Unapologetically genuine, wry, and soft-hearted — Mariel Buckley has planted her flag firmly as a songwriter who’s in it for the long haul. She aims to find herself squarely on the fringes and exactly where she belongs: singing and writing songs for the underdog. Her candor and magnetic live show have been charming listeners across North America since her debut LP in 2018, Driving In The Dark. Now with thousands of miles under her belt, Buckley looks to turn country/folk music on its head, with her 2022 follow-up album, Everywhere I Used To Be. Anchored by the haunting whine of the pedal steel, rounded out by heavy synth pads, the resulting collection is a driving, swooning, toe-tapping catharsis; sealed and delivered by Buckley’s signature crooning brand of angst-ridden alt-folk. Mariel will be accompanied at the Nick by Ryan Funk on guitar, pedal steel and vocals.
Watch Mariel Buckley’s official video of her song Neon Blue.
Chris Goodchild
Chris’ musical path has crossed many genres, modern folk, indie rock and electronic music. He has used his musical education and skills as a guitarist to create an outlet for his emotions and self expression. Moments that can’t simply be put into words, come more easily to him through his music. Chris has improved his techniques as a performer and producer, as a solo artist and as a bassist and guitarist in numerous Vancouver bands. His debut EP, Episode 1, was released in April of 2023.
$30 advance tickets for all our 2024 concerts at the Nick are on sale through Showpass. If your circumstances should change, refunds are available up to 7:00 pm Wednesday, prior to our events to give us time to re-sell.
Winter/Spring 2024 Nick season tickets are still available for $112 each for four concerts.They may be purchased by an E-transfer sent to <info@thenick.ca>. Please include your email address, mailing address and phone number. Your E-Transfer will be automatically deposited.
$30 tickets will be available at the door, by cash or credit card, for tonight’s concert.
James Gordon has been there. He’s done that. As a solo singer-songwriter and with the ground-breaking trio Tamarack, he’s recorded 40 albums and toured relentlessly around the world. He’s written for symphony orchestras, musical theatre and dance works, scored films, and for more than ten years was heard on CBC radio as songwriter-in-residence for the Basic Black and Ontario Morning programs. Between tours, James is a record producer, playwright, community activist, theatre director and recently retired from a part-time “side hustle” as a Guelph City Councillor. These days he’s perhaps known as the composer of the viral internet hit Crybabies Caravan, about the so-called Freedom Convoy in Ottawa. His last album on Borealis Records, The Heritage Hall Sessions charted internationally in the roots, singer-songwriter and Americana categories. He has a new album out called When I Stayed Home, as well as a “musical novel”, The Ark Of The Oven Mitt, which includes a downloadable recording of 36 original songs.
Acoustic roots with catchy melodies, arresting vocals, great guitar playing, lyrics that get you and that you get – these are all things that have been written over and over again about Katherine Wheatley’s music. She sings truth, bravely, and in detail. Like Shawn Colvin, Edie Brickell and Joni Mitchell, Wheatley mines heartache and produces lyrical and melodic gold. And like one of her earliest influences, Gordon Lightfoot, she invokes nature to reflect the emotional intent of her songs. In addition to touring across Canada, the U.S. and Europe as a solo singer/songwriter, Katherine is a member of the Toronto super group Betty and The Bobs, plays in the duo Wendell and Wheat, and tours in the trio Boreal. She also works as a singer and zodiac driver on board the ship The MS Expedition as it plies the seas of Antarctica and the Norwegian Arctic.
Watch Katherine Wheatley’s official video of her song Water Moves Me.
Amelie Patterson
Alt-pop auteur Amelie Patterson is a songwriter’s songwriter. Her poetic predisposition has landed her a golden reputation as both a songwriter and a community builder. Amelie’s sophisticated folk foundations are adorned with polite instrumentation cueing dramatic depth. She has performed alongside Serena Ryder, Matt Andersen and Sarah Harmer and has been awarded Alternative Recording of the Year at the YYC Music Awards. Amelie was Banff’s inaugural poet-laureate.
$30 advance tickets for all our 2023/24 concerts at the Nick are on sale through Showpass. If your circumstances should change, refunds are available up to 7:00 pm Wednesday, prior to our events to give us time to re-sell.
