Brian Campbell

  At launch of By the River's Blue, Mariposa Cafe, Montreal, Sept. 18/22.

                     With Leesa Mackey (back vocal) and Jeff Deeprose (fiddle)                       

News

• A Crystal Rim, my latest EP, is out! Available on this site, on Bandcamp and all streaming services. The album has been featured/reviewed on Tinnitist (Darryl Sterdan), Find Your Sounds and featured with an interview on Canadian Beats. Launch party: April 28. See above.

What's below is about a year or more old, but the older you get, the shorter a year seems! Here goes…

• A fun video of my song “Afternoon Delight” from that album was released in the first week of 2023. One enthusiastic response: “I love this song, how come more people don't know you???? Mannnn more people have to listen to you, I woke up sad, but I found this right away. And couldn't stop listening. Very well done. Congratulations. Good job. Applause!” Another, by a friend named Andy D. in Rigaud, Que.: “This is absolutely awesome! You have a chart topper here Brian! Catchy, timeless tune… great imaginative video!” See my video page.

• A second video, of my song “Flight”, came out late April 2023. A pensive song that reflects on the ephemeral nature of love and life, all the background images in its video were generated via the AI program Dall-E 2. Wrote Michael C. in Toronto, “It was a joy to hear that beautiful song again. And who knew DALL-E could be so sensitive. Thanks Brian!” Also on my video page.

• I've acquired a new Martin Rich Robinson D-28 guitar, an exact replica of the 1954 guitar passed down to the Black Crowes singer/songwriter/guitarist's from his father. An exceptional instrument, it's already bringing out new things in me as a songwriter and performer. 
• Radio play: My song "Wild and Free" from "By the River's Blue" was played on Mike Regenstreif's Saturday Morning program on Dec. 3 '22.  It's a nice playlist, including Lynn Miles, Jesse Winchester, Joan Baez, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and another Mariposa regular, Ian Hanchet. And it can be listened to here.My song "Flight" on "By the River's Blue" was played on Oct. 28th's "Just Us Folk" hosted by Jan Vanderhorst. Also included on the playlist are William Prince, Jimmy Rankin, Sofia Talvik. On Nov. 26, "Wild and Free" was played on Freewheelin' Folk Show hosted by Jim Marino (CFMU FM, Hamilton, Ont.) on a playlist that includes Gordon Lightfoot and Alison Krauss, "By the River's Blue", the title song on the album, was played on Folk Everything with Hugh Ambrose (CFRC Radio, Kingston, Ont.)
• More radio play: CKUT (90.3FM, Montreal) Interview and airing of two songs on By the River's Blue on The New Spins Library hosted by Sheila Ferraro. Aired on Sept. 21, 22. Available on iTunes, Facebook, the CKUT archives... and in this Youtube photomontage video I put together.
• Not so new but worth pinning here for now: My recent pandemic-era song for the holiday season, All Alone This Christmas got play on the Tues. Dec. 21, 2022 edition of Stranger Songs, hosted by Mike Regenstreif on CKCU FM 93.1 (Ottawa). Available to listen to on streaming services, etc.  I wrote it on Christmas day 2020, and we all remember that one, under severe lockdown with no vaccines in sight. Also on my music page. This song is also on "By the River's Blue."
• Songs from On This Shore were played on the podcast Just Us Folk, the radio shows Freewheelin' Folk Show and Folk Roots Radio, and on Montreal's CKUT. On the latter station I was also interviewed about the album and my creative process. A photo montage video of that interview can be seen on my YouTube channel.

2024

Feb. 24]: Brunch musicale at La Place Commune, Montreal

Thurs. February 8. Played music at the launch of the murder mystery Novembers by Norm Cristofoli, Phoenix Books, Montreal.  

2023

Friday October 6: Benefit Concert for the Victims of the Moroccan Earthquake. Played four songs, including two from my upcoming album, A Crystal Rim, in an evening that featured a dozen other artists. La marché à coté, 5043 rue St-Denis, Montreal.

Sept. 9, 5-6pm was featured at the Hudson Porch Fest, Hudson, Quebec. 

Sept. 8, 2023: Poetry Reading/Music at Café sans frontiers, Stanstead, Quebec, also featuring Jocelyne Dubois, Steve Luxton, and Ethel Meilleur. Sponsored by the Stanstead Arts Project. 

