After a very successful first participation to the 2015 Francofete with Mike Goudreau’s performance in French at Viree Blues Boreale, and anxious to bring to center stage the few artists from here who venture in this so complex Blues style where very few dare to go, in the context of the Francofête, Viree Blues Boreale is featuring once more a show of Blues in French with a Bluesman from Quebec City known for his magnetism, for his warm voice and his artistic presence, Mike DeWay.
Having belted out a nearly 40 year career, his francophone Blues as well as his renderings of «Chicago Blues» hits bring out a “joie de vivre” a good natured humour, reminding of yesteryears’ join-in folksongs. He’s worth seeing on stage improvising well-structured solos in front of an admiring crowd. Mike has learned from the masters, Buddy Guy and B.B. King, and you’ll clearly hear it! A highly talented warm-voiced communicator, an artistically inspired guitarist, he’s clearly into renderings in french of music stemming from the purest tradition of the Chicago Blues, from the Blues, the Blues and only the Blues ... This talented and colorful Bluesman defines the Blues as “music from the heart, from the guts and from the soul” and also, as they say in Quebec: “party music” that allows escapes on the spell of really wild impros. Mike DeWay will for sure pass on his passion for the Blues and will send out the message of the Blues every possible ways. On this occasion, he’ll be accompanied by his own group, the «Only Blues Band», a group of solid performers which includes a brass section. We’ll hear Louis Fernandez on bass, Philippe Bernatchez on drums and Andre Larue on sax.
Originally from St-Charles-de Limoilou in Quebec City, Mike DeWay a.k.a Michel Lavoie was born in 1955. Mike turned to music in his teens influenced by some of our neighbours from the South, the likes of B B King, Buddy Guy, John Mayall, Otis Rush, Freddy King, Albert Collins, and others. Mike is solidly rooted in the Quebec region; so his music contains shades of Pagliaro, Valiquette and Offenbach. In 1994, the Only Blues Band was born and a few years later, Mike DeWay replaced ... Michel Lavoie. It’s a concert tour in France that gave Mike DeWay the idea of composing some Blues in French and that’s what he’ll do gradually while keeping on performing standard covers from the Chicago Blues and Woogie. After "Only for You" in 1999, a second album titled "Une Gang de Fous", first launched here at Viree Blues Boreale, came out in 2005. The next album titled “TurbulÉ�nce” is launched in 2011 and a new album recorded “live” in France will be out this spring. A standard on the Quebec music scene and in the Old Capital area, he regularly performs at many Blues festivals like Tremblant’s, Carleton, Rimouski, Drummondville, Edmunston, Victoriaville, Jonquiere, Beauport; he also occasionally opens for famous bluesmen, like Big Bill Morganfield (son of Muddy Waters) or performs with his colleagues Jim Zeller, Peter Shonk, Jay Sewall, MO Blues, Kevin Mark, Pat The White and Max Summer.
It’s with this one of a kind performance of almost three hours of Blues 100% in French with the Best of and original compositions from his all new album that we invite you to celebrate the Francofete. Mike Deway at this 23rd edition of Viree Blues Boreale, on Wednesday, March 9 2016, around 8h00 p.m., at our famous venue, Bar Le Petit Chicago, so easy to find at 50 Promenade du Portage in the Old Hull sector. Tickets are right now on sale at: www.vireeblues.ca and will also be available at the door always for 20$ only. You can also take advantage of our profitable, practical and pleasant supper & show package and enjoy the delicious charcoal grilled dishes of Galo Piri Piri Restaurant (www.galopiripiri.com), only 2 doors from Le Petit Chicago, which will reserve your assigned places at the show by making reservations at (819)771-7474. In the meantime, you can find further information on our guests at: www.mikedeway.com and the complete program of the Francofête at: www.imperatif-francais.org/francofete/francofete-2016/la-francofete-2016/ . You should also visit our site which provides you with links to all of our guests sites as well as lots of most interesting information at: www.vireeblues.ca . For inquiries, please do contact us at: info@vireeblues.ca . Be sure to be part of the facebook event for this show at: www.facebook.com/events/221157084895916/ and make sure as well to join and like us on our facebook page at: www.facebook.com/vireeblues .