The Harrison Festival Society is proud to announce the return of Gary Comeau and his Voodoo Allstars to the Memorial Hall in Harrison Hot Springs on Saturday, March 3 at 8:00pm. Comeau & band have been tearing it up with their original brand of swamp, roots, and bayou blues.
“Take the rhythm of the Maritime Acadian music, season well with Louisiana zydeco blues, add a twist of Highway 61 era Dylan, serve it up with great showmanship, and you’ve got a potent musical cocktail that will have your head spinning and your feet dancing!” (Island Folks Festival)
Gary Comeau is a singer-songwriter and musician of unusual diversity and talent. Playing a range of instruments including guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and piano he delivers originally crafted, high energy, New Orleans-style rockin’ roots and blues. Although Gary’s own roots are French-Acadian-he was born and raised in Nova Scotia– his soul seems to have taken a long and inspiring detour through Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta. And while Gary does not consider himself to be a cajun or zydeco artist per se (“it’s just the vibe that runs through the tunes I write”) he’s probably the most southern-sounding player in town. The Georgia Strait states without hesitation that “Vancouver’s roots-music scene has immensely benefited from Comeau’s presence.”
He has released three CD’s: The Hunger, 1997; Gary Comeau, 1998; and Letters From Eve, 2001. The latter featured an impressive lineup of players including Pat Stewart (drums), Doug Elliot (bass), Robbie Steininger (slide guitar), and Darryl Havers (piano, accordion, synth, and B-3), as well as dazzling guest appearances from Brent Shindell (mandolin), Ian McIntyre (banjo), Barry Miller (accordion), and Tony Robertson (guitar). In recent years, Comeau’s talents have also caught the attention of the film industry. Gary’s song, “Marianne,” was featured (and played by his band) in The Paramount Film, “Double Jeopardy,” starring Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones. His latest song, “I Think about You All the Time” was featured in a film called “Wise Guys” (released in 2003).
The band’s live performances are, more often than not, the highlight of the festivals where they’ve performed in the past year, and 2012 looks like another exciting year for “swamp kings from the west coast”.
Tickets are $22 and can be purchased by phone at 604-796-3664 or online at www.harrisonfestival.com or in person at the Ranger Station Art Gallery in Harrison, or Agassiz Shoppers Drug Mart.
