For this month’s Sooke Folk Music Society Coffee House, we are pleased to be bringing back Bowker Creek to our stage this Saturday Evening, January 17th at Holy Trinity Anglican Church.
Question: Bowker Creek is?
Select one or more answers:
a) The largest creek that flows through the municipalities of Saanich, Victoria and Oak Bay, and named for John Sylvester Bowker, an American who settled in the area during the 1860s;
b) “Victoria’s favourite dentistry” located near the Fort Street/Foul Bay Road/Cadboro Bay Road intersection; or
c) An acoustic roots band whose members all live within a “banjo throw” of the band’s name sake.
Trick question. All of them are correct, but if you want to listen to incredible live acoustic roots music at its finest, answer c) is the most relevant.
Playing together since 2009, Bowker Creek performs its unique arrangements of familiar and less familiar songs, as well as original compositions, from a wide range of musical genres that include folk, country, rock, old time, swing and yes, even bluegrass. Based in Victoria, Bowker Creek has played all over southern Vancouver Island….from Courtney to Sooke and most places in between. It has entertained audiences at folk clubs, bluegrass clubs, summer markets, Christmas markets, wineries and cideries, fund raisers (coincidently one for the Bowker Creek…the waterway…restoration project) and weekend music festivals. Bowker Creek has even opened for Fred Penner!
The band members consist of Bonnie Jean Duncan, Duncan Sutherland, Dan Ready, John Cornes and Doug VanDine.
Vocalist and guitarist Bonnie Jean Duncan has a powerful and dynamic voice that she uses to great effect whether singing intimate ballads, swing or the blues. Bonne Jean has been performing on and off Vancouver Island since she was seven, has been in numerous bands including the “Detours” (a Motown cover band) and performed a one-woman show spooneristally called “Jonnie Bean the Lonesome Picker”.
Vocalist and guitarist Duncan Sutherland is a singer/songwriter. He’s been playing and singing since the time of Lightfoot and Donovan. Duncan’s compositions range from social issues to hurtin’ music. Before becoming a founding member of Bowker Creek in 2009, Duncan most recently played with the bluegrass band, “Shady Characters”.
Mandolinist and guitarist Danny Ready has been performing in Victoria-based bands since he was 16. He has played bass guitar, guitar and mandolin in folk, blues, rock, jazz fusion and acoustic roots bands, and presently also plays electric 5-string bass in the blues/rock/bar band “Sluggett Road“.
Bassist John Cornes, the newest band member, started, as most bass players do, on “the electric” with the bands “Muskox” and “Mississippi & the Swamp Daddys”. Twelve years ago John made the switch to “the stand-up” and has since played with the “Children of Celebrities”, “Special Blend” and “Dinette” (a Gypsy jazz band) before joining Bowker Creek in 2014.
Five-string banjo player Doug VanDine brings his wealth of musical experience, playing bluegrass, swing and jazz chops, to the band. After playing acoustic guitar in a number of bands since his teens, Doug switched to the banjo in the 1990s and hasn’t looked back. He currently also plays with the bands “Over Worked and Under Played” and the “Renata Shaw Trio”.
Between its great song selection, the stellar vocals and harmonies, and the energetic instrumental solos, audiences love listening to Bowker Creek….the band, not the waterway or the dentist!
For a taste of what to expect, check out Bowker Creek’s music at: http://www.reverbnation.com/bowkercreek
Join us this Saturday evening, January 17th at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 1962 Murray Road for an evening of toe tapping, hand clapping music. Doors open at 7pm with open stage at 7:30 and our feature at 9.
The Sooke Folk Music Society has been bringing quality musical entertainment to the Sooke community since 1992.
Our Coffee House season runs from September to June.
Join us for some fabulous music and friendship!