With his unique brand of radio-friendly folk and a natural ability for storytelling, Sherman Downey has solidified himself as one of Newfoundland & Labrador’s most treasured artists. His music has charmed listeners from his homeland to the mainland and beyond with MusicNL Awards for “Artist of the Year’, “Pop/Rock Recording of the Year”, “Album of the Year” and “Solo Artist of the Year”; he’s also been twice recognized as Newfoundland and Labrador’s “SOCAN Songwriter of the Year”.
When Sherman sings about letting loose in the local dance hall, people-watching from the front porch, or playing with love in out-of-the-way gas stations, it’s with a nod and a wink to those who feel the push and pull of their own small towns. He currently calls Corner Brook, NL his home, but he grew up in Coal Brook, a small town nestled in the Codroy Valley of Western Newfoundland.
Concert Series
Upcoming 2024 Shows
New this year, we are offering Season Subscriptions.
Catch all the shows listed here for $225. (save ~20%)
Simply send an etransfer to tickets@emmanueluc.ca with your full name in the memo line (eg “Roberta Smith”) and we’ll add you to the list. Please use “fall2024” as the security answer.
Most shows offer student pricing which is $5 lower than the listed price.
$20 Advance / $25 Door
$15 Students (14+) / Children (0-13 Free)
Get Tickets Now
$20 Advance / $25 Door
$15 Students (14+) / Children (0-13 Free)
Get Tickets Now
Zachary Lucky is unapologetically old-school folk and country, armed with a husky, baritone voice – hailed as a master storyteller by No Depression and The Globe and Mail, and nominated solo artist of the year at the 2017 Canadian Folk Music Awards.
“An instant rapport with the audience bolstered by masterful stagecraft, incredibly strong songs, and dynamic and nuanced musicianship. Country music for everyone. I couldn’t recommend this show more.” – Matt Large – Montreal Folk Festival
$40 Advance / $50 Door
$30 Students (14+) / Children (0-13 Free)
Get Tickets Now
Julian Taylor is a Toronto-based, award-winning independent singer-songwriter, radio host, and label owner. Over 20-plus years as the leader of Staggered Crossing, Julian Taylor Band, and his solo work, Julian established himself as one of Canada’s great troubadours. He has earned three JUNO nominations, a pair of Canadian Folk Music Awards, five Native American Music Award nominations, and a nomination for the Polaris Music Prize.
“Taylor is a unique and important voice on the Canadian roots-and-folk scene.”- The Globe & Mail.
“Among Canada’s most premier songwriters. Ultimately, Taylor remains unparalleled” – Spill Magazine.
Opening Act: Kaleb Hikele
Kaleb Hikele is a Canadian singer-songwriter, folk rocker and prolific recording artist. His 12th indie studio album, My Mind Is Like a Radio, was written and recorded all in one spring season. Kaleb, best known for his work as The Sun Harmonic, performed and engineered the entirety of the new record at his home studio in Toronto’s east end. The latest album was recorded in retro a-song-a-day studio sessions, first mixed in Mono sound, harking back to vinyl in his record collection. Kaleb hit the road in 2024 to play 20+ dates across Ontario with his new My Mind Is Like a Radio vinyl on the merch table.
$20 / $25 Door
Get Tickets Now
Lotus Wight is a singer and multi-instrumentalist of astonishing originality and vision. Known for years as the banjo player in Sheesham, Lotus and Son, Wight has garnered appreciation globally for his unique voice and unusual instruments. Contrabass Harmoniphoneum, Jaw-Harp and Cello Banjo to name a few. Lotus has performed at festivals far and wide including Shetland Islands, Tonder in Denmark and the Istanbul Jazz Festival, sharing his unique take on Early Jazz and Old-time music. “…the domain of Lotus Wight seems to be the crossroads of American musics; equal parts Elizabeth Cotton and Jimmy Rogers…with a good measure of Sophie Tucker and Son House.
Onion Honey makes music like an old-fashioned string band – sweet and sharp and savoury, mountain music fresh from the Grand River Valley. The Kitchener-based outfit play retrofitted traditional tunes and original songs with old souls; they have been heard on radio stations across Canada and gig regularly around Southwestern Ontario. The band just released their fifth full-length album, Foul Weather Friends; recorded by Andy Magoffin in his House of Miracles, it is their first professional studio album after over a decade of self-produced music.
