Center Stage Cafe A Hit In Sharbot Lake

Jan 30, 2013

Gary Giller, bass player in the Center Stage House Band, has begun a new regular musical happening in Sharbot Lake that benefits both local players and music lovers in the area. The Center Stage Café has made the Sharbot Lake Legion its home and the band will be hosting a series of four concerts once a month from January to April.

On January 24 Giller, along with his four-piece band comprised of Terry Reynolds, Dave Limber and Jim MacPherson, headed up the first concert in front of a capacity crowd. The house band performed a highly polished and eclectic mix of old and new tunes, their three sets featured some top-notch vocal and instrumental solos by the various band members. Highlights included MacPherson’s fronting of the Robert Johnson classic “Crosstown Blues”, Reynolds' impressive vocals on “Losing My Religion” by REM and the three part harmonies of the bands cover of “Fox on the Run”.

In between house band sets a number of popular local players took the stage. The first to come up were the husband and wife duo Julia Schall and Shawn Savoie. Schall is a well loved and respected teacher at Hinchinbrooke Public School who began the School of Rock. The two immediately won over the crowd with their unique country/folk/contemporary repertoire of both covers and original material. Schall's vocal stylings hearken back to the folk and country heroes of yesteryear but with a modern twist and her sensitivity and emotive delivery won over many new fans. Highlights were their versions of Why’s “The End of the Night”; Bruce Cockburn's “All The Diamonds” and Neil Young's classic “Unknown Legend”. In every tune Savoie provided impeccable accompaniment on stand up bass and the couple’s witty repartee throughout their performance set the tone for a casual, lively banter between the musicians onstage and the audience.

Parham native Dave McCullough was slated to play next. His younger brother Shawn, who is something of a local legend, joined him in a special surprise appearance that delighted fans. The two played a very satisfying set that included some of Shawn's own originals and a number of classics that the two brothers have been playing together for decades. They opened their set with Tom Petty's “Free Fallin'” and also played the John Denver classic “Annie's Song”. Shawn also played a request from one audience member, his medley of Folsom Prison Blues/Cry, Cry, Cry and The Who's Pinball Wizard, which was the show stopper of the night.

Next up for the Centre Stage Café:

Thursday, February 21, guest performers will include Craig Bakay and Brian Robertson.

Thursday, March 21 – The husband/wife duo, Rob and Nancy Moore as well as “Sharbot Lake’s Country Gentleman”, Mitch Barker and his sidekick, Dan Gibbs, will be the guest artists

Thursday, April 25 – As part of the final concert the Cellar Hounds (Randy Kemp, Joe and Tim Asselstine) will rock the Legion. Don’t be surprised if a few other local musicians are on hand as well.