As the holiday season ramps up, why not attend a concert featuring the music of the 60s and 70s by the Mamas and the Papas? Local singer Lizanne Lachance plus local folk rock band the Very Groovy Things will bring back memories with music that ruled the airwaves during that fertile era in pop music history.
The concert will be held on Sunday, December 10th at 7 p.m. at the Salle Antoine Gaborieau Theatre upstairs at the Franco Manitoban Centre, 340 Provencher Blvd. Tickets are available for $35 plus fees at Eventbrite.ca. Just search “Groovy Christmas” and you can purchase your online tickets in advance.
Lizanne is a mainstay of the local jazz scene in Winnipeg. She has appeared at the Winnipeg Jazz Festival, and is a regular performer in the Mardi Jazz series to name just a few recent performances. She will include a few holiday numbers in her show, and will be backed up by Very Groovy Things pianist Rick Boughton, drummer Greg Gardner and bass player Kinzey Posen.
“I love playing the jazz club room at the CCFM,” says Lachance “Bill Quinn from the Groovies approached me about doing a show together with that band, and it sounded like a winner.” said Lizanne.
The Very Groovy Things Band was formed in 2018 with some of Winnipeg’s finest singers and players. The singers include Quinn, tenor Dan Rochegood, soprano Olivia Maxfield and alto Jodie Borle. Borle had already developed a following as one of the city’s best jazz vocalists, but loved the idea of singing in a band doing 60s music. Quinn and original guitar player Laurie MacKenzie figured a band doing the music of the Mamas and Papas could capitalize on the trend of many groups covering classic rock acts playing in Winnipeg. The 10-piece folk rock band started small, playing house concerts and some special events.
The group will add some 60s Christmas tunes to the mix for this special show.
The group saw the potential for bigger venues when they sold out the Salle Pauline Boutal at CCFM in August and the Berney Theatre in March as part of the Music and Mavens series at the Rady Jewish Cultural Centre. Quinn figured a Mamas and Papas/Lizanne Lachance show would be something a baby boomer audience would enjoy. Hope to see you there!
Bill Quinn and Greg Gardner are both broadcasters on Lifestyles 55 Radio. Check them out at https://lifestyles55.net/lifestyles-55-digital-radio/
