Event
Rob Lutes & Rob MacDonald with opener Chris Velan
Rob Lutes: Since the release of his first album Gravity in 2000, Rob Lutes has steadily built a collection of exquisite songs that inhabit the intersection of blues, folk, Americana, and the contemporary singer-songwriter genre. As skilled delivering a Piedmont blues classic as he is performing his own acclaimed original songs, Lutes's masterful fingerstyle guitar work and soulful voice bring an unmistakable intensity to his live performances.
Highlighting his unmistakable voice and acoustic fingerstyle guitar, the album sees Lutes melding influences of blues, Americana, folk and pop into a fresh electro-acoustic sound as he plots a pathway through the current state of human dislocation with wisdom and humour. On Knives, he views the extremes of love and loss against the realities of domesticity; in Lightning, painful flashes of recognition provide, in the end, a vision of hope; on That Bird Has My Wings, a song inspired by celebrated Buddhist author and death-row inmate Jarvis Jay Masters, Lutes finds hope of freedom in imagination and the natural world; and on Work of Art, the unlived life is recast as a thing of beauty. Lutes also writes movingly of places in his life, conjuring the joys of youth and the comforts of memory in Shediac Bridge, Fisherman's Rest and Amsterdam. Mixed by celebrated engineer Rob Heaney (Cirque de Soleil, Patrick Watson), the album features some of Canada's finest roots players, including the versatile MacDonald, veteran sideman Bob Stagg, and Juno-nominated bassist Solon McDade. Recorded at six different studios due to Covid-19 restrictions, the album represents Lutes's vision for a sort of freedom and joy that can come from struggles, large and small. We had to make adjustments in how we did this album. We could not be together," Lutes says. "But from literally across the country, we found a kind of energy through these songs. It was as if we were in the room. We can share so much through common effort and support. That's how this album was made, and it gives me hope."
Apart from Come Around and Walk in the Dark, Lutes has released six other full-length albums, including 2009s acclaimed Truth & Fiction and 2013's The Bravest Birds which spent seven months in the Roots Music Report top 10 and hit #1 on the EuroAmericana Chart.
He performs solo, in duo with Quebec guitar legend Rob MacDonald, and in full-band format and as part of the roots supergroup Sussex, which has released two albums, Parade Day in 2016, and The Ocean Wide, which earned a 2021 CFMA nomination for Ensemble of the Year.
Chris Velan:
As a songwriter, musician, and producer hailing from Montreal, Chris Velan has made a name for himself over two decades by deftly weaving together a wide variety of musical genres, infusing each song with his signature emotional intensity. But the secret to Velan's success goes far beyond his technical abilities or his ear for catchy hooks - it's his ability to tap into something raw and authentic that speaks to the shared human experience.
His music - and search for inspiration and truth - has brought him to Guinea, Sierra Leone, Haiti and back. He has toured throughout North America with festival performances at The Lincoln Center, Sundance Festival, Montreal International Jazz Festival, and Osheaga, among many others.
At the heart of Velans sound lies a sense of empathy and emotional intelligence that is all too rare in the modern musical landscape. His music is a journey through the various worlds and cultures that have shaped him. Musically and lyrically, he has been recognized for his smartly crafted singer-songwriter pop and indie folk that trades in songs that both comfort and challenge. Drawing on a diverse musical DNA that includes West African desert blues, highlife, reggae, Americana and beyond, Velan has forged a sound that is uniquely his own, one that is universally resonant while remaining deeply personal and intimate. It's the kind of music that makes you feel seen and understood, even as it expands your own horizons.
Velans artistic journey has been one of constant evolution and creative output, constantly exploring new sounds and influences from around the world. Hes earned the respect of fans, peers, and industry for the consistent strength of his body of work, his abilities as a performer, and his versatility as a collaborator. His is a career built on collaboration and community, a testament to the power of music to bring people together and break down barriers.
Velan is proof that sometimes, the most unexpected paths can lead to the greatest destinations. Following his early, formative experiences playing in bands, including the short-lived but well-loved reggae outfit, Equalizer, Velan went on to leave a budding career in law to pursue his own solo musical path. That defining decision was influenced in no small part by his experience as the music producer for the award-winning documentary, Sierra Leones Refugee All Stars about the lives, and resilience, of a musical group of refugee musicians in West Africa. Velans experience with the project, and on the two internationally acclaimed albums he subsequently produced for the band, was transformative and helped to shape his own musical vision.
Since then, Velan has made his mark with a catalogue that includes seven albums and numerous appearances as a musical contributor and producer on others, earning accolades along the way. The single, un-American Gothic from his record, Glow (2016), landed on CBC Radio 2s Top 100 Songs List for that year.
His follow-up album, Amateur Hour saw its single, All-Time Record, charting high on CBC Radio 3s Top 30 Songs of the Week. Velan followed the success of his work with Sierra Leones Refugee All Stars to produce Haitian music collective, Lakou Mizik, on their debut, award-winning release, Wa Di Yo.
In the downtime of the pandemic, he kept busy collaborating with renowned Mauritanian-Senegalese artist, Daby Touré, on a duo project and launching an EP, Emissaire Vol. 1 to an enthusiastic critical response that has both artists setting eyes on more touring and recording. Velan also released his first French single, Ma Baleine, which found itself in regular rotation on satellite radio.
Velans latest album, Songs About Songs, out on May 19th, is a testament to his enduring curiosity and restless creativity. The album is an upbeat and heart-forward exploration of the insecurities and joys of finding new love, getting older and starting a family. Its a fitting antidote for the times, shot through with his honed songwriting chops, wit, insight, and compassion.
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LocationEspace Knox (View)
6215 , Godfrey
Montreal, QC H4B1K3
Canada
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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Contact
Accessibility
wheel chair accessible
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