Po' Girl
Friday, November 18
8:00 pm
Medalta Potteries

The interplay between Allison Russell, Awna Teixeira, Benny Sidelinger, and Mikey "Lightning" August is truly something to behold. They are distinct voices with incredible harmonies; multiple instrumentalists who bring the perfect sound to each song and songwriters who pen poetic tunes you'll find yourself humming. Po'Girl showcases a wide array of instruments-from gutbucket bass, accordion, clarinet, banjo, dobro, guitar, to electric bass, glockenspiel, piano, harmonica, bicycle bells, drums-- and they all frequently trade off instruments with each song. Their fluid and joyous musicality is one of the group's most endearing and irresistible features.

Impossible to put this band in a tidy little box-they're equally at home in Douala, Cameroon playing the Massao World Music Festival, as they are at the International Jazz Festival in Montreal, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Woodford Music Festival in Australia or just playing for fun for the people in Vondel Park, Amsterdam.

Suffice to say Po'Girl makes 21st Century roots music, urban roots - never derivative, not faithfully aping a beloved tradition. Russell, Teixeira, Sidelinger, and August don't re-hash the old forms, they reshape and reinvigorate them for new ears. Like genuine gypsies, they wander and play - out on the international road bringing their unique brand of pan North Americana to a widespread audience 250 to 300 days of the year. Always restless, more often than not bone-tired, they write their flashes of sadness, their loss, their good love, their faint dreams of home into songs that matter deeply to them. Like any good art, they are little acts of self-rescue. So you should listen. You aren't much different from them, and who couldn't use a little rescuing these days?

Po'Girl released their 4th studio album 'Deer in the Night' to critical acclaim in May 2009- they followed that up with ' Po'Girl Live' in July 2009 - a live album recorded at various shows over the last year - which captures some of the energy and excitement of a real time Po'Girl concert.

The band spent 3 weeks in January 2010 recording their new album "Follow Your Bliss" in Chicago, Illinois with the fantastic Zach Goheen at the helm. "Follow Your Bliss" was released in April/May 2010 in Europe, and June 2010 in North America.

Where does the name Po' Girl come from?

The name Po' Girl is a nod to the women of New Orleans who at the time of the railroad strikes gathered scraps of food from the restaurants and delivered the notorious Po' Boy sandwiches to the men while they were striking. It is a nod to the solidarity of the workers, as well as to all the musical influences that came out of New Orleans that have shaped Po' Girl's sound.

Po' Girl is:
Allison Russell: singing, clarinet, banjo, guitar, glockenspiel
Awna Teixeira: singing, gutbucket bass, accordion, electric bass, guitar, banjo, glockenspiel, harmonica, keys
Benny Sidelinger: singing, dobro, guitar, banjo, electric bass, keys
Mikey Lightning: singing, drums, keys

www.pogirl.net

Opening for Po' Girl will be...

Sarah MacDougall

Sarah MacDougall is a rising star on the Canadian Folk Music scene with her dynamite songs, blistering guitar chops and astounding voice. She has been earning rave reviews and topping major music writers top ten album of the year lists as a songwriter with her ocial debut album Across the Atlantic (2009), all the while producing and engineering her own music. Born in Sweden, 24 hrs Vancouver called her ‘one of the most promising exports out of Sweden since Abba’ and Across the Atlantic got four-star reviews in such notable publications as Q magazine, the Irish Times, No Depression, and many more.

Sarah’s songs have been chosen for onboard entertainment on Lufthansa airplanes twice, on the Fox TV drama ’15 Love’, and she’s been a semi-nalist on the International Songwriting competition with her song Crow’s Lament. She has performed live on the Bob Harris BBC2 show in the UK, played several Canadian and International Festivals, performed with such notable artists as Mary Gauthier, Todd Snider, Kimmie Rhodes, and toured with Po’Girl.

Her new full-length release, THE GREATEST ONES ALIVE was produced in Vancouver and in Whitehorse with the help of Matt Rogers (Mark Berube, C.R. Avery, The Fugitives), and Bob Hamilton (Kim Barlow, Gordie Tentrees, the Breakmen). It features ten melodic, beautifully written, epic, and touching songs that showcase the growth in Sarah’s songwriting and performance skills. It covers themes such as storms (literal and metaphoric), success, growing up, love, friendship, and dying. The album also showcases the musical skills of Tim Tweedale, Shawn Killaly, Patrick Metzger, and Matt Rogers, with guest appearances by Bob Hamilton, Meredith Bates, Annie Avery, Awna Teixeira, Kim Beggs, Kim Barlow, and Gordie Tentrees.

Sarah MacDougall is one of the hardest working Canadian artists today, and she won’t be stopping anytime soon. THE GREATEST ONES ALIVE proves that Across the Atlantic wasn’t a fluke. Sarah’s voice and songs have the power to ‘make stones weep’. (Q magazine)

http://www.killbeatmusic.com/sarahmacdougall/