MORRISBURG – Audiences are in for a terrific musical evening on Saturday, January 7, 2023, when the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage welcomes six outstanding artists to the Intimate Acoustics showcase at Upper Canada Playhouse. These performers, with an extraordinary sweep of musical styles and vocal interpretations, will make the first Stage concert of 2023 one not to be missed.
Three of the artists have performed at the Stage previously: three are appearing for the first time. The Leader was able to talk to all of them about their music and their upcoming concert.
Emma Lamontagne, an Ottawa-based performer, won the 2016 RBC Bluesfest “She’s the One” contest: the judges were thrilled by her “soulful voice” and “insightful song-writing.” She has played major concerts since, working with performers like Alan Frew of Glass Tiger and Ezra Jordan. She released her debut album, ‘Uncomfortable Eye Contact,’ in 2019.
Yet she lives with some chronic medical conditions which she admits affect her day to day life. “It is my mission to be as authentic as possible through my writing. I hope the messages I write in my music can connect with not only people like myself, but anyone going through life in a different way.”
The restrictions and shut downs of COVID led Emma to “hit pause” and “reflect on everything that happened before the pandemic” and on the directions she wanted to take her music. She ventured into the world of co-writing, and linked up with other musicians world-wide.
However, “missing out on performances was really difficult.” Her immune-compromised health has led her to return slowly to the stage. She laughs that her (formerly) “hopeless romantic life” is one of the tales and songs she shares with her listeners. “I think talking to the audience between songs is my absolute favourite part of a live show.” Emma describes herself as “first and foremost a story teller. I hope there will be some laughs and a few tears perhaps.” In her music she loves “making light of heavy situations… we’ll end my set off with a smile.”
Keegan Larose, originally of Cornwall, first appeared with the SLAS when the company was situated at the OETIO site just outside of Morrisburg. Now that he is back in Cornwall, the SLAS is delighted to see him return.
Keegan has been described as a folk/pop/rock/ adult alternative singer and laughs that “that’s a fair amount of labels. How would I describe my music?…Well, I’ve written music that falls into many different genres, from Rock to Blues, Ska to Folk, and beyond. I’ll even change the arrangement of a story to better suit a performance or band setting. It always comes down to the performance. I do quite a few performances solo, and I think describing my music as Indie-Folk might be more accurate.”
Keegan immersed himself in the arts and music community from an early age, performing in venues from pubs to concert halls. “If there is one thing that inspires me the most, it’s connections and relationships between people. Romantic relationships, that great sense of community when working together, the interaction with someone that left you feeling frustrated…It’s a large canvas to create with.”
When he first began writing songs, “I believe it was the music that came first. But shortly after, it became the words. One or two lines of lyrics come to me, or I feel the need to express. From there I’ll develop themes or stories.” He admits that he loves to share stories and experiences and the “accompanying music will reflect and enhance that.”
Keegan is excited to be returning to the SLAS. “You can expect to hear songs from my latest EP. I’ll be sharing those songs and stories that go with them. I feel that I have developed both as song-writer and a performing artist, and I look forward to sharing with everyone there.”
Marianne Keuleman, who performs under the name Oddeline was first seen by SLAS chair, Sandra Whitworth, at a Folk Music Ontario showcase in October: she described her as “a stunning singer/song-writer.”
Oddeline says that her music “comes from a place of wanting to better understand myself, people I meet and the world around me.” The complications and beauty of the world intrigue her and “I think my song-writing is an attempt at that.” She is interested in the work of artists like Moses Sumney, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell – and her writing is influenced “by that kind of approach. Live shows are a special place to share that experience with other people… I feel very vulnerable singing my songs on stage, and it’s not always easy to do…but feeling vulnerability from other artists has been really special for me…If I can do that for someone else, that is very meaningful for me.”
Her songs are an “outlet,” a way to talk about problems and perhaps uncomfortable issues. “On my first record, a lot of the songs are me trying to find my place in the world… I tend to be most inspired by how I relate to other people, figuring out why people connect in different ways. Acoustic folk influenced sounds feel warm and alive to me. I am drawn to unusual harmony as well…simple chords don’t do justice to some experiences.”
Oddeline is looking forward to the SLAS concert, to playing “an intimate acoustic set.” She will perform some songs from her record ‘Fated to Dream’ as well as some very new, unreleased work. “I’m looking forward to connecting with new people through my music.”
