Hi folks!
[Bits of this are being copied from my "Adventures in Cello Land" blog -- apologies to those who read both!]
Thisafternoon, Don and I paid a return visit to "Sing For Your Supper", a songwriters circle led every Saturday by our friend (and amazing songwriter) Kev Corbett at The Carleton in Halifax. We got to do some of our solo stuff, which is rare these days, although we did cheat a bit and accompany each other from time to time. The other guest artists were Jadea Kelly and surprise guest David Borins (who is touring with Jadea).
It was a fun afternoon, and there was a larger audience there than we'd had the last time we played the series. We made some new friends, and made a new connection that might prove profitable in the long run... (not saying it out loud yet, I don't want to jinx myself!)
Kev gave us a copy of his yet-to-be-released CD, Son of a Rudderless Boat, which I'm really looking forward to hearing. Jadea and David also gave us their CDs, so we'll have some pleasant listening material on the road, for sure! This was the first time I had heard either of them, and it was a treat. Although David did a song about disliking women who drink whiskey... he promised me it was just a song. :-) I countered, of course, with Not Enough Whiskey -- dodge, parry, thrust!
Unlike last time, we actually got to stay for dinner -- The Carleton has great food, let me tell you! Don had the ribs in... some sort of brandied BBQ sauce. I had curried penne with shrimps and scallops, mmm-mmm, and a nice Australian Merlot whose name I've already forgotten. Hopefully Kev will invite us back a third time, so we can sample more of the menu. :-)
Actually, we might be heading back next Monday, if we aren't busy visiting family -- David Myles is playing that night. We saw him at Shelter Valley this summer, and would love to see a full night of him!
Well, I'm off to tuck my niece into bed. Hope everyone's having a great weekend!
Just in case we haven't hammered it home -- our Halifax CD release is tomorrow afternoon at The Company House. We'd love to see you there!!! 3:00 pm, and a mere $6 -- that works out to less than a dollar per instrument you see on stage!!! :-)
Hope to see you there,
Alyssa
Showing posts with label Concert Dates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Concert Dates. Show all posts
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Hi folks!
A belated message that The Brights will appear live tonight on CIUT's "Acoustic Workshop" with Heather Fielding. Tonight at 7:00 pm, 89.5 FM in the Toronto area, Rogers Digital 146 or Star Choice 826 in Canada, or http://ciut.fm/listenlive.php worldwide.
We'll be playing some songs from "Live Love Dream" and chatting a bit about ourselves and our adventures. Hope you tune in!
A belated message that The Brights will appear live tonight on CIUT's "Acoustic Workshop" with Heather Fielding. Tonight at 7:00 pm, 89.5 FM in the Toronto area, Rogers Digital 146 or Star Choice 826 in Canada, or http://ciut.fm/listenlive.php worldwide.
We'll be playing some songs from "Live Love Dream" and chatting a bit about ourselves and our adventures. Hope you tune in!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Mariposa scheduling
Hi Folks!
We've received a tentative schedule of The Brights appearances at Mariposa, and thought we'd let y'all know. Don and Alyssa will also be doing a couple of workshops individually, so we're including those here too.
Saturday, July 4
12:30 pm - The Brights in concert: "Live Love Dream" at the Barnfield Stage
3:30 pm - "Heartache & Heartbreak" at the Mariposa Pub, with Basia Bulat, Aengus Finnan, The Brights and The John Henrys
Sunday, July 5
11:00 am - "My Favourite Instrument" at the Bohemian Embassy, with Bram Taylor, George Gao, Prosad and The Brights
12:00 pm - "How'd Ya Write That One?", with The Skydiggers, Don Bray and Steph Dunn
3:00 pm - "A Good Song... Or Two" at the Bohemian Embassy, with Adam Crossley, Alyssa Wright, Daniel Roth and Ken Voita
10:00 pm - "A Mixture of Sound" at the Mariposa Pub, with Prosad, Shout Sister Shout and The Brights
We'll let you know if anything changes!
Musically,
Alyssa & Don
We've received a tentative schedule of The Brights appearances at Mariposa, and thought we'd let y'all know. Don and Alyssa will also be doing a couple of workshops individually, so we're including those here too.