$20 Advance / $25 Door
Get Tickets Now
With sell-out shows in Ireland and Canada, and performing for Oscar-winner Glen Hansard, 0Stella’s [oh-Stella] alt-rock Irish fusion is captivating audiences everywhere. This is rock and roll with traditional Irish fiddle and bodhrán (sometimes wrapped in thick distortion) and catchy pop melodies that shimmer with rebellion. 0Stella sings in both English and Irish and regularly engages the crowd to sing along in both languages – whether performing solo or with her 5-piece band. 0Stella’s unique sound deftly combines Canadian rock with Irish storytelling and folk music and draws comparisons to Paramore, Garbage, Lana Del Rey and The Frames. The zero-waste advocate (thus the zero in her name) accumulated a staggering 8,500 kms of cycling in support of her two albums, Freefall (2022) and Skyward (2023), while advocating for environmental conservation. The cycling album tour took 0Stella across Canada and Europe. A full vinyl record, Pendulum State, is due out in 2024 on Dead Doll Records. 0Stella began her solo tour on Earth Day, April 20, 2022, with her bike, a tent, solar panel and carbon fibre guitar, and embarked on an awe-inspiring cycling tour from Victoria, BC, to Halifax, NS. The tour resonated deeply with fellow Canadians, Expect extraordinary performances with her signature alt-rock sound infused with Irish storytelling and folk influences.
$28.25 + fees Advance / $35 Door
Get Tickets Now
A modern indie folk trio from Newfoundland, The Once have collected a trio of Canadian Folk Music Awards, numerous ECMA awards, and was named Artist of the Year by the Newfoundland & Labrador Arts Council. They have earned not one, but two JUNO nominations for Roots Album of the Year and continue to take their music around the world.
With the release of 2024’s Out Here, The Once have delivered a thoughtful and playful assembly of songs mingling their musical roots from Newfoundland along with folk, bluegrass, country, Americana, and modern indie rock. Members Geraldine Hollett, Andrew Dale, and Phil Churchill have created a sound representative of their home province of Newfoundland while pushing the boundaries on the great Canadian songbook with their soothing vocal harmony and acoustically rich core.
Lyrically, The Once’s newest collection of songs encompass an arresting sense of loss with the belief that the good can be found in all people, and a desire to bring it out here for everyone to enjoy. A ray of hope in a confusing time. A port in a storm. A provocation with a grin.
This material is soaked with the poetic charm and sunny sadness of the trio’s collective disposition. Written across Newfoundland and recorded in the band’s GingerBeard House studio the band took their time creating this record. “Sometimes music takes a while to flow”, Geraldine Hollett explains. “If you don’t panic and instead surround yourself with people who love you that you can trust, magic can happen.”
$20 Advance / $25 Door/ $15 Students
Buy Tickets
$20 Advance / $25 Door
$15 Students (14+) / Children (0-13 Free)
Get Tickets Now
Based out of St. John’s, NL, Rube & Rake deliver folk songs with sparse and beautiful harmonies. 2022 ECMA Songwriter of the year, their music is an exercise in creating something beyond the sum of their parts.
Rube & Rake’s new album, “Leaving with Nothing,” begins with an ode to family and friends— togetherness—as Josh Sandu declares, against a hopeful bluegrass backdrop, “somewhere there’s a place to lay my head.” Nine songs later, over a gently plucked guitar, he sings, “I won’t go picking it up, the weight of the page is just too much.”
Following the award-winning 2017 debut “Back and Forth”, the St. John’s- based Sandu and Andrew Laite wanted to keep the core of that album’s artistic successes—musical and collaborative harmony, folk storytelling—while recognizing audience expectations have intensified. “The first album ends up being the greatest hits of what you’ve done so far,” says Laite. “With record number two, you want it to be in the ring with the first one, only bigger and stronger.”
Len O’Neill, a singer-songwriter from St. John’s, Newfoundland, began his career in the local pub and bar scene, playing guitar and bass in rock bands and leading the award winning indie rock band Green & Gold through two albums and several east coast tours. Influenced by a diverse range of artists spanning classic rock legends to poetic songwriters, Len crafts introspective, lyric-driven compositions exploring themes of ambition, sorrow, and personal growth.
$20 Advance / $25 Door
$15 Students (14+) / Children (0-13 Free)
Get Tickets Now
From their name alone, The Goddamsels aren’t your grandparents’ idea of country music. Born of the longstanding friendship between Alberta-based singer/songwriters Mallory Chipman and Freddi MacDougall, The Goddamsels write songs with strong, empowering messages, blended with elements of folk, pop and traditional country, tied together by their stunning, instinctive harmonies. Their signature sound, which has drawn comparison to acts like The Chicks and Fleetwood Mac, can be heard on their debut album, Wayward Daughter, and subsequent singles. They were nominated for the 2023 Roots Artist of the Year at the Country Music Alberta Awards, and in 2023, they completed a staggering 60-date tour across Canada. The Goddamsels recently completed their first European tour in Ireland, Scotland, and England in early 2024.