Claude Plamondon is very well known, in both the community and at SLAS concerts. He has performed at the Stage with artists like Jeanne Ward in the early days, and as a solo artist as well, and he has been a noted, talented musician for years, often working with groups like Community Living. His sense of humour is legend.
With such a long career behind him, I asked Claude about motivation and keeping his musical passion alive.
“That’s a question with many answers,” he said. “The chance to sit with friends and just play music is one. The fact that you can have an audience listen and appreciate what you do is a great motivator, but also very humbling to me. There are so many great musicians and song-writers around, I very much appreciate the audience response.” He added, with a laugh, “Assuming they’re not throwing bottles at us.”
He has never stopped exploring and experiencing new themes in his music. “It’s a process of always learning. Learning more on my guitar, more about song-writing, arranging songs and working out harmonies. Playing music is the most fun you can have without going to jail!”
He will be performing on January 7 with fellow musicians Claude Clement and Claude Campagne. “I would describe our style as Folkie/Acoustic with a good dose of guitar. I think we’re pretty relaxed on stage and that seems to relay to the audience. Three childhood friends playing music together. Can’t ask for more than that. And we will be playing three original songs that I wrote. I’ve been with the SLAS on and off since its beginning. With so many tribute bands taking over so many venues, it’s a privilege and a point of pride for me to be associated with a venue that promotes original music from musicians young and old.” Claude Plamondon added, “I think the audience can look forward to a great night of diverse music, not just from us, but also from all the other entertainers.”
Conor Veinotte, son of Scott Veinotte and Kate Egan Veinotte, has indirectly been involved in the arts world almost from the cradle. With his brothers, as a teen, he was a member of the brothers band Sons of Gord. And music and theatre are a vital part of his background. A multi-instrumentalist, he recently graduated from Carleton with a degree in song-writing. Some would stay he is just at the beginning of a great career.
“Actually,” Conor laughed, “it’s strange to be told that I’m at the start of my career. I’ve been surrounded by music for as long as I can remember, and it has never felt like work to me. My first ever musical performance was actually at a SLAS event thirteen years ago. I’m only 23, and to be honest, I’ve no idea what I’m doing. But no matter which path I end up choosing, music will always be part of my life.”
He recently released his first solo CD, ‘Four Years Later.’ “This was my final project for my music degree at Carleton University. The record is a mix of old and new material that I hope demonstrates my maturation as a musician and a lyricist. When writing and arranging the songs for this record, I wanted to explore more mature subject matter while staying true to the things that have made Sons of Gord such a fun project. My brothers actually play and sing on the record and I think we captured the essence of our musical relationship, while simultaneously showcasing our growth.”
Conor is looking forward to his return to the SLAS, where he will be joined on stage by Caitlyn Acheson and Reid Warren. “I’m very excited to showcase some new, unreleased material. SLAS concert goers can look forward to a more intimate performance than I’m used to giving. And I know they will be delighted by the vocals of Caitlyn, and the prowess of Fiddle Kid Reid.”
Joey Vinegar has opened for groups like Tragically Hip and The Sheepdogs. He is a multi-instrumentalist, and a “super singer” whose style has been described as “fresh and funky.” An Ottawa based musician, who often plays private events, Joey is making his debut at the SLAS.
Because he plays so many instruments, among them guitar, piano, mandolin, banjo and bass, I asked him about inspiration.
“The first thing that comes to me when I am writing a song is an emotion and a musical melody. I will often start by writing a melody and my mood will determine where it goes. From there I can begin to shape a song’s harmony, tempo and what instruments I want to use to help further express what I am thinking and feeling.”
He’s a performer who is comfortable on the stage. “What I love most about performing is interacting with the audience and sharing the joy of music with people. If I can add to someone’s day or evening, I have achieved my goal as a musician and performer. A challenge I find with performing original material is that it doesn’t always connect with the audience. So as a song-writer I try to be more mindful when writing new material to be clear and more specific to draw people in.”
He is excited about his upcoming appearance at the SLAS in January. Versatile and exciting, Joey Vinegar is going to be a very original addition to the concert. “At my performance, you can expect a fun, interactive and high-energy performance. I will be performing original songs.”
Tickets for the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage January 7, 2023, concert at Upper Canada Playhouse are available online. With outstanding artists – Emma Lamontagne, Keegan Larose, Oddeline, Claude Plamondon, Conor Veinotte and Joey Vinegar – in the show case, this will be one very memorable concert. Don’t miss the chance to see terrific live music on stage.
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