Shows

Previous events

Dead Ends Live has been created by Peter North, the onetime radio producer who hosted the popular program Dead Ends And Detours for 17 years on the CKUA Radio Network. This new live, indoor festival event is built around the common themes and threads that ran through his radio show. Those common threads are the musical roots and branches of The Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia along with the influences and sounds of The Band and Bob Dylan, as well as mandolinist David Grisman and the inspiring musicians who built the new acoustic music scene.

CHURCH PASS $60.00

The Dead Ends Live Weekend Church Pass is a must for fans of acoustic music and instrumental magic that draws on any number of influences and genres. Six sets of music from Friday night through Saturday night, including two matinee / workshop performances. From a headline solo performance from John Kadlecik who founded Dark Star Orchestra and worked extensively with Bob Weir & Phil Lesh, and the bluegrass sounds of Chris & Sally Jones to an all-star Fiddle Forum, plus a full set of the Garcia Songbook from David Gans & Joe Craven and a Roots of the Grateful Dead workshop, the mastery of the participating artists and the brilliant acoustics of MacDougall make for a winning combination.

WEEKEND PASS $115.00

The inaugural Dead Ends Live weekend allowed fans of both electric and acoustic music to saunter back and forth between MacDougall Church and the Chateau Lacombe Ballroom with ease as they two venues are situated side by side on 101 street and Bellamy Drive.

Enjoy the stunning acoustics in MacDougall for one show and then dance your butt off to the sounds of The McGowans, Mbira Renaissance, and all-star blues, Dead and roots jams with our house band as led by Dave Babcock, with our headliners David Gans, John Kadlecik, MonkeyJunk’s Tony D and other fine players.

Silverskate Festival

Hawrelak Park, 9330 Groat Road NW, Edmonton

Edmonton’s longest running winter festival returns to celebrate prairie winter life and create winter experiences for Edmontonians of all ages in William Hawrelak Park February 10 – 20, 2023.

The Silver Skate Festival is a free 10-day family-oriented festival that combines culture, art, education, sport, and recreation. We invite everyone to rediscover the joy of that first childhood snowfall or discover that joy for the first time.

Feel the breeze on your face as you glide along the city's largest skating pond while listening to a tuneful compilation of Edmonton-based music. Marvel at the artistic talent on display in the Waiward Snow Sculpture Garden and sample culinary delights at Spirits on Ice. Be dazzled by roving performers on the Imperial Oil Folk Trail and experience renewal by writing out a fear or a wish to be added to the nightly Fire Sculpture burn. Visit the Indigenous pavilion in the Heritage Village which includes installations, stories, and a Winter Walking Ceremony. Push yourself, or a team comprised of family and friends, to frosty victory in the Duathlon or Mammoet Winter Triathlon. All types of skate blades and skill levels are welcome!

We challenge you to embrace your environment. Winter is magic, and the outdoor experiences in our city are limitless.

Toques off to all of the volunteers, sponsors, community partners, and amazing staff that make this winter celebration possible. We appreciate your generosity and hard work. Thank you for your support of the Silver Skate Festival!

Free Event/All Ages and licensed bar area

Wild Mountain Music Festival

 —  —

Entrance Ranch, 51111 AB-40 Hinton, AB T7V 1X5, Hinton

Wild Mountain 2022 is a go! Friday July 15, Saturday July 16, and Sunday July 17.

Wild Mountain brings three days of musical bliss each July, treating our audiences with a diverse lineup that spans many genres. We have hosted Gord Downie, Blue Rodeo, Tom Cochrane, and hundreds of performances that have made Wild Mountain one of the most interesting stops on the summer circuit.

Wild Mountain happens on one of the most beautiful festival sites on earth and is a family friendly event, with a full schedule for the kids and a full slate of activities for grown-ups. A weekend pass includes your camping, but we do run a continuous shuttle between the town and the festival site.

Physical Tickets are currently available at The Old Grind and Cold Creek Clothing (CASH ONLY).

Purchase tickets online using Eventbrite form below.

Kids 12 years old and under are granted free entry.

Thank you for your support of our festival - we look forward to seeing you again in 2022!

