Tickets ***Tickets will be available at the door for tonight’s concert.***
Big Little Lions, consisting of Paul Otten and Helen Austin, was born out of a collaboration that won the duo a Juno Award in 2014. Since then they have been cranking out infectious folk pop songs that are jam-packed with emotion and tight harmonies that sound like the product of two people working side-by-side instead of living in different countries. In their live shows, Paul plays the drums, bass and keyboard, all while singing lead vocals. Helen, sings, plays guitar and foot percussion. They use every limb, and then some, to make two people sound like a full band. The Big Little Lions have released six albums to date, which have garnered them awards and nominations including the Canadian Folk Music Award Ensemble of the Year. Their critically-acclaimed music has appeared on the CBC’s Top 20 and featured on shows including q and Vinyl Cafe. Big Little Lions have been nominated for two 2024 Canadian Folk Music Awards, Vocal Group of the Year and Single of the Year.
Sonia Deleo operates in a half pitch of musical grandiosity and sensitive poetics. Fusing folk, soul and rock, her masterful vocals and full-hearted stories remain at the core of her work. Her debut solo record Love Notes To The Monsters arrived in late 2022, and was recently nominated for Folk Recording of The Year by the YYC Music Awards. Sonia is thrilled to be representing the WriteOn program!
Hayley Isabelis a singer-songwriter from Airdrie. She has an extensive repertoire of music and a natural ability to connect with an audience. She has experience playing along Calgary’s music mile and the Calgary Stampede Window on the West Stage and the Big Valley Jamboree Horizon Stage. Hayley is currently 11 years old.
Matthew James, is an Australian singer-songwriter renowned for his compelling performances and commanding vocals. With a passion for connecting through music, Matthew bares his soul in honest lyrics, addressing personal struggles and broader social themes, creating an immersive experience for his audience.
Maclayne Simone naturally combines infectious hooks and pop-infused melodies with the down-to-earth spirit of folk, captivating listeners through her heartfelt and emotive storytelling. With a steadfast commitment to authenticity, Maclayne’s writing vulnerably reflects her innermost emotions and journey through life.
Irish Mythen was born in Ireland and now resides in Charlottetown Prince Edward Island. Her latest release, Little Bones, gained her a 2020 JUNO nomination for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, seven Music PEI 2020 nominations and two wins — Touring Artist of the Year and Roots Contemporary Recording of the Year, and a Canadian Folk Music Award for Solo Artist of the Year. Irish’s live performances are a thing of raw power, emotion and a connection with her audience that just has to be seen to be believed.
Phyllis Sinclair
Her third album earned Phyllis Sinclair a Best Folk Acoustic Album Award by the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards and a nomination as Female Entertainer of the Year by the Aboriginal People’s Choice Awards. Phyllis was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award for her fifth album Ghost Bones. Phyllis says, “I was given the Cree name, Songkeeper Woman by a community elder. It’s a name that comes with a level of responsibility that I take to heart.” Her passion and advocacy are evident in her nurtured prose, humor and congeniality.
***Tickets for tonight’s concert will be available at the door.***
$30 advance tickets for our two remaining fall concerts at the Nick are on sale through Eventbrite. If your circumstances should change, refunds are available up to 24 hours prior to our events.
2022-2023 Nick season tickets are available and will now cost $252 each for nine concerts.
Season tickets may be purchased by an E-transfer sent to <info@thenick.ca>. Please include your email address, mailing address and phone number. Your E-Transfer will be automatically deposited.
The Fretless is a Canadian fiddle foursome playing an essential part in the emerging movement mainstreaming traditional Irish folk music. Starting with its debut album in 2012, the band has steadily pushed further into the public eye, winning Instrumental Group of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. In 2017, The Fretless took home a Juno award for Instrumental Album of The Year for Bird’s Nest.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Winnipeg singer Madeleine Roger will join The Fretless on vocals. Madeleine opened at the Nick for Pharis and Jason Romero in 2019.
Magnolia Buckskin
Magnolia Buckskin members Corry Ulan, Natasha Sayer and Kathy Cook are excited about sharing their new CD titled Die Laughing. They have been winning the hearts of audiences for more than half a decade with their intriguing lyrics and captivating arrangements. A flavorful blend of grassroots, folk, and acoustic pop music highlights sweet harmonies, laced with banjo, accordion, clarinet, mandolin, bass and guitar.
Family is the cord that ties The Pairs together, and with soaring harmonies they share stories of life’s hope, hilarity, and hardship. Their emotion-full performances and unbottled chemistry quickly connect them with their audiences, blurring the line between the stage and the crowd. Powered by 3 classically trained vocalists and a former punk rock drummer, The Pairs create acoustic harmony pop tunes grounded in unique rhythms that will hug your ear drums and inspire you to dance.
