Artists from Chilliwack, Chicago, Berlin performing at Bozzini’s in July

Live music is back and more international than ever at Bozzini’s for the month of July.

Artists from Chicago, Berlin, the Canadian prairies and right here in Chilliwack will be performing.

Kicking things off will be Canadian country royalty as one of the founders of Prairie Oyster, Russell deCarle, makes his debut at Bozzini’s on Wednesday, July 13 with Steve Briggs joining him on guitar.

No stranger to awards and accolades — his “Oyster years” were rewarded with six Juno Awards, more than a dozen Canadian Country Music Awards and enough gold and platinum records and number-one singles to fill a living room wall.

The truth is, though, that Prairie Oyster was always more than a “country” band, and deCarle’s warm, burnished and intimate voice has always honoured an eclectic range of songs.

True to form, Alone in this Crowd, deCarle’s second solo album offers a fluent collection of songs that mix southern soul and restrained balladry, with obvious touches of jazz, blues, old-school country, and western swing.

On July 15, Kliffs, a Berlin-based duo of Canadians Mark Bérubé (guitar, keys, voice) and Kristina Koropecki (cello,synths, voice) perform at Bozzini’s. The two met 12 years ago in an improvised Montréal rehearsal space when Koropecki joined Bérubé’s solo project. They toured together with Bérubé’s band, the Patriotic Few, numerous times across Canada and Europe, and eventually re-located to Berlin, Germany in 2014.

After a brief hiatus for other projects, they teamed up again in 2018 as a duo under their new name Kliffs and released their first album Temporary Cures in November 2019. Some might have already seen them playing in the bands of Agnes Obel (Koropecki) or Sophie Hunger (Bérubé) around Europe over the past couple of years.

Jump ahead one weird year later, and the band has crafted a four-song EP that showcases its post-punk pop tunes. The title track grooves along on Bérubé’s skittish guitar and Koropecki’s cello to produce something with elements of David Byrne’s eclectic orchestrations, The Fall’s deliberate pulse and a dance vibe over all that. From there, the music moves to lilting folk (These Days), pastoral acoustic prog (Blashphemy) and atmospheric pop (Silent Side). Great harmonies.

The duo just released is new single, Undertow, on June 28 and the track deals with the aftermath of a loved one’s suicide. All sales from the single will go to the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.

On the long weekend, Bozzini’s presents A Night of Harps and Howls with Chicago blues ‘triple threat’ (slide guitar, harmonica and vocals) Nigel Mack, who delivers a high-energy show that fuses blues classics with the punch of contemporary original blues on Sunday, July 31. Seamlessly switching between instruments, Mack is equally proficient at them all. These are talents honed by years of relentless touring in support of his critically acclaimed CDs, Devil’s Secrets, Road Rage and High Price to Play.

Based in Chicago, Nigel Mack & the Blues Attack have logged well over half a million miles across North America and Europe and they have headlined top blues venues throughout. They have appeared at the world famous Chicago Blues Festival four times and toured almost every one of the United States and most of Canada. Their dynamic stage show is a favourite at clubs and festivals. Mack’s latest release, the award-winning, all-original, Devil’s Secrets, was the number-one Canadian blues CD of 2012 nationwide in Canada on Galaxy Satellite radio. His original compositions have been featured on television sound-tracks Dawson’s Creek, The Street and Time of Your Life.

Born in Canada, Mack grew up surrounded by both the music of the ‘60s and jazz emanating from his dad’s stereo. His hometown of Saskatoon boasted a central location and a world-class university which meant that everybody who toured western Canada came through town. The list of artists is extensive and eclectic: Muddy Waters, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Stevie Ray Vaughan, just to name a few.

In 2003, he relocated to the home of the blues – Chicago. A decade earlier, the seeds of this move had been planted. On that first trip, Eddie Lusk had said, “This is where you should be.” With the release of Devil’s Secrets, his latest, award winning, all-original CD, Mack is building on past successes and bringing his own brand of Chicago blues to a new generation of blues fans.

Mack will be performing an early solo show at 6 p.m.

Later on that evening (July 31), the late show will feature a set by Mack followed by the comedy of Brian Patafie Canada’s original “enter-trainer.” He recently retired as the trainer of the Chilliwack Chiefs.

For 42 years, Patafie has worked as an athletic trainer in the professional hockey industry from the low minor leagues to the NHL as well as spending time in Europe. He has always had an underlying love for stand-up comedy and back in early 2020 he put together a 70-minute show that he titled ‘The Inappropriate Tour’ and in June 2021 he hit the road appearing in theatres and comedy clubs throughout Canada and the southeastern United States.

In December 2021, he debuted part of his new show ‘The No Days Off Tour’ in Las Vegas.

He chronicles his career in hockey as well as his life growing up as a base brat until Grade 7 and then transitioning to life off the base after his father retired from the military. Patafie is very forthright with his audience in this hilarious show. With his sense of humour and wise-guy, one-liners he’ll have you rolling in the aisles with continuous laughter that will bring you to tears.

July concerts at Bozzini’s upstairs lounge (4-45739 Hocking Ave.):

Wednesday, July 13 at 8 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.) • Russell deCarle (Prairie Oyster)

Friday, July 15 at 9 p.m. (doors at 8 p.m. • Kliffs (featuring Mark Bérubé)

Sunday, July 31 at 6 p.m. (doors at 4:30 p.m.) • Nigel Mack (solo)

Sunday, July 31 at 9 p.m. (doors at 8 p.m.) • A Night of Harps & Howls: the blues of Nigel Mack, followed by the comedy of Brian Patafie

Tickets range from $16 to $32.50 and they are available at Bozzini’s or call 604-792-0744 to book by phone. For more, go to bozzinisrestaurant.ca.