Saturday, July 4
12:30 pm - The Brights in concert: "Live Love Dream" at the Barnfield Stage
3:30 pm - "Heartache & Heartbreak" at the Mariposa Pub, with Basia Bulat, Aengus Finnan, The Brights and The John Henrys
Sunday, July 5
11:00 am - "My Favourite Instrument" at the Bohemian Embassy, with Bram Taylor, George Gao, Prosad and The Brights
12:00 pm - "How'd Ya Write That One?", with The Skydiggers, Don Bray and Steph Dunn
3:00 pm - "A Good Song... Or Two" at the Bohemian Embassy, with Adam Crossley, Alyssa Wright, Daniel Roth and Ken Voita
10:00 pm - "A Mixture of Sound" at the Mariposa Pub, with Prosad, Shout Sister Shout and The Brights
We'll let you know if anything changes!
Musically,
Alyssa & Don
Saturday, May 2, 2009
CD Release Time!!!
Hi folks,
Only one more sleep until the day we've been gearing up for -- the CD release concert for our debut album as The Brights - Live Love Dream. We can't wait to share it with you!
For those of you who have miraculously managed to avoid my pestering until now... [ggg] We are releasing Live Love Dream tomorrow, Sunday May 3. Please note this is a *matinee concert* that starts at 2:00 pm - we wouldn't want you missing all the fun! The show takes place at Hugh's Room in Toronto - 2261 Dundas St. W., at Roncesvalles, just south of Bloor Street, near the Dundas West subway). Reservations are recommended for their fabulous Sunday Brunch menu, starting at noon - check out their menu online to get your mouth watering! Tickets are $14 in advance if you hurry up and book right away, or $16 at the door. Give them a call at 416-531-6604, or book online at http://www.hughsroom.com.
Copies of Live Love Dream will, of course, be available for sale at the concert release (we're bringing the Sharpies!), as well as some posters our friend Greg King is making for us, featuring the cover photo he took of us for the CD.
In the meantime, I'm spending today trying to get the final glitches out of our online store, so the CD will be available to all you not able to make it to the show. Keep your fingers crossed for my inner computer geek - I will let you know when the huge sigh of relief takes place (or when I start accepting tequila donations [ggg]).
Hope to see you at Hugh's Room!
Musically,
Alyssa
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Notes from the road -- Sussex, NB
We're back at our motel, "The Covered Bridge", having had a really fun evening. We've got internet access and a nice bottle of Fat Bastard wine, so life is good. The weather forecast predicted 10-15cm of snow here tonight, but so far it's just rain. We're hoping the roads will be OK tomorrow, but are not in a rush so will drive slow (you're welcome, Mom!).
Tonight, we played at The Broadway Cafe in Sussex, New Brunswick. Things were looking a little ominous when we arrived. Neil Young had a big show in Saint John, just 45 minutes away, PLUS the local high school had their big musical "Grease" on this weekend, plus... well, it's Easter weekend. It all seemed a little grim, frankly.
But, WOW! The crowd may have been small, but it sure was enthusiastic!!! The Brights even had our very first mosh pit. :-)
Randi has a beautiful cafe -- the menu (yes, here I go on about food again...) is incredible, it was so hard to choose! Plus they've got the local Pump House brew on tap, which is quite tasty indeed. I had their Scallops Florentine for dinner which... oh... was amazing. We were hoping they'd be open tomorrow so we could try something different too, but they're closed Sundays - sigh.
Anyhow, off my tummy and on to the rest of the evening.
As I mentioned, the turnout was small. We didn't mind so much, since this is the first time either of us has performed in New Brunswick, so we figured anybody showing up was a bonus... not to mention the fact that Neil Young was our competition!!! Early in the evening, there were a few guests on their way to the musical, but then they left, rather apologetically.
Nevermind, we ploughed through. And then a bunch of young'uns showed up. And started dancing! Never had that happen before... but it was tons of fun, so we switched around our setlist to put more of our faster stuff in there, to keep them going. And they kept going. I think my knees might have gone out by then, but... these were young 'uns. ;-) Mosh pit. The Brights had a mosh pit. Who'd-a-thunk?!?
