Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen "Honeymoon Tour Of The West” in support of their Kickstarter funded sophomore album comes to Dauphin January 25th at Bruce's Firehouse (238-3rd Ave. N.E./call 204.648.4834 for more info).
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA based Alt-folk duo Dan Frechette (formerly of Pinawa, Manitoba) & Laurel Thomsen will be touring their "Honeymoon Tour of The West" to promote their Kickstarter funded second album release, the 12 song CD "New Disguise".
Frechette, celebrated singer-songwriter, released a record breaking 10 albums in 2012, and discovered Laurel Thomsen, American violinist and singer, that same year via a chance YouTube sighting from opposite sides of the continent. The two became fast friends online and met a year later when they collaborated on a tour of Laurel’s home state of California.
“We’ve had so many audience members, even at our very first show less than 24 hours after we finally met, who’ve come up to tell us about this really intense and beautiful connection they can see and hear between Laurel and I. Our meeting, both online, and later in person, was definitely momentous and our musical chemistry is among the most rich and profound experiences I’ve ever had. We want to give it back to the world.” Powerful and magnetic talents in their own rights, this duo proves that musical magic is not only possible, but alive and quite well.
In contrast with their natural musical rapport, the two have struggled yet triumphed over incredible external adversity. Like any good story, theirs is filled with love and loss, bad guys and good guys, uncertainly and joy, and many, many performances over a relatively short timeframe. In 2013 alone they circumnavigated the North American continent, performing over 130 concerts and producing a debut CD. With exuberance, heartwarming harmonies, soundtrack ready violin and guitar lines, and stories of irony and triumph, wit and humor, they heard delighted audience members speak of "falling in love" with music all over again at their concerts. Over the course of 25,000 miles together, Dan and Laurel also fell in love, were married in May 2014, and are now based on the California Central Coast.
Dan Frechette & Laurel Thomsen will perform at a number of concerts in Western Canada from late January 2015 until mid March 2015, the first Canadian tour since the duo was married. Among their appearances is a two week Home Routes ( HYPERLINK "http://www.homeroutes.ca" www.homeroutes.ca) tour of Northern B.C. beginning February 1st in Prince George, B.C. and ending on Valentine's Day in Terrace, B.C.
Frechette, Canadian entertainer, acoustic guitarist, uncanny impressionist, and prolific singer-songwriter with over 1300 songs covering every acoustic genre, including the The Duhks’ hit singles "Mists of Down Below" and "You Don't See It", has been performing high-energy and soulful concerts throughout North America and Europe since 1992. Frechette has toured Canada several times over the past several years, solo and with Laurel, and has appeared at many festivals over the years, including Winnipeg Folk Festival, Edmonton Folk Festival, Lake Eden Arts Festival, Stan Rogers Festival, Mariposa Folk Festival, Islands Folk Festival, Summerfolk Festival, Bismarck Bluegrass Festival, Brandon Folk Festival, Trout Forest Festival, and Harvest Moon Festival. He’s been called one of Canada’s best on guitar and harmonica, inspiring many of the up and coming singer-songwriters now touring Canada. 'Sing Out!' magazine called Frechette "one of the most talented singer/songwriters I've heard in a long time."
Besides her work with Frechette, Thomsen, American genre-bending violinist, singer, composer, and respected educator, has released a solo album, a band album, and has performed classically since 1998 and with a variety of California Bay Area bands and artists since 2002, both live on stage and in the studio. With an unforgettable tone and a way of offering every musical line or silence as a gift, she is sought for her ability to add depth and emotion to diverse styles of music and her knack for creating infectious melodies. The host of the Violin Geek Podcast since 2010, the author of two multi-media guides to string playing technique, a longtime Strings magazine contributor, and since 1996, a private and workshop lessons instructor to violin, viola, and fiddle students around the world, Laurel is passionate about not only sharing her music on stage, but also helping others find their own musical voices.
“Though our songs are all performed with acoustic guitar, violin, and harmony vocal lines, the sound of our music is stylistically very diverse. Audiences often tell us how much they appreciate that we change our style and pace throughout our concerts. I don’t think either Laurel or I have actually ever written two songs sounded the same! Our debut CD has 18 songs on it and I just don’t think you can't get away with that unless you change it up at least a bit! We often change it up a lot, but the instrumentation and our intention remains intact, giving, hopefully, a strong sense of cohesiveness even when we include everything from folk and Bluegrass, to Gypsy Jazz and even Classical,” says Frechette.
Since early 2013, Frechette has sold most of his possessions, including the 17 instruments he played on his CD’s, to fund his current passion of touring and sharing his music with Laurel.
"Being on the road, sharing music and making friends, that’s what life is all about,” says Frechette. Thankfully, as long as Thomsen has the internet connectivity she needs to teach her students from the road via Skype, she couldn’t agree more!
About their current second album:
"In November and December 2014, Dan and Laurel spent 40 hours in the studio with seasoned studio veterans Jimmy Norris (drums/percussion), Tracy Parker (upright bass), and Patti Maxine (lap steel guitar) at Justin Mayer's Bear Creek Recording Studio in Santa Cruz. Early reviews are calling the album "a masterpiece", inspired by run ins with the law, being split apart by borders, and their newfound love for one another on the road.
