Jesse Waldman & Beau Wheeler
Diamond-in-the-rough guitar virtuoso, Jesse Waldman, wears many hats, from candid singer-songwriter to studio producer, respected sound designer to sought-after film and TV composer. For the last decade, he has been honing his own unique and eclectic blend of folk and blues, earning him the reputation of being an “East Van fixture” by Exclaim! Magazine, all before ever recording his first solo album. With the release of his long-awaited debut, Mansion Full of Ghosts, devoted fans from Toronto to Vancouver can now rest easy. Four years in the making, Mansion Full of Ghosts, a true labor of love, is finally here.
Love goes into everything Waldman does, and it is undeniable his passion for music runs deep. One of his most cherished possessions is a cassette of his grandmother singing the Yiddish folk song, “Papirosen.” A remnant like the abandoned guitar discovered in his parent’s basement that drove his rock ‘n roll dreams out of the suburban sprawl of Thornhill, Ontario, and into the bars of downtown Toronto. Even before reaching legal drinking age, Waldman had formed the grunge band Zygote, playing nearly every club in the Big Smoke. Often bluesy with elements of fingerstyle, folk, gypsy, country, and pop, Jesse has inspired and influenced countless friends, fans, and fellow musicians with his soulful delivery, exceptional technique, and effortless ability to write honest, memorable songs.
A seasoned live performer, Waldman continues to delight his audiences with high energy performances, rich improvisations, and a playful stage persona. Heavily influenced by folk and blues pioneers Townes Van Zandt, JJ Cale, and Neil Young, Waldman has toured Canada, Western US, and the UK, performing everywhere from local pubs to soft-seat theaters, and appeared at major festivals that include Vancouver’s Folk and International Jazz Fests and the Burnaby Blues and Roots Fest. Avid music fans excited by the folk tradition resurgence will revel in this masterfully produced album reminiscent of Joe Pug, Shakey Graves, Gillian Welch, and Blake Mills. It’s a body of work born from the need, as Waldman sings, “to keep a light on in the dark,” a message that resonates now more than ever, no matter where you call home.
Beau Wheeler is a queer non-binary composer and singer based in Vancouver, Canada. Blessed with a set of pipes that would be the envy of Torch and Twang era KD Lang or a young Robert Plant, Beau is about to release two new albums of music that capture the breadth and diversity of their musical vision.
Theirs is a music that encompasses a wide spectrum of human experience. With songs that touch on love, loss and redemption, and an unflagging ability to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again, Beau, who recently came out to the world as trans, is one of Canada’s brightest lights and an artist to watch out for.
Their music pulls no punches as it shines a light on gender, surviving cancer, and the all too human experience of love in a way that turns the dark and sour stuff of life into something beautiful and hopeful. Beau’s songs remind us that ‘we’ve all been there’ and that no matter how low you are feeling that there’s hope. You’re not alone. Pain and joy form equal parts of life’s equation. The essential magic of Beau’s work lies in this unflinching ability to fearlessly open up and bring a room full of strangers together to share and heal from the vulnerabilities that we all feel.
Over the years, Beau has performed at the Vancouver Juno Awards (2018), recorded and toured with several of their own bands as well as contributing vocals to ‘A Small Wonder’ by A.C. Newman of the New Pornographers, and has shared the stage with many ground breaking artists including Dan Mangan, Shane Koyczan and Tanya Tagaq. Beau’s music is the light at the end of the tunnel, a message of hope in dark times. Whether performing solo in a one room wooden church as part of ArtsWells or with their band ‘The Black Salt Sea’ in larger theatre settings, showcasing at Folk Alliance or live-streaming for the Philadelphia Folk Society, a vulnerable humanity exudes from everything Beau communicates. Bridges are crossed. Wounds are healed. Warm, immediate and illuminating, the light Beau creates is one you want to bask in.
Home Routes / Chemin Chez Nous
137 rue Walnut Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3G 1P2
Phone: (204) 480-3380
Toll-free: 1 (866) 925-6889
Fax: (204) 786-6259
Winnipeg Crankie Festival
137 rue Walnut Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3G 1P2
Toll-free: 1 (866) 925-6889
Home Routes / Chemin Chez Nous acknowledges that we operate on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Ininew and Dakota peoples, and on the homeland of the Metis nation. We have produced thousands of concerts across Canada, a land home to well over 600 First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.