Vancouver folk artist Dominique Fricot is part of The Folk Road Show coming to Armstrong’s Valley First Music in the Park Friday, July 24.
Fricot, of The Painted Birds fame, played Music in the Park with Hilary Grist last year and is now touring as part of a dream project that updates the concept of the road show for a modern audience.
The Folk Road Show is “the closest you will get to seeing Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the comfort of your living room,” said Ben Wysocki, with Grammy award winning band The Fray.
The road show includes international musicians Olaf Caarls, of The Netherlands, and Australian Benjamin James Caldwell, who fantasized for years about reviving the concept of the live road show, where each act performs a handful of songs and then they all end the set in a collaborative finale that offers a diverse homage to the days of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly.
“Too often modern artists get caught up in the competition of making it and forget about the joy and inspiration of playing music together,” said Caldwell. “This is the focus of the Folk Road Show, to bring an old-time approach to new music.”
Last year, their dream became a reality with the addition of Dutch musician Pieter Van Vliet and Fricot.
With all on board they set out on a rigorous tour in the fall of 2014 playing a head-spinning 30-something shows across seven European countries in little over a month. Moving as they did from street corner to theatre, from bar to living room, the four gentlemen mastered the art of transforming a large club into an intimate venue.
Their stop at the Lions Gazebo in Armstrong’s Memorial Park Friday is part of a cross-Canada tour. The show starts at 7 p.m. and visitors are welcome to bring a blanket and/or picnic. Donations will be accepted for Valley First Credit Union’s Feed the Valley program.
