Kate Weekes stood on the Trans-Canada Highway ten years ago; she stuck out her thumb and left Ontario for an adventure in the Yukon. Now deeply imbedded in the Yukon music community, Kate lives in a little orange cabin outside of Whitehorse and spen
When Kate Weekes plays in Whitehorse on May 2, the audience will hear something new and maybe surprising, even if they’re already fans. Having lived in the territory from 2003 to 2014, the singer-songwriter still spends several months here each year. Many Yukoners are familiar with her work. However, her new CD, Taken By Surprise, serves …
New Kate Weekes CD reflects singer-songwriter’s growth as a musician Read More »
A fundraising concert for the Yukon Literacy Coalition, with original songs inspired by Beowulf, will take place on August 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Well Read Books.
Listening to Kate Weekes’ new solo folk album, Frost on Black Fur, is like mushing around the vastness of the world at great speed as the scenery constantly changes, from Irish islands, to mountain villages in China, to remote rivers in the Peel watershed. Frost on Black Fur will be released on October 1 at …
For Yukon musicians wanting to get a career on the road there are many things standing in the way: our geographical location, small population, limited venues, genres, studios and festivals, a limited demographic… At times it can seem downright impossible to make an impact on the local, let alone Canadian-wide music scene. But our musician …
Summer’s here and the time is right for a musical evening garden party. On Saturday, July 5, Yukon Women in Music are coming out of the bars and concert halls and bringing their music to the deck of the scenic Stehelin Ranch on Couch Road. “The Garden Party is a unique atmosphere because it’s held …
It’s been a long time since I was in public school. As I remember, we had a music program … we sang and entered choir competitions and had a great ol’ time. But it was nothing like the North Klondyke Highway Schools has. I know this because of this new CD these schools have produced. …
Yukon Women in Music (YWIM) have released their fourth album, which is as musically diverse as their membership. Founded in 1998, the YWIM collective brings together female singer-songwriters who pool their talent and resources for concerts and recording opportunities. To date, it has released a live album, a sampler of pre-recorded tracks and a more …
When Whitehorse musicians Kate Weekes and Grant Simpson attended the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals this past fall, they were amazed and touched by a screening of A Walk In My Dream, about harmonica virtuoso Mike Stevens. They have been instrumental in bringing the film to Whitehorse, showing tomorrow at the Old Fire Hall. Mike …
Storytelling has always been an integral part of Yukon history and tradition, in all its forms and mediums. That’s why this year, the non-profit Yukon Women in Music (YWIM) chose to make it the theme of their fourth and latest compilation album, “Song Rise”, which was just released in November. Under the common thread, Yukon …
Who’s in for soaking up an afternoon of heartfelt acoustic and strong songwriting in a peaceful environment, while the snow outside drifts ever deeper? Copper Moon Gallery’s newest music series, Moonsongs, started up on Sunday November 21 to an appreciative and dedicated audience who struggled through a heavy snowfall to attend. Co-organized with Yukon Women …
The wild, infectious fiddling of Old Crow’s Boyd Benjamin rings through Shipyards Park, coaxing people to dance as he works his way through jigs, reels and duck dances with his band, Home Sweet Home. For Benjamin, performing at the National Aboriginal Day festivities in Whitehorse with fellow fiddler Keitha Clark and guitarist-songwriter Kate Weekes is …
For Fawn Fritzen, the idea was born two years ago, the first time she sang with music maven Grant Simpson. “We chatted a bit during the break and he mentioned that he’d been thinking of doing this Cole Porter show for dinner theatre or something. He was just kind of throwing it out,” Fritzen recalls. …
The Town of Faro will soon be taken over by teenage girls on a mission. Musical instruments in hand, they will immerse themselves in music for a four-day weekend at the first-ever Faro Girls Music Camp, beginning June 2. The camp is being organized by Whitehorse singer-songwriter Kim Beggs and Heather Grantham, who runs the …
Home Sweet Home is a new band with an old sound. The group is made up of three very talented Yukon musicians, Boyd Benjamin, Keitha Clark and Kate Weekes. Benjamin, a fiddle player since he was 14, played with Kevin Barr at the Yukon showcase at the Vancouver Cultural Olympics in 2010. Clark played with …
It seems like an unlikely pairing: Grant Simpson (jazz musician, vaudevillian and musical director of the Frantic Follies for over 30 years), and Kate Weekes (young hippie, folksinger and member of the traditional country swing trio Home Sweet Home). He plays swing and ragtime, tickling ivories in the style of Fats Waller, while she models …
“Frostbite used to see bands play … and then you would see them play on the world stage,” says Patrick Singh, Frostbite Festival’s new producer and general manager. Then he lists them: Sarah McLachlan, k.d. Lang, Feist, Moxy Fruvous. They all appeared before they became big names. “We used to have that reputation.” Since then, Frostbite …