Vancouver-based duo Duke & Goldie balance warm folk storytelling and upbeat mystical country twang. Jena Gogo and Eric Duquette have an exciting new sound said to “revive the charm of the 60’s and 70’s Laurel Canyon music scene”. Their debut self-titled EP (2023) has earned glowing reviews and been called “A masterpiece that skilfully balances folk and country elements while showcasing the duo’s exceptional vocal abilities” by Canadian Beats. On stage the pair weave their cascading vocal harmonies over acoustic guitar-laden arrangements to tell stories that roam from rocky mountain highs to mysterious remote deserts, captivating audiences wherever they go.
$40 Advance / $50 Door
$30 Students (14+) / Children (0-13 Free)
Get Tickets Now
Séan McCann bought his first guitar in 1989 which he affectionately calls “Old Brown”. Old Brown has been around. He was there for the first song Séan ever wrote. He was there as Séan founded Great Big Sea, the acclaimed and multi-million album selling band that would change his life. He was there to hold Séan up many a night as he struggled with alcoholism, and he has been there to help guide Séan out of the darkness with music as his medicine.
Upcoming 2025 Shows
New this year, we are offering Season Subscriptions.
Catch all the shows listed here for $TBD. (save ~20%)
Simply send an etransfer to tickets@emmanueluc.ca with your full name in the memo line (eg “Roberta Smith”) and we’ll add you to the list. Please use “winter2025” as the security answer.
Most shows offer student pricing which is $5 lower than the listed price.
$25 Advance / $30 Door
$20 Students (14+) / Children (0-13 Free)
Get Tickets Now
Trying to describe Moulettes is a lot harder than loving their music. Often compared to artists as diverse as Pink Floyd and Kate Bush, this group continues to push the boundaries of acoustic, and sometimes electric contemporary songwriting and instrumentation. What is consistent in every recording they have made is a combination of lush, catchy melodies, ethereal lyrics and a unique sound that blends folk and pop with strings. On this tour, Moulettes will be heavily featuring strings from their current project, Xenolalia.
They have performed at some of the most prestigious outdoor events in Canada, including the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Calgary Folk Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival and the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. This show is guaranteed to turn heads, and guaranteed to surprise audiences with its unique and fresh take on contemporary songwriting.
Home Routes 2024/2025
We have once again partnered with Home Routes/Chemin Chez Nous in 2024/2025 to host a joint concert series with Brubacher House on the University of Waterloo campus.
Admission: $25 cash at the door. Free for kids ages 12 and under, and $15 for students (*NEW* student pricing!) and youth ages 12-17.
Get all 5 shows for $112.50, a 10% discount. Available for purchase at the October 27 show. Cash at the door or by etransfer to tickets@emmanueluc.ca
Home Routes/Chemin Chez Nous was founded in 2007 with the direct purpose of building more infrastructure for Folk Musicians to play more concerts in more communities across Canada. This was achieved by partnering with local community members to create a network of hosts across the country who donate their time and homes, or find appropriate venues to host folk music events in intimate and unique settings.
$25 Adults
$15 Students (12-17) / Children (0-12 Free)
6:00pm Potluck
7:00pm Concert
Michael McGovern is a Glasgow-based Scottish singer-songwriter known for his delicate folk music. His debut album, Highfield Suite, showcases his poignant voice alongside acoustic guitar, piano, and harmonies, drawing comparisons to Leonard Cohen, Big Thief, and Paul Simon. The album received widespread praise across the UK and Ireland, leading Michael to tour extensively throughout Europe. In 2023, he made his Canadian debut at the Vancouver Island Music Festival. Now preparing for his second album, Michael’s storytelling shines through songs like “Ode to Laurie” and “The Harbour.” He embarks on his first Home Routes tour in Ontario this year.
