3 must-see fall 2007 BobCat shows

It's been a while, but BobCat has been working away on concerts for the fall of 2007, in between real life. Much of last weekend was spent at the Ottawa Folk Festival, listening to wonderful performances by some people who are already booked, have already performed at BobCat, or are now firmly ensconced on our list of "want'ems."

Among the highlights for us:

• Penny and Jason Lang - a legend and a legend in the making
• Jah Yussuf - a Malian n'goni player who jammed the blues with Chris Whitely to ecstatic levels
• Buffy Sainte-Marie - such power. such presence.
• Chris Whiteley and Diana Braithwaite - killer blues set Sunday night that had folks dancing in the aisles
• Kate Weekes Trio - sweetly-voiced songs with great appeal
• Oh Susanna - a pure voice with purely insightful songs
• a slightly over-caffeinated Meredith Luce, leading a great workshop show
• the Arrogant Worms - able to make us laugh till we ached with great musicianship
• Old Man Luedecke - great banjo playing and insightful writing.

It's a great festival, and if the universe unfolds as it should, we may be slightly more formally involved in 2008.

And we're ready to announce 3 shows, with a fourth to hopefully get added soon.

• Our first show will be Saturday, September 15, with BC singer-songwriter Coco Love Alcorn. There is no shortage of musical families in Canada, and Coco is part of a great one. But she doesn't need family ties to make her way in the music business – from touring with Ani diFranco to working with 54-40 to her own music being featured on "The L word", Coco has mixed up a potent blend of jazz, folk, and R&B that has irresistible groove. And Coco loves her bike, so we're organizing a Sunday ride to show her some of Ottawa's best riding. If you're interested in joining up, let us know.
  





• On October 27, we're featuring what we're calling the Ottawa Up and Comers show. Our headliners are going to be two performers who call Ottawa home, but will soon be known to Canada and the world. Meredith Luce and Ana Miura are both young, both immensely talented, and both captivating on stage. Meredith released her first CD, October, this summer, while Ana's EP Tenacious Heart came out a little earlier. Most recently, Ana has been singing with local collective Amos the Transparent, while Meredith has formed a group to bring the electric edge to her songs. We think that these musicians, who are very different in styles but are both insightful writers and charismatic performers, will make a great two-for-one act. See 'em now, before you have to go to the NAC!
  
  

• On November 17, the first return performer to BobCat is... Suzie Vinnick, this time with her longtime collaborator and friend Rick Fines. Suzie is one of Saskatchewan's great musical exports, able to growl out a blues or sing a sweet love song with her powerful voice, and to play a mean riff or two on guitar or on her wild-looking bass. Rick Fines has graced Canadian stages since the 1980s with Jackson Delta, on his own, with Suzie, and with his trio. His guitar playing is simply amazing, with tremendous fingerstyle skills and the ability to match his accompaniments to his gravelly, evocative voice. His most recent solo album, Solar Powered, is a masterpiece, and his work with Suzie Vinnick rings with good humour and the ability to push each other to musical greatness.

We are hoping to have one more show in the fall, but wanted to give you the opportunity to "save the dates" for these three.

The details:

• Each show will be $20 per seat
• We require payment in advance. You can use Paypal by going to our site (http://www.bobcathouseconcerts.blogspot.com/; otherwise contact us to make arrangements for dropping off a cheque or cash.
• Show starts at 8:00; you're welcome to come and mingle early
• We'll have a few munchies available; if you want to contribute, please do
• Our shows are BYOB; we provide non-alcoholic refreshments and encourage responsible consumption
• Music is food for the soul; but some people need real food. Please bring some
  non-perishable food items; we will deliver them to the Ottawa Food Bank.

Those dates again:

• September 15 - Coco Love Alcorn
• October 27 - Meredith Luce and Ana Miura
• November 17 - Rick Fines and Suzie Vinnick

Lots of great ideas for shows in 2008 as well. We love to get your ideas too -- is there someone you love? Maybe all it takes is an e-mail. Do you play? Would you like to open a show? Do you have a concept for a show? Let us know.