Moonfruits and Tragedy Ann
Sunday, November 19, 2:00 pm
MERA Schoolhouse, McDonalds Corners
Moonfruits
Moonfruits craft contemporary folk that addresses our collective humanity with heart, wit, and wonder. Led by partners Alex Millaire and Kaitlin Milroy, Moonfruits pen songs in both French and English, reflecting their bilingual lived experience in their hometown of Ottawa. The band harmonizes over assiduous arrangements of guitar, banjo, chord organ, and glockenspiel, weaving song-worlds that rouse and serenade in equal measure.
Theirs is the music of open-minded dreamers and diligent doers, music that confronts dehumanizing capitalism and environmental catastrophe with a rousing message of solidarity. Moonfruits have gone from serenading market-goers as buskers in Ontario and Europe to connecting with audiences in prestigious listening rooms (National Arts Centre, Place des Arts) and festivals (Philadelphia Folk Festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, Festival of Small Halls Ontario).
Since the release of their début full- length concept album Ste-Quequepart (2017), they have garnered Stingray Rising Star, SOCAN, and Trille Or awards and toured their transportive live show across Canada, the US, France, Belgium, and Germany. Moonfruits’ anticipated sophomore album, Salt (Oct 2022), is a lushly orchestrated 12-song suite that explores what it means to the band to live, dream, and raise a child in an era of climate change and deepening socio-economic inequality.
Tragedy Ann
Braiding organic vocal harmonies with organ, accordion, singing saw, and guitars, Tragedy Ann’s arrangements are as delicate as they are driving. Their concerts emanate “…the honesty and enthusiasm of people who can’t help but create and perform.” (Jon Farmer, Georgian Bay Roots).
With their new album Heirlooms, Liv Cazzola and Braden Phelan issue a call for deeper connection with each other and with the natural world.
The answer to this call is reflected both in the collaborative creation process and the meaningful ways in which Heirlooms is being shared. Setting these intentions rooted them and provided the insight needed to nourish the project and create something lasting.
We want Heirlooms to encourage listeners to question their individual choices and reconsider the experiences of others in their communities, provoking critical thought rather than merely expressing our opinions. In order to encourage this in others, we must do so ourselves.
Heirlooms is an opportunity to reconnect, share stories and learn. The album is a follow up to their 2018 release Matches which garnered them two ‘Songs from the Heart’ songwriting awards (Folk Music Ontario), international critical acclaim, Canadian folk/roots radio charting, and syndication on CBC Radio and Stingray Music.
Tragedy Ann has performed at such venues as the National Arts Centre, Haliburton Folk Society, Brampton Folk Society, Cuckoo’s Nest Folk Club, Blue Skies Music Festival, Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival, Home County Folk Festival, and Egersund Visefestival (Norway). They have gratefully received sponsorship and financial support from the Ontario Arts Council, FACTOR, SPARC, and Stonebridge Guitars.
In addition to their musical endeavours as a duo, they can also be seen on-stage with The Lifers, heard on their peers’ albums, and found facilitating songwriting workshops and music lessons.
At home, their musical and personal lives are inevitably married - both literally and figuratively. Cazzola and Phelan are passionate about community-building, gardening, and culinary adventure. Braden is the president of the Guelph Arts Council’s board of directors, and Liv is a founding member of the Canadian chapter of Music Declares Emergency. Dedicated to living gently and ethically in community, they attend meetings, town halls, and demonstrations organized by local environmental and social justice organizations.
Tickets are $25.00 plus fees available through TicketsPlease.ca until 11:59 November 18.
Depending on availability, tickets will be for sale at the door.
The MERA Schoolhouse is located at 974 Dalhousie Concession 9A, McDonald's Corners, ON.