Each month Bluegrass Wednesdays begins with a 2 hour concert followed by a jam session. Always a good time - always a good crowd!

From the beginning Concession 23 was a band made up of four very different but equal contributors. In the intervening two decades they have matured into one of Ontario’s most sought-after Bluegrass bands with a voice uniquely their own. They embody the ideal that the sum is greater than the parts and their success is founded on the collaboration underlying their music. Known for their considered arrangements, well-crafted stories, and tight integration, this band marries the 23 strings found on their 4 instruments into a harmonious whole. During their long commitment to the genre they have mastered its stylistic range. From lilting waltzes to dig-deep drive, from contemporary “picture” songs to roots inspired back-woods tales, they draw on their broad repertoire to transport audiences away from the day-to-day and into places of the heart. With their enthusiastically received third full length recording project, Walter and Alice, Concession 23 combined original music with that of other fine writers. The band built each track from the ground up. Banjo player, Sherry Philp says “When any one of us brings a new song to the band we focus exclusively on the melody and the story. We avoid listening to other interpretations because we want an arrangement that uniquely and naturally flows from us.” The title track, co-written by Nick Strachan and Sherry Philp, is perhaps the band’s most requested song – a provocative story about the question of forgiveness, inspired by an Alice Munro short story. What Was I Drinkin’, another band original, is a classic honkytonk tune about bad choices.

Their second project, Wandering Steps, is a high-octane recording in the tradition of first-generation bluegrass. The project features a number of classic songs written by some of the pioneers of bluegrass music, such as Red Allen, and by important, early folk song writing giants, such as Felice & Boudleaux Bryant, and Karl Davis & Harty Taylor – people who wrote for and inspired the Blue Sky Boys, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan and others. The original tracks once again showcase the band's song writing talents which draw on two distinct trends in early 20th century acoustic music. The soulful title track, also co-written by Strachan and Philp, tells the ageless story of leaving home and spending the rest of your days trying to find your way back. I Wasn’t Born in Carolina, co-written by Kevin Golka and Nick Strachan, is a straight-ahead, up-tempo bluegrass song about living and loving north of the 49th parallel.

The Walls Around You, the band’s first full-length project, draws from traditional writers, modern artists, and features four top-notch