Folkus is a roots-based music series held in the colder months in beautiful Almonte, Ontario, offering four (4) shows per season. Our concerts are a rare chance to see Canadian bands up close and hear them as they’re meant to be heard, in the acoustic gem known as the Almonte Old Town Hall.
2019 Festival of Small Halls: we’re especially thrilled to have The Weather Station joining us at the Almonte Old Town Hall on Sept 26, 2019. Get all the details.
Watch for details of the 2020 Folkus Concert Series in November 2019! Below are details from the past season, or see all recent seasons here.
2019 Season
Special note: doors open at 7:30, all shows begin at 8pm.
January 26, 2019
Connie Kaldor & James Keelaghan
Fantastic Folk Double Bill Frolics
We have such a short season, it’s sometimes hard to cram all the great talent in. Which is why we’re starting off with a double bill featuring both Connie Kaldor and James Keelaghan.
Both these luminaries of Canadian folk are known for their ringing voices, their clever songwriting, their artful storytelling. They will make you laugh. They may make you cry. They may even make you sing along.
It’s going to be an incredible night.
February 23, 2019
Greenbank
With special guest Moonfruits
We sort of found Greenbank by accident — they can’t stay away from a piano, and neither can we. We’re looking forward to having their sweet harmonies, smooth piano chops, and mellow 70s vibe in our hall. The duo, featuring Jimmy Breslin and Craig Smyth, hail from Thunder Bay.
Moonfruits, a sweet harmonizing duo from Eastern Ontario, will be opening for Greenbank. Partners on and off stage, Alex Millaire & Kaitlin Milroy are practitioners of “folk bilingue”. Their latest project, Ste-Quelquepart, (Saint Somewhere), is an elaborate fiction, telling the tales of an imaginary village in Eastern Ontario.
March 23, 2019
Betty and the Bobs
With special guest Beth Tufts
Who??? Betty and the Bobs started as a fun side project by some excellent musicians and friends who had worked together in different combinations. Many of them have also won Junos and CFMAs. These are players at the top of their game, playing for their own amusement; that the audience gets to enjoy the show is a bonus. Why did we book them? Member Suzie Vinnick is our most-requested past performer; she’ll be bringing her pals, including Katherine Wheatley, Wendell Ferguson, Soozie Schlanger, David Woodhead, Rich Greenspoon, and David Matheson. Come prepared to laugh, clap, and sing along.
Our opener for this show will be Beth Tufts, a talented young performer from Elphin, Ontario, Canada’s JUNO capital. Beth is the daughter of two musicians, and has been singing ever since she can remember. Her clarion voice is all her own, as is her talent.
April 27, 2019
David Myles
With special guest susan o
David Myles is a Halifax-based roots performer. An independent artist, he is currently touring album number 10. Myles’ work is characterized by thoughtful lyrics, sweet melodies, and a sense of fun. Genre is flexible in his hands, and he’s been called folk-jazz and nouveau pop, but we prefer to call it good music. Myles has garnered Juno awards, ECMAs, SOCAN awards, and his single, ”When I Get My Turn’, won international songwriting awards.
Our opener for this show will be susan o, an Ottawa-based singer-songwriter folk-rocker. 2017 marked her return to the Ottawa music scene after a 13 year hiatus for family and life. But her time away from music performing was rich in experience and this informs her songwriting.
For a more detailed description of the current year’s series, check out our Lineup page.
All concerts are on Saturday evenings. Show time is 8:00 pm. Doors open at 7:30 pm.
