Alex Lamoureux plays Joe’s Garage this Saturday (Jan. 14) with piano legend Geoff Horrocks accompanying on the keys.Born and raised in Manitoba, Alex followed his mom around to old time dances, fiddle camps, and music performances. He first picked up the fiddle at the age of 5 and after “fiddling” around for a couple of years, the discovery process continued. By age 7, the passion for music became apparent and Alex started getting “serious” about playing the fiddle.Now at age 20, and living in Winnipeg, Alex is very active in the competition circuits in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and BC. His resume is already chalked full of first-place rankings at prestigious events including the John Arcand Fiddle Fest in Saskatoon and the North American Fiddle Championships in Edmonton.Alex is a past International Junior Champion and in 2006 placed among the top 5 in the 18 & Under category at the Canadian Championships in Shelburne, Ont. Alex is also busy teaching students every week and is getting to be a regular instructor on the BC Fiddle Camp circuit.Alex is the 2008 & 2009 BC Fiddle Champ and placed first in the Championship class at contests in Kamloops, Saskatoon, Abbotsford, and Prince George, just to name a few. He was ranked in the top 10 fiddlers overall at the Canadian Grand Masters National Fiddling Championship held in Ottawa in August 2008 & 2009.Alex has become a mentor and ambassador to other Métis youth across Canada and recently received a special Aboriginal recognition award from his school for his academic and musical talents.In the summer of 2005, Alex released his first CD entitled Want to Have a Few Tunes? This live recording captures Alex’s strong playfulness and sense of humour with its “house party” atmosphere.The project is truly a testament to Alex’s strong “feel” and “drive” in his fiddle playing. It’s impossible to keep your feet still while listening to Alex play!A solo album entitled Groove was released in 2009, to huge acclaim.Alex is an incredibly charismatic and charming young performer on stage. As the house lights dim, Alex drifts into a higher level of musical awareness. An obvious synergy is generated between the fiddle and himself as the raw emotion and heart are melded with the tightly wound strings.Accompanying Alex is world acclaimed Geoff Horrocks, who has earned a reputation as one of the premier pianists in the Canadian fiddle community.Opening the evening during the dinner hour is Leathan Milne and Colin Easthope.A soulful and emotional performer, Leathan Milne draws on all kinds of musical influences which make up his current sound. Layered guitars, warm string sections and full, rich vocal harmonies. Leathan’s current album The Outcome of Weather is now available for purchase, boasting 10 tracks of original material. He currently resides in Vancouver and will be coming to Joe’s Garage with Colin Easthope as the opening dinner act on the night of Alex Lamoureux’s performance.$15 advance tickets are available at Bop City Record or $20 at the door.Reserved seating is for dinner patrons only. Please visit the website at www.joeson5th.ca to reserve.Kitchen opens at 6:30 p.m. with the first act going on at 7 p.m.— Joe’s Garage

Comox Valley Record