Don’t miss John Showman and the foggy Hogtown Boys, his exceptional bluegrass ensemble from Toronto.
Special guests the Cumberland Brothers — favourite hometown boys Archie Pateman and Jack Roland — will also play April 5 at the Waverley.
For a while, the Foggy Hogtown Boys may have been a well-kept secret, but apparently there have been some leaks. Over the past five years, an ever-widening audience has been raving about the band!
With four critically acclaimed CDs and tours from coast to coast, the Toronto-based Foggy Hogtown Boys have established themselves as one of the most exciting bluegrass bands in the country.
The FHB are Andrew Collins on mandolin, Chris Coole on guitar, Max Heineman on bass, Chris Quinn on banjo and John Showman on fiddle.
From the band’s inception, it was apparent that this particular group of musicians had a special chemistry that translated into some very powerful and entertaining music. This is not just five hot pickers in the same place, playing the same tune at the same time.
The Foggy Hogtown Boys are a band with a unique sound that is the sum of its members’ personalities and musicianship. Although instrumentally the band has the power to dazzle any audience, the song is always given top priority.
This commitment is evident in the care taken to arrange each song in a way that allows the story and feeling of the lyrics to surface and not be overshadowed by pyrotechnics.
Although the group draws a great deal of inspiration and material from the golden age of bluegrass and country music, solid original songs written by members in the band blend well among the old chestnuts.
In 2005 they released Northern White Clouds — an all-Canadian content bluegrass album that features some excellent writing from all the members of the band. In 2007 Pigtown Fling was a collection of original bluegrass and old-time instrumentals.
Their latest album The Golden West is a mix of original and traditional bluegrass music with elements of old-time music and honky-tonk thrown in.
The live show is the thing with the Foggy Hogtown Boys. The band always delivers a highly entertaining and diverse show; ballads, breakdowns, gospel quartets and lots of laughs.
For details, visit http://foggyhogtownboys.com.
Tickets are available at Bop City, the Waverley Hotel or by phone at 250-336-8322. Music starts at 9 p.m.
— Cumberland Village Works
