It’s already the middle of January 2010. A new decade is upon us. Christmas and New Years are memories as well as several birthdays already! So let’s update the latest Sandbar Music artist happenings.

First up is a show that happens February 4th at the George Weston Theater in Toronto that is sold out. It is the first in a series of six shows to be presented by the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame called “If You Could Read My Mind” which will feature a host Laurie Brown and two legends of Canadian songwriting in a performance and actor’s studio format. One of the legends is asked to invite an up and coming or emerging songwriter who will perform two of their own songs along with one song from the legend who invited them. Catherine MacLellan will be performing on that first show having been Gordon Lightfoot’s choice for this very first show in the series. These shows will be taped for later broadcast on CBC Radio.

Music PEI week and the Awards show happen next week. Good luck and best wishes go out to Sandbar artists Catherine MacLellan, Haunted Hearts and the Sidewalks for their Music PEI award nominations. They will also be performing on the Awards show January 23rd. In addition Catherine and Dennis Ellsworth will be part of the songwriter event on Thursday evening starting at 8PM at the Mack featuring Tom Wilson as  special guest. If you haven’t heard Tom’s project “Lee Harvey Osmond”, get it ASAP! It is one of my absolute favorite albums from 2009. Meaghan Blanchard last year’s multiple Music PEI winner will also be a “special guest” for the event.

In between the Songwriter event and the Awards show on Friday January 22nd, Catherine will be in Fredericton for a show with the Olympic Symphonium at the Charlotte St Arts Center. Show time is 8 PM.

The next week Catherine is off to perform at the  In The Dead Of Winter Festival in Halifax NS. Her show is set for Saturday night January 30th at 8 PM at St Patrick’s church. Catherine will also be in Wakefield PQ as part of the In Dead Of Winter Festival at the Black Sheep on Friday Feb 5th with an all star cast. On Saturday February 6th Catherine will be back on the Island for a “Live at the Mack” presentation featuring Tim Chaisson & Morning Fold along with Catherine and her band. Show time is 8 PM.

February 2010 is a month for being in Vancouver BC to perform and a large number of Island artists will be doing just that including Meaghan Blanchard, John Connolly and Catherine MacLellan. They will all be out there performing during the month on the Atlantic Canada House stage at Granville Island. John Connolly plays Vancouver February 18th and 19th while Catherine plays February 24th. Meaghan plays shows at the Roundhouse on February 16th and the Atlantic Canada stage on February 19th. Meaghan will also be part of the Atlantic Canada House production of “Raisin’ The Roof” which will be presented 3 times a day during the month. She leaves for Vancouver February 10th and returns February 28th. The production also features David Myles, Monique LeBlanc and Daniel Payne. Each person represents one of the Atlantic Provinces.

John Connolly is currently in residence at the Banff Center for the Arts where he will spend the next three months working on his Terry Fox musical getting it ready to be performed. It’s something he has been looking forward to doing for a while now or at least since he work shopped the play in February 2008 in Toronto. Following his stint there, John will head to Nashville in early April to work on his new record with legendary producer Brian Ahern. Speaking of new records, Meghan Blanchard will begin work on her next project, a full length, sometime in March 2010 following her return from Vancouver. No word yet on where it will be recorded or a producer.  Also coming out with new product this year are the Dan Currie Band, The Sidewalks, Pat Deighan & the Orb Weavers and Haunted Hearts. It should be a banner year for new releases from Sandbar artists in anticipation of  ECMA 2011 in Charlottetown.

Andy Stevens plays Babas on February 19th with the Sidewalks and possible a third act TBD. His new album “Awakening” is now available from Sandbar and through iTunes worldwide. Andy and his bamd will play the Discovery Stage while in Sydney for ECMA 2010.

Pat Deighan & The Orb Weavers play the Seahorse in Halifax January 29th with Gloryhound. The Sidewalks play there on February 27th. Haunted Hearts are in Fredericton at the Capital on January 28th and play the Company House in Halifax on February 12th. Catherine MacLellan with special guest Del Barber plays The Bistro in Hampton NB on Thursday January 28th. Tickets are $10 advance and $12 at the door.