Virtual concert series includes Sault talent

A news release issued today by Cultural Industries Ontario North (CION) announced that it will be hosting a number of online performances as part of The Lounge series.

This virtual series, which takes place Feb. 11 and 12, will feature performances from past Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards (NOMFA) winners and nominees, including Sault Ste. Marie's Kalle Mattson. 

Mattson earned three nominations at the 2019 NOMFAs, winning two for Outstanding Video by a Northern Ontario Musical Act and Outstanding Songwriter.

The Lounge series will also feature an online panel discussion with music industry professionals. This is a chance for audiences to stay connected with some of Northern Ontario’s success stories.

The following is the schedule of performances provided by CION:

Thursday, Feb. 11

7 p.m.: Will Powers, Greater Sudbury, Nominee of NOMFA 2019

• Outstanding Album – Flowers of Atacama (as Pharos of Alexandria)

Oli Palkovits likes to wear many hats and stick his fingers in many pies. His personal project, Will Powers – for which he writes, records, arranges, and produces–serves as the main vehicle for his output. He’s collaborated as a recording and mixing engineer, backing musician, artwork designer, and recently co-founded the record label CARE Records alongside NOMFA alumnus Jackson Reed. The debut double EP by Will Powers, Same & Burning Hands, was released last fall as their first two issues.

8:15 p.m.: Céleste Lévis, Timmins 2x Nominee of NOMFA 2019

• Outstanding Album by a Francophone Artist – Donne moi le temps
• Outstanding Vocal Performance on a Recording – 100 ans

 After Lévis’ impressive journey on the popular Quebec TV version of The Voice, she has taken the stage across Canada touring her first album “Celeste” and her second self-produced album “Donne-moi le temps”. She conveys a unique depth and style through her songs that will surely lull those who listen. 

Friday, Feb. 12

7 p.m.: G.R. Gritt, Greater Sudbury/Robinson Huron Treaty 2x Nominee of NOMFA 2019

• Outstanding Album by an Indigenous Artist – Shelter As We Go (as Quantum Tangle) - Winner
• Outstanding Album – Shelter As We Go (as Quantum Tangle)

 After living in Yellowknife for many years and forming the band Quantum Tangle, G.R. Gritt has recently moved back to Sudbury/Robinson Huron Treaty territory where they grew up. This homecoming coincides with a journey through transition, to a body that they feel better represents them. G.R. Gritt pulls effortlessly from the past to create soulful futurisms using vocals, guitar, and new electronic elements. 

8:15 p.m.: Kalle Mattson, Sault Ste. Marie 3x Nominee NOMFA 2019

• Outstanding Songwriter – Astronaut - Winner
• Outstanding Video by a Northern Ontario Musical Act – Kids On The Run - Winner
• Outstanding Album – Youth”

Kalle Mattson is a Juno and Polaris Music Prize nominated singer/songwriter based in Canada. Since 2009, he has released four full-length albums and two EPs. His first music video for Thick As Thieves gained over 1,000,000 views and was covered by Time Magazine, NPR and The Huffington Post. Mattson’s most recent album Youth was released to rave reviews with Dominionated, saying “file it under instant classic.”

In addition, CION will host an online panel titled Production in a Pandemic on Thursday, Feb. 11. Some of Northern Ontario’s most experienced audio engineers will be featured and talented musicians will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected how they make music. This panel will serve as a resource for aspiring and professional musicians or producers looking for support to finish their projects, the release states.