Husband and wife duo Jane Eamon and Gord Brush will be hitting the Revelstoke band shell Friday, August 14, and they’ll be bringing their lyrically-centred brand of folk gospel music.

“Songwriting is the key,” says Eamon on her website.

“It holds everything together in such a way that powerful sentiments can be communicated. Music is the vessel. It provides the means to get the message through.”

Eamon says that she’s used her music “to step into the places where my morality and aging could be explored.”

“By using traditional forms, like spirituals, bluegrass gospel, old time melodies, I’ve written about what matters to me today,” says Eamon.

According to Eamon’s website, “Those who’ve caught Jane and Gord are always impressed with the energy and passion they bring to their music. Jane delights in sharing her inspirations and stories often with humour. It’s never boring and always unpredictable. Audiences leave feeling like they’ve spent an evening with old friends.

Sister Girl

Revelstoke natives Sister Girl will be rocking the Revelstoke StreetFest on Saturday August 15.

The local all-girl roots country/folk band will be playing their unique mix of original songs and new takes on old classics.

The five-member band first formed after a 2007 stage production of Jasper Station brought several of the group’s members together in a musical environment.

“We thought, We sound pretty good together,” explained Joanne Stacey, who played the Merritt Mountain Music Festival as a singer/songwriter before forming Sister Girl with Sharlene Foisy and Janine Carey-Bourke. Like the band, the name itself evolved from their time with Jasper Station, explained Joanne, who said it came from a character’s catch-phrase.

Soon, the group expanded with the addition of vocalist and guitarist Stephanie Ballendine and, later, Tessa Davis on the drums, among other instruments. Along with new members, the group soon found its sound—a sound which, explained Joanne, is based on “a lot of harmonies ... our biggest strength is the vocals.”

“We kinda started this not really sure where to go,” said Joanne, continuing, “We realized we’d better start taking it out there.”

Jon and Holly

Based out of the Kootenays, the soulful duo of Holly and Jon Burdon will be playing Revelstoke’s band shell Monday, August 17.

“Influenced by the soulful feel, honesty and simplicity of the blues, the story telling traditions of folk and country and the melodies of contemporary music, Holly and Jon play a genre hopping blend of music that leans heavily on contemporary blues but also offers elements of alt/country and shades of jazz and swing, imbued with the spirit of rock and roll,” say the duo on their website.

“Holly’s stellar vocal chops, which have been described as ‘Smooth and soulful; combining an innate sense of melody with jazz phrasing and blues feel’ and Jon’s red hot guitar work, together with their resplendent vocal harmonies make this duo an incomparable combination of talents. Whether playing as a duo or with their band they continue to gratify audiences and receive critical acclaim wherever they appear,” continued the pair.

The pair have played venues which include the Kaslo Jazz Fest, Whatshan Lake Music Festival, and have even had airtime on CBC Radio in the province.

Gaetan

Sunshine Coast-based artist Gaetan Bergevin will be on stage Tuesday August 18.

The eclectic artist says that musicality is firmly rooted in his childhood and his first guitar.

“Oh, I wanted that guitar so bad and I was so happy to have it. Then one day I fell on the stairs and put my fist right through the guitar and that was the end of that. We had no money for another guitar.”, said Bergevin on his website.

“But my uncle had a nice 12-string that stood in a corner at my Grandma’s house and so I would play that one whenever I got the chance.”

“I really didn’t get serious about music until I was in high school”, Gaetan says, “and then I played in some bands with my friends, you know, like a lot of kids. I started to really learn to play and I taught myself, of course. But I had to leave school early and work to earn a living, so I was lucky and I got a job in a music shop.

25 years and Gaetan is travelling around his province to promote his music and his unique style. The singer-songwriter’s blues-y feel will entertain and enthrall.