Bozinni’s presents an exceptional double bill of two accomplished singer-songwriters on Friday, Nov. 27.
It’ll be a night of Americana and Canadiana with a mix of blues, roots, folk and gospel as Ben Rogers and Bradford Loomis fill the upstairs restaurant lounge.
Vancouver-based Rogers will be making his Chilliwack debut after recently returning from a successful European tour.
He’s a classic storyteller with a voice like smoke-damaged velvet soaked in Tennessee whiskey, and the wild charm of a young Johnny Cash.
Rogers was included in The Georgia Straight’s Best of Bands 2013 following the release of his debut Lost Stories: Volume I.
“Ben is an artist I’ve wanted to have perform here since the release of his first album. That guy writes some great tunes,” said Emmanuel Asprakis, owner of Bozzini’s.
His 2015 sophomore album The Bloodred Yonder is a collection of songs that range from raucously fun tracks to brooding ballads. It’s an album that Rogers describes as “the transition from life to death, good to evil paradise to perdition, and all the lost souls you meet along the way.”
Performing north of the border for the first time, Loomis hails from Marysville, Washington. He’ll show the crowd that there’s more to his neck of the woods than casinos and outlet malls.
“I watched Loomis perform in Bellingham last Summer at the Green Frog acoustic tavern and was so blown away that I invited him to perform in Chilliwack before he even got off the stage,” said Asprakis.
Through years of choir, band, and orchestra, Loomis has discovered a powerful kinship to the songs and stories of those bygone in the northwest, learning meaningful ways to tell exciting stories of his own.
From bitterness and loss to enduring hope and love, Loomis marries grit and melody to dig into the roots of American folklore and speak to the raw realities of the human condition with passion.
“It’ll be a treat to have both these artists together on the same night,” Asprakis enthused.
Ben Rogers and Bradford Loomis perform upstairs at Bozzini’s (45739 Hocking Ave) on Friday, Nov. 27. Doors at 8 p.m., show starts at 9 p.m.
Tickets are $20 and are available at Bozzini’s or can be reserved by phone at 604-792-0744.
