With record breaking heat and the warmest birthday I’ve ever had, Westman is just beginning its heat wave as two of the hottest gals in Blues make their way to Lady of the Lake. These two ladies make me proud to be a Manitoban. One was born and bred here and the other fell so in love with the beautiful wheat fields that she wanted to call this place home.

Claire Still was born in The Pas, Manitoba. It is those roots that provided Still with her passion for storytelling, music, and performance. The roots have blossomed and grown since her move to Winnipeg. Claire has the ability to transform a room when she plays. The way her lyrics tell a story makes her comparable to Gordon Lightfoot and Bob Dylan. Still has that uncanny ability of connect with her audience. With songs that are relevant and meaningful she sends messages of social change, fighting against inequality, substance abuse, and heartache. Everything one could ask for in a Blues song yet somehow it never sounds preachy, just motivating and hopeful. Perhaps it’s Still’s unbelievable guitar skills that compliment her lyrics so well that make you take notice of the message without being overwhelmed by it. She’s got some serious chops both vocally and with her guitar playing. Still has been known to take over a room with a loud plugged in rift sounding raw, rough, and dirty. On the flip side of things with her acoustic set is one of the most intimate moments you can imagine. With Still it’s not just a concert it is an experience. Claire will be starting the evening off at Lady of the Lake at 7 pm on Friday, November 13th.

Not one to ever be out done Shelley-Lynne is a force to be reckoned with all of her own. Originally an Alberta babe this songstress has traveled the global to find that it is in rural Manitoba that she feels most at home. I have the absolute pleasure of knowing this powerful woman and let me tell you she is as Majestic as they come. Perhaps that is how her band got their name.

The Majestics are a Brandon Blues band consisting of Shelley Lynne on lead vocals, Gerry Perkin the “band leader” if it were on guitar, Doug Sullivan on drums, Tom Dowden on keys, and Rickie Hardinge rounding up on bass with a touch of his own vocals. These are some of the most talented musicians I have ever seen and when they join forces and come together it is performing at its best! Each one of the band members have enough talent and charisma that they have performed as solo artists. It is when they are together that they are truly at their best though. The song writing is fantastic and promises to be even greater this time around. Shelley-Lynne has been keeping busy this summer writing. Almost everyday there was a facebook update announcing another new song and last time I saw her she serenaded me with over 5 of her new tunes…all of which just kept me itching to hear more. This will be my last chance for a long while to hear those tunes and perhaps get my dancing shoes on. Every winter the Majestics pack up and head to Mazatlan, Mexico, where they have developed a whole new following of fans. (Playing music by the beach in Mexico, not a bad way to spend a winter if you ask me).

The Majestics will be taking over the stage after Claire Still on Friday night, although I wouldn’t put it past any of them to end up all on stage for a jam or two. It should be a night to remember, with the temperature reaching the hottest of degrees with those two women in town!