These two prolific songwriters will bring their wonderful bands for a full evening of song.

Doors at 6:30 PM

Rick Sparkes & the Enablers at 7 PM

Brent Mason Band at 8:15 PM

Tickets $10 advanced/$15 at the door/Festival pass

Brent Mason rolled back into Saint John NB in the spring of ‘92, after several years roaming North America in his best imitation of Jack Kerouac, riding his thumb and working carnival midways in Canada and the US. With a fistful of songs born out of an ‘On The Road’ ethos, and a burning desire, Brent recorded his first ‘singer/songwriter’ album. A true early indie effort, Head for the High Ground set a long and vital career in motion. Brent performs innovative original music with insightful powerful lyrical content.

In Spring 2020, Brent will release his 11th album, ‘Fireflies’, continuing a commitment to honest, provocative and often beautiful songs that has earned him international respect. He’s been called “the David Adams Richards of New Brunswick songwriters” by Brent Staeben, Artistic Director of The Harvest Jazz and Blue Festival.

Brent has been nominated for and has won several East Coast Music Awards and Music New Brunswick awards including Folk Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. He is also the youngest recipient of the Stompin’ Tom Award for his contributions to Atlantic Canadian music traditions. 

In winter 2020, Brent went on his 3rd Home Routes tour in support of his record in British Columbia. It’s a testament to his significant songwriting and storytelling abilities that Brent has been chosen 3 times for this coveted, juried circuit. Brent has also toured across Canada, the UK and Beijing. 

Brent is regularly invited to local stages including Harvest Jazz and Blues, Stanfest and many other festivals and music events in the region. In his hometown Saint John, his Wednesday nights are legend, hosting O’Leary’s Open Mic Night. 25+ years at this regular gig has earned him the moniker “Godfather of the Saint John Music Scene”. He’s co-written several recorded songs with award winning artist, Jessica Rhaye, and conducts songwriting workshops in schools throughout the province.

Brent is also a published writer and filmmaker whose conceptual mini-series “Grave Concerns” was picked up by CBC and broadcast nationally. These artistic “crop rotation” techniques into other genres finds Brent working on stories and word craft that informs his writing across the board. 

After 10 albums and thousands of performances, Brent is a unique performer, combining humour, spontaneity and intriguing, compelling storytelling. Brent’s shows are entertaining and memorable; he takes audiences on a wild ride from tender sweetness and a deft touch with troubled characters, wry observations on politics, to spitting anger at the unjust forces that twist our world.

Originally from Kennebecasis Valley in New Brunswick, Canada, Rick moved to Prince Edward Island in 2003 where he has worked as a writer, a musician, and a teacher. Since 2017, Sparkes has released four full length albums (three as Rick Sparkes + The Enablers and one under the pseudonym Hazen Halls) and one EP, all of which blend elements of folk rock, poetry, and harmony in ways that are both innovative and familiar. As a writer, his poetry, creative non-fiction, and short fiction have received recognition through the Island Literary Awards and the CBC Poetry Prize shortlist. As a songwriter, Sparkes' albums have received critical acclaim across Canada and have been nominated for a number of awards including the 2022 Group Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards for his album Pleasure in the Pathless Woods.