The Guest List
Thursday March 8th, 2018 with Joe Reilly
Interviews with Damon Johnson of Black Star Riders, Gavin Gardiner of The Wooden Sky, and Rick Fines about RBC Ottawa Bluesfest's "Blues In The Schools" program.

We open things up today with Damon Johnson who plays guitar with Black Star Riders, as the group will be in town on Sunday, March 25 at the TD Place Arena (remember the Civic Centre) with Saxon and Judas Priest. Damon has a great background making rock and roll music with his own band Brother Cane and with Alice Cooper and Thin Lizzy before forming Black Star Riders with a group of Thin Lizzy alumni. Damon talks about what it was like getting the call to play with artists that he grew up listening to and then forming Black Star Riders. Naturally we talk about how Phil Lynott has influenced the band and how the members of Black Star Riders have also worked to forge their own sound with the group. Damon was a gracious guest and it was a pleasure to talk to him today. http://blackstarriders.com/ https://www.tdplace.ca/event/judas-priest-firepower-2018/ It's always a pleasure to talk to Gavin Gardiner of The Wooden Sky. The group is playing a sold out show at the Black Sheep Inn on Saturday night and just added a 1:30 show on Saturday afternoon (March 11) at the Record Centre. Today Gavin talks about taking the reigns for the creation of the group's latest album "Swimming In Strange Waters" and some interesting effects on a couple of standout songs on the recording - including "Life Is Pain, Pain Is Beauty" which we played on the show today. http://www.thewoodenskymusic.com/ http://www.therecordcentre.com/ https://www.theblacksheepinn.com/ Finally it's always a pleasure to talk to Rick Fines, a blues and roots singer-songwriter from Peterborough who is in town again this year working with the Blues in The Schools program offered by RBC Ottawa Bluesfest. Rick fills us in on how the program works to bring authentic music into schools around the region and this year across the country. He gives us some great anecdotes about the creative process with children and how much he gets out of this great program. Finally he fills us in on plans for a new album that he hopes to release before the year is out. https://www.rickfines.ca/ https://ottawabluesfest.ca/ https://wedogoodthings.ca/blues-in-the-schools/ Get out and see some live music this week.