MUSIC
 |
| La Famille Arseneault |
The musical line-up for this year’s PEI International Shellfish Festival will feature down-home Maritime entertainment. On Friday night, returning to the Festival stage is Island fiddler Richard Wood. Joining Richard will be Gordon Belsher and Brad Fremlin. Gordon Belsher was a “Roots Traditional Solo Artist” nominee at Canada’s 2008 East Coast Music Awards for his CD, Call up all the Neighbours. Gordon also operates Guernsey Cove Parlour Productions recording studio out of his home in Prince Edward Island. Brad Fremlin moved to Prince Edward Island to work as the principal drumming, piano and theory instructor at Summerside’s College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts. An accomplished percussionist and classically trained pianist, he also plays the accordion and is even bowing the musical hand saw.
Closing the night on Friday is the Johnny Ross Band, always a crowd favorite in Charlottetown. For more than five years, this cover band has appeared at many dances, festivals, and events throughout the Island. The group features Johnny Ross on keyboards; Eddy Quinn, lead vocals; Jim Williams, lead guitar and vocals; Owen Hann, bass, vocals; and Steve Arsenault, drums, vocals.
Saturday night’s featured entertainment begins with La Famille Arseneault. Hailing from New Brunswick, the band boasts three generations of musicians. They draw on almost 20 different instruments and an array of percussion instruments (fiddles, guitars, mandolin, spoons, harmonicas, drums, congas, tambourine, washtubs, washboards, step shoes, etc.).
Shanneyganock takes the stage on Saturday night. Loosely translated from Gaelic, “Shanneyganock” means “creature of the night”—fitting for Newfoundland’s best party band. Shanneyganock are one of Newfoundland’s most identifiable bands. They’ve been a fixture in the local and traditional scene for almost a decade. Traditional Newfoundland songs had a tight hold on them since they were lads and so it goes. This fall they enlisted Great Big Sea stalwart Bob Hallett to produce a new album, Fling out the Flag, which makes a musical statement heard in every cove and every outport. Powerful patriotic songs of Newfoundland’s past are balanced with contemporary calls to Newfoundland's lost young people.
The Festival tent will be alive with music all weekend with something for everyone. Joining the headliners are the Grass Mountain Hobos, Drumlin, The Chaisson Family, Muddy Buddy, Lazy Jacks, Boys in the Kitchen, Celtic Ladies, and Joey Kitson.