Meet The Artists


Steve Poltz
Steve Poltz has spent more than three decades as a singer-songwriter-performer of the first order, earning international applause and fans around the world with his inspired brand of rockin’ countrified folk Americana.
Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia but living most of his life in Southern California, he first made his bones as frontman for underground legends The Rugburns and has gone on to establish a critically lauded 14-album solo catalog. He also collaborates with such diverse artists as Jewel (an ongoing creative partnership that includes co-writing the RIAA Platinum-certified #1 hit, “You Were Meant For Me”) GRAMMY® Award-winning bluegrass phenom Billy Strings, GRAMMY® Award-winner Molly Tuttle, The Wood Brothers, and Andy Frasco, to name but a few.
Steve positively owns a crowd when he’s on stage. His shows are the stuff of legend. He can take an unsuspecting audience from laughter to tears and back again in the space of a single song. And he is a master of improvisational songwriting, working without a set list to be free to react instantly to the mood of a room.
Get ready for an evening of authentic music and heartfelt stories… you’re going to laugh, sing along, and leave uplifted!
Lewis & Royal
With tight harmonies, clever storytelling, and a knack for making audiences laugh, Alberta’s Lewis & Royal are a folk duo like no other. Steve Bell describes them as “Humour & Heart. Entertainment & Art.”
Since joining forces in 1993, these prairie boys have charmed their way across Western Canada performing intimate concerts in prairie churches and community halls to major folk festivals and even the Calgary Saddledome, with songs that celebrate the quirks and comforts of rural life. One moment they’ll have you tapping your toes, the next, wiping away tears of laughter. Their stage chemistry is undeniable, and no two shows are ever quite the same. Quick on their feet, Lewis & Royal love to riff off each other and the audience, turning even the most unexpected moments into comedic gold.


Don Amero Trio
Manitoba’s Don Amero is a captivating singer whose soulful sound and heartfelt storytelling have made him one of Canada’s most beloved performers. With powerful vocals, a lovable stage presence and a soulful sound, he genuinely connects with his audience sharing encouragement and positivity. His 11 albums have generated multiple national and international awards, as well as three JUNO nominations and three CCMA nominations.
Don was exposed to a broad variety of musical genres while growing up in a small town in Manitoba, and as a Cree Nation member, was also inspired by Indigenous music which greatly shaped his sound and style. Don describes his music as a way of life… citing how music has the ability to unite people, heal them, and motivate the world to change for the better.
Don was last on our Saturday Night Special stage in 2016 helping us celebrate our 40th anniversary, and we’re so pleased to welcome him back for our 50th season!
Amy Bishop
Calgary’s own Amy Bishop has an instinctive aptitude to craft stories into song and deliver them with sincerity and passion. Her voice is a combination of smooth pavement and rough gravel, with the ability to charm listeners with her sweet tones; yet stun audiences with the ability to hit any high note.
She “wowed” Canada with her appearance on CTV “The Launch” in 2018. This opened up industry doors as she was quickly signed by both a booking agency and management company. In 2019 Amy performed at the prestigious Canadian Screen Awards in Toronto and has collaborated with Moby and opened for April Wine, Farmer’s Daughter, and Chris Cummings.
Amy’s captivating voice, engaging performances, and heartfelt storytelling make her an undeniable Canadian talent that we’re so pleased to present on our Saturday Night Special stage!


In Spite of Ourselves
There are only two kinds of people in the musical world: those whose lives have been profoundly changed by Prine, and those who haven’t heard him yet.
In Spite of Ourselves: A Celebration of the Music of John Prine brings together the interpretive talents of multi-instrumentalist/producer Doug Cox, the Juno Award-winning Tom and Kalissa Landa from the Paperboys, and Nashville/Vancouver Island songwriter/artist Steve Mitchell. All lifelong Prine devotees, the members of In Spite of Ourselves aren’t messing around in these performances.
Tragically for all of us, John Prine left this world at the beginning of the pandemic. Thanks to his songs, music fans everywhere have a permanent portal into the little universe of John’s singular mind. And this talented group takes you through that door and shows you the house that John Prine built. You’re never going to want to leave.
Wheels
Hailing from Diamond Valley, Alberta, Wheels is a folk-rooted, alternative duo that captures the restless spirit of the road, the weight of leaving, and the stories that linger long after the last note fades. Their music blends rich storytelling with raw, evocative melodies - songs that feel like they were scribbled on bar napkins under neon lights, hummed in the quiet hours of a long drive, or carried by the wind across the foothills.
Drawing inspiration from artists like Bruce Hornsby, Wilco, John Prine, and Steve Earle, Wheels weaves together intricate instrumentation, heartfelt lyricism, and an undeniable sense of movement. Their songs aren’t just stories—they’re lived-in moments, full of dust, longing, and the undeniable pull of the open road.


