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THE
RECORDS
“Sometime in 2003, the plan was made for David Francey, beloved
in the North and beloved in the South, especially around Dead Reckoning Records, to come to Nashville and make
a record with his buddies, Kieran Kane, Fats Kaplin, and Kevin Welch. The three Nashville boys had long talked
of a recording technique they wanted to try, and David was going to be the first victim.
Four chairs in a circle,a few mics,a great engineer, and that was it. No overdubs to speak of, just playing and
singing and catching it all for posterity. After a very few, very enjoyable days and evenings, the results were
declared to be quite satisfying and became David ’s recently released The Waking Hour.
A couple of months later,Kieran,Kevin and Fats went back into the same studio with the same engineer,the same mics,and
even the same chairs (only three this time) and recorded the recently released
You Can't Save Everybody.
These two companion pieces,though separate CDs, could easily be sequenced together as one long work,and on their
Canadian tour,the quartet will be able to do just that. Four friends,two records, a whole bunch of towns,and a
genuine celebration of life.....not a bad deal at all.”—KW
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THE FRIENDS
One time carpenter,two-time JUNO winner,David
Francey has won the hearts of audiences across North America.Known for his warm voice and powerful lyrics, David
’s wry humour and astute observations have also earned him recognition as a superb storyteller.You may have heard
his song “Skating Rink ” on Hockey Night in Canada during the Heritage Classic Hockey Game and on this year's Hockey
Day in Canada.David has performed at all of Canada ’s major folk festivals and at concerts from Nunavut to Newfoundland,and
Alaska to Florida.His songs have been performed by artists worldwide and recorded by Del McCoury, James Keelaghan
and Raylene Rankin.
Since the early 1980s, separately and together, Kieran Kane and Kevin Welch have been at the forefront of a new
kind of roots songwriting:a sort of unflinching Americana, which builds new layers of detail,despair, and determination
onto a timeless foundation of country, bluegrass, and blues. Kane and Welch
emerged as the de facto spokesmen for this new generation of writers and performers when in 1995 they established
Dead Reckoning,a combination record label,performing aggregation,and state of mind.
Born in Queens,New York,Kieran Kane first rose to national prominence
as a solo artist,in the early 1980s,and later along with fellow songwriter Jamie O ’Hara formed the O’Kanes, before
bowing to what Kane describes as “major label pressures ” in 1989. Re-emerging with a more personal, acoustic-based
sound, Kane has continued to grow both as a performer and a songwriter.Kevin Welch was an established anti-establishment
songwriter long before meeting Kane in Nashville.Arriving in Nashville from his home state of Oklahoma,Welch quickly
made a reputation for himself with the rootsy urgency and deceptively simple strength of his compositions. Waylon
Jennings, Roger Miller, Patty Loveless, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Ricky Skaggs have recorded his songs,while the
audience for his own rough-hewed performing style continues to grow, particularly in Europe and Australia.
Having toured together extensively over the past decade,Kane
and Welch have arrived at a unique give and take onstage rapport,effortlessly and telepathically trading songs,stories,breaks,and
bridges.“We basically try to create a living room on
stage,” says Kane.
Earning front-cover billing for his contributions,
Fats Kaplin is indeed the session ’s secret weapon.
Embroidering the elegant twang of Kane and Welch’s own banjo,guitar,and octave-mandolin work with accordion, fiddle,and
electric guitar.Fats has a long-standing relationship with Kevin and Kieran, moving to Nashville in 1992 at Kevin
’s request.He soon became part of the original Dead Reckoning crew.He has toured and recorded with The Manhattan
Transfer, Pure Prairie League,Tom Russell,Nanci Griffith,Sylvia Tyson,and of course, Kristi Rose,to name but a
few.
His subtle work adds a distinctive shimmer to the
proceedings.
back
home
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THE
TOUR
September 8th
Sid Williams Civic Theatre,COURTENAY,B.C.
September 9th
Alix Goolden Performance Hall, Conservatory of Music,VICTORIA,B.C.
September 10th
Capilano Performing Arts Theatre,
NORTH VANCOUVER,B.C.
September 11th
Salmar Theatre,SALMON
ARM,B.C.
September 15th
Nancy Appleby Theatre,ATHABASCA,AB
September 16th
St.Basil ’s Cultural Centre,EDMONTON,AB
September 17th
Lakeland College Alumni Hall Theatre,VERMILION,AB
September 18th
The Gateway at SAIT,CALGARY,AB
September 21st
West End Cultural Centre,WINNIPEG,MB
September 23rd
The Black Sheep Inn,
WAKEFIELD, QC
September 24th
Perth & District Collegiate Auditorium,
PERTH,ON
September 25th &26th
Hugh ’s Room,TORONTO,ON |
