Equinox Week @ UMI

Wednesday, March 18th 2009
Elena Yeung -
7:30 PM start time

$5 suggested (all welcome)



When you first listen to one of Elena’s performances, you will probably wonder from which old or folk record or songbook she dug her repertoire. Following the leads of Elena Yeung is an active contributor to the “new traditional” sound, echoing the folk, bluegrass and mountain traditions of Pete Seeger, Ola Belle Reed, and Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard, emphasizing her driving banjo style. Yeung’s debut CD, The Gravedigger’s Daughter, features 11 original songs that range from fast and furious picking to mournful lullaby. Her lyrical storytelling and haunting vocal style reflect upon hardship, longing and life lessons of the human condition, both past and present. Mixed and mastered by Nashville-based Miles Wilkinson, The Gravedigger’s Daughter includes a lineup of Greg Spatz (of John Reischman & the Jaybirds and Mighty Squirrel) on fiddle and mandolin, Mark Koenig (1992 Juno nominee for his song The Lonesome Kind) on guitar and vocals, Gary Snow on bass and vocals, and Caridwen Irvine-Spatz (Mighty Squirrel) on fiddle and vocals. Originally from the farming community of Carberry, Manitoba, Yeung has moved across Canada over the past 10 years in search of The Canadian Identity, living in Regina, SK, Kingston, ON, St. John’s, NF, Williams Lake, BC, and briefly in Inuvik, NWT, before settling most recently in the Creston Valley. The release of The Gravedigger’s Daughter is being followed by a nationwide tour, an opportunity for Yeung to promote her new CD as well as re-visit her many homes. Yeung’s song “On That Good Road” was recorded by the Vancouver bluegrass trio Redgrass and is featured as the title track on their 2007 debut CD. She was featured on CBC radio’s North By Northwest on August 17, 2008 and has since enjoyed national airplay on CBC's Radio 2 Drive, as well as local and provincial stations across western Canada and Ontario. Elena is currently on a national tour.



Thursday, March 19th, 2009

Bill Brown's 1,2,3 Slam
7th Spoken Word Competition
7:30 Start Time

$5 Cover





Come witness one of the most explosive spoken work slams in the city. With past events crowning success to over 6 different poets in the city, and new poets
every month.


Bring your 1 minute, 2 minute and 3 minute poems and sign up into a group of 12.
The poet with the highest score meets Bill Brown.


Poetry is the star, Poetry is king. Poetry is queen.


Respect due at All Times.



Friday, March 20th, 2009


SNAKE CHARMERS CD RELEASE PARTY + Open Mic

8:00 PM Start Time
$5 Cover


Equinox. The spring is upon us. Shake off the frost of the winter months and bask in the transformation of the changing sun. Through all the building and destruction, music stands eternal. Music stands in the winds of change.



The SnakeCharmers are a fusion of Indian classical (sitar) melodies and African beats and chants. With roots stemming from Burundi and Northern Uttranchal, this group forms a unique and ever-changing blend of cultural music that is sure to entise the senses. Accompanied by Brooke the beautiful bellydancer, the SnakeCharmers will electrify any crowd and charm the soul of any music lover. - They are set to release their new album guaranteed to be in your top selection for months to come.


Come get an early copy or just enjoy a night filled with heavy vibes, open hears, dancing feet and liberating souls.