Rockin’ the Blues show coming in January

The new home of the Fine Arts Society at École Notre Dame High School.

The sultry sounds of blues is coming this January.

Rockin’ the Blues 2020 is Saturday, January 18 and will be a showcase of local musicians from Bonnyville, Cold Lake and St. Paul playing their best blues and rock music.

It’s the second blues-related fundraiser the Bonnyville and District Fine Arts Society has put on in as many years, as the local group tries to raise money for a new theatre after the Lyle Victor Albert Centre closed its doors.

“It was just before we closed our doors and it was well attended,” said organizer Rose Marie Cameron on last year’s show.

“It was so well received, and we raise money for the new theatre of course, so we decided we’d like to do it again and the musicians agreed to donate their time again to this show,” she said.

The Fine Arts Society has moved into École Notre Dame High School’s theatre, which housed the most recent show, Bill Bourne in November.

Cameron said the society is plugging away with the fundraising effort, coming up 50/50 draws and raffles to generate more funds.

Some of the performers will be recognizable to showgoers over the years with new musicians from Cold Lake and St. Paul reaching out to do the show.

The Junkyard Dogs, Shane Larmand Band, Mumbo Jumbo, Don’t Panic, and Switching to Guns are the bands, while Paige Bannerman and Randy Padlesky are solo performers for the show.

“Last year it was listed as a blues show. And because of the way things sort of progressed they moved into the rock genre. So this year, I thought well if that’s what they’re interested in playing, and the audience loved it, of course, then that’s what we’re going to do,” said Cameron.

Tickets for the event are available at Norglass and Sugar Belle Antiques next week for $15 and at the door for $20.

There is a 50/50 and quilt raffle draw at the show as well.

“I really am hoping to have a full house. We haven’t really filled that venue yet, there’s a lot of room, you don’t realize. If we could have 100 people plus, that would be awesome.”