Submitted
The legendary Downchild Blues Band will be touring British Columbia in October, and they will be making a stop at Cranbrook’s Key City Theatre on October 17.
For more than four decades now, this Toronto powerhouse has been tearing up stages with it’s rollicking sound.
Led by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Donnie “Mr. Downchild” Walsh, the Downchild Blues Band has earned the reputation as the premier blues band in Canada.
Their saxophone-driven jump blues provided an inspiration for Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi’s “Blues Brothers” who included Walsh’s tunes “Everything I Need”(Almost) and “Shotgun Blues” on their debut album “Briefcase Full of Blues.”
About the reasons for Downchild’s success, Walsh is succinct and unequivocal. “First, it’s knowing your audience and knowing when to give them what they want”, he says.
“As for keeping the band together for as long as Downchild has been around, it’s an unspoken thing, finding a balance between what I need and what I know each musician can give.
“Every member of the band is well-equipped to do what each of us wants and needs. Downchild has always been bigger than the sum of it’s parts, and I can’t really can’t explain why”.
However, musicianship of the highest order, sharp arrangements, strict adherence to its legitimate sources, slick pacing and a steely fix on the moods of its audiences have always set Downchild apart. Singer Chuck Jackson, tenor sax player Pat Carey, drummer Mike Fitzpatrick, bassist Gary Kendall, and pianist/organist Michael Fonfara have been Walsh’s compadres for the past decade and a half.
“Flip Flop and Fly” with the legendary Downchild Blues Band, Tuesday, October 17, at the Key City Theatre in Cranbrook. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 21, at 10 a.m. at the theatre box office, or call 250-426-7006, or get your tickets on line at Keycitytheatre.com. All seats are reserved and priced at $45.00 including gst(service charges extra)
Downchild Blues Band live in concert is presented by the Kootenay Concert Connection in association with The Drive 102.9 and the Cranbrook Townsman.