Irish Mythen
A voice that commands the stage and captivates the world… Irish Mythen is one of the most electrifying live performers in the folk/roots world.
Originally from Ireland and now based in Prince Edward Island, Canada, Irish's career highlights include a JUNO nomination, multiple award wins, and performances at iconic venues like the Sydney Opera House and Glastonbury Festival. Irish has performed with Rod Stewart, Gordon Lightfoot and Lucinda Williams, at major festival stages the world over - and is a globally acclaimed artist known for their raw vocal power, magnetic stage presence, and ability to forge deep connections with audiences.
Raw, honest, and utterly fearless, Irish performs a live show that is unforgettable - immersing audiences in a whirlwind of emotion, stories, and unparalleled artistry that leave a lasting impact.
The Backyard Betties
Calgary-based folk/Americana band The Backyard Betties are known for honest songs, tight harmonies, and live shows that feel more like a hang than a performance. Their music lives in the real stuff: love, loss, starting over, and figuring yourself out.
They play with heart, talk like real people, and have that rare ability to make a room of 300 feel as connected as a house concert of 20. Rooted in connection, community, and craft, The Backyard Betties have a reputation as a band that not only sound exceptional, but also leave audiences feeling seen, understood, and uplifted. Their music does not offer easy answers, but offers recognition, release, and the comfort of knowing you are not alone.
At a “Betties” show, you will laugh, you will sing along, and you will be touched by their warmth and honesty.


Tanglefoot
Best known for powerful songs and rich storytelling, high-energy and deeply engaging live performances, Tanglefoot is a distinctly Canadian voice that presents folk music that connects history, heart, and audience. Their powerful, song-driven sets with engaging stories and historical context draw their audiences in with a masterful balance of musical precision, strong vocal harmony and spontaneous energy.
Formed in the early 1980s, the band spent nearly three decades touring extensively and releasing a body of work that became a cornerstone of contemporary Canadian folk music. Their live shows became known for their warmth, musicianship, and connection with audiences. Drawing on traditional folk instrumentation while maintaining a contemporary songwriting voice, the band's music explores themes of place, memory, and shared experience.
Now reuniting for select performances, Tanglefoot brings the songs, the stories, and the spirit of Canada back to our Saturday Night Special stage! It’s going to be a very special evening with one of Canada’s defining folk bands.
Moranz & Fremlin
Like a summer wind’s last ride through fall’s first turn, Moranz & Fremlin are harbingers of a time on the verge. A dynamic Canadiana and bluegrass duo, they champion the love and spirit to a disappearing art. Evoking a simpler ethos of string and timber; smoke and dew, joy, sorrow and the remembrance of all we hold most dear.
Multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter Ryland Moranz’ 2021 album XO, 1945 was nominated for Canadian Folk Music Association Contemporary Album of the Year, and in his spare time Ryland plays with Leeroy Stagger, the Lucky Ones, John Wort Hannam and Allen Dobb to name a few. And internationally acclaimed bluegrass mandolinist and songwriter Dan Fremlin is an integral member of the Blue Wranglers as well as a cherished collaborator with songwriter Allen Dobb and Barney Bentall’s Cariboo Express. Dan has the pedigree of one of Canada’s finest bluegrass pickers.
Together, these established artists from the Western Canadian folk and roots scene bring a stripped-down, traditional sound to their authentic performances, complete with plenty of witty banter and stories alongside their instrumental prowess that blends original songwriting with classic bluegrass and old-time music.


James Keelaghan
Born in N.W. Calgary and now based in Ontario, James Keelaghan has been called Canada’s finest singer-songwriter and is an artist who has proven to be a man for all seasons.
James truly has one of the most distinctive and readily identifiable voices of not only the Canadian scene, but as a member of the international singer-songwriter community. His masterful storytelling has earned him his share of nominations, awards, and acclaim from Australia to Scandinavia, and is embraced by audiences around the world.
Throughout a career that now spans almost four decades, the Juno and Canadian Folk Music Award winner has created a repertoire of incalculable importance – a unique body of work, either inspired by or drawn from the folk tradition. Ten solo albums flush with enduring lyrical relevance.
James has been a frequent guest on our Saturday Night Special stage. He helped us celebrate our 40th Anniversary, and we are so pleased to welcome him back to help us celebrate our 50th!
Kaeley Jade
Kaeley Jade crafts full-hearted songs that dig deep. This Edmonton-based Métis artist has been sculpted by icy winter winds, warm summer breezes, and sweeping prairie skies. Her Canadian Folk Music Award-winning debut, Turpentine, earned international press, charted across Canadian radio, and was featured in numerous film and television productions. Kaeley’s heartfelt vocal delivery, both commanding and vulnerable, are reminiscent of artists like Serena Ryder or Kacey Musgraves.
Kaeley’s powerful voice and vivid imagery capture the depths of life’s most challenging moments with sincerity and precision. With over 150 performances across Canada since 2023, Kaeley’s deep love of storytelling and dynamic stage presence shine through!


