Musician pushes through for rare Hillbilly Burlesque show

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This article was published 10/07/2017 (3365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FABULOUS FREEBIE: “Blues, baby, blues! You know you wanna!” is the battle cry of flame-haired Angel Calnek, who heads up Hillbilly Burlesque, which performs July 20 at the Lyric Theatre in Assiniboine Park. Calnek, who will be backed up by Hillbilly Burlesque partner Darrell “Slide Boy” Sandmoen on guitar, Julene Gravett on drums, Vaughan Poyser on bass and Ken Pinchin on keys, blew the house down at the Park Theatre last January. “All my energy goes into that and I love singing — got my first guitar at 12 and started singing publicly at 13, and I have been thanking the universe ever since.”

So why don’t we see her more often? Calnek suffers from “trigeminal neuralgia that just doesn’t want to leave.” Simply put, it’s sharp pains in her face. “But when I’m singing on stage I get in the zone and don’t feel any kind of pain. It takes a couple of days to recover — but that’s OK — we have so much fun on stage!” Calnek’s band is the feature act but she’ll be on first “because I lose my energy later at night,” Jazz artist Connor Derraugh is also on the bill.

HOT TIP: The beautiful, white 16.5-metre yacht called the Jimmy Maria — named after Peter Ginakes’ parents — is finally back in dock at the Pony Corral Pier 7 marina after repairs. The vessel can take 20 passengers and the public can charter it again for special occasions. For bookings and info, call Pier 7 at 204-275-3687.SPACEMAN SPOTTED: Kyle Pohl, a mechanical engineering designer at CGM Engineering, fascinated the crowd waiting for fireworks on Grand Beach on Canada Day. He came out of the dusk wearing brilliant space goggles filled with lights looking like he just got off a spaceship. The he started whirling his hand-made LED lighted “poi” — teardrop lights that change coloured patterns with the flick of a button. He was suddenly a blaze of colour — wild arcs in rainbow loops around his body.

Pohl has many talents. He also won the Grand Beach Sand Castle building contest last year and is cooking up a hot design for 2017. “I have to defend my title,” he said as he swtiched his lights back on.

The contest is on Aug. 12, or Aug. 13 if it rains, at the main beach, and it costs $10 to enter.

STRAWBERRIES REUNION: What a fun reunion for ’80s club Strawberries on July 4. It was owned by Oscar Grubert on Pembina Highway near Bishop Grandin Boulevard. “Strawberries got started after the swimming pool had been filled in,” chuckled Gary Vickery. He and Carey Paul were hired on and helped popularize the club with live music, and a hot tub in the joint’s solarium.

“It was always so much fun at the old Strawberries. Somebody was always getting thrown in,” remembered bartender Diane Nimik. “And at midnight we had a cannon that shot off confetti!”

Peter Ginakes, owner of Pony Corral Pier 7, hosted the reunion with a Hawaiian theme and ’80s music all night long. About 20 old staffers sipped tropical drinks like they used to.

Naturally, Paul and Vickery were there, with Vickery’s brothers Brett and Joey, plus Fred Taylor, Bruce Johnson from the Rorie Street Marble Club, Char Ducharme and Lori Marcoux, Mark Verstraete, Joanne Archibald, Grant Nordman and Rene Bourbonnais.

PUSHUP CHALLENGE: Country singer-songwriter Jessie Tylre Williams will be entertaining July 22 at Memorial Park during the 22 Push-up National Challenge. Williams, known for the album This Road, says she’s just as happy working with Manitoba Pilates, Advantage Conditioning and other fitness centres to start conversations going about post-traumatic stress disorder, and to eliminate the stigma attached to it.

Special guest speaker is Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Chris Cvetkovic. The event starts at 10 a.m., with family activities, opening ceremonies at 11 a.m. and the pushup challenge at noon.

Williams’ goal is to help as many people as she can with her motto in mind: “Healing the world — one song at a time!” To that end, she’s been writing songs to fill a whole album from the perspective of PSTD sufferers, their mates, families and loved ones. “We’re hoping to reduce the suicide rate and to let veterans, first responders and their families know they’re not alone,” Williams says. “It’s in the works. We just shot the video for it.”

Funds raised go to Cvets Pets, which provides support for veterans, first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and their families. Their main focus is to provide kits to veterans and first responders who own a service dog. These kits include everything you need to own a dog and are provided free of charge.

For further information regarding the National 22 Push-Up Challenge, go to Jess4PTSD.com.

REGGAE ROUNDUP: The Soca Reggae Music Fest takes over the the Cube in Old Market Square July 14-16 and will welcome more than 15 acts, including Everton Blender and Isha Blender from Jamaica.

The event is known for its festive atmosphere, says Winnipeg musician Glenworth Williams, who will play a duo with Doug “Freddy” Wilson on July 14.

The festival includes room for dancing and families, vendors with West Indian and south Asian food plus a beer tent. Entertainment starts at 6 p.m. opening night July 14 and earlier in the day on the weekend. For more info, visit srfwpg.blogspot.ca.

Got tips? Cool events happening in your world? Been rubbing shoulders with the stars? Email mscurf@shaw.ca.