Saturday night’s Art of Sound music festival was amazing. And although we didn’t raise what we had hoped, we did manage to raise just over a thousand dollars for The Freeway (and some more for Haiti as well), which is totally amazing. The musicians were all top-notch this year… really good line-up. And the people who came really seemed to enjoy themselves.
A few BIG THANK-YOU’S:
To all the musicians and our amazing DJ who shared their talent with us. Your music was inspiring and beautiful. Thank you for giving your time and energy to help support the coffee house. Can’t wait to see you perform again soon.
To all the folks who helped clean the coffee house, prepare for the festival, and then clean again, thank you so much. I am always amazed at what amazing volunteers we have at The Freeway.
To all our fine baristas and other coffee house leaders who worked so hard before, during, and after the event, thank you so much for all your work. We definitely have the best baristas anywhere in the world… and people notice.
To the sound technicians who made the job of the musicians so much easier, thank you. And to the DWL Group, thank you for providing the sound gear for our lower level stage.
To everyone who came to support The Freeway and local music, thank you, thank you, thank you.
I really can’t wait until next year… and I hope to see you all at the coffee house supporting local artists and our community commons soon.
The Art of Sound is coming up next Saturday, January 23rd at 6:00pm. Are you excited? I know I am. We have a great line-up of musicians and it’s looking like it is going to be the party of the year… and for only $10!
If you haven’t already done so, check out the Facebook event page and make sure you’re on the list to attend. Also, pass this on to any friends, relatives, workmates, or little old ladies on motorized carts… that you think might be interested in coming and supporting a great organization… and listening to some terrific local music at the same time.
We really hope to see you there.
And by the way, please consider making a donation to The Freeway if you are unable to make it to the event (or even if you are). We can offer a tax receipt for any donation over $10… and we really appreciate your support. Drop us a line if you are able to do so: info@frwy.ca
Hey Readers! You may or may not know that The Freeway has live music every Friday evening. Some things you should know about Fridays:
It is usually $5 at the door which goes to support our musicians.
We have 3 performers per night and music generally starts at 8 pm.
It is an all ages venue with a wide variety of music.
If you are a musician (or know someone who is) and you have a website or myspace or a way we can hear your tunes, email me at miranda@frwy.ca … Let’s see if your sound melds with our venue and if we can book you in the near future!
And for you music lovers who don’t consider yourself a musician – don’t forget this great space on a Friday night. Come out and enjoy delicious fair trade coffee, fresh baked goods, and quality local music!
On Sunday evening Adrian McFarlane and myself missed the gathering at The Freeway because our band 2x the Mono was on the road playing a show in Sarnia, Ontario called Empty Spaces. It was a great chance to catch up with former Freewayers Nathan and Rachel Colquhoun who have moved on to a community in Sarnia called The Story. We were introduced to an amazing cultural city that is off the provincial radar with many similarities to Hamilton.
First off, Empty Spaces (a monthly music showcase) was one of the best shows 2x the Mono has ever played. The crowd was electric and loved to dance. All the local Sarnia bands that played were amazing. Sarnia has a diverse underground music scene that reminded me a lot of all the local talent in Hamilton. Check out the band “Driving on City Sidewalks.” “Empty Spaces” also reminded me of The Freeway Coffee House’s weekly concerts and annual Art of Sound Festival (coming soon on January 23rd). Everyone in 2x the Mono said they felt so comfortable amongst Sarnia’s music scene, it was like a home away from home.
We also found out that Sarnia has a monthly art walk called “First Fridays” that is very much like Hamilton’s James Street North Art Crawl.
What excited me most was to hear from Nathan about all the things happening with his church community, The Story. The Story has recently moved into storefront property in downtown Sarnia. Nathan said that it has opened up all kinds of opportunities for his community to interact with local artists, musicians and the downtown small business community. The comparison to The Freeway in this regard was overwhelming. I have always thought that church communities belong in the downtown core of their respective cities, and I’m so glad to see The Story taking this path in Sarnia. I know that The Freeway could not be or do what it needs to if it did not reside in downtown Hamilton.
I wouldn’t want to leave Hamilton for anything, and I still think Hamilton is the best place to live, but if Hamiltonians ever get together to “Tar and Feather” me, sending me on my merry way, I think I’ll move to Sarnia.
You can see more pictures of the Empty Spaces show by clicking here.