Amanda Rheaume
An award-winning Métis singer-songwriter and storyteller, Amanda weaves history, resilience, and heart into her music. She creates anthemic, guitar-driven songs punctuated with lively Métis fiddle, which brings audiences on a journey through history with every song.
Amanda is a chronicler of stories and people whose acts - out of necessity and opportunity alike - cascade through time and space, from the 18th century Red River Settlement to her own doorstep. With curiosity and empathy, Rheaume has become a bearer of history, unearthing and preserving Métis stories in song. In her gutsy guitar-driven style, punctuated with lively Métis fiddle, her Heartland rock is built to last, resolute in rhythm and unswerving in purpose.
The recipient of the 2024 Spirit of Folk Award, 2023 Canadian Folk Music Award for Indigenous Songwriter of the Year and the 2023 Capital Music Awards’ Album of the Year, Amanda has released six full-length albums to date. She is also co-founder of Ishkode Records and International Indigenous Music Summit and founding board member of the Indigenous Music Office, a commitment to raising Indigenous sovereignty through the medicine of music.
Shane Pendergast
Shane Pendergast has folk music in his blood and has cemented his reputation as one of Atlantic Canada’s finest folk troubadours. He learned to play by ear at an early age, immersed in a culture of family kitchen parties. His connection to Maritime folk music dates back to the efforts of his great-grandparents, preservers of folklore in P.E.I. Shane is carrying the torch forward with his own songs, inspired by rural life and Maritime history.
Through evocative storytelling and intricate guitar stylings, Shane captures the essence of life in the Maritimes, weaving themes of community, history, and nature into every song. His 2021 album, Second Wind, won Contemporary Roots Album of the Year at the Music PEI Awards, and his 2023 live album, The House Before the Bridge, was nominated for Roots/Traditional Album of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards.


David Francey
A truly authentic folk singer, David Francey is a documentarian of the working person who never imagined earning a living from his music. But when he was in his 40s, his wife, artist Beth Girdler, encouraged him to share his songs and sing in public. The reaction was instant. His first album Torn Screen Door came out in 1999 and was a hit in Canada… and the rest, as they say, is history!
"David’s straightforward songs tell honest stories of real people and real places. Poetic perception and a keen eye for the heart of the matter are trademarks of the man and his music. His songs and stories are a direct connection for audiences seeking depth and meaning in the day-to-day." ~Shelter Valley Folk Festival
An outstanding poet/songwriter/storyteller, David has released 13 albums and won numerous awards, including 4 Junos... but it is his wry humour, astute observations and openhearted style that has so endeared him to Saturday Night Special audiences many times over the past 20 years.
Jed & the Valentine
Edmonton's Jed and the Valentine (Maria Khaner and Jonah Morris) is a duo that truly wears its heart on its sleeve. They dated for two years before taking their relationship to the next level, which was embracing vulnerability by writing and performing songs together. At first, they did informal gigs, but family members urged them to share their talents more widely.
They are a pair of dreamers - following threads of inspiration from weaving coastlines and prairie grasses alike. Their soaring harmonies, glimmering banjo and guitar and richly melodic riffs weave a sun-dappled, charming indie-folk that feels like wind rushing through a car window while you sing your heart out on the highway. Jed and the Valentine stirs emotions, bringing audiences from laughter to tears and captivating them with their storytelling - and leave you wanting more.


The Paperboys
When fedora-hatted Mexican/Canadian Tom Landa formed The Paperboys in 1993, success in the music industry meant finding a genre and staying there. The gifted vocalist/guitarist/bandleader never got that memo. On any given night, this globe-touring sextet has a playlist without borders: Celtic reels, Mexican folk, New Orleans brass band music, classic pop songcraft, bluegrass, philosophical waltzes, and Latino/West African singalongs.
A Canadian treasure making critically acclaimed music now for over 30 years, The Paperboys were among the earliest, most enduring indie bands from Vancouver to sport an eclectic mix of roots and multi-cultural sounds starting with Celtic grooves. Over the years critics and members of the band have struggled to define what the band does and one of Landa’s own descriptions; “Guinness with a tequila chaser while listening to an American jukebox” works as well as any.
They reinvent their live show every time they step onstage. Once the band agrees on the opening song, there is no set list. The song finishes, the crowd reacts, Landa reads the room, and the journey begins. Every night. As Tom puts it: “We’re a live band that tries to make each show an event.” That means the final show of our 50th Anniversary season is going to go out on a very festive and joyful note!
Ryan McMahon
Long scaling the perimeter walls of Canada's music industry, Ryan McMahon has never fit into any one box. He brandishes folk, roots, Americana & contemporary rock songwriting, all the while delivering a show where one can expect plenty of interaction, laughs & tears.
Ryan’s music is raw, heartfelt, and deeply human; crafted with honesty, delivered with soul, and powered by a voice that’s balanced on that razor’s edge where Americana/folk meets rock. A true music lifer who is passionate about his craft, Ryan spends upwards of 150 days on the road each year, singing his heart out and entertaining audiences of all ages wherever he goes.
Ryan’s vocals always leave crowds in awe, his songwriting skills are second to none, and he has an amazing way of connecting with each and every person in the room." ~Aaron Pritchett, Canadian Country singer/songwriter
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