Blues musician Tim Williams will be kicking off this season’s Music at the Elks concert series on Oct. 3. (Publicity photo)

“We’re starting off with a bang,” said Earl Krushelnicki referring to a concert with acoustic blues musician Tim Williams, which kicks off a second season of Music at the Elks.

The Williams concert takes place at Osoyoos Elks Hall on Oct. 3 and is the first in a series of five concerts, all featuring top blues performers, some better known than others.

While the price for a single show has increased this season to $25 from $20 last season, Krushelnicki said the Elks are promoting a five-show package for $90.

Those packages are available until Oct. 2 or as long as supplies last and the package price actually works out cheaper than individually priced concerts last season.

The Osoyoos Elks Blues Concert Series is a fundraiser helping to support the Elks’ community projects in Osoyoos.

Another change this season is that concerts have been moved a half hour earlier on Wednesday evenings, starting at 7:30 p.m. instead of 8 p.m.

The earlier time allows people who work to get home a little earlier, Krushelnicki said, adding that sometimes last season people left the shows early knowing they would have to get up for work the next morning.

The Calgary-based Williams was nominated last year for a Juno award along with Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne and Brandon Isaak, for Blues Album of the Year for “Big City, Back Country Blues.” Wayne and Isaak both performed in Osoyoos at Music at the Elks last season.

In 2014, Williams represented the Calgary Blues Association at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, which draws blues societies from around the world. He won in the solo-duo category, said Krushelnicki.

“He’s a terrific performer and added to that he’s a wonderful storyteller, quite funny actually, very entertaining,” said Krushelnicki.

Williams is also a skillful slide guitarist.

The second concert, and the only other one of 2018 this season, features Kelowna blues musician Rick “Poppa Dawg” Halisheff.

Poppa Dawg is familiar to Osoyoos audiences, having played here in the past, including a concert at the Elks in 2017.

He was a semi-finalist in the 2013 International Blues Challenge.

“He’s really popular,” said Krushelnicki. “He does a Memphis to Motown thing when he’s with his trio. We haven’t decided if we’re going to bring his group with him or just have him solo.”

The decision will depend on how well the first show is received, he said, noting that the trio would be more expensive.

Poppa Dawg plays electric and acoustic blues.

“Poppa Dawg would probably receive a lot more awards and everything if he toured Canada, but he concentrates on the Okanagan region, Calgary and Vancouver,” said Krushelnicki.

Starting off 2019, Jack Semple performs on Jan. 16.

Krushelnicki said he’s excited about all five shows, but Semple, as well as Williams, are probably the two he’s most excited about.

Semple, from Regina, is a Juno and Western Canadian Music Award winner. He’s won a MuchMusic “Guitar Wars” competition.

“He is an unbelievable guitar player,” said Krushelnicki. “He’s an excellent singer as well.”

Krushelnicki said he’s seen Semple play a few times.

“He almost has a flamenco style,” he said. “He can pick with all his fingers, he can be fast or slow.”

Although Semple will be playing blues when he performs at Elks Hall, Krushelnicki said he does other styles including jazz.

The two remaining performers, Travis Furlong on April 3 and Charlie “Blue” Jacobson on May 22 are less well known to Okanagan audiences. That’s because Moncton-based Furlong doesn’t normally travel out of Atlantic Canada and Jacobson is a rising newcomer.

But Krushelnicki speaks highly of these two as well.

He describes Furlong as an excellent guitar player and singer.

Krushelnicki had previously seen him in Prince George with a now-defunct band, and when he and his wife Nancy drove across Canada earlier this year, they saw him play in Moncton.

“I was impressed, and I said why don’t you come to Osoyoos,” he said.

Jacobson is the only one that Krushelnicki hasn’t seen live, but he’s heard recordings and contacts in the music business highly recommend him.

Jacobson, a young performer originally from Alberta, plays acoustic and electric and also does foot percussion.

Krushelnicki said the shows are concerts rather than dances. While he wouldn’t mind dancing away from the front of the stage if people didn’t talk, the problem is that some people who dance insist on talking.

“They talk and talk and talk and think it’s a club,” he said. “It’s really not a club.”

He also emphasizes that the concerts are a team effort with other Elks, especially Ken Thibault, who plays an important behind-the-scenes role.

Series ticket packages are available from Earl Krushelnicki at 250-565-7573 or Ken Thibault at 250-495-3936. Tickets for the Tim Williams concert are on sale at Mills Office Productivity in Osoyoos.

For more information and links to videos of the performers, visit: www.musicattheelks.com.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times