What’s ON – June 1995

After a very successful 3 week tour of Western Canada, The Barra MacNeils of Sydney Mines are back in Cape Breton, holed up in a secret location recording their next Polygram recording due out in the fall…they’ll take time out from recording to kick off the summer festival season headlining “The Concert on the Hill”…other names being mentioned for this show include Valdy and Great Big Sea so start the “no rain, no rain” chant now . . . “The Hawk” is back…Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks will be hanging around the East Coast waiting for his gig at the G7 Conference in Halifax…watch for him at The Savoy and Club Capri this month . . . Richmond County power/folk group Brakin’ Tradition will be touring this summer after spending the last 3 months recording “Presence in the Past”, the band’s third CD…among their gigs this summer is a headlining spot at the Picton Ontario Folk Festival in the middle of July . . . Wally MacAulay is gearing up for the summer with a gig at The County Line later this month and his ever popular Trad Sessions Wednesday Nights at Daniels . . . Sub/Pop recording artists Eric’s Trip will finally grace Cape Breton audiences with their critically acclaimed sounds at Club Capri and an all ages venue to be announced . . . keep an ear out for Dream Catchers, formerly the twice Juno-nominated Eagle Feather…a name change and a new musical direction has landed the band in Cape Breton to rehearse and begin recording…these guys will be hot! . . . “Gaelic singer from heaven” Mary Jane Lamond’s star is rising fast…her CD is selling like hotcakes and her summer touring will take her to the prestigious Toronto Celtic Festival . . . due out in September is the long-awaited solo effort from Ashley MacIsaac on A&M Records…besides performing at the G7 Conference, the jet setting MacIsaac is one of the headliners at the Governor General’s Picnic in Ottawa this July . . . and the old Rock Factory will rock again this summer, opening its doors to an all ages crowd…no name has been settled on yet but it will open by mid-June to give local musicians of all ages a place to play and a spot for the under nineteen crowd to hang out…coffee, pop, and chips will be served instead of alcohol and entertainment will range from local bands to bands from away who want an alternative to the bar crowd…in addition, the club plans to have DJ nights, raves, coffee houses and acoustic and open jam nights…the club will be run by Bill Masters and Gary Hatcher . . . finally, congrats to UCCB’s in-house radio station CAPR who received an award of $4000 for Local Talent Development from the National Collegiate Radio Association and Standard Radio Incorporated…this award was in recognition of Gobblefest ’94 . . . and that’s what’s goin’ on for now…se ya next time. Oh yeah, What’s Goin On will officially launch its vital existence at a free “Come as you are” Canada Day Party at the Capri Club, June 30. There’ll be treats and eats and the entertainment will be from both coasts, including Vancouver’s Dobb and Dumela, a four-piece outfit which fuses elements of reggae, R&B, folk and South African Township Drive into their unique sound. See ya there!