Get ready for another wild evening of music and laughter at the Big Yellow Merville Hall, with the Juno-nominated Andrew Collins Trio.
Bluegrass and old-time music at its best will bounce off the hallowed hall’s walls on Friday, Feb. 7, as mandolin maestro Andrew Collins shares three-part harmonies with his bandmates.
As co-founder of rocking Canadian bands the Foggy Hogtown Boys and the Creaking Tree String Quartet, Collins is comfortable on mandolin, fiddle, guitar, mandola and mandocello. He also composes, produces, arranges, writes and teaches across multiple genres, including a popular collision of folk, jazz, bluegrass, celtic and classical.
Equally versatile, his bandmates are fellow string guru Mike Mezzatesta, shining on guitar, mandolin, fiddle and mandola, and James McEleney holding it down on the bass, mandocello and vocals.
Showcasing a dizzying number of styles and instruments on stage, Collins and company appear to live by the old adage, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” likely keeping the group just ahead of the devil’s grasp.
The Friday concert will also be a CD release party, showcasing the Trio’s latest double album, Tongue & Groove. Each cut is honed to perfection and represents a back-to-basics visitation on what the band does best — spontaneity of the stage and rapid-fire, improvisational exchanges. Collins loves to sing, so Tongue & Groove is a double set of 11 vocal songs (Tongue) and 11 instrumentals (Groove), and it’s the best of both worlds, marking a new stage in the life of the Andrew Collins Trio.
So, Friday, Feb. 7, settle in at the cozy Merville hall for an evening of the best live music on the Island. Doors open at 7 p.m., show starts 7:30. Tickets are $20/$10 (youth) at Long & McQuade, Courtenay and Blue Heron, Comox, and at the door. FMI Craig 339-4249, or email seabankmars@shaw.ca