In honour of Earth Hour, the March 27 Unplugged Saturday Night open stage will be acoustic. Candles will provide the appropriate ambiance to honour the occasion.

To reserve your seat and get directions, call (705) 431-7182 or e-mail ginnyc649@hotmail.com.

Hailed by the Boston Globe as a “charismatic performer and singer,” Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence – close to six-and-a-half feet tall – with a voice to match. His music, like the man himself, is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful.

An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humour and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again.

The show takes place at the Downtown Community Theatre (1 Dunlop St. W., Barrie). Doors open at 7:30pm; the show starts at 8pm.

Advance tickets are $20 ($25 at the door). Advance tickets are available:

• At Barrie Music Centre (411 Huronia Rd., Barrie); cash sales only. The Barrie Music Centre is open Mon-Thurs, 12 to 9pm
• Online at ticketbreak.com or call 705.722.4849; toll free: 1.866.943.8849). Phone orders are only available up to one week before show date.
• At all Barrie Folk Society events

Garnet’s last show in Barrie sold-out, so make sure you purchase your tickets early.

Garnet is a strong advocate of local food banks, so audience members are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to the show

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Fact is, Connie Kaldor is a performer without borders. A contradiction in terms. She is a Juno-award winning singer who has flourished on the folk music scene for over two decades yet her repertoire of original material blurs musical boundaries, embracing elements of gospel, rock, country and western, folk, blue grass and adult contemporary.

She is an artist of substance without pretension, witty and urbane without condescension. She is a fearless chronicler of the human experience without the folksong angst. She has recorded nine albums, sold tens of thousands of copies, but has never had a commercial hit.

Her live performances are legendary and her fan base broad and fiercely loyal. People come back to see her again and again because a Connie Kaldor performance is about more than just the power of music. It is also about the power of personality. What she says between songs is as intriguing as the lyrics she sings.

A musical bard whose music and lyrics have diverse appeal-appropriated for everything from anger management workshops for men to economic news letters to soundtracks for film. “She’s tough and she’s tender. She sings with love and with anger…indecently talented. ” Toronto Star.

The show takes place at the Downtown Community Theatre (1 Dunlop St. W., Barrie). Doors open at 7:30pm; the show starts at 8pm.

Advance tickets are $20 ($25 at the door). Advance tickets are available:

• at Barrie Music Centre (411 Huronia Rd., Barrie); cash sales only. The Barrie Music Centre is open Mon-Thurs, 12 to 9pm.
• mail a cheque to 51 Henry St. Barrie, ON L4N 1C6 to have advance price tickets held at the door under your name.
• email info@barriefolk.com or phone 737-5204 by Jan 5th to arrange advance price tickets held at the door under your name

A great Christmas gift for a Connie fan!

The fifth annual BarrieFolk: Roots Music Festival takes place on Nov. 6 and 7 at Georgian College. Music starts at 7pm on Nov. 6 with the third annual Youth Song Competition finalists competing for a place in the festival. The evening will be capped off with a special musical presentation by Sheesham and Lotus. This special Friday event takes place in the Rowntree Theatre (H106, CAI Building, Georgian College).

Music starts on Nov. 7 at 11:30am in both the Georgian College Theatre and The Last Class Lounge. Performers include DALA, Jory Nash, Tanglefoot, Sheesham and Lotus, Jill Jambor, Hawp, Tethera, Dentdelion, Good Lovelies, Gordie Tentrees, Dave Thomson, The Brights, Soul Surfers and more!

Friday night tickets are $10 per person. Saturday advance tickets are $30 ($40 at the door). Seniors and students $20.

Tickets are now available online or by phone. New! tickets are also available in Orillia at the Mariposa Folk Foundation (37 Mississaga St. W. or call 705.326.3655.

• Who: All musicians are welcome to sign up for set on stage via our draw system (see below)
• Cost: There is no admission cost for the evening

This is an all-ages evening and children are encouraged to attend as well as participate.

Draw system: The number of songs/length of set will be determined by the number of people signing up. 11 and under performers – nine 15-minute sets and two two-song sets are available; more than 11 musicians – each performer will get two songs (up to a maximum of 15 performers due to time). Musicians fill in their performer card and names for available time slots are drawn at 7:20 p.m.

Donations to the jar to offset any potential expenses are welcome. The Library Cafe will be open for refreshments.

All musicians – budding and otherwise, are welcome to the Barrie Folk Society open stage – Unplugged Saturday Nights.

For more information on the open stage:

• E-mail: kcpttrsn@gmail.com