We finished our second set, and then our waitress's parents arrived, so she asked me to sing "Sweat" again for them. I obliged, thinking it might be a tad on the rude side for the elderly... until I noticed that her parents were pretty much the same age as I -- HOLY CRAP! Am I seriously old enough to have a child old enough to be waiting tables?!? Apparently so... Did I mention the young 'uns? Does the fact that I'm calling them young 'uns tell you anything? ;-)
Anyhow, I sang "Sweat" again, to an even more raucous reception than the first, partly because the young 'uns had already memorized the lines about vaseline, etc. 'Twas quite fun. Don then threw in a bunch of his kick-ass guitar pieces, which got them dancing again. And we just kept going until the cows came home... well, no cows, really, but until the end of our set. :-)
We even got an encore. Well... to be honest, the only way they were going to give us our beer was if Don played an encore. :-) What's a thirsty folkie to do?!?
We had such a fun time, and even got a bunch of hugs out of it, so all is well in folk-land (I love hugs!). We've been invited back in the fall, provided we steer clear of Neil Young concerts or major holidays. We definitely intend to return. Imagine how much fun we'd have with a full house?!?
So... now we're putting our feet up, hoping the snow isn't too bad, drinking some tasty beverages and chatting with you folks. Tomorrow, we head to Halifax for some family time and Easter brunching. We'll check in when we have a chance!
Musically, and now with an empty glass (must remedy this!)
Alyssa
Tonight, we played at The Broadway Cafe in Sussex, New Brunswick. Things were looking a little ominous when we arrived. Neil Young had a big show in Saint John, just 45 minutes away, PLUS the local high school had their big musical "Grease" on this weekend, plus... well, it's Easter weekend. It all seemed a little grim, frankly.
But, WOW! The crowd may have been small, but it sure was enthusiastic!!! The Brights even had our very first mosh pit. :-)
Randi has a beautiful cafe -- the menu (yes, here I go on about food again...) is incredible, it was so hard to choose! Plus they've got the local Pump House brew on tap, which is quite tasty indeed. I had their Scallops Florentine for dinner which... oh... was amazing. We were hoping they'd be open tomorrow so we could try something different too, but they're closed Sundays - sigh.
Anyhow, off my tummy and on to the rest of the evening.
As I mentioned, the turnout was small. We didn't mind so much, since this is the first time either of us has performed in New Brunswick, so we figured anybody showing up was a bonus... not to mention the fact that Neil Young was our competition!!! Early in the evening, there were a few guests on their way to the musical, but then they left, rather apologetically.
Nevermind, we ploughed through. And then a bunch of young'uns showed up. And started dancing! Never had that happen before... but it was tons of fun, so we switched around our setlist to put more of our faster stuff in there, to keep them going. And they kept going. I think my knees might have gone out by then, but... these were young 'uns. ;-) Mosh pit. The Brights had a mosh pit. Who'd-a-thunk?!?
We finished our second set, and then our waitress's parents arrived, so she asked me to sing "Sweat" again for them. I obliged, thinking it might be a tad on the rude side for the elderly... until I noticed that her parents were pretty much the same age as I -- HOLY CRAP! Am I seriously old enough to have a child old enough to be waiting tables?!? Apparently so... Did I mention the young 'uns? Does the fact that I'm calling them young 'uns tell you anything? ;-)
Anyhow, I sang "Sweat" again, to an even more raucous reception than the first, partly because the young 'uns had already memorized the lines about vaseline, etc. 'Twas quite fun. Don then threw in a bunch of his kick-ass guitar pieces, which got them dancing again. And we just kept going until the cows came home... well, no cows, really, but until the end of our set. :-)
We even got an encore. Well... to be honest, the only way they were going to give us our beer was if Don played an encore. :-) What's a thirsty folkie to do?!?
We had such a fun time, and even got a bunch of hugs out of it, so all is well in folk-land (I love hugs!). We've been invited back in the fall, provided we steer clear of Neil Young concerts or major holidays. We definitely intend to return. Imagine how much fun we'd have with a full house?!?
So... now we're putting our feet up, hoping the snow isn't too bad, drinking some tasty beverages and chatting with you folks. Tomorrow, we head to Halifax for some family time and Easter brunching. We'll check in when we have a chance!