June 25, 3pm: Côte St-Luc Allée/Driveway Music Fest. Played a 45 min. set at this fledgling fest. Actually I didn't get word that the event was called off due to Quebec wildfire smoke, and was only one of two acts that braved the haze that day. 

May 24-30, 2023; vernissage Saturday May 27. Jocelyne Dubois and I shared Galerie Espace on Montreal's Boulevard St-Laurent for a joint show of my photos and her mixed media paintings. The vernissage featured a brief set where I was accompanied by Jeff Deeprose on the fiddle. Here's a video tour of the exhibition.

May 21: NDG Porchfest, Montreal: performed a full set with guest artist Jeff Deeprose on the fiddle, to a nice-sized crowd. 

May 3: Performed two songs, "Surprise" and "On This Shore", at the Pub Classique, Kin Musique, Montreal. 

Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Apr 29, Oct. 28: Brunches musicales at La Place Commune, Montreal. Two hour sets of originals and covers at this friendly, intimate café.

2022

Dec. 15: Argo Zoom Reading Series: Verse, Prose and Song. I provided the song portion, playing Afternoon Delight and reading a poem called "Echoes" and playing an adaptation of that poem into song.  

Nov. 12: Brunch musicale at Place Commune, Montreal Quebec. Two sets of originals and covers between 12 and 2.

Sept. 21: CKUT (90.3FM, Montreal) Interview and airing of selections of By the River's Blue on The New Spins Library hosted by Sheila Ferraro. Available iTunes, Facebook and in the CKUT archives. A photomontage video of the interview is on my YouTube channel. 

• September 18: Launch party for my new album, By The River's Blue, to a sold-out Mariposa Café, Montreal, Quebec. Accompanied by Leesa Mackey on back vocals and Jeff Deeprose on the fiddle 
• Sept. 10: Hudson Porchfest. Performed a full set of songs on By The River's Blue with Leesa Mackey, backup vocalist on the album. 
• May to August: Solo sets most weeks at the Depanneur Café, 206 rue Bernard Ouest, Montreal, filling in for musicians who said on the cafe's FB site that they couldn't make it. Didn't take a regular spot because so many friends were coming down with Covid... such are the times we live in. Now once again I have a regular spot on the rotation, Thursdays at 1, through mid-August to Sept. 

April 7: Argo Zoom Reading Series: featured musician in this Montreal literary evening. Zoom.

• Jan. 19, Feb. 23, Mar. 30: Gratitude Shows #2-4, Brian Campbell Solo, Facebook Live.

2021 

• My song, All Alone This Christmas, was played on the Tues. Dec. 21 edition of Stranger Songs, hosted by Mike Regenstreif on CKCU FM 93.1 (Ottawa). It's available to listen now online. The show also features Joni Mitchell, Rosalie Sorrels, Lynn Miles and Louis Armstrong. Mike introduces the song at 1:07:44 of the show.

 Dec. 15, Holiday Gratitude Show, Brian Campbell Solo, Facebook Live.

Spring - Mid Dec., 2021: Most Fridays 1-2pm I played for the lunch hour crowd at the Depanneur Café, 206 rue Bernard Ouest, Montreal. An enjoyable gig just minutes from my home. When the coronavirus situation, with the onset of Omicron, became ominous again, I put this on hold.   

Sunday, Sept. 19, 1-5pm (TBC). Minette à la rescousse Cat Shelter benefit: As part of a lineup of 20 talented musicians, I played two tunes for this event, including this one.

September 18, played an hour and a half of mostly originals on Mariposa Terrace, accompanied on a several numbers by legendary harmonica player Chard Chénier. Mariposa Café, Montreal.

September 11 Hudson Porchfest. I played a full set at Porch 13, Hudson, Quebec. 

August 19: Surprise, a song on On This Shore, got a spin on Folk Roots Radio, a program syndicated on a dozen radio stations in Canada and the US and streaming on Soundcloud, Spotify and other platforms. Hosted by Jan Hall, Folk Roots Radio features in-depth interviews with upcoming and independent artists alongside some of the best new releases in the folk, roots and singer-songwriter genres. 

August 14: Surprise was also played on The Freewheelin' Folk Show, hosted by Jim Marino, on CFMU, McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. This show also combines recordings by established and vintage artists, new releases, and interviews.

