Royal City’s queen of roots music, Tannis Slimmon, plays River Run

March 25, 2015

Guelph, ON March 25, 2015 – The queen of the Royal City’s roots music scene, Tannis Slimmon, will play River Run Centre’s Co-operator’s Hall on Friday, April 10 at 8 p.m. The show wraps up this season’s Borealis Music Series. Slimmon will be joined by her partner, Lewis Melville, a noted producer and multi-instrumentalist.

Slimmon originally hails from Manitoba. She moved to Guelph in the 1980s, and has remained a fixture in the region’s vibrant music scene ever since. In her career, which spans more than three decades, she has performed on more than 80 recordings and toured nationally and internationally. She spent eleven years with the legendary trio The Bird Sisters, was a founding member of bands like The Reverbs and Benji, and has recorded alongside key players in the CanRock Revolution, including Rheostatics, Barenaked Ladies and Grievous Angels.

Tannis Slimmon’s vocals are at once earthy and ethereal. Her unique sound features a compelling blend of melodic, rhythmic and harmonic guitars and voices, while her lyrics balance the essential emotional components of life: sadness, joy, love and humour. Her roots style is accented with influences from world, contemporary, and folk music traditions.

Slimmon’s work has enjoyed great critical acclaim. In 2008 she was named Contemporary Vocalist of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards for her album, Lucky Blue. “Ernest, Charlie & Allan”, a track from Lucky Blue, garnered the Independent Music Award for Best Folk/Roots Song. The record also earned a spot on the Top Ten Critics Albums of the Year by Penguin Eggs, Canada’s premier folk and roots music magazine, and a Porcupine’s Golden Quill Award for songwriting.

Her latest album, In and Out of Harmony, features a who’s who of the Canadian roots music scene. With its textured and percussive tunes, the record bears traces of her travels and studies in Mali and in Cuba. Legendary folk music impresario Richard Flohil described the album’s songs – which tackle topics ranging from environmental degradation and depression to ageing and mortality – as “messages of hope, optimism and decency”.

Tickets are $27 for adults and $25 for students and seniors. $5 eyeGO tickets are available for high school students with valid ID. $20 uGO tickets are available to university and college students with valid ID. Tickets are available at the River Run Box Office at 519-763-3000, or online at riverrun.ca/tannis-slimmon

FOR INFORMATION

Ella Pauls | Manager, Cultural Affairs and Tourism
Culture, Tourism and Community Investment | Public Services
City of Guelph

519-822-1260 extension 2589
[email protected]

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