Thursday Artists

Resonance

Resonance is a Regina based musical duo consisting of  Christie-Anne Blondeau (Vocals) and Fred Foerster (Acoustic bass). This unique combination explores the genres of jazz-pop music with minimal instrumentation and maximum sound. This duo is guaranteed to surprise and delight audiences with their interpretations of jazz, pop and soul music with a twist.

Long Live the Glory

Made up of some of the best young musicians in the province, Long Live the Glory is Jesse Gibson, age 17, lead vocals & keys, Jaxon Hicks, age 16, guitar & vocals, Harry Mooney, age 18, bass & vocals,
Cohen Jones, age 18, guitar & vocals and Marshall Brooks, age 15, drums.

Coming from Dilke, Imperial, Estevan and Regina,  the five met in 2018 as students at the School Of Rock.  Through the school they’ve grown their musicianship and honed their performance skills through a wide variety of rock and blues performances including Regina’s Shake the Lake concerts and 2022 Rockin’ The Fields in Minnedosa, where they’ve opened  for major performers such as Burton Cummings, Loverboy, April Wine and Tom Cochrane.

In 2022 they decided to keep the music going as their own band and formed Long Live The Glory.  Now, after performing at the Mid-Winter Blues Festival at various free and main stages, these 5 teenagers are back and ready to display their love of the blues.

Billy Hughes & The Instigators

Billy Hughes and The Instigators: Billy Hughes and The Instigators is a blues/rock band based out of Regina,. They have been performing at the Mid Winter Blues Festival for many years. The band plays the edgier side of the Blues by mixing in some SRV and ZZTop styles of music along with some classic blues numbers. The band’s members include Billy Hughes and Jeff Storry (guitars/vocals), Murray Sokoloski – aka the Rev (bass/vocals) and Trevor Fried (drums/vocals).

South Thunderbird

South Thunderbird is Isaac Mandamin’s spiritual name (Aboriginal name). Isaac born and
raised on the Whitedog Ojibway Reserve (Wabaseemoong First Nation 100km north of Kenora On)
He was blown away when he first heard Stevie ray Vaughan’s music and that’s when he knew he
wanted to play the blues. Isaac was mainly influenced by lots of old and new artists of the blues
including all the “Kings”, BB King, Albert King and Freddy King as well as Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy,
Jimi Hendrix, Colin James and both Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughan among many others.

South Thunderbird’s debut CD Tough Go has been nominated for four national awards:
2007 Native American Music Awards for BEST BLUES/JAZZ recording
2005 Western Canadian Music Award
2005 Canadian Aboriginal Awards
2006/2007 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Awards
South Thunderbird were also winners of Best New Artist at the 2005 Winnipeg Blues Awards

“Chase” was the song of the month for August 2005 on NCI radio’s (Manitoba Aboriginal radio station)
top 30 countdown and “Goin In Blind” was number 2 in the CBC National Radio countdown for September 2005

South Thunderbird have also had the privilege to share the same bill with artists such as Indigenous,
Ronnie Baker Brooks, Gary Primich, Joe Bonamassa, The fabulous Thunderbirds, Canned Heat, Nigel Mack,
Sue Foley, Roxanne Potvin and Corey Stevens.

South Thunderbird was in Hamilton in March 2007 taping a television program for APTN and Bravo Network called RezBluez II which was the second time the band had been invited to perform. They have also been on numerous television appearances on City TV Breakfast Television in Winnipeg and was invited to perform in Thief River Falls, Minnesota USA for the 2007 International Blues Festival, run by the Seven Clans Casino. In 2008 South Thunderbird played the Calgary International Blues Festival & Morden Manitoba Apple & Corn Festival and are excited to be returning to the 2023 Regina Mid-Winter Blues Festival