‍The McGowan Family Band is set to perform Saturday July 16th, 2022 set time TBA

Visit link for tickets

Sande Shindig and Stage

 —  —

Sande Shindig and Stage 2022

Pricing: Weekend pass: $100 or $60 for youth

Thursday: $20 or $10 for youth

Friday: $60 or $30 for youth

Saturday: $60 or $30 for youth Sunday: By donation (Open mic style entertainment)

Please e-transfer your payment for tickets to lisa87sande@hotmail.com and we’ll add you to the guest list. If you’re buying day passes, please let us know your intention, so we can add that info to our guest list, and so we have the correct wrist bands ready for you. The first 40 people who invest in a weekend pass will be entered into an early bird draw to win an awesome prize!

Your Weekend Pass includes: Camping, firewood, potable water, outhouses, campfire jams, professional sound, 19+ stellar musical acts, and a lifetime of great memories. You’re welcome!!! Traditionally, we have a FREE pancake breakfast included for all campers/attendees on Saturday morning. It starts at 10am! On Sunday, we will have an open mic/jamarama! Stick around for that and join in if you want! When you arrive you will be greeted by one of our lovely volunteers (or ourselves) who will help direct you where to park and check you off our list. What to Bring: Chairs, hammocks, blankets, bug spray, beverages, friends, food, party favours, dancing shoes, and instruments for campfire jams. Bring cash for things such as the 50/50 draw which is drawn on Saturday evening. Support musicians and buy their merchandise. This year we have also created some festival swag that will be for sale to help cover costs. Pets: We house 20 some odd number of chickens on our property so dogs MUST be LEASHED at all times and poop MUST be cleaned up immediately. If you have a problem dog, send it to the kennel for the weekend.

Join the Facebook group for more info

North Country Fair

 —  —

Driftpile Valley, Driftpile

North Country Fair - Annual Music Festival and Solstice Celebration June 16-19, 2022

Held in the beautiful Driftpile Valley in Northern Alberta, this festival is a treat for music lovers. With over 40 acts and 4 stages there is literally something for everybody and more! Come help us celebrate the Solstice and join the family while we hold and hands and dance around in a circle :)

The McGowan Family Band performs on Main Stage Thursday June 16 at 9:00 pm

Visit link for pricing and ticket info

The McGowan Family Band at Newcastle Pub

Newcastle Pub, 8170 50 street, Edmonton

Celebrating our return to live music with 3 full sets at Newcastle Pub in Edmonton. No cover charge - 18+ event

We have missed playing so much and we look forward to rocking this superb stage. We will surely be celebrating our 4/20 traditions and making up for lost time with some sweet throwbacks and even a couple new additions to the repertoire. We are also excited that we will be showcasing features from each of our six members on this night. See you on the dance floor!

Downtown Live at River City Revival House

River City Revival House, 10030 102 st, Edmonton

Presented by the Downtown Business Association, Downtown Live is a summer series of live performances at various venues across Downtown Edmonton! We are pumped to have THE McGOWAN FAMILY BAND play on 16.10.2020 on our patio!

SupportLiveMusic

SupportCanadianVenues

UPDATE: Due to the show being moved indoors, we will be taking reservations for 6 - 7pm! Guests that arrive on the day will be sat at tables that seat the number of people in your group. Single seating will be extremely limited!! Please be patient with us as we adjust to hosting our shows indoors! No cover charge, 18+ event

Uptown Blues Jam

Passport Restobar, 10810 124 st NW, Edmonton

Thursday December 5, 2019 special guest hosts The McGowan Family Band. The Uptown Blues Jam is the premier open stage where Edmonton's finest musicians come to create music for our friends. Each week we have a featured guest that plays an opening set, followed by a jam. If you love music and dancing, we're throwing a party and you're invited. We hold this event at Passport Restobar (10810-124 Street), every Thursday night at 8 pm. No cover charge. 18+

If you play, bring an instrument, if you just love music, come and enjoy! Free drink for players! Full back line provided but you must supply your own instruments!