Tim Isberg
From Rwanda to Afghanistan, veteran soldier Tim Isberg experienced the real-life challenges while deployed amid the best and worst humanity has to offer. A Nominee for ACMA Male Artist of the Year and Top 5 Best Albums, Tim is a storyteller who brings an Americana blend of well-crafted songs to the stage and a unique and endearing array of experiences he shares in a way that makes each listener feel connected.
Little Miss Higgins struts and serenades her way onto any stage playing music brewed in early country blues, jazz and folk. Her six independently released albums have earned Juno and Maple Blues Award nominations and the Outstanding Blues Recording at the Western Canadian Music Awards. The Fire Waltz is a collaboration with Kris Demeanor, following a song cycle journey of a mother from a WWII era English Channel island to the great northern plains of Canada.
Ian Foster
Newfoundland’s Ian Foster is a storyteller who continues to evolve and defy genre, as his latest forthcoming album and film project Close to the Bone illustrates. He is a MusicNL and East Coast Music Award winner and a finalist for the International Songwriting Competition. A master with words, he’s got many a tale to tell and tells them with elegance. Some of the songs are in essence short stories, others poeticisms reflecting a connection to his surroundings.
Irish Mythen was born in Ireland and now resides in Charlottetown Prince Edward Island. Her latest release, Little Bones, gained her a 2020 JUNO nomination for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, seven Music PEI 2020 nominations and two wins — Touring Artist of the Year and Roots Contemporary Recording of the Year, and a Canadian Folk Music Award for Solo Artist of the Year. Irish’s live performances are a thing of raw power, emotion and a connection with her audience that just has to be seen to be believed.
Phyllis Sinclair
Her third album earned Phyllis Sinclair a Best Folk Acoustic Album Award by the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards and a nomination as Female Entertainer of the Year by the Aboriginal People’s Choice Awards. Phyllis was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award for her fifth album Ghost Bones. Phyllis says, “I was given the Cree name, Songkeeper Woman by a community elder. It’s a name that comes with a level of responsibility that I take to heart.” Her passion and advocacy are evident in her nurtured prose, humor and congeniality.
Juno nominees and winners of the Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year, Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine of Dala write and sing in harmony best described as angelic. Dala write songs that are both catchy and insightful. Amanda’s ethereal soprano voice blends seamlessly with Sheila’s velvety alto, creating the lush harmonies that have become their trademark. The sheer joy with which they perform is infectious, turning first-time listeners into instant fans.
Rob Heath
Singer/songwriter Rob Heath is first and foremost a storyteller. He has a keen eye for observance of the human condition and an ardent ear for putting it all to music. He won first place in the Calgary Folk Music Festival Songwriting Contest, won the New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival and was nominated for Canadian Folk Music Award as Songwriter of the Year. His latest CD Biggest Moments was released in 2022. Most of the songs are about people showing kindness to others without any expectations.
2022-2023 Nick season tickets are available and will cost $336 each.
Season tickets may be purchased by an E-transfer sent to <info@thenick.ca>. Please include your email address, mailing address and phone number. Your E-Transfer will be automatically deposited.
Season Tickets for our upcoming season are now on sale. See the next post for dates and performers confirmed to date.
As always, season ticket holders who arrive at the hall prior to 7:00 will gain admission prior to advance ticket holders.
2022-2023 Nick season tickets will cost $336 each.
Season tickets may be purchased by an E-transfer sent to <info@thenick.ca>. Please include your email address, mailing address and phone number. Your E-Transfer will be automatically deposited.
Alternately, you can send us a cheque post-dated to September 1. Again, please be sure to include your contact information.
Cheques should be made out to The Acoustic Music Society and mailed to:
Nickelodeon PO Box 64244 Thorncliffe PO Calgary AB T2K 6J7
As we approach capacity, purchases will be accepted first come, first serve.
Season tickets will be mailed out in early September.
$30 advance tickets for all our fall concerts will be sold through Eventbrite starting on September 1. 2023 advance tickets will go on sale December 15.
Born in Santiago, Chile, Oscar was encouraged by his father to play the violin and it’s close relative the mandolin, influencing his signature rhythmic playing style. He soon chose the nylon-string guitar as his “soul” instrument. A two time Juno award winner, Oscar’s Latin guitar groove makes him a standout on the world music stage. Ever the collaborator, Oscar easily incorporates jazz, blues, roots and pop sensibilities into his music. His friendship with singer/songwriter James Keelaghan resulted in two fusion recordings as Compadres. Oscar’s infectious rhythms, guitar mastery and improvisational wit will make you marvel. Oscar will be accompanied by guitarist Ricardo Madrid.
Ruth Purves Smith
A Praire girl from Alberta, Ruth Purves Smith grew up travelling the dusty highways between the two cultures of her urban life in the city and the artisan’s dream of working at a 100-year-old rural woolen mill. From these beginnings, Ruth found her voice and the music within her. Her music spans the spectrum from country through to Celtic-infused folk rock. Both of her albums (“Out in the Storm” and “Faster than the Speed of Dark”) have garnered international attention and received many enthusiastic reviews.