Location: Brubacher House Museum, Frank Tompa Dr, Waterloo
– Map, directions, parking, and accessibility info: https://uwaterloo.ca/brubacher
$25 Adults
$15 Students (12-17) / Children (0-12 Free)
6:00pm Potluck
7:00pm Concert
The first thing you’ll notice about Mary Simon is her powerful voice. Compared to Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks and Sheryl Crow, not only does she sing and play guitar she is known for her memorable & catchy songs. With lots of touring under her belt, she’s played lots of different venues from bars to busking to cruise ships. Simon wants to engage her audience and inspire them with music. “One of my biggest joys is when people are singing along,” she says. “Music has the power to unify and heal”. Beside playing solo she also has an killer all original band called Mississippi Bends which brings out her North-American flavour.
$25 Adults
$15 Students (12-17) / Children (0-12 Free)
6:00pm Potluck
7:00pm Concert
Hilary Hawke is completely engaging on stage with a warmth and energy that pulls an audience into the show. With 20 years of performing experience, she is most known for her creative and versatile, banjo playing in the North American old-time and bluegrass styles but also for breaking new ground in her current projects as a songwriter and arranger in the contemporary classical world as well as an instrumentalist/vocalist.
Based out of NYC for the past 18 years, and originally from upstate, NY, Hilary has been playing her own original music with brilliant guitarist, Ross Martin and up and coming fiddler Camie Howes. She debuted her first mostly instrumental album last year called “Lilygild” with guitarist, Reed Stutz (Molsky’s Mountain Drifters) and also wrote a whole album of neo-classical music called “Open the Doors” with pianist and synthesist Ola & Claude Aldous. “I decided that I wasn’t going to try to fit into a box, but bring the music I felt inside my head and fingers into the world”. Hilary is currently playing festivals and shows with her own music as well as playing with the great fiddler, Eileen Ivers in a cross-over Irish and Americana band called the Brigideens.
Location: Brubacher House Museum, Frank Tompa Dr, Waterloo
– Map, directions, parking, and accessibility info: https://uwaterloo.ca/brubacher
$25 Adults
$15 Students (12-17) / Children (0-12 Free)
6:00pm Potluck
7:00pm Concert
Catching himself up on the irony of his own intentions, Joel Henderson has inadvertently made a name for himself as Poor Nameless Boy. Exploring the depths rarely fathomed by modern indie folk, Henderson revels in understated authenticity and tenderness, drawing from a deep well of human insight. While his ethereal vocals evoke the spirits of Donovan Woods and Gregory Alan Isakov, it’s Henderson’s raw vulnerability and soul-stirring lyrics that truly set him apart. Since his enchanting albums Activity Book (2013) and Bravery (2016), he’s been a traveller, gracing stages across Europe, Australia, and North America. Taking a respite from extensive touring in 2020, Poor Nameless Boy reemerged on the airwaves with “Jean Jackets” in the fall of 2021, offering a glimpse of the captivating music that awaits us in 2023/24.
Location: Brubacher House Museum, Frank Tompa Dr, Waterloo
– Map, directions, parking, and accessibility info: https://uwaterloo.ca/brubacher
$25 Adults
$15 Students (12-17) / Children (0-12 Free)
6:00pm Potluck
7:00pm Concert
A Saskatoon native transplanted to the Niagara Region of Ontario, Roots and Blues singer and musician Suzie Vinnick is a 3X Juno Nominee, a 2X Canadian Folk Music Award winner, won a 2024 ECMA with her project A’Court, Spiegel and Vinnick and is a 12-time winner of the Maple Blues Award for songwriting, female vocalist, acoustic act and more. Suzie has a voice you’ve heard a thousand times and one you’ll never forget. It soars, it growls, it whispers and it shouts from a deep, deep well of emotion. The pure joy she exudes when she plays her guitars is so worth the show.
In July 2024 Suzie opened for Burton Cummings at the Kemptville Live Music Festival and in July 2023 she was a special guest of Blackie & the Rodeo Kings at Ottawa Bluesfest along with Daniel Lanois. She has also toured nationally with Downchild, Stuart McLean’s The Vinyl Café, with ASV (Charlie A’Court, Lloyd Spiegel and Vinnick), the John McDermott Band and she performed for Canadian Peacekeepers in Bosnia and the Persian Gulf. She was also the voice of Tim Horton’s for 5 years.
Her latest album is entitled “Fall Back Home”.
Some of what you missed in 2024
$20 Advance / $25 Door
Get Tickets Now
Katherine Fischer’s unique pop confessionals are the medicine for when our hearts get sick, served with an eccentric dose of sugar to help it all go down.
From coast to coast Katherine has played over 250 shows from festival performances at Winnipeg Folk Festival to living rooms with SOFAR Sounds. Her new album “Great Loves” blends Americana, indie pop, cinematic strings and harmonies that wrap around you to create a breathtaking folk album, that has garnered over 100,000 streams worldwide.
