Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto, August 16, 2012 - Organizers for the 2012 Scotiabank BuskerFest are pleased to announce a rich line-up of new musical acts joining this year's Festival which features more musical acts than ever before!
The 13th Annual Scotiabank BuskerFest takes place throughout Toronto's historic St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood with world-class buskers taking to the streets in support of Epilepsy Toronto for four incredible days of fun for all ages Thursday, August 23 to Sunday, August 26.
Folk, rock, pop, a capella, hip hop, roots, blues, world and swing music acts join the Festival's over 100 stunning street artists that include comedians, contortionists, magicians, fire jugglers, acrobats and aerial artists. With buskers from Australia, Austria, Ecuador, Haiti, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, the United Kingdom and across Canada and the United States, this year's Scotiabank BuskerFest will be one of the best yet!
Some of the musical acts never-before-seen at Scotiabank BuskerFest include:
Lemon Bucket Orkestra - Toronto's only Balkan-klezmer-gypsy-party-punk super-band. A mobile 14-piece force that has made its mark on the city and now the world with its guerrilla performance strategy; they have been seen busking at many Toronto festivals including Scotiabank Nuit Blanche and Taste of the Kingsway. Their recent impromptu performance on a delayed Air Canada Flight has garnered them many new fans! Check them out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYO8P8P-MVE
Motion Device - a family band from Bolton, Ontario led by 10-year-old singer Sara. Andrea, their bass player, lives with epilepsy, and rocks the house right alongside her band mates. >From the classic 60's and 70's, to the hard rock 80's and the heavy metal 90's, this band has got it covered! Rock legends like Alice Cooper are discovering Motion Device; when he witnessed Motion Device's cover of his classic hit 'School's Out,' he tweeted that this band is better than most and he could not believe the voice on 10-year-old Sara. Watch the video - http://www.motiondevice.net/news.html
And some favourite musicians returning to the festival:
o After making it all the way to the finals in "Canada's Got Talent," beatboxer Scott Jackson (http://scottjacksonbeatbox.com/ ) has been in high demand. From the 'Street Performance World Championships" in Dublin, Ireland, this internationally-renowned master of sound and ceremony now returns to his roots, in the streets of Toronto;
o Australia's singer-songwriter Daniel Champagne (http://www.danielchampagnemusic.com/ ) often sounds closer to a three-piece band than a lone guitarist as he travels the world performing fiery live shows;
o Local favourite Dr Draw (http://drdraw.ca/ ) returns to the festival, this time with the addition of clowns, aerialist and his energetic band Strange Parade to perform a musical style that brings together elements of classical violin, jazz-rock fusion, folk and pop in a riveting sound mélange that feeds the soul and invigorates audiences;
o Starting as buskers in Barcelona, Austrian trio Cobario (http://www.cobario.at/) have taken their instrumental acoustic project to streets around the world, telling a story in every song with only two guitars and a violin;
o Heather Chappell and husband Vince Peets (http://www.myspace.com/heatherchappellmusic) perform thoughtful, lyrical songs in the folk/roots tradition as well as lively traditional jigs and reels. Heather and Vince also have a personal connection to Scotiabank BuskerFest: both performers live with epilepsy;
o Toronto's a capella quartet After Hours (http://www.afterhoursharmony.com/) continue their long-standing tradition of street-corner performance, singing Toronto's inner-city soundtrack in four-part harmony for more than 15 years;
o Watch for Australia's incredible 21-year-old Kim Churchhill (http://www.kimchurchill.com/) as he makes his return to Scotiabank BuskerFest with his incredible guitar-playing, masterful rhythms, and beautiful song lyrics.
Also, look out for the following additional music acts performing at this year's festival: Jim Armstrong (Toronto), AHI (Toronto), deVah Quartet (Toronto), JAFFA (Haiti), Lena Quesada (Toronto), Liam McGlashon (Hamilton), Toz (Italy), and Tribu (Ecuadaor).
13th Annual Scotiabank BuskerFest
Toronto International Street Performers Festival
Thursday August 23 - Sunday August 26, 2012
throughout the historic St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood
Front Street all the way from Jarvis to Yonge and adjacent side streets
Thursday, noon-10pm; Friday, noon-11pm; Saturday, 11am-11pm; Sun 11am-8pm
Admission is by voluntary donation to Epilepsy Toronto
For full information, visit www.torontobuskerfest.com
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Twitter: @BuskerFestTO - Hashtag: #sbbf
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BuskerFestToronto
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TorontoBuskerfest/
Photo: Dr. Draw. ©2012 Dave Dickson.
2012-08-15
Toronto: Local and international musicians announced for Scotiabank BuskerFest August 23-26 2