Jon Brooks: November 26
Jon Brooks: Saturday, November 26; 8:00pm, $15 door/$10 artists/students. CD Release. A songwriter dedicated to
uniting folk song tradition with today’s stories, with an honest, gritty delivery and straight-shooting songwriting which honours the tradition of folk music without the earnest format. Jon’s music is featured on Neil Young’s Livingwithwartoday website and he recently won both the coveted Kerrville New Folk Competition in Texas, and the International Songwriting Competition (Folk category). Jon’s music mandate is unequivocal: “I’m not interested in ‘happy songs’ – I’ve chosen to write healing songs and, for that reason, I’m obliged to reveal a wound or two now and then. I’m even less interested in writing unhappy songs: I want to write hopeful songs, inspiring songs and I expect I owe today’s listener some hopeful argument – some legitimate reason – as to why we should believe our present world could be improved, or healed.” His 4th collection of songs, DELICATE CAGES searches the defining issues of our time and looks at them from the perspective of freedom and enslavement. The message is delivered gradually and gently over 43 unwasted minutes. The message: the opposite of love is not hate, but is in fact, fear. Whether about the times we live in, its past or its future promise, Brooks’ songs are underscored throughout by his gently weather-beaten voice, the singular beautiful sound of hand on guitar, and his uncanny ability to press his ear against the heartbeat and the soul of the times we live in – transforming, inspiring and uplifting us as we bear witness. http://www.jonbrooks.ca
