The Gruff's Farewell Concert

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Saturday, May 1st, 2010
8:00 PM

Doors 7:30

"hell bent on pushing the boundaries of what folk music can be... the group pushes the genre past its limits, nosediving into rock, bluegrass and country over the four independent albums it has put out, getting more adventurous each time." - Bryan Birtles, Vue Weekly (Edmonton)

"Old sounds in young hands, played with a nod to the past and an eye to the future." - David Francey

After a decade of sweet sounds and broken down vans, one of Victoria's favourite folk-roots bands, The Gruff, have decided to do one last road trip then turn in their towels. This swan song tour with allow the band to revisit some of their favourite hangouts throughout Alberta & Saskatchewan in April. The last two shows, in Vancouver and Victoria, with be a bittersweet farewell for the quartet's most adoring fans. For the Victoria show on May 1st, the band will be joined by Adrian Dolan, and the stage will be teeming with last minute musical peers; any sadness burgeoning into a joyous, hootenanny-revue. For fans wanting to round out their library, a disc of three new songs will be available at the show.

The Gruff, Phaedra Kemp (drums, vocals), Jenny Ritter (guitar, vocals) and Terri Upton (double bass, vocals) have, over the years, filtered numerous folk traditions through the sieve of modern experience into their own unique, decidedly West Coast roots-country sound. From old-time to country, bluegrass to good old rock'n'roll, these young songwriters have harmonized, sung and shouted songs of joy, sorrow and everything in between with an astounding energy and passion. The fourth spot has been occupied by an auxilliary that has included Adam Iredale-Gray (Fish & Bird), Lucas Goetz (Deep Dark Woods), and Christopher Herbst. The Gruff have shared the stage and worked with Oh Susanna, Steve Dawson, Old Man Luedecke, Eliza Gilkyson, Amelia Curran, Adrian Dolan, The Crooked Brothers, and Corbin Murdoch to name a few. They leave behind an impressive canon of recordings: "A Trail of Missing Thoughts" (2008), "The Gruff" (2006), and the now-out-of-print titles, "A Goat for Every Floor" (2003) and as Billy Goats Gruff "The Million Dollar Tip" (2002)..