Musically, and now with an empty glass (must remedy this!)
Alyssa
Notes from the road -- Perth, ON
Hi folks!
We're just checking in after the second concert of our mini "pre-release" tour, tonight in Sussex, NB.
Didn't get a chance to report on our first concert yet. We played Thursday night in Perth, Ontario -- a concert set up by our friend Sue Tennant (Music on McLean house concerts) at The Crown Pub and Restaurant. We had a lot of fun, and got a chance to see many friends we haven't seen for ages.
The Crown has music nights every Thursday and Saturday, but apparently it's usually cover bands playing. This made us a little nervous, since the only covers we do are by our friends, and we have never learned all the words to "Free Bird" or "American Pie"... It might have made the owners a little nervous too, but fortunately Sue is a very persuasive soul, and she talked them in to hiring us.
Well, if any of us had misgivings, they were all gone by the end of the night. It was one of the most attentive audiences we've had to date -- they were paying attention, whooping it up when the song called for it, and waiting until the last chord faded away on the slow songs (you could have heard a pin drop) before applauding. This was definitely the most appreciated either of us has ever felt at a bar gig!
Adam Tennant did our sound, and did a fabulous job. That wasn't an easy room to control, and he got it just right. Many thanks to him for stepping in!
Some food notes -- the Angel Hair pasta was to die for. :-) (Hey, vegetarians don't get a lot of choice on the road, but this was terrific!)
Friday was spent driving like maniacs through La Belle Province. And today... well, you'll just have to read the next entry to find out about today!
Musically, and with a very nice glass of wine in my hand,
Alyssa
We're just checking in after the second concert of our mini "pre-release" tour, tonight in Sussex, NB.
Didn't get a chance to report on our first concert yet. We played Thursday night in Perth, Ontario -- a concert set up by our friend Sue Tennant (Music on McLean house concerts) at The Crown Pub and Restaurant. We had a lot of fun, and got a chance to see many friends we haven't seen for ages.
The Crown has music nights every Thursday and Saturday, but apparently it's usually cover bands playing. This made us a little nervous, since the only covers we do are by our friends, and we have never learned all the words to "Free Bird" or "American Pie"... It might have made the owners a little nervous too, but fortunately Sue is a very persuasive soul, and she talked them in to hiring us.
Well, if any of us had misgivings, they were all gone by the end of the night. It was one of the most attentive audiences we've had to date -- they were paying attention, whooping it up when the song called for it, and waiting until the last chord faded away on the slow songs (you could have heard a pin drop) before applauding. This was definitely the most appreciated either of us has ever felt at a bar gig!
Adam Tennant did our sound, and did a fabulous job. That wasn't an easy room to control, and he got it just right. Many thanks to him for stepping in!
Some food notes -- the Angel Hair pasta was to die for. :-) (Hey, vegetarians don't get a lot of choice on the road, but this was terrific!)
Friday was spent driving like maniacs through La Belle Province. And today... well, you'll just have to read the next entry to find out about today!
Musically, and with a very nice glass of wine in my hand,
Alyssa
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sneak preview of "Live Love Dream" now online
Hello again!
We just wanted to let you know that a "sneak preview" of the title track from "Live Love Dream" is now available for your listening pleasure. We'll be putting a couple more songs up soon, but that's all you get for now. :-)
You can listen via our website at http://thebrights.ca, or you can go directly to the source, and visit http://www.reverbnation.com/brights. If you feel so inclined, sign up as a fan there -- we'll be putting some fan-exclusive tracks up next week.
Preview CDs will be available to the media this week -- please contact us for a copy.
Now that the CD is out of our hands (gulp!), we'll be re-vamping (aw, who are we kidding? -- VAMPING!) the website and other such chores that have fallen by the wayside. We'll keep you posted! And if you just can't get enough of our ramblings, you can follow our new blog at http://brightsroots.blogspot.com/.
Don't forget the May 3 CD Release party at Hugh's Room! 2:00 pm, $14 in advance, $16 at the door, visit http://www.hughsroom.com or call 416-531-6604 for reservations (they've got a fabulous Sunday brunch menu!).