JAMTRON 5

Metis Crossing , 17339 Victroria Trail, Smoky Lake

JAMTRON 5

Saturday July 13, 2019 Metis Crossing 17339-Victoria Trail, Smoky Lake Alberta. Approx 80 mins from Edmonton

Gate opens 3:00pm Performers start 4:00pm

$30 Advance Tix* $40 at Gate (Cash only at gate) Ticket includes camping and facilities All Ages Event (Child free under 12. Under 18 must enter with adult) Rain or Shine - No Refunds BYOB and Food

Featuring:

The McGowan Family Band The Ancestors Prairie Rock Mandaku Duophonics Drumz etc.

More acts to be announced soon

Camp site facilities include: Bathrooms, Showers, River Swimming (at own risk), Powered Stalls, Picnic Tables, Fire Pits, Field Space

Rules:

Well behaved pets allowed on leash No pets on the dance floor**

No glass bottles outside of camp sites

Please clean up after yourself (and pet)

No fighting or stealing

Respect each other and the land

Have fun!

Failure to obey rules may result in removal from festival grounds or even lawful action. Please help make it a great time for all. Thank you!

**Pet owners, please be mindful as we want everyone to be as safe and comfortable as possible including you and your pets.

Questions or concerns please email mark@themcgowanfamilyband.com

JAMTRON is an overnight musical gathering held in July near Smoky Lake, Alberta. Multiple performers of various musical backgrounds are showcased throughout the day and night, accumulating to a finale jam that involves many of the performing artists.

The family friendly event is organized and presented by The McGowan Family Band, whom are based out of Edmonton, Alberta. The family of musicians are known for their jam/folk/rock sound, for them this is a unique opportunity to join with family, friends and fellow musicians in their love of live music within a comfortable outdoor environment.

More info can be found at www.themcgowanfamilyband.com

420

Hilltop Pub, 8220 106 Ave, Edmonton

420

Saturday April 20, 2019 Hilltop Pub 8220 106 ave

The McGowan Family Band with guests Sound Bodacious

Music at 9pm $10 at door 18+ Smokin' prizes from Jupiter www.jupitergrass.ca

The McGowan Family Band continue their annual tradition of celebrating 420 with a live performance. This years event is once again being hosted by Hilltop Pub/DV8 and will include Sound Bodacious to open the show. Jupiter has graciously donated some smokin' prizes to be raffled off. Join in and celebrate the first completely legal 420 and soak up the psychedelic atmosphere and music that The McGowan Family Band is known to provide.

20 Year Anniversary

Hawrelak Park, 9330 Graot Road, Edmonton

The McGowan Family Band 20 Year Anniversary

Performing 2 sets of music at Silver Skate Festival (main stage) Hawrelak Park 9330 Groat Rd NW, Edmonton, AB

Friday February 15, 2019 7pm until 9pm Free show All ages & licensed bar Set break at 7:45pm will feature a sculpture burning!

The McGowan Family Band is thrilled to celebrate their 20th anniversary in February 2019! The Edmonton-based jam band will be performing their original music, as well as favourites from bands such as The Tragically Hip and Grateful Dead. With a passion for improvisation, the band strives to make each performance unique. Their sound is heavily influenced by rock, blues, reggae, and folk. The current lineup consists of Paul McGowan (guitar, vocals), Mark McGowan (drums, vocals), Sean McGowan (guitar, vocals), Ryan Holmes (bass, vocals), Sean Brewer (guitar, vocals), and Jason Kodie (keyboards, vocals).

Other features of Silver Skate Festival are: -Snow sculptures -Folk trail -Lantern making -Skate rentals -Winter cinema on giant snow screen -Snow maze -Ice slide -Ice castles and much more!

More info about about Silver Skate Festival can be found at: https://www.silverskatefestival.org/go/

Visit The McGowan Family Band official website at: https://www.themcgowanfamilyband.com

Thank you all for your support for two wonderful decades! We look forward to many more years of making music.

Thank you all so much for making 5 years of JAMTRON so special. 

JAMTRON 5 Performer bios
'click pictures below for links'

Thank you all so much for making 5 years of JAMTRON so special.

