Things pick up after a relatively slow week in Lethbridge due to South Country Fair.
 Some of the highlights this week are at the Owl Acoustic Lounge.
Nelson born, Montreal based “chill jazz” band Tofu Stravinsky make their first visit to Lethbridge to play the Owl Acoustic Lounge, July 25. They play laid back jazz music featuring keyboards and the sultry vocals of Sarah Orton. Locomotive Ghost were also expected to perform but had to back off the bill. There is no cover for the show which begins at 9 p.m.

The Owl Acoustic Lounge has a great folk show featuring Victoria musician Oliver Swain’s Big Machine, who stop by Lethbridge, July 24, taking a break from the summer folk festival circuit. Swain has played with a variety of well known folk and roots acts including the Bill Hilly band and Scruj MacDühk. He plays stand up bass, banjo and sings. He won’t be bringing the Big Machine to Lethbridge, though they are joining him for all of the folk festivals he is playing this summer. He will be accompanied by longtime collaborator Glenna Garramone. There is no cover for that show either. They bring back rock band Windborn, on July 26.

 The Slice crashes into action after taking a few days off  for the South Country Fair with organ powered alternative rock band Bend Sinister on July 23, who closed off the South Stage on Saturday night at the Fair.

 The Slice welcomes back local blues band Paul Kype and Texas Flood, July 25. Also for blues fans, Papa King, Darryl Düus and Evan Uschenko play the 1010 Pub, July 26.
 And for something a little different, welcome rapper/ beatboxer Hachey the MouthPeace on Monday , July 28.

Victoria musician Oliver Swain is enjoying a busy summer of playing folk festivals in  all over the west coast and larger centres like Vancouver, Winnipeg and Calgary.

“That's what I do. I finish my tour in the Spring and play folk festivals in the summer. Then I record something new in the fall and winter when things aren’t as busy,” he said.

He just finished playing the Winnipeg Folk Festival last weekend, and stops by the Owl Acoustic Lounge, July 24 with long time songwriting partner Glenna Garramone en route to the Calgary Folk festival on July 27.
 He loves playing folk festival.

“ It’s where musicians promoters, government, funding, non profit groups and volunteers all come together,” he said.

 He usually plays with the Big Machine whenever possible, depending on the gig, but won't be bringing them to Lethbridge other than keyboardist/ guitarist/ singer and long time collaborator Glenna Garramone.

“ We’ll be playing our own songs, some Big Machine songs. and we just released a CD of  Leonard Cohen songs,“ he said.

Alabama born, Victoria based blues piano player David Vest is excited to return to  Bow Valley, for the second time, July 26.
 The first time he  was inspired a close brush with a freight train inspired “Freight Train Rolling,”  the first single off of his latest CD “Roadhouse Revelations.”

“I’ve only been there once,” said  the Maple Blues award winner from Victoria, doing some last minute packing for a trip to the  Winthrop Blues  Festival in Winthrop, Washington.

“We were driving  from the hotel to the theatre and came to these railroad tracks. It never  occurred to us there were active. But we saw this freight train hauling a car coming at us full tilt. And Jimi Bott, my drummer on that tour who has also played with the Fabulous thunderbirds said‘ I think I can beat this train.’ Luckily the other three of us talked him out of it,” Vest related.

“But I had the melody and the first three lines of the song right then,” he said.
 Bott won't join him on this quick  Alberta visit, which  also includes a stop in Edmonton, however Downchild rhythm section bassist  Gary Kendall and drummer Mike Fitzpatrick plus former Fathead guitarist Teddy Leonard will be joining him.

“ I met Gary four or five years ago at the Hornsby Island blues camp and he put this group together,” he said.

 They will be playing most of the new album, which is already topping blues charts in Canada.

“ And a few years ago “East Meets Vest”  was nominated for a Maple Blues award, it didn’t win. MonkeyJunk won. They're a great band and put out a great album. We’ll be playing some songs from it too (East Meets Vest) ,” he continued.

“It”s all about creating an experience for them,” he said.

He is excited about returning to the Bow Island Theatre.
 “I don’t think there is a musician who has played there who doesn’t want to come back to it,” he said.

“When I  first got there, my agent told me it was a theatre in the middle of nowhere and I wondered where all of the people came from. It’s a subscription series. You buy the entire season. And people come there from all over Alberta and the United States. It’s a labour of love and run by volunteers,” he said.

 “I guess they bought the theatre from the city which had slated it for demolition. But they renovated it. They got hardwood from old churches and a hired a sound guy who has toured with big rock acts like Journey and Triumph,” he said.
 The 70-year-old Vest has played with numerous blues greats including Big Joe Turner, who had  a variety of hits in the  ’50s and ’60s including “Shake Rattle and Roll,” “Honey Hush” and “ Flip, Flop and Fly.”