Musically,
Don and Alyssa
We just wanted to let you know that a "sneak preview" of the title track from "Live Love Dream" is now available for your listening pleasure. We'll be putting a couple more songs up soon, but that's all you get for now. :-)
You can listen via our website at http://thebrights.ca, or you can go directly to the source, and visit http://www.reverbnation.com/brights. If you feel so inclined, sign up as a fan there -- we'll be putting some fan-exclusive tracks up next week.
Preview CDs will be available to the media this week -- please contact us for a copy.
Now that the CD is out of our hands (gulp!), we'll be re-vamping (aw, who are we kidding? -- VAMPING!) the website and other such chores that have fallen by the wayside. We'll keep you posted! And if you just can't get enough of our ramblings, you can follow our new blog at http://brightsroots.blogspot.com/.
Don't forget the May 3 CD Release party at Hugh's Room! 2:00 pm, $14 in advance, $16 at the door, visit http://www.hughsroom.com or call 416-531-6604 for reservations (they've got a fabulous Sunday brunch menu!).
Musically,
Don and Alyssa
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Update - CD news and Eastern travels
Hello everyone!
It’s been busy-busy-busy around here, but we’ve got some exciting news about the new CD, a mini-tour announcement for our April trip out east, and a request for help in filling in some gaps. Forget saving the best ’til last, we’ll give it to you right up front:
CD NEWS
We’ve been hiding in the studio for what seems like forever, but we’re thrilled to announce that our debut CD “Live Love Dream” will be heading into manufacturing tomorrow. The official CD release will be Sunday, May 3, 2:00-4:00 pm at Hugh’s Room in Toronto — we’ll be sending out more details to Toronto-area folks about the show soon, and they’ll also be up on our website (http://thebrights.ca). We’ll be getting audio samples up on the website shortly, and will have preview copies available for the media later this weekend. As soon as we have copies in hand, we’ll be announcing how you can take them off our hands!
APRIL SHOWS
Before all the CD Release hullabaloo, though, there are a few other shows we’d like to tell you about. We’ll have some “sneak preview” copies of the new CD for eager easterners!
Thursday, April 9 — Perth, ON — The Crown Pub & Restaurant
We’ll be playing from 6:30 - 10:00, and there’s no cover
Music by Alyssa Wright, Don Bray, and The Brights
Come for The Crown’s candlelight steak night, or just join us for a drink or two and an evening of entertainment.
Saturday, April 11 — Sussex, NB — The Broadway Cafe
Show starts at 7:30, tickets are $12
73 Broad Street, Sussex, NB
Reservations are recommended, (506) 433-5414 or info@broadwaycafe.ca
This is a new venue and city for us, so if you’re in the area, please come and say hi!
Saturday, April 18 — Halifax (Boutilier’s Point), NS — House Concert
An intimate evening at Anne and Arch’s
Show starts at 7:00, tickets are $15
Contact anne@bayhammocks.com for reservations.
Sunday, April 19 — Fredericton, NB — Crumbs Cafe
Show starts at 8:00, tickets are $8
551 King St., Fredericton, NB
Call 506-472-8106 for directions and details.
VENUE SEARCH — Nova Scotia, Quebec
As you can see in the schedule above, we’ve still got a fair amount of “free time” available. We’ll be staying with family in Halifax during that stretch, and while it’s always nice to visit with the family… you know us, we love to play!!! So if you have a hankering to host a house concert, or have a coffee house or listening room venue, we’d love to hear from you!
We’re specifically looking for opportunities in Nova Scotia (anywhere in the province) Tuesday, April 14 through Thursday April 16.
We’d also be happy to find en-route engagements (or even a friendly couch to sleep on
Yes, we realize this is late notice, but figured it didn’t hurt to ask! Now that we’re no longer recording-obsessed, we promise to plan better next time. 
We’ll let you know about the CD as soon as it arrives. In all our spare time (?!?), we will also (finally!) be giving our website a major overhaul, so stay tuned!
Musically,
Don and Alyssa
The Brights
Don Bray and Alyssa Wright - Soulful roots music, tinged with blues, gospel, and a touch of gypsy spirit
mailto:brights@thebrights.ca
http://www.thebrights.ca
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