Welcome to Festival 506 Week!

I've never put much focus on where I'm from in terms of what I do here on Sound Bites. In my mind, I rationalized that by thinking that this blog could be seen as a regional outlet, rather than an all-encompassing place for me to write about my love of music. If I lead with local talent, I presumed, I'd be known as that guy from New Brunswick who writes about New Brunswick things. That, and I didn't want to put myself in the position of being commissioned by upstart artists for promotion; I once volunteered my time as a reviewer for a blog promoting Canadian indie artists, and soon found myself asked to give critiques to a growing list of bands I honestly didn