Ambassadors of Island music
Rich diversity of talent will be on display at May Run Music Festival
Dylan Menzie. Vishten.
Paper Lions.
Sorrey.
Atlantic String Machine. Can’t say these artists seem to have a lot in common… or do they?
At first glance, I see singer/ songwriters, rock, pop, classical, roots. It’s an eclectic mix, to be sure, but dig a little deeper and you start to see why these fantastic musicians belong in the same breath.
We can start with the obvious. These are all Island artists. They all belong to the Music P.E.I. organization and are ambassadors of Island music, carrying our sound past the bridge and boat, to the ears of audiences around the world. So, yes… they all have some red dirt on their shoes.
All of them wowed audiences this past weekend in Saint John at the 2017 ECMA’s. In an event brimming with talent, our Island made an excellent showing, electrifying thousands of fans and taking home a few awards in the process.
These artists will also be filling halls soon here on P.E.I. The Music P.E.I. May Run Music Festival begins May 10 and offers a wealth of different acts at venues from Georgetown to Summerside over its five-day run. Perhaps we can take a closer look at the events taking place within the lovely Florence Simmons Performance Hall on Weymouth Street in Charlottetown.
At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 13, Musical Worlds Collide will embody the spirit of diversity. Vishten starts the evening, lighting the fire with their highenergy Acadian music. The Collective follows with a refreshing cool breeze of jazz and the Atlantic String Machine rounds up the individual group performances with the powerful attacks of their bows.
The show however, does not end there. The Collective will return to the stage and collaborate with the ASM, celebrating their differences with harmony.
Sunday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. brings the grand finale of the festival, the May Run Meltdown. Starting the show is Nick Doneff, a man and guitar so closely intertwined, it’s hard to tell where one starts and the other stops. Next up, Sorrey‘s dream-pop and tales of heartache will keep you smiling through the tears until Dylan Menzie takes the stage with his striking mix of familiar yet sophisticated musical lines and instantly identifiable voice. The night ends with the world-class power pop of Paper Lions.
So, in the end, what do these artists actually have in common? My answer would have to be that they perfectly exemplify the rich diversity of talent to be featured on the stages of the May Run Music Festival, cradled in the waves on Canada’s most densely populated province (did you know that little piece of trivia?). Dale Gaudet is a musician with the rock ‘n’ roll group FallBack and will be sharing Music P.E.I.’s story in the Guardian Fridays until May 12.