2023-2024 Nick season tickets are still available for $168 each for six concerts.They may be purchased by an E-transfer sent to <info@thenick.ca>. Please include your email address, mailing address and phone number. Your E-Transfer will be automatically deposited.
Visit our 2023-2024 Seasonpage for dates, performer bios and video links.
Season TicketPurchases
The Nick’s ticket capacity is 193 patrons, and up to 110 of those will be sold as season’s tickets.
Season tickets are now prorated at $140.00 per ticket for the remaining five concerts in our season.
You may purchase season tickets by an Etransfer sent to <info@thenick.ca>. Transfers will be deposited automatically. Please ensure all your contact information is included.
Season ticket holders who arrive at the door before 7:00 gain advance seating. Season tickets are transferable if you cannot attend a performance. If concerts are cancelled and replacement concerts are not booked, season ticket holders will be reimbursed.
A nationally recognized Celtic songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist (fiddle, guitar, harp), Lizzy Hoyt’s fifth album, The Parting Glass, received the 2023 Canadian Folk Music Award for Traditional Singer of the Year. Lizzy will be accompanied by Keith Rempel on bass and vocals and Jared Albright on guitar, fiddle and mandolin.
Flint & Feather is the musical project of Joal and Lauren Kamps. Joal, who served as Alberta’s Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador from 2020-2021, and Lauren draw upon Western Canadian history, Rocky Mountain folklore, and their own colourful life journeys for inspiration, the result being original songs that convey stories with an uncommon charm.
Listen to CKUA’s Discoveries with Leo Cripps Thursday morning for an interview with Flint and Feather.
Concerts are held at the Crescent Heights Community Hall, 1101 2nd St. N.W. Ample free parking is available. Doors are 7:00, showtime is 7:30.
Here are the confirmed headliners for our 2023-2024 season!
Sept 30: Lizzy Hoyt with opener Flint and Feather Oct 28: James Gordon with Katherine Wheatley with opener Ryan and Corynn Sande Nov 25: Mariel Buckley with opener Chris Goodchild Jan 27: Stephen Fearing with opener Mike Stack Feb 24: Abigail Lapell Mar 23: Big Little Lions Apr. 20: Lynn Miles
Click 2023-2024 Season for performer photos, website links, bios, videos and advance ticket links.
Season Tickets
We will sell up to 110 season tickets. Individual season tickets will cost $196.00 for the seven concerts in our upcoming season. As always, season ticket holders will gain advance admittance to the hall if they arrive before 7:00. Season tickets are completely transferrable if you cannot attend a performance. If concerts are cancelled and replacement concerts are not booked, season ticket holders will be reimbursed.
Etransfer
You may purchase season tickets by Etransfer. Send your transfer to <info@thenick.ca>. Transfers will be deposited automatically. Please ensure all your contact information is included.
Advance Tickets
Individual advance tickets for ALL 2023-2024 concerts will cost $30 + agency fee and are on sale now! Visit Showpass to purchase.
Parking
Unless there is a special event at the school or curling club here is ample free parking at the Crescent Heights Hall, home of the Nick. 1101 2nd St. N.W.
A nationally recognized Celtic songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist (fiddle, guitar, harp), Lizzy Hoyt has released five independent albums, two music videos, and given countless concert tours across Canada. Known for bringing history to life with her songs like Vimy Ridge, New Lady on the Prairie, and White Feather, she was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Governor General of Canada for her outstanding contribution to commemorating Canadian veterans and history through music. Her fifth album, The Parting Glass, is a collection of her favourite traditional songs and features Lizzy’s sublime vocals and poignant arranging. It received the 2023 Canadian Folk Music Award for Traditional Singer of the Year. Lizzy’s also a rising star in the Canadian classical music scene, praised by Opera Canada for both her dramatic depth and keen comedic gifts.
Flint & Feather is the musical project of Joal and Lauren Kamps. Joal, who served as Alberta’s Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador from 2020-2021, and Lauren draw upon Western Canadian history, Rocky Mountain folklore, and their own colourful life journeys for inspiration, the result being original songs that convey stories with an uncommon charm.
