Vancouver Island storyteller John Gogo is coming to the Rivercity Stage alongside a band fronted by his daughter for an eclectic show for all musical tastes.
As part of the August Islands Tour, Gogo and the Blue Sky Miners – a contemporary Roots band based in Toronto – are joining local musician Kenneth Paul Cooper for their Aug. 12 date in Campbell River.
“I think folks in Campbell River are really going to enjoy this show,” Cooper says. “John has a lot to offer. He’s an excellent storyteller, and he uses historical references to inform and remind people of things. How he weaves a tale together for people is really something.”
And then there’s the Blue Sky Miners, a band just coming onto the music scene, who happen to be fronted by Gogo’s daughter, Jena.
“They are bringing with them that resurgence of interest in Roots music that we’re seeing right now, and they’re writing their own stuff, and they’re doing it all in a very contemporary fashion. They’re going to be really special for people to experience, I think.”
And then there’s Cooper.
“My songs tend to be a bit more reflective and introspective, and I always hope to touch a chord in the audience,” he says, but not in a nostalgic or longing, “what could have been?” kind of way. “I’m not melancholy – I’m celebratory,” he says.
The tour is in promotion of Gogo’s latest album, “Coal & Wood (Revisited),” which hearkens back to his 1990 release “Coal & Wood.” That first album was a collection of original songs about his life and family history in mining and logging – Gogo’s career before he became a musician.
“Coal & Wood (Revisited)” was recently named one to the Top Ten BC Made CDs of the Year by the Vancouver Province, a review which compared Gogo to Canadian folk icon Gordon Lightfoot.
Tickets for the show at $10, either in advance at Impressions Gallery on Shoppers Row or at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with Cooper taking the stage at 7 to start the show.
For more information on Cooper, head over to his website at kennethpaulcooper.com. The Blue Sky Miners can be found on Facebook, YouTube, or at blueskyminers.ca and John Gogo can be found at johngogo.com.