By Stephen Cooke – Entertainment Reporter
The campaign to “Buy Local” has been snowballing ever since a certain tariff-happy tyrant to the south started galvanizing Canadian pride to an extent we haven’t seen since, oh, let’s say the Canada-Russia Series of 1972.
And depending on your favourite conspiracy theory, this could very well be a whole new kind of Canada-Russia Series, we’ll just have to see who mistakenly gets added to the chat to find out.
For the purposes of this column, “Listen Local” is just as important as “Buy Local”, especially as many Canadian musicians are either opting out of crossing the border to build their fanbase or play for the U.S. fans they’ve worked so hard to earn over the past several years.
Certainly, the recent treatment of Nova Scotia Celtic sisters Cassie & Maggie by Ohio state troopers, who pulled them over and subjected them to a “loyalty test”, has given more than a few artists pause about dipping a toe in those waters any time soon.
Thankfully, we live in a part of the country that is overflowing with musical talent, and there are lots of ways to support them, from sharing their music and links on social media to buying their music on their websites and artist-friendly platforms like Bandcamp.
But surely the best way to offer support is to be there in person when they have a show, buy some merch and even say hi and let them know how much their music means to you.
One great place to do this is at The Little Church in Big Baddeck, the former St. Andrew’s United Church that’s now an intimate 100-seat venue that welcomes acclaimed East Coast and Canadian performers for memorable shows in the heart of the Cape Breton countryside.
Just 12 minutes north of the village of Baddeck, the Little Church (also known as Vicar’s View) has become a home base for singer-songwriter Rose Morrison, who many of us first encountered as a member of the young folk group the Cottars, but has long since established herself as successful solo artist, as well as playing alongside stars like Scottish-Canadian tenor John McDermott and Oscar and Grammy Award-winner Glen Hansard from the movie Once.
Morrison is the curator for the Little Church Concert Series which presents phenomenal monthly events from now through Christmas, with an all-star lineup of well-known performers. The fun begins as Morrison hosts the Tunes & Songs showcase for emerging talent on Thursday, April 17, with four musicians from a variety of backgrounds taking the Vicar’s View stage.
Hailing from Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula, Bernie Phaid combines Irish tradition with rural Americana. Scottish harpist/singer Mairi Chaimbeul traded the Isle of Skye for the shores of Nova Scotia, bringing her expressive skills along with her, after a stint teaching harp and Celtic music at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music.
Naomi Pierrard is a Mi’kmaw artist and educator from We’koqma’q, and an advocate for advancing knowledge of First Nations cultural principles around the region, and Jud Gunning has been bringing classic country back with a strong feel for the emotion and heartfelt delivery of the great balladeers in his ever-growing mix of vintage and original material.
As you might imagine, tickets for a 100-seat venue don’t take long to disappear, so visit littlechurchconcerts.com for more information on this show and those yet to come.
These include a two-hander with Terra Spencer and Kim Dunn on Friday, May 2, a triple-threat Blues & Roots lineup of Charlie A’Court, Ian Sherwood and P.E.I.’s Joce Rayome on Saturday, June 14, and the Prince of Pictou County himself, Dave Gunning, with Morrison joining in on violin as well as performing her own songs, on Friday, July 11.
The rest of the calendar is a feast of Juno Awards nominees and winners, with the Good Lovelies on Aug. 7, Lennie Gallant on Sept. 5, Madison Violet on Oct. 3 and, just in time for Christmas, Newfoundland trio the Once on Dec. 13.