James Gordon has been there. He’s done that. As a solo singer-songwriter and with the ground-breaking trio Tamarack, he’s recorded 40 albums and toured relentlessly around the world. He’s written for symphony orchestras, musical theatre and dance works, scored films, and for more than ten years was heard on CBC radio as songwriter-in-residence for the Basic Black and Ontario Morning programs. Between tours, James is a record producer, playwright, community activist, theatre director and recently retired from a part-time “side hustle” as a Guelph City Councillor. These days he’s perhaps known as the composer of the viral internet hit Crybabies Caravan, about the so-called Freedom Convoy in Ottawa. His last album on Borealis Records, The Heritage Hall Sessions charted internationally in the roots, singer-songwriter and Americana categories. He has a new album out called When I Stayed Home, as well as a “musical novel”, The Ark Of The Oven Mitt, which includes a downloadable recording of 36 original songs.
Acoustic roots with catchy melodies, arresting vocals, great guitar playing, lyrics that get you and that you get – these are all things that have been written over and over again about Katherine Wheatley’s music. She sings truth, bravely, and in detail. Like Shawn Colvin, Edie Brickell and Joni Mitchell, Wheatley mines heartache and produces lyrical and melodic gold. And like one of her earliest influences, Gordon Lightfoot, she invokes nature to reflect the emotional intent of her songs. In addition to touring across Canada, the U.S. and Europe as a solo singer/songwriter, Katherine is a member of the Toronto super group Betty and The Bobs, plays in the duo Wendell and Wheat, and tours in the trio Boreal. She also works as a singer and zodiac driver on board the ship The MS Expedition as it plies the seas of Antarctica and the Norwegian Arctic.
Watch Katherine Wheatley’s official video of her song Water Moves Me.
Ryan and Corynn Sande
Husband and wife duo Ryan and Corynn Sande have a unique harmony-filled full band sound. They’ve opened for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and shared the stage with James Keelahan and Fred Eaglesmith. Ryan, who is also a member of the Alberta-based band Common Ruin, plays a one-man-band setup with guitar, vocals, and drums at his feet. Corynn plays the piano and contributing vocals.
Unapologetically genuine, wry, and soft-hearted — Mariel Buckley has planted her flag firmly as a songwriter who’s in it for the long haul. She aims to find herself squarely on the fringes and exactly where she belongs: singing and writing songs for the underdog. Her candor and magnetic live show have been charming listeners across North America since her debut LP in 2018, Driving In The Dark. Now with thousands of miles under her belt, Buckley looks to turn country/folk music on its head, with her 2022 follow-up album, Everywhere I Used To Be. Anchored by the haunting whine of the pedal steel, rounded out by heavy synth pads and produced by Marcus Paquin (The Weather Station, The Barr Brothers, Arcade Fire, The National), the resulting collection is a driving, swooning, toe-tapping catharsis; sealed and delivered by Buckley’s signature crooning brand of angst-ridden alt-folk. Mariel’s album was just long listed for this year’s Polaris Music Prize!
Watch Mariel Buckley’s official video of her song Neon Blue.
Chris Goodchild
Chris’ musical path has crossed many genres, modern folk, indie rock and electronic music. He has used his musical education and skills as a guitarist to create an outlet for his emotions and self expression. Moments that can’t simply be put into words, come more easily to him through his music. Chris has improved his techniques as a performer and producer, as a solo artist and as a bassist and guitarist in numerous Vancouver bands. His debut EP, Episode 1, was released in April of 2023.
Born in Vancouver, B.C., Stephen Fearing spent most of his boyhood and teenage years in Dublin, Ireland. There, he picked up the guitar and traces of the Irish and English musical traditions that have informed his music ever since. Mixing powerful lyrics, creative arrangements and brilliant guitar playing, he has built an international audience for his music, performing at intimate venues and on the concert stages of festivals and theatres across Canada, the US, the UK, and Europe. His 2007 recording, Yellowjacket, won the Juno Award for Solo Roots & Traditional Album of the Year. His latest album, called Vejpoesi, featuring Stephen Fearing & The Sentimentals on one side, and a solo acoustic performance on the other, is a return to his intimate roots-based style. Stephen is also a founding member of the Juno-award-winning group, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, and he records and tours with Andy White.
