Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, who performed at the Osoyoos Elks Hall last April, makes a return engagement on Wednesday, Jan. 17. (Publicity photo)

Blues music fans in Osoyoos are going to continue enjoying some of the best blues musicians and bands this country has to offer.

That’s because veteran blues music promoter Earl Krushelnicki – who has been directly responsible for promoting the numerous shows that have been taking place at the Osoyoos Elks Lodge over the past year – has recently moved from Prince George with his wife and settled in Osoyoos.

“I’ve been to Osoyoos many times and we’ve often talked about moving here and now we have,” said Krushelnicki, who has been promoting blues music concerts in Prince George for more than 20 years.

Krushelnicki has organized a concert series of five shows in 2018 he proudly calls “Expose Yourself to the Blues.”

Not only did he bring dozens of Canadian blues bands and musicians to Prince George, but Krushelnicki also hosted his own blues radio program called Blues Underground for many years and he has also been a member of the Canadian Maple Blues Awards selection committee for many years.

Ken Thibault, past president of the Osoyoos Elks Club, is a longtime friend and Thibault and his wife worked with Krushelnicki in bringing several shows to Osoyoos over the past several months.

Having made the permanent move to Osoyoos to enjoy his retirement years, Krushelnicki said he’s looking forward to bringing many shows to town in 2018 and beyond.

“Ideally, I’d like to bring in one show per month,” he said. “I’m fortunate enough to have enough contacts in the industry that I think we can achieve that goal.

“What I would like to do is have every blues act that is travelling anywhere in the Okanagan, be it Penticton, Kelowna or Vernon, make a pit stop here in Osoyoos.”

Juno Award-winning blues piano player Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne performed at the Osoyoos Elks Hall late last April and Krushelnicki has organized a return engagement for Wednesday, Jan. 17.

Wayne is “the greatest blues boogie woogie piano player in Canada” and one of the best anywhere in the world and he always puts on an outstanding show, said Krushelnicki.

“He will also be performing with a top-notch band that features some of the finest blues musicians from Kelowna,” he said. “I can guarantee that will be a great show.

“We had a sell out crowd when he performed last year and I would expect the same on Jan. 17.”

The second show, set for Feb. 21, is a four-piece band called Black Cat Soul out of Kelowna, featuring the incredible and powerful voice of lead singer Betty Goodacre, said Krushelnicki.

The third show, scheduled for May 2, features two-time Juno Award-winning guitarist Jack De Keyzer, who will be making his first appearance in Osoyoos.

De Keyzer has long been recognized as one of Canada’s finest blues guitarists and he’s been touring and selling records across Canada and around the world for more than 25 years, said Krushelnicki.

De Keyzer will be performing a solo concert on electric and acoustic guitar, he said.

Up next will be The Silver Screen Scoundrels, who will be performing on Wednesday, March 21. This unique group is renowned for combining old-style roots and blues music with footage from classic silent films, while throwing in some comedy.

“This is a very unique show and I think it will bring something new to Osoyoos,” he said. “Both members of the Silver Screen Scoundrels are also fantastic musicians.

The fifth and final show that has been booked so far will feature Canadian blues harmonica legend Sherman Doucette, who will also be performing with a travelling band of experienced blues players, he said.

“Sherman is one of the better blues harmonica players on the Canadian scene and he happens to be exceptionally active on stage and puts on quite the show,” he said. “He will be accompanied by a talented guitar player and I can guarantee this is a show you won’t want to miss.”

Krushelnicki said local music fans have been very supportive since he started promoting shows in Osoyoos over the past several months.

“We’ve made a few bucks on every single show, even though some have done better than others,” he said. “Every cent I make I give back to the community … as we recently donated $1,000 to the Osoyoos Food Bank before the Christmas holidays.

“We need people to come out to enjoy the shows to ensure we can bring more shows to town.”

Tickets for all five shows that have been booked are $20 and can be purchased at Mills Office Productivity on Main Street or by calling Thibault at 250-495-3936.

Anyone wanting more information or to view video clips of the upcoming acts coming to town can go online and visit www.musicattheelks.com.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times