August 5, Argo Zoom Reading Series. I read "The Arrow", a poem in Shimmer Report, and played a song derived from it at this Montreal literary event. That song has since been recorded and will feature in Lullaby for My Love, my upcoming album to be launched in 2022.

June 30-July 5: Galerie Espace, Montreal: My photographs were displayed along with paintings by Chard Chenier.  Here's a video tour of the show. 

June 16: CKUT (90.3FM, Montreal) Interview and airing of selections of On This Shore on Wednesday Morning After hosted by Sheila Ferraro. It's available in the CKUT archives, but I also made a photo montage Youtube video out of it! It's also posted on the Video page.

• May 28: "Shadows on Our Joy" from my album "On this Shore" was played on Just Us Folk, hosted by Jan Vanderhorst at justusfolk.com. Second song in the first hour. A fine radio show, highly recommended.
• May 17: La Palabrava. Featured as both reader and musician at this Montreal multilingual reading series. Zoom; Facebook.
• Apr. 27: Club Passim virtual open mic, Cambridge, Mass. Facebook Live, Youtube.
• Feb. 17, March 17: Private Event: Vie Autonome/Independent Living, Montreal. Zoom.   
• Feb. 4: Argo Books reading series. Featured performer. Zoom. 
• Jan. 27: Private Event: Vie Autonome/Independent Living, Montreal. Zoom.   
• Jan. 22: Living Room Session, an hour-long solo set at Mariposa Café, Montreal. Facebook Live. 
• Jan 12: Club Passim virtual open mic, Cambridge, Mass. Facebook Live, Youtube.  
• Jan. 1: Zoom launch of Jocelyne Dubois’ Memorial Suite, presented by Lawn chair soirée. Videos played of A Quiet Place, Wild and Free. 

2020

• Nov. 5: Argo Zoom Reading Series. Performed music and poetry at this literary event.  
• Sept. 29 and Nov. 17: Club Passim virtual open mic. Cambridge, Mass. Facebook Live, Youtube.
• May, June: Tuesday evenings: 45-min. shows of music and poetry, Facebook Live  
• April 5: Virtual launch of “On This Shore”. Facebook Live.   
• Feb. 8: Rumi Ways of Love - Meditation and Song Circle. Four Rumi poems set to music, performed with Joseph Emet. Yoga d'Eveil, Montreal. 
• February 5: Warm Winter Wednesdays Solo Live Performance, Mariposa Cafe, Montreal

2019

• Ongoing: Depanneur Cafe, played once a week for the lunch hour crowd, Jan to June; Sept to Dec.   
• Dec. 19 Argo Reading Series. Played two poems put to music, and read poetry as well.
• Dec. 7: Launch of Ethel Meilleur's "Funny Girl", published by my chapbook imprint, Sky of Ink Press. Ethel read from her new book; I performed songs at this well attended event. YWCA, Montreal.
• Nov. 19: The lawn chair soirée, a monthly reading series I co-organize and co-host. This month, performed music. Italian United Church, Montreal.
• Sat. Sept. 14. Hudson Porchfest. Featured as a singer/songwriter in this music festival. Hudson, Quebec.
• Aug. 17: Rumi’s Ways of Love, Meditation and Musical Circle. Performed poems of Rumi and Hafiz put to music. Montreal, Quebec.
• Aug. 11 Lawn chair soirée/Poetry in the Park. Performed music at this event.
• August 8: Argo Reading Series. Played music at this literary event. 
• June 21: Montreal Serai Writers' and Artists' Gala. Performed music at this event commemorating 32nd anniversary of the online review, Montreal Serai, Espace Knox, Montreal. 
• June 5: 3 Lands, 4 Voices, One Planet: played music and read poetry; featured with writers Veena Gokhale, Rae Marie Taylor, Laure Morali and Rita Mestokosho, Librarie Bertrand, Montreal   
• May 20: NDG Porchfest. Featured performer; one hour set at Mariposa Café terrace. Montreal 
• Mar. 8: Side Door Coffee House: Featured performance with Phil Peters, bass. Pierrefonds, Quebec.
• March 2: Brian Campbell w/Phil Peters on bass, with JB Demouy @ Mariposa Café, Montreal. 

NB, this listing does not include many events in which I am featured as a poet only. For some indication of that, see brian campbell.ca