The final house concert at The Gog before summer is coming up this Saturday.
Entertaining will be a trio featuring folk artist Keiffer McLean and a solo performance by Pilar Bernal, daughter of the hostess, Kelly Waters.
“If you saw Keiffer last year then you know that he is delightful and fresh," says Waters, adding, “Pilar is emerging with enough confidence as an artist to perform an opening set to warm up the crowd."
McLean is looking forward to the evening.
"The Gog was one of my favourite shows of 2014 so if it's anything like last year, then it looks like we've made a lap of infinity."
The show at The Gog will consist of a trio made up of McLean, a bass player and a Middle Eastern and Latin percussionist.
"We are called Keiffer McLean and The Curiosity Club."
McLean says their appearance at The Gog will be the second show of their Western Canadian Jive Turkey Tour.
"It will be an intimate show with lots of twists and turns. I hope to confuse people and lead them into corners of nonsense that will leave them tipping their dunce caps to infinity and beyond," says McLean. "I call the genre 'crooked baritone folk,' and it usually proves to be a very dynamic performance as my songs are a blend of mellow and upbeat tunes."
Despite his relatively young age, Mclean has made a prodigious progression as a solo folk artist. Hailing from Regina, McLean began writing songs in his mid-teens and has since developed into a songwriting virtuoso who has made appearances at several high-profile festivals in 2013, including the Cathedral Village Arts Festival, the Regina Folk Festival, Gateway Festival, Ness Creek Music Festival and JUNOfest. His debut release, a seven-song self-titled EP, garnered him a nomination in the Young Performer of the Year category at the 2013 Canadian Folk Music Awards.
McLean has also shared the stage with numerous Canadian artists such as Jeremy Fisher, Boreal Sons, Close Talker, Belle Plaine, The Lazy MKs, Don Brownrigg, Trent Severn, Rah Rah, George Leach, Northcote, Grounders, Wooden Sky and Peter Katz.
Now, at the age of 21, Keiffer is enjoying the release of his first full-length album, Drama in the Attic.
The evening at The Gog will get started with an Indie folk performance by Pilar Bernal. She says it is the next step in her journey as an artist.
"I've always had experience performing with others, but it wasn't until very recently I started performing music with me more as the focus."
The 18-year-old graduate says she's been working hard to gain the confidence to perform solo.
"I'm nervous, but I'm definitely very excited about it, too."
She plans to play some original music as well as new, Indie covers of some older songs, giving them a "new feeling."
Bernal enjoys all the arts.
"I like writing, I like drawing, I like visual arts, I just like the arts."
She also likes languages and would like to incorporate that into her music. After high school, she spent half a year in Mexico, where she was born and had family to stay with, attending an international language school studying Spanish.
"I really love languages," she says.
She speaks English, Spanish and French.
She's made no firm decisions yet about her path in the future, but Bernal says, "No matter what, I will keep playing. Hopefully I can keep growing as an artist."
Admission is $20, which goes entirely to the artists. If you plan to attend, you can let the hostess know by email at [email protected] or text 306-481-3656.
The doors open at 7 p.m. and show goes at 7:30 p.m.