York Street Thought Process, the musical collaboration between Jaron Camp and Rachael Frankruyter, offers an intimate experience, crafting a spirited blend of indie-folk and improvisation. Having charmed audiences across Southern Ontario, from intimate venues to lively festivals, York Street Thought Process provides a playful and authentic folk experience. Having released their debut album “Roots” in the summer of 2022, the duo recently ventured to the east coast to record a new album set to release in 2024.
Champagne Weather is making its recorded debut in 2024 with the release of “ADSR”, a four-EP collection of songs. ADSR, short for “Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release,” describes the shape of a sound from its beginning (attack) to its end (release). Also a metaphor for life itself, ADSR reminds us that every sound we hear is a microcosm of our own lives. This concert will feature songs from the first EP, “A.” Fans of Laurie Anderson, Jane Siberry and Philip Glass will appreciate Champagne Weather’s genre-defying mix of songwriting and sound sculpture.
Champagne Weather is bold, immersive music from Canadian Folk Music Award-winners and JUNO nominees James Hill and Anne Janelle. Both have one foot in folk traditions and the other in improvised music. With a blend of songwriting and sound sculpture, Champagne Weather bridges these worlds with a sound that evokes Philip Glass and Steve Reich even as it harks back to Appalachian fiddle and Maritime folksong. Cello, ukulele, violin and vocal harmonies sparkle, grounded only by the rumble of low-fi synth. It’s ever-changing music that neither sleeps nor wakes, floating instead in a dreamy blue twilight of sound.
“You will come to listen, and walk away singing. GATHERING SPARKS is the graceful collision of Eve Goldberg and Jane Lewis—musical friends who blend tight harmonies, finely crafted songs, and a love of participatory singing to create an intimate and uplifting experience. Their inclusive approach embraces folk, pop, blues and gospel influences tastefully played on acoustic guitar, piano, accordion, and ukulele.
With their infectious mix of styles and compelling vocal blend, Gathering Sparks has been making some big waves. Their debut 6-song CD was nominated for a 2014 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year, and they have become an audience favourite. Whether they are belting it out a capella style, tugging on your heartstrings with a folky original, crooning a jazzy swing tune, or getting into the spirit with a gospel-inflected singalong, Gathering Sparks performances make fans out of listeners with their stellar harmonies and fine musicianship.
Cheryl Prashker studied classical percussion at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where she was born and raised. She has toured Canada, U.S. Europe and Russia. She spent many years in NY City where she honed her skills of playing anything from Rock and Roll, Klezmer, to Celtic as well as Middle Eastern music. She now uses her special style of percussion to enhance the music of such artists as Eric Andersen, Jonathan Edwards, Pat Wictor, Tracy Grammer, Full Frontal Folk and her own Celtic Roots Music group RUNA.
2023 Shows at a Glance
Check out the listings below to see what you missed! This will give you a general idea of what we will program in the future.
Get Tickets Now
$20 Advance/$25 Door
A Songwriters Showcase, featuring The MacQueens & Woody Woodburn.
Born & raised in Mississauga, ON, Canada, drawn to the small town lifestyle of his roots in Cape Breton, NS, Woody Woodburn now calls his home Rockwood, ON. The kind of melodies that linger in your head well after you’ve heard them. He gives life to your own struggles. Like listening to an old friend. Woody is an unassuming, humble guy that will surprise you with his powerful voice. A voice that combined with with the real & “come from the heart” lyrics will leave you more hopeful & inspired in your life.
Built around the distinctive chemistry of married couple Kris and Livia MacQueen’s musical partnership, The MacQueens‘ sound is a compelling fusion of contemporary folk, rock, and country, characterized by their thoughtful lyrics, engaging melodies, and memorable performances.
Their first full-length studio album “You & Me & Everything”, released in 2019, is a sonically diverse, emotionally honest reflection of life together. It received regular rotation on the CBC and more than 45 campus and independent radio stations across North America.
With their band or as a duo, their live performances navigate between delicate acoustic moments and powerful wall-of-sound highlights and all the spaces in between. The MacQueens perform with range and diversity that keeps audiences with them from the moment the music starts, to the moment they walk off stage.
Get Tickets Now
$15 Advance/$20 Door
19th Moon is an Electro/pop/indie artist based in New Orleans. Her music is about love, lifting the spirits and also vibrating at a beautiful frequency. Her style is influenced by her African, European and American roots. Born in the USA but growing up in Nigeria and vagabonding through Italy and Germany influenced her musical style and outlook in life.
