Thursday 25 May, Roseneath School Hall, Roseneath, 7:30 pm

Entry: $15/$10 for members. A bargain! Cash only (no eftpos facilities). Vaccinations and masks encouraged.

“Let’s take a stand, protect this land…”

You don’t get much more appropriate for NZ Music Month than a classic song about defending our land from a threat posed by a larger power, and that’s how we’re starting this month’s concert. We have four fantastic acts from the Wellington region, from some of whom have been playing it a bit cool for a while now to other more familiar faces, with a mix of original numbers and well-known covers. 

The Hot Tubs are a band formed from members of Swing Club Music Group, including Sandra (uke), Lily (bass), Jarrad (guitar), Lynn (uke, guitar), and sometimes Mike (tenor guitar), and Manu (cajon and drums). They play an eclectic music mix of country blues, swing, ragtime and other upbeat genres and their set will include Lynn’s classic song ‘Send the Boats Away’. Come along and experience the social and music benefits of the Swing Club Music group for yourself.

Kevin Ikin is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who hails from Dunedin but has lived in Wellington since 1986. He played with Dunedin’s Pioneer Pog ‘n’ Scroggin Bush Band (The Pogs) and is a founder-member of Wellington dance band The Jimmies, and one half of the duo Ktoo. If you’ve been to any Acoustic Routes event in the past thirty-some years, you’ve probably seen him, either performing, compering or working to make sure the event goes smoothly. But did you know he composed and performed the Country Life theme heard weekly on National Radio? Instrumentalist Susan Ellis will be accompanying Kevin on fiddle and cello.

Don Franks has been enthusiastically singing and playing (mostly American) light music for the last sixty or so years. For this occasion, he has done a bit of homework and come up with an eclectic programme of genuine made-in-New-Zealand compositions for your entertainment and delight.

Sage is the duo of Sue Rose and Murray Kilpatrick, who have been singing and playing a very eclectic mix of songs together for over twenty years. Their set will be a great way to round off the evening.

Thursday 27 April, Tawa Community Lounge, 7:30 pm

Entry: $10/$5 for members and performers. Cash only (no eftpos facilities). Vaccinations and masks encouraged.

Since ANZAC Day is 25 April, the theme is war and peace. Come along and share up to two songs each or bring a poem or story to share. Put your name up on the night until the list is full. Listeners, foot-tappers and sing-alongers welcome too.

There will be a bring-and-buy table where you can bring anything related to folk music that you want to give away or sell. This will be operating from 6:45-7:30 pm, when the concert starts, and during the break. The Committee would appreciate you taking home any of your treasures that do not find a new owner.

Entry: $10/$5 for members and performers. Cash only (no eftpos facilities). 

Thursday 23 March, Roseneath School Hall, 7:30 pm

Entry: $20/$15 for members. Cash only (no eftpos facilities). Vaccinations and masks encouraged.

Enda Kenny is an Irish-born songwriter who has made his home in Australia since the late 1980’s. His thoughtful, descriptive stories of his adopted homeland have struck a chord with festival audiences here and beyond. His songs are always memorable and spiced with plenty of humour. 

After a decade of juggling performance with a career in Public Housing, Enda returned to full-time music with the release of Kitchen Ballads in 2019. After the interval (COVID) he is happily back on the road.

Described by Rock and Reel as ‘a cracking live entertainer’, and by Colum Sands as ‘the finest Irish songwriter living overseas’.

Our support act for Enda is Caoimhe Lane, a young Wellington based singer and guitarist who performs contemporary and traditional acoustic folk music. After completing a music degree majoring in jazz performance at the University of Auckland, she is studying composition at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington. She was a winner in last year’s Acoustic Routes’ Joan Prior Young Performers Award.

Caoimhe performs her own songs as well as traditional songs. In her music she seeks to explore her Celtic roots given to her by her Irish mother and bring the joy that she exudes throughout life into her songs.

Thursday 23 February, Roseneath School Hall, 7:30 pm

Entry: $15/$10 for members. A bargain! Cash only (no eftpos facilities). Vaccinations and masks encouraged.

South for Winter

No, it’s not a comment on our recent weather, or a sign that Summer is over! It’s the name of the duo that will be entertaining us this month, with support acts Luca Joass and Beans.

With a blend of dreamy acoustic duets, bluesy murder ballads and foot-stomping folk, Nashville-based South for Winter is kiwi Nick Stone and his Colorado-born wife Dani Cichon. 

These two songwriters and multi-instrumentalists combine elements including acoustic guitar, mandolin, electric guitar, and suitcase stomp into a genre-bending sound described by American Songwriter as “laden with delicate harmonies, intricate guitar-work and earthy vocals … impeccable sound”.

Their 2021 debut album Luxumbra, with GRAMMY-award winning producer Matt Leigh, has received international accolades. See more on their website or Facebook page.

Luca Joass

Christchurch-based singer song-writer Luca Joass grew up travelling around the NZ folk scene with his parents, core members of the Wellington celtic-folk band Hobnail. You won’t find him much happier than with a guitar in his hands and a song in his heart. Taking inspiration from his folk background, and bringing it an alternative, modern, twist, Luca’s songs are rife with catchy melodies and a whole lot of heart.

Beans

Inspired by the folk traditions of their native Yorkshire, singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Beans blends gentle indie folk sounds with a unique lyrical style. Their original songs are rich with humour, honesty and carefully crafted word play, borne of a love of language combined with a vibrant imagination and inner world. A newcomer to the Wellington scene, previously performing on and around the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, playing to a dedicated local fan base in small venues and festivals.

Monday 20 February, Rimu Room, Johnsonville Community Hub, 33 Johnsonville Road, Johnsonville, 7:30 pm

Entry: $4 (to cover cost of tea and coffee). 

Bring songs, tunes or poems to share, or just come along and join in.

At the Johnsonville Community Hub in the side room (go into the main room and turn left).

And don’t forget, later that week, on Thursday 23 February, we have:

South for Winter, along with Luca Joass and Beans, at the Roseneath School Hall.