Homes Routes is back for a third season in Thompson, kicking off Oct. 6 with guitar-playing songstress Carolyn Mark, the long-time host of the Hootenanny in Victoria every Sunday, says Ali Hancharyk, operations manager for Home Routes in Winnipeg.
Mark was also the founder of The Vinaigrettes, an all-girl surfy twang popster band. After The Vinaigrettes, Carolyn did brief stints in such bands as The Metronome Cowboys and The Fixin's. Her first sol album, "Party Girl," was released in 2000. Home Routes director Tim Osmond will accompany her for her Thompson appearance on banjo and mandolin.
Thompson is part of the "Borealis Trail" circuit of Home Routes in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Other circuits on Home Routes include the Yukon Trail; Salmon-Berry in British Columbia; Cherry Bomb and Blue Moon in British Columbia and Alberta; Chautauqua Trail in Saskatchewan and Alberta; CCN SK in Saskatchewan; Central Plains in Saskatchewan and Manitoba; Jeanne Bernardin in Manitoba, Agassiz in Manitoba and Ontario; Estelle-Klein in Ontario and Québec and the Maritimes in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Other stops beside Thompson on the Borealis Trail include Buena Vista Sask.; Porcupine Plain Sask., Prince Albert, Sask., Annaheim, Sask., North Battleford, Sask.; Green Lake, Sask.; Melfort, Sask.; The Pas; Minitonas; Eriksdale and Winnipeg.
The Thompson Public Library's basement Bijou Room, home of the Reel North Film Festival every November, along with Saturday night double features, will also again be home to Home Routes, says local concert co-ordinator Lisa Evasiuk. Ticket prices have increased this year from $15 to $20 a performance, "as always with all money going to the artists," says Evasiuk. "This is the fifth year of the circuits so I suspect a raise is not that big of a surprise to everyone. I think they earn every penny with the warm, heart-felt, highly talented performances we are always treated to. As always, the doors will be at 6:30 p.m. with the performances starting at 7 p.m.
Conjunto Roque Moreira from Brazil will be next up Nov. 4.
