On Friday, March 18, 2016, we had to scramble for extra chairs for the audience. Scott Chandler and Lorna Heidt,”Eightfold” started off our evening with a half-hour set of original songs with Guitar, Cello, Harmonica and Mandolin accompaniments.   We posted this phot to our  Performers Pictures page.

The next Black Walnut will be all Acoustic Open Stage on Friday, April 15th at 8pm. The open stage performers on March 18th were:

1. Dan Hergott
2. Paul Horton
3. Scott Abrams
4. Liv Bowen
5. Scott and Amber
6. Randy Ouillette
7. Jakki Annerino
8. David Maranta
9. Neil Light
10. Rick Hehner
11. Ron Hammar
12. Cam and Pat
13. Wayne Cheater

On Friday March 18th, 2016 we will be back to the Mill Courtland Community Centre for our monthly Open Stage. Scott Chandler was back last month and we are very pleased to announce that his group “Eightfold” will start our evening with a 30 minute set. Scott advises: “Eight Fold is an ever evolving acoustic folk act celebrating the beautiful transience of music on each performance. The black walnut performance on March 18th will feature original music featuring acoustic guitar and cello on all arrangements, with the possibility of surprise musicians joining in for the accompaniment. Please Join us like our page, Eight Fold found on Facebook, simply under Eight Fold.” You can also check out Eight Fold 

Bring your guitars, accordions, voices, acoustic instruments of all sorts or just your eyes and ears and make yourself feel “at home”.  Do not feel shy because you have not played for us before.  The doors will open and sign-up for the open stage will start at 7:30 pm. Remember when you sign up you get to play/sing two songs in a set of 10 minutes or less and you need to be ready to start playing when your turn starts so you won’t lose any of your 10 minutes.

The details are outlined on our About Page.  The parking is free at the back of the Mill-Courtland Community Centre and admission is still $3 at the door. the facility is accessible, alcohol, smoke and peanut free and every show is different. If you don’t come, you’ll miss it.

Well maybe not actually hot but for February 19th, it was quite mild.  As usual we were surprised by the fine selection of performers who returned  and we had two first timers.  Whoot! Whoot!  We’ll be back on March 18th with another Acoustic Open Stage event.  Stay tuned for news of a possible featured performance.

On February 19, 2016, the Open Stage performers were:

1. Paul Horton – NEW
2. David Maranta (& Jeff Willmer)
3. Dan Hergott (&Randy Ouillette)
4. Neil Light
5. Scott and Amber
6. Randy Ouillette (& Dan Hergott)
7. Jakki Annerino (&Wayne Cheater)
8. Lawrence Creswell
9. Liv Bowen – NEW (&Scott Chandler)
10. Jeff Willmer (& David Maranta)
11. Scott Chandler
12. Cam Kemp
13. Edward Barrington
14. Ron Hammer
15. Wayne Cheater

On Friday January 15th it was a fine evening of mild January weather and great music from some of the regulars and a first time Guest. We had time for people to perform 3 numbers each and many did that. There was lots of guitar and vocals, a few harmonica breaks and some very sweet saxophone sounds, thanks to Jeff Willmer. Our Open-stage performers on January 15th were:

1. Dan Hergott
2. Mike Miller
3. David Maranta & Jeff Willmer
4. Jakki Annerino
5. Jack Cole
6. Randy Ouillette
7. Ron Hammar
8. Scott Abrams
9. Rick Hehner – NEW
10. Cam and Pat
11. Jeff Willmer & David Maranta
12. Wayne Cheater

We’ll be back with our next Acoustic Open Stage on Friday, February 19th.

On Friday December 18th, 2015 the Black Walnut will start out with a feature set by Neil Light, Singer/Songwriter. Our Open Stage will follow Neil’s performance. Neil has performed as part of our Open Stage previously, and we are very happy that he has agreed to play a longer set for us this time. Bring your guitars, banjos, voices, acoustic instruments of all sorts or just your eyes and ears and make yourself feel “at home”.  Christmas treats will inevitably be handed out and Christmas songs will be sung by those who do that sort of thing. The doors will open and sign-up for the open stage will start at 7:30 pm. Remember when you sign up you get to play/sing two songs in a set of 10 minutes or less and you need to be ready to start playing when your turn starts so you won’t lose any of your 10 minutes.

The details are outlined on our About Page.  The parking is free at the back of the Mill-Courtland Community Centre and admission is still $3 at the door. the facility is accessible, alcohol, smoke and peanut free and every show is different. If you don’t come, you’ll miss it.

ARTIST STATEMENT: NEIL LIGHT –  Singer/songwriter

Over the years I have developed a deep love and interest in Canadian and American folk singers. Several years ago I put together a repertoire of my favorites songs by Gordon Lightfoot, Valdy, Matt Hemsworth, Stan Rogers, Joni Mitchell, Lyle Lovett, Paul Simon and others.
What is common about these songs is that they all tell stories.
Being a storyteller I love to hear a great story and even more when it is put to music.

Songs like Black Fly, Bitter Green, 45 Years From Now, are all great storytelling songs.

As a songwriter I try to tell stories with the music I write. Most are of my own personal reflections of how I see the world.

When listening to or watching a great story being told, whether in a film or live performance, there is a kind of “magic place” that we enter into. We are slowly pulled away from the everyday and are now in the place created by the story.
Maybe it’s a wild west set or a boat on an ocean, we are no longer sitting in our seats but in this other place. Sometimes it’s just for a short escape, a time of joy and amusement, others a time of inward reflection or a glimpse into another person’s world.

And then there are lots of stories behind the songs, why it was written and who it is for.

It is my desire as an artist to weave the stories and music together so that we can go to that “magic place” for a short time together.

If you are having any difficulty with viewing any content, please post a comment or send a private email to: mailto:wayne@blackwalnutfolkclub.com

Maryanne Epp appears in – Lowdown Tracks Screening:
Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Doors Open: 6:30 p.m. with a pre-screening musical performance at 6:45 p.m.
Screening 7 p.m. followed by a Q&A with film director Shelley Saywell
Screening at: Princess Twin Cinema, 46 King St. N
Tickets Available at the door ($10) and on-line at http://lowdowntracks.eventbrite.ca
For more information about Lowdown Tracks and to watch the trailer (or entire film), please see http://www.lowdowntracks.com/
Donations to the food bank will be collected at this event. Please consider bringing a canned good.

On Friday November 20th, 2015 the Black Walnut will return with an all Open Stage evening. Bring your guitars, banjos, voices, acoustic instruments of all sorts or just your eyes and ears and make yourself feel “at home”. We love our audience, because they love our performers and because “If there’s no audience, there just ain’t no show”. That is from Rain-O by Chilliwack. The doors will open and sign-up for the open stage will start at 7:30 pm. Remember when you sign up you get to play/sing two songs in a set of 10 minutes or less and you need to be ready to start playing when your turn starts so you won’t lose any of your 10 minutes.

The details are outlined on our About Page.  The parking is free at the back of the Mill-Courtland Community Centre and admission is still $3 at the door. the facility is accessible, alcohol, smoke and peanut free and every show is different. If you don’t come, you’ll miss it.

If you are having any difficulty with viewing any content, please post a comment or send a private email to: mailto:wayne@blackwalnutfolkclub.com