out in 1996). Along with richly-deserved peer respect, he has also earned a shelf full of music industry awards. That tally now stands at eight East Coast Music Awards and two Canadian Folk Music Awards, plus a 2012 Juno Award nomination in the Roots & Traditional Solo Album of the Year category for his album …a tribute to John Allan Cameron, a compelling homage to another of Dave’s Maritime musical heroes.
His songwriting skill has also been internationally recognized, with earlier tunes scoring victories and high placings in some major international songwriting competitions. As a fervent hockey fan, Gunning was also thrilled to win the CBC’s hotly-contested Hockey Night In Canada Song Quest in 2014 with “A Game Goin’ On”, a co-write with David Francey.
Give yourself a Lift and check out the work of an authentic artist at his creative peak.

Friday Frolic
2018-06-08 19:00 - 21:30
Farmer The Band
Catch some live music at the pub each Friday this summer.
Kitchen open till 9PM, bar open till 2AM
No cover charge.

2 For 1 Pasta Sundays
2018-05-27 16:00 - 21:00, 2018-05-20 16:00 - 21:00, 2018-05-13 16:00 - 21:00, 2018-05-06 16:00 - 21:00, 2018-04-29 16:00 - 21:00, 2018-04-22 16:00 - 21:00, 2018-04-15 16:00 - 21:00, 2018-04-08 16:00 - 21:00 and 10 more dates
2 for 1 Pasta Sundays
$13.99 + tax. Every Sunday 4-9PM
Choices of pasta:

Pesto Chicken Penne (cream base)
Maple Curry Chicken Penne (cream base)
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (garlic & oil)
Italian Shrimp (oil base)
Chicken Picanté (tomato base)

(All served with garlic toast. Whole grain available)
Dine In Only. Beverage Purchase Required

Irish Mythen
2018-05-26 20:00 - 22:30
True power inspires awe, and Irish Mythen packs a lot of it – lyrical, musical, and personal – into a relatively small frame.
Mythen is a globetrotting troubadour – an Irish-born, contemporary Canadian folk artist who’s been amassing accolades and achievements across several continents over the years. Her presence and charisma simply command attention, and regardless of where she takes the stage, she delivers a sonic and emotional experience that transcends language and location; that reaches the very core of what connects us. It’s an experience that, in recent years, has earned her spots performing alongside Rod Stewart, Gordon Lightfoot, and Lucinda Williams and billings on major festival stages the world over.
Following a pair of earlier EPs, Irish cemented her spot as a performing powerhouse with her first two full-length offerings – 2008’s Sweet Necessity and 2011’s Open Here; however, it’s since moving to Prince Edward Island and releasing her latest collection – a self-titled, statement-making third LP in 2014 – that she’s propelled herself to an impressive new plateau.
The ECMA 2015 Roots Album of the Year perfectly couples the two poles of her sonic sphere: a universally engaging and accessible brand on contemporary folk with a tinge of more traditional Celtic influence that stems from her proud heritage. The result is a sound that’s truly timeless and transcending, anchored by her dominant and dynamic vocal prowess.
Her live show – an impactful and impressive tour-de-force that finds Irish combining her contemporary and catchy anthems with traditional tunes borrowed from her homeland. All are woven together with a signature blend of edgy humour and heartfelt storytelling while her presence and performance magnetically draw eyes and ears towards the small-statured powerhouse on stage.
“I want them to feel like it was not just about the music, but an overall experience,” Irish says about what she hopes to deliver to her audience. “I love feeding off of crowd and interacting with them. That’s why I rarely have set lists; I like to see and feel the audience and give them what they want.”
She must be doing just that, as Irish has established herself as a staple at events like the Mariposa Folk Festival and Folk Alliance International Conference, and others continue to call. In just the last 12 months, Irish has closed out the Philadelphia Folk Festival, performing after the iconic Lyle Lovett, and had tens of thousands in her hands at Australia’s Woodford Folk Festival. On the back of the latter performance, she was even handpicked to open for Melissa Etheridge’s 2016 Australian run.
A reinvigorated drive and longstanding passion for performance will only push Irish Mythen further into the international eye, enticing listeners of all kinds to take heed. Once they do, they’re sure to be captivated and converted, joining the cavalcade and following this wandering talent wherever she may go next.

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The Legion Legends
2018-05-20 17:00 - 20:00
Ever see 20+ singers, guitars and mandolins playing at the same time?
Well if you haven’t, now’s your chance.
The Legion Legends play anything from Tommy Makem to The Eagles, and are sure to take requests.
Full kitchen and bar service as well.
It’s the long weekend folks!

The Jordan Musycsyn Band
2018-04-28 20:00 - 22:30
Jordan is a hard working singer/songwriter, is a masterful storyteller writing songs about life and love with pathos and humour in a Folk-Country style. He sustains a busy touring schedule thruout Canada in support of his sophomore album ‘Old State Of Mind’. 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 the Maritimes and across Canada many times playing his songs solo, with his band, with the Cape Breton Summertime Revue and Tis The Season.
“JORDAN MUSYCSYN is a great musician and a great storyteller”
– Alan Doyle, GREAT BIG SEA

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Paddy's Day in Iona
2018-03-17
Come get your green on at The Frolic’n Folk this Paddy’s Day.
To tickle your earballs we have:
2-5PM Shelly Campbell & Joel Chiasson

6-9PM Brenda Stubbert, Kolten Macdonell & Blanche Sophocleous(proper Irish spelling)
Food & Drink Specials, and we have prizes to be won!
$10 cover (kids free)
Sláinte y’all

Hector’s Point Snowshoeing
2018-03-11 13:00 - 15:00, 2018-02-25 13:00 - 15:00, 2018-02-11 13:00 - 15:00
“Hector’s Point Snowshoe Walk” at 1pm. This hike will see you walking around the snowy Highland Village. It will be approximately 3km and will end back at the Frolic’n Folk Pub. There you will receive a cup of Jill’s Hot Chocolate or for those that are 19/over a 10oz pint.
Walk is for all ages.
Shorter routes available if need be.
$15 per person including snowshoes rentals, or $10 if you bring your own (please use coupon code snow on the checkout page to reveal the discounted price). Space is limited.
Meet at The Frolic’n Folk Pub just inside the Inn
Walks begin at 1pm. It is best to arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled walk in order to check in.
*Weather permitting

Moonlight Snowshoe Walk
2018-03-02 19:00 - 21:00
Join us for our special “Hector’s Point Moonlight Walk” – a moonlight snowshoe hike around the Highland Village. It will be approximately 3km, and end at the pub with a 10oz pint (for those that are 19/over), or a cup of Jill’s Hot Chocolate.
Walk is for all ages.
Shorter routes available if need be.
$15 per person including snowshoes rentals, or $10 if you bring your own (use coupon code snow in the checkout page to reveal the dicounted price). Space is limited.
Meet at The Frolic’n Folk Pub just inside the Inn
Walks begin at 7pm. It is best to arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled walk in order to check in.
*Weather permitting