JAMTRON 5 Performer bios 'click pictures below for links'

The Ancestors

Tom Roschkov - electric guitar, erhu, vocals, & percussion
Kelly Pikula - drums & percussion
Johnny Bordeaux - electric bass, Theremin, vocals, percussion, & FX

The Ancestors were formed in 1998 at a time that three long time collaborators were all without working bands.  Armed with a variety of instruments in a dark basement on the north side of Edmonton, Alberta, John, Tom, and Kelly set out to make new, improvisational music.  The result was the The Ancestors.

The Ancestors

Tom Roschkov - electric guitar, erhu, vocals, & percussion Kelly Pikula - drums & percussion Johnny Bordeaux - electric bass, Theremin, vocals, percussion, & FX

The Ancestors were formed in 1998 at a time that three long time collaborators were all without working bands. Armed with a variety of instruments in a dark basement on the north side of Edmonton, Alberta, John, Tom, and Kelly set out to make new, improvisational music. The result was the The Ancestors.

Mandaku

Mandaku is a Progressive Folk group from Edmonton Alberta. With a newly released LP in the spring of 2017, Mandaku had a busy summer festival season playing main stage at North Country Fair, Astral Harvest Music and Arts festival, and Smokey Lake's JAMTRON 3, as well as playing local venues within Edmonton's vibrant music scene. Mandaku's eclectic fusion of eastern instruments with a classic rock angle gives a unique sound like few acts. Vocal harmonies, tempo changes and genre mashups are what sets this five piece group apart from the norm. Mandaku is set on spreading their art far and wide to the young and old.

Mandaku

Mandaku is a Progressive Folk group from Edmonton Alberta. With a newly released LP in the spring of 2017, Mandaku had a busy summer festival season playing main stage at North Country Fair, Astral Harvest Music and Arts festival, and Smokey Lake's JAMTRON 3, as well as playing local venues within Edmonton's vibrant music scene. Mandaku's eclectic fusion of eastern instruments with a classic rock angle gives a unique sound like few acts. Vocal harmonies, tempo changes and genre mashups are what sets this five piece group apart from the norm. Mandaku is set on spreading their art far and wide to the young and old.

Prairie Rock

Rock/Jam/Blues from Edmonton, AB.

Members:
Kris Bodnaruk
Paul McGowan
Chris Kerr
Jeremy Tokarek

Prairie Rock

Rock/Jam/Blues from Edmonton, AB.

Members: Kris Bodnaruk Paul McGowan Chris Kerr Jeremy Tokarek

Malacate

Rock/Latin/Metal/Funk from Edmonton, AB.

Members:
Malacate
Andres Alexis Romero Garcia De la CRUZ
Jordan Frank
Eleah Sims
Woonson Lam
Erich Hintz

Malacate

Rock/Latin/Metal/Funk from Edmonton, AB.

Members: Malacate Andres Alexis Romero Garcia De la CRUZ Jordan Frank Eleah Sims Woonson Lam Erich Hintz

Duophonics

Duophonics is a live electronic music project featuring James Brown (Mandaku) & Nic Dublanko (Nicky Dubs). We are a duo creating on-the-fly DAWless dancy bass jams featuring modular electronics and live drums.

Duophonics

Duophonics is a live electronic music project featuring James Brown (Mandaku) & Nic Dublanko (Nicky Dubs). We are a duo creating on-the-fly DAWless dancy bass jams featuring modular electronics and live drums.

Drumz etc.

Drumz etc. is a musical duo based in Edmonton, AB, comprised of Nic Dublanko and Mark McGowan. These performers have a mutual passion to create rhythmic songs that utilize multiple drums, incorporated with various electronic instruments and digital sampling techniques. No genre or style is off limits, while the inspirations and influences that contribute to the creative process are virtually endless. Special guests are often welcomed to implement percussive depths, capturing improvisations that are unique to each performance.

Drumz etc.

Drumz etc. is a musical duo based in Edmonton, AB, comprised of Nic Dublanko and Mark McGowan. These performers have a mutual passion to create rhythmic songs that utilize multiple drums, incorporated with various electronic instruments and digital sampling techniques. No genre or style is off limits, while the inspirations and influences that contribute to the creative process are virtually endless. Special guests are often welcomed to implement percussive depths, capturing improvisations that are unique to each performance.

 You can download and listen to previous shows by The McGowan Family Band at archive.org