Watch Stephen Fearing & The Sentimentals perform Gold On The River, from the album Vejpoesi.
Mike Stack
As a member of Calgary bands The Burners and The Grift, Mike opened shows for Blue Rodeo, Tragically Hip and Jeff Healy. With songs and a voice that consistently drip with lilting guttural emotion, the music of Mike Stack can take you to a craggy Maritime rock with a desperate Irish father or have you kicking up dust in a Texas honky-tonk along with two young Mexican lovers. Inspired by his songwriting heroes and the people he meets along the way in this journey of life, Stack abashedly says, “music, it’s my life, my heart, my soul, my passion.”
With just three albums under her belt, Toronto songwriter Abigail Lapell has some pretty impressive credentials: she’s won three Canadian Folk Music Awards (English Songwriter of the Year in 2020 and 2023 and Contemporary Album of the Year in 2017), hit number one on Canadian folk radio and accrued a staggering 20 million+ Spotify streams. Her latest album, Stolen Time, feels unhurried, psychedelic and otherworldly in the vein of Gillian Welch or Karen Dalton. A theme of recovery runs through the album, with songs about becoming sober, or a partner’s sudden illness, exploring the cycle of rehabilitation and relapse. An eclectic cast of musicians underscores the power of Lapell’s vocals on live-off-the-floor, 70s folk rock arrangements featuring bass, drums, horns, strings and steel. But many of Stolen Time’s standout tracks are solo guitar or piano songs, backed by little more than ghostly accordion or harmonica.
Check out Abigail Lapell’s official video for her song Old Flames.
The Big Little Lions, consisting of Paul Otten and Helen Austin, was born out of a collaboration that won the duo a Juno Award in 2014. Since then they have been cranking out infectious folk pop songs that are jam-packed with emotion and tight harmonies that sound like the product of two people working side-by-side instead of living in different countries. In their live shows, Paul plays the drums, bass and keyboard, all while singing lead vocals. Helen, sings, plays guitar and foot percussion. They use every limb, and then some, to make two people sound like a full band. The Big Little Lions have released six albums to date, which have garnered them awards and nominations including the Canadian Folk Music Award’s Ensemble of the Year. Their critically-acclaimed music has appeared on the CBC’s Top 20 and featured on shows including q and Vinyl Cafe.
Lynn Miles is an award-winning singer-songwriter, record producer, teacher, writer, and public speaker — and a long-time favourite of Nick audiences. Lynn has 15 albums to her credit and she estimates she’s written about 900 songs. She has produced five albums for other artists including two critically acclaimed albums by Lynne Hanson, who joins Lynn Miles as a duo side project called The LYNNeS. Lynn won a Juno award in 2003 for Roots Traditional Album of the year, and went on to be nominated in the same categories in 2006 and 2011. She is also the recipient of six Canadian Folk Music Awards. In 2016, Americana artist Clair Lynch recorded Lynn’s song Black Flowers on her Grammy nominated album North By South. Lynn Miles’s latest album, called TumbleweedyWorld, has just been released on True North Records. Lynn will be accompanied by exceptional guitarist, Keith Glass.
Watch Lynn’s live performance, with Keith Glass, of her song She Drinks.
Of West Indian and Mohawk descent, the soulful singer/guitarist might be on stage one night spilling out electrified rhythm and blues glory, and the next he is at a folk festival delivering a captivating solo singer-songwriter set. Julian earned the Solo Artist of the Year honour at the Canadian Folk Music Awards (and a nomination in the English Songwriter category), plus two Juno Award nominations in 2021, as well as a Polaris Music Prize nomination. His latest album Beyond The Reservoir, was nominated for a 2023 Juno Award for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year. In everything he does, Taylor has carved his own path, creating genre-free music with a generosity of spirit and a strong belief in the healing powers of song.
Wyatt C. Louis
Wyatt C. Louis is a Nêhiyaw singer-songwriter based in Moh’kinstsís, Treaty 7 Territory. His songs are built from soaring melodies, railroad-like finger picking, quiet, haunting vocals and lyrical phrasing. Dark, rustic tales meld folk and soulful blues to tell tales of love, loss and the journey home. They’re beautiful, subtle creations that juxtapose emotions, striking imagery and experiences that charm and envelop listeners. Dancing with Sue, evokes the feeling of nostalgia, and yearning for the times in our lives where we feel the happiest and most free.
$30 advance tickets are sold through Eventbrite. If your circumstances should change, refunds are available up to 24 hours prior to our events.
This is the final concert of the Nick’s 2022/23 season!
Our next season will feature seven concerts instead of the usual twelve. ‘23-’24 dates are listed here.
Confirmed headliners will be announced at our April 15 concert and season tickets will go on sale at that time. At that concert we will accept $196.00 cheques post-dated to September 1, 2023 and made out to The Acoustic Music Society. Please add your email address to the cheque.
They’re nice people who play folk music. Oh yeah, Pharis and Jason Romero have also won four Junos and seven Canadian Folk Music Awards. Their newest record, Tell ‘Em You Were Gold, just won the 2023 Juno Award for Traditional Roots Album of the Year! From the small town of Horsefly B.C., they’re raising a family and building custom banjos. They started out together playing mostly traditional music. Over the years they’ve moved their original songwriting and nuanced singing into the forefront, and audiences have embraced their intelligent songs, the sounds of their instruments and their clear approach to being two people while singing like one.
Mike Tod
Folk musician, ethnomusicologist, and folk music scholar Mike Tod is a wry and raspy tenor bringing old-time music to modern audiences. His repertoire weaves through the traditional musics of the Americas, from cowboy songs of Alberta’s coulees, to traditional ballads of the Appalachian Mountains. He sings well-worn traditional songs, researches their roots, and shares them in a fashion that seems old yet contemporary. It sets a precedent for a sound that is both rooted in history and relevant to the present day.
$30 advance tickets for our remaining concerts for the 2022-2023 season at the Nick are on sale through Eventbrite. If your circumstances should change, refunds are available up to 24 hours prior to our events.
***There will be tickets available at the door for tonight’s concert***
Dave Gunning is best defined as a master craftsman who, with a dozen albums and ten East Coast Music Awards, has diligently sharpened his skills, developing into a poetic storyteller and emotionally convincing singer with few equals. J.P. Cormier is outstanding, be it guitar, fiddle, mandolin or banjo, be it singing or songwriting. He’s earned twelve East Coast Music awards. Their second CD, Leather and Dust will be released shortly. Great friends, frequent collaborators, co-writers and touring partners, they are two songwriters, interpreters, guitar players, and singers at their peak. It’s the power of the song, the highest quality from the past to the now.
Amy Nelson
Calgary’s Amy Nelson is a conduit of voices from the past, reverentially channeling the sounds of depression-era blues and Appalachian mountain music through the raw reality of an Albertan feminist. Haunting and honest, gritty and passionate, Amy finger-picks her way through guitar and banjo tunes that bind together wit, beauty and truth.
$30 advance tickets for our remaining concerts for the 2022-2023 season at the Nick are on sale through Eventbrite. If your circumstances should change, refunds are available up to 24 hours prior to our events.
The dignity of labour has been a theme central to the folk music tradition forever. Working as a dishwasher, Braden’s formidable focus of conscience and care illuminate his portraits of characters from the restaurant milieu, a journal of character sketches, personal landscapes and after-hours confessions. His subjects: an aging line cook who breaks into song when the work gets tough, a tattooed omniscient waitress, a pool shark with anger management issues. His raucous fiddle and folk guitar playing are emancipatory. Braden’s latest album Kitchen Days won the 2022 Canadian Folk Music Award for Traditional Album of the Year.
Shawna Caspi
Shawna Caspi crafts lyrics that are poetic and meaningful, often using unusual rhymes and surprising turns of phrase. She spent years on the road, supporting her warm, clear voice with intricate fingerstyle guitar accompaniment. After taking a break from the road to rest, reflect, and write, Shawna’s fifth album, Hurricane Coming, nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award for 2023 Contemporary Album of the Year, is a collection of raw, deeply personal songs set against a backdrop of colourful cinematic soundscapes.
$30 advance tickets for our remaining concerts for the 2022-2023 season at the Nick are on sale through Eventbrite. If your circumstances should change, refunds are available up to 24 hours prior to our events.
