Music is coming to Malakwa.
Stephen Palmer will be bringing his eclectic mix of folk, gospel, roots, acoustic blues and ragtime to Malakwa on Friday, March 3 for an evening of supper and song at the old Malakwa Elementary school at 3994 Malakwa Road.
The Edmonton-born Palmer says he was raised on gospel, country and blues. Early on in his career, Palmer found himself playing in support of psychedelic folk-rock bands during the 1960s.
“One of these groups – The Warp Factor – got to open locally and regionally for several ‘name’ acts of that time,” says Palmer. “Led Zeppelin was probably the biggest ‘name,’ but we enjoyed meeting and hanging out with The Who, Spencer Davis Group, Eric Clapton (Cream), Jesse Colin Young and The Guess Who.”
Palmer started using his own voice in the 1980s, and began doing solo work as a guitarist/vocalist. But it wasn’t until he returned home to care for his mother that he found personal respite and freedom in becoming a solo performer. Now based in Moose Jaw, Sask. Palmer travels a troubadour circuit around Western Canada and the Northwestern U.S.
“A gently timbered voice backed by some very stellar acoustic playing,” says musician Gary Fjellgaard of Palmer.
“That was a pretty good song to open a show…” commented the late Vinyl Cafe host Stuart McLean.
Forty years as a travelling musician is a lot of road, and Steve Palmer is still playing and still touring.
Tickets at $20, $10 for kids, are available at the Malakwa Cafe.