The 12 song album runs 42 minutes and pulls out all the stops, with odes of pop rock flavored singalong anthems, epiphanic alt-folk, with nods to Texas swing, blues, celtic and latin music.
Once experienced, the soul and beauty in Dan and Laurel's music inspires fans to take their music along for the long haul.
These 12 songs feature rich and durable tales inspired by past lovers, time worn friendships, incarnations, spiritual incarcerations, and mystical epiphanies wrapped into some powerful and memorable songs. Featuring the simple and evocative performance of Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen properly recorded in top fidelity on Frechette’s warm and earthy sounding guitar and Thomsen’s sweet violin, this set of songs paves the way for more recordings in the future." Besides to celebrate their love and triumph, Dan and Laurel return to Western Canada to identify another album’s worth of fan favorites, for release in Summer or Fall 2015.
Visit HYPERLINK "http://www.danandlaurel.ca" www.danandlaurel.ca for more information on tour dates and their music.
HYPERLINK "http://www.danandlaurel.ca" http://www.danandlaurel.ca
HYPERLINK "mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Concert Dates-
Wednesday, January 21 - Oak Bluff, M.B. - House Concert - RSVP: Jgreenco2 at hotmail.com.
Thursday, January 22 - Winnipeg, M.B. - Woleseley House Concert - RSVP: foriamoneclaw at gmail.com.
Friday, January 23 - Pinawa, M.B. - Eastern Manitoba Concert Association (EMCA) Series. $25. Pinawa Commumnity Centre High School, 20 Vanier Drive, Pinawa, M.B.
http://www.emcaconcerts.com/info.php.
Saturday, January 24 - Winnipeg, M.B. - House Concert - RSVP: teresacooke at shaw.ca.
Sunday, January 25 - Dauphin, M.B. - Bruce's Firehouse - 238-3rd Ave. N.E., Dauphin, MB. RSVP: bleperre at mymts.net.
Wednesday, January 28 - Vegreville, A.B. - Train Station Cafe, 4922 52 Ave, Vegreville, AB. 780-632-2288
Thursday, January 29 - Edmonton, A.B. - Blue Chair Cafe,9624 76 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB. 780-989-2861 (with Bill Bourne and special guest Dan Shinnan).
Friday, January 30 - Strathmore, A.B. - House Concert. RSVP: dorothy.bodeux at gmail.com
February 1-14 - Home Routes Northern B.C. Tour (14 House Concerts from Prince George to Terrace, B.C.)
Tuesday, February 17 - Sointula, B.C. - End OF The World Adventures, 170 First St. Sointula, B.C. 250-973-6673
Friday, February 20 - Victoria, B.C - James Bay Coffee And Books. 143 Menzies St, Victoria, B.C. 250-386-4700
Saturday, February 21 - Victoria, B.C. - Gorgeous Coffee, Suite 103-300-Gorge Rd, West Saanich, B.C. (250)-384-4330
Sunday, February 22 - Victoria, B.C. - House Concert, RSVP: randrewbriggs at hotmail.com
Tuesday, February 24 - Port Alberni, B.C. - Char's Landing. 4815 Argyle St, Port Alberni, B.C. 250-730-1636
Thursday, February 26 - Vancouver, B.C. - House Concert. RSVP: marikas at telus.net
Friday, February 27 - Salmon Arm, B.C - Downtown Activity Centre Library. Doors open at 6:30 pm Music Starts Tickets: $15 each. For more information call: CKVS at 250-463-5026 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Saturday, February 28 - Nelson, B.C. - Expressions Cafe. 554 Ward Street, Nelson, B.C. 250-354-3910
Tuesday, March 3 - Rossland, B.C. - Rossland Legion Concert. 2081 Washington St, Rossland, B.C. 250-362-5535
Wednesday, March 4 - Creston, B.C. - Snoring Sasquatch. 221 11 Ave N, Creston, B.C.
Saturday, March 7 - Brooks, A.B. - Red Roof Studio and Art Gallery. Trembecky subdivision 25 Highway 544, Duchess, A.B. RSVP: redroofstudio at gmail.com. 403-378-4276
Sunday, March 8 - Medicine Hat, A.B. - Medalta Potteries presented by Medicine Hat Folk Club. 713 Medalta Ave SE, Medicine Hat, A.B. 403-529-1070
Tuesday, March 10 - Swift Current, S.K. - House Concert. RSVP: mcguigan.paula at gmail.com
Thursday, March 12 - Winnipeg, M.B. - 7 p.m. Gordie's Coffeehouse. 127 Cobourg, Winnipeg, M.B.
Thursday, March 19 - Carman, M.B. - Barbara Alarie Presents, 77 2nd Ave SW Carman, M.B. 204-745-6787
Friday, March 20 - Morden, M.B. - Kenmor Theatre (with special guest Sarah Jane Scouten) 130 7th Street, Morden, M.B. (204) 822-9981
Sunday, March 22 - Birds Hill, M.B. - House Concert. RSVP: brandycatton at yahoo.ca
For more information on location, start times, House Concert RSVP contact info, etc please email HYPERLINK "mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.