Her latest album is called, “We Are Here”. It’s a call to empower and unite all. All races, genders, ages, sexes, whatever we feel separates us. According to here, these are just illusions created to occupy and distract us from our true purpose of love and oneness with infinite divine.
Opening act: Paige Warner
With an evocative voice that captivates her audience, Paige Warner creates alt-pop music with soul-inspired vocal licks layered on catchy hooks and rhythms. With over 80,000 combined listens on Spotify alone, Paige’s recent singles have drawn love from media and listeners alike. Having performed on stages such as NXNE, Owen Sound’s Summerfolk, TD Harbour Nights, and opening for iconic artists including Ron Sexsmith and Monowhales, Warner’s dedicated fan base continues to grow, while she pulls on heartstrings or pulls you to the dance floor. With new music on the way, Paige plans to continue releasing songs, creating intimate concert experiences, and leaving audiences with a memorable connection and a melody.
Get Tickets Now
$20 Advance/$25 Door
Melbourne sister duo Charm of Finches deliver intricate indie-folk that is simultaneously graceful and darkly bewitching. Their seamless blood harmonies traverse melancholy and wonder in equal measure.
The sisters, Mabel and Ivy Windred-Wornes, released their third full length album Wonderful Oblivion in 2021 through New York-based label AntiFragile Music to critical acclaim. They have since toured the UK and Europe in Spring/Summer 2022 and returned to the UK in January 2023.
Winners of the Australian Folk Music Awards Best Folk Album (2022) and Music Victoria Best Folk Act (2021), their music has been nominated twice for the prestigious Australian Music Prize.
Their 2019 sophomore album Your Company won the 2020 Independent Music Awards’ Best Folk/Singer-Songwriter Album – the same award won by Martha Wainwright the previous year.
Charm of Finches recorded their fourth studio album in Nova Scotia, Canada at the beginning of 2023, working with acclaimed producer Daniel Ledwell (The Once, Jenn Grant, Oh Pep!, The Good Lovelies) – to be released in 2024. They return to Canada’s east to showcase these songs this Fall.
“Wonderful Oblivion is a triumphant indie folk effort – nostalgic yet fresh, haunting, but at the same time serene. ” – We Found New Music
“Melbourne sister duo Charm of Finches are perched for stardom. For lovers of tight sibling harmonies, chamber folk, and those who long to be carried-away by a lullaby…” – Ariana Morgenstern KCRW Today’s Top Tune
‘Music that tugs at the heart and stirs the imagination.’ – The Australian
‘For anyone who listens to Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver, Billie Marten, etc., this band is well worth adding to your rotation.’ – The Epigram (UK)
Gets Tickets Now
$20 Advance/$25 Door
A triple bill featuring:
SHAWNA CASPI: Shawna Caspi is all about authentic human connection, sharing songs and stories that are relatable, but told in new and unexpected ways, with lyrics that are poetic and clever, wrapped around intricate fingerstyle acoustic guitar accompaniment. Her latest album, “Hurricane Coming”, was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award and an Ontario Folk Music Award. www.shawnacaspi.com
CLAIRE COUPLAND: There is a pureness to Claire’s voice that can silence a room. A moving songwriter and compelling guitarist, she combines smooth folk finger picking, jazz influenced progressions under soaring melodies. Darker and more vulnerable reckonings of self worth, escaping abuse, painful goodbyes, and hope for the future are all themes in her new album “New Light”. She brings a graceful contemporary feel to folk music, with a touch of her “wicked sense of humour” (Rik Emmett). www.clairecoupland.com
SARAH HILTZ: Sarah Hiltz is a contemporary folk artist based in Toronto, Canada. Her new album CALM FURY is a collection of songs that grew out of her research into the ways we experience, express and repress anger in modern society, especially women. Her work as a talented singer-songwriter has landed her Folk Music Ontario’s Songs From The Heart Award, opening slots for Canadian icons Gordon Lightfoot and Ron Hynes, a Best Folk Album nomination (Toronto Independent Music Awards) and earned her an invitation to give a TEDx talk in 2014. www.sarahhiltz.com
Get Tickets Now
$20 Advance/$25 Door
Desiree Dorion grew up 1.5 miles from Dauphin’s Countryfest. As a girl she would ride her bike there when the festival wasn’t on, climb up on the stage, and pretend to play to the thousands of fans that come to watch big country music acts.
Her most recent album release, “That’s How I Know,” reached #3 on iTunes in its 1stweek of release. The JUNO Nominee has had multiple songs chart in the top 100 on the Canadian country music charts, and several reach #1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown
with Stacey Lee Guse and Carrie DeMaeyer
Stacey Lee began singing before she speak. Naturally, her life has been grounded in the music business ever since. A highly accomplished session vocalist and live performer, Stacey Lee has been delighted to add creative touches on several world class stages, albums, radio and television themes and has worked with renowned producers David Foster, J. Richard Hutt, and Jason Barry. Most recently, she can be seen as a featured member of Canada’s swing supergroup, The Western Swing Authority. With them she performs an eclectic mix of Western swing, jazz and traditional country standards along with 6 more of Canada’s finest musicians, including her husband, two time CCMA fiddle player of the year Shane Guse.
Get Tickets Now
$19 Advance / $24 Door
The story of Death Party Playground is really about the creative evolution of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kyle Taylor. The music showcases Kyle’s undeniable lyrical and melodic skills, resembling a combination of late-‘70s New York energy and early-‘90s Britpop drama. Avid Habs Fans. Aspiring Die Hard extras. Rock band.
Gets Tickets Now
$25 Advance/$30 Door
Moulettes are one of UK’s most unique touring bands and are steadily being singled out from the wave of apparent Bjork & Kate Bush influenced Indie/alt Folk bands that have arisen this decade. They recorded their third studio album Constellations in studios, churches, tunnels, artisan workshops and bedrooms around Brighton and released it in 2014/2015. Their current project is the multi-album opus, Xenolalia
Renowned for their breathtaking live shows, it is clear that few bands have the creative range and work ethic of Moulettes. With a brave approach to production and arrangement, Moulettes look for peculiar ways of blending acoustic and electric instruments; For example, by putting Bassoons and stringed instruments through pedals and valve amps.
$20 Advance/$25 Door
Emmanuel United Church presents Traveling Songs ft. Andrew Bentham-Riley, Neil Little, Scott Wicken, and Lynn Jackson.
You are invited to join these songwriters as they share their songs and stories from the road in this intimate Songwriter’s Round performance.
Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario Andrew Bentham-Riley‘s lyrical style is anecdotal – sharing a narrative of his own life, an assorted batch of tales from the road, heartbreak, and lessons learned along the way. Andrew pairs these stories with tastefully crafted guitar parts wearing his influences for all to see finding better days through music. hyperfollow.com
Neil Little is a singer-songwriter from Stratford, Ontario. His sound is a blend of alt-folk-Canadiana with the emphasis on thoughtful lyrics and interesting guitar work. www.neil-little.com
Kitchener, Ontario Singer Songwriter Lynn Jackson has been writing and performing original music for more than 25 years.Jackson’s songs are fierce and tender, searching and powerful, as she draws us into her world and characters with enduring narratives and strong melodies. www.lynnjackson.net
Scott Wicken is a singer-songwriter and spoken word artist based in Waterloo, Ontario. Transitioning from poetry into songwriting in the ’90’s it took over his creative output writing 100’s of songs covering social issues, heartfelt ballads, and irreverent comedy, all with dazzling wordplay. www.scottwicken.com
$15 Advance / $20 Door
Inspired by the storytelling that exists in the diverse genre of folk music Noelle writes in a way that is simple, honest and deeply emotional. Noelle is a witty and charismatic performer who draws in the audience with her joy. She meshes a lighthearted presence and stage banter with emotionally charged, uplifting and sometimes haunting songs. Lyrically she taps into the angst and beauty of life. Each song has a soul and largely speaks to the resiliency and courage of human beings. Visit @noellefrancesmusic on Instagram and/or www.noellefrances.com
$20 Advance / $25 Door
Inspired by artists such as Janis Joplin and Florence + the Machine, Montreal-born, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Cinzia & the Eclipse creates an impact through diary-like lyricism and her raw, unforgettable vocal style. Cinzia has performed for national audiences at CMW, NXNE, & POP Montreal, and has shared the stage with the likes of Jonathon Roy, Bülow, Andy Kim, and Billy Raffoul.
Altered By Mom is an Alt-Rock/Indie Duo from Toronto that combines a knack for infectious melodies and classic songwriting with a quirky sense of humour and a tongue-in-cheek post-grunge aesthetic. They sound like Alanis Morissette, Olive Rodrigo, and Sloan chowing down on a party sub in the security line at YYZ.
Altered by Mom’s latest release is AHEM, a metaphorical throat clearing, a demand for attention, and a commanding of the floor. The four tracks on AHEM are a power snack, like a banana with a Red Bull chaser, an amuse-bouche for the ears. Lead singles “Dive In”, “Everygirl” and now “Waiting on a Sign That’s Already There” are compelling fun and introspective songs about self-belief, pursuing love, and embracing the weird and wonderful in life.
This is a pay-what-you-can performance.
Singer, songwriter Fraoich takes the listener on an evocative journey with her songs, style, haunting, warm, expressive voice that “has all these qualities and characteristics to it.” Fraoich is joined by Latin Fusion Artist Ravel MX.
$15 Advance / $20 Door
Brooklyn Doran (she/her) is a queer singer-songwriter originally from the heart of Northwestern Ontario, who has been a staple of the Toronto folk scene for over ten years. Doran’s unique sound weaves song and storytelling; the polarity between her music and personality create a harmonious blend of wit and humour contrasted by vulnerable lyricism and haunting melody.
Ottawa-based singer/songwriter Rory Taillon is a road warrior, touring across the country and back again. He has the soul of the East coast but the sound of the West in his songs with a voice to match the majesty of the Rockies.
Because Rory Taillon is not just an entertainer he is a performer. It’s just that simple, when Rory Taillon sings everything stops and when its starts again it’s all changed. It’s just that simple, like folk.
$20 Advance / $25 Door
Once upon a lifetime, Jesse Rivest was a young singer-songwriter based in Alberta and BC; music and adventure brought him overseas to Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Brazil (currently based). Now, 18 years later, the singer-songwriter and guitarist is looking to his birthplace, Southern Ontario, as a cozy place to make regular return visits, make new friends, and open his suitcase of original indie-folk tunes.
Sammy Duke is an unmistakable presence the moment he starts performing onstage. Called a “troubadour prog-rock[er]” (No Depression Magazine), this literal one-man-band uses each limb to perform on a variety of instruments; including guitar, foot synths, foot percussion, and even his elbow in the case of his famed ‘elbow chimes’. Through his infectious live energy, Sammy Duke enchants audiences with spontaneous spurts of crowd participation, self-deprecating wit, and thought-provoking lyrics within his folksy-fusion music that blends elements of world-beat, rock and soul.
Mitch Szitas has a way of storytelling through song that is infectious as much as it is captivating. With a euphonious voice, catchy guitar lines, smooth harmonies, and lyrics that will have you holding your chin, his unique styling to the folk genre will have you listening for years to come. His debut EP, Moniker (2023), is a heart-felt tribute to the kid that he once was, with lyrics that will make you think and feel as though you’re somewhere familiar and welcome.
$20 Advance / $25 Door
Onion Honey will be hosting a Holiday Hootenanny at Emmanuel United Church! KW’s favourite local old-time folk band will be performing original Christmas and seasonal songs, as well as plenty of singalong carols.
6:30 PM – Doors open
7:00 PM – music begins!
8:00 PM – intermission
8:20 PM – second half begins
9:30 PM – end
Advance tickets are $20, but tickets at the door will be PWYC.
Onion Honey may hail from Ontario’s tech capital, but they make foot-stomping, toe-tapping, hoedown-ing folk music like an old-fashioned string band. Dave Pike, Esther Wheaton, Leanne Swantko, and Kayleigh LeBlanc play traditional tunes made new and original songs that sound old; like their name, Onion Honey’s music is sweet and sharp and savoury, a remedy for many ills, and a recipe for a good time. Influenced by bands like Uncle Earl, Old Crow Medicine Show, and the Foghorn Stringband, the Kitchener-based outfit brings a uniquely-Southwestern-Ontario flavour to their music.
Onion Honey has been heard on radio stations across Canada and featured in Jan Hall’s Sunparlour Sessions; their last two albums, Raisin’ Heck and Earthly Trials, charted on national campus radio in 2017 and 2019. They gig regularly around Southwestern Ontario and have performed at a number of festivals including Banjofest in Guelph, Cambridge’s Mill Race Folk Festival, Winterfolk in Toronto, Hamilton’s Festival of Friends, and more.
Live Local Entertainment
Embrace the arts and culture of the Waterloo region with live musical performance and entertainment organized and hosted by Emmanuel. Keep an eye on our upcoming events and join us in gathering, building community and enjoying ourselves.
Follow Our Spotify Playlist
This Spotify playlist highlights artists that we’ve hosted in the past as well as upcoming artists. Curated from us to you with love.
Donate to Emmanuel United Church
Donations to any partners of Emmanuel can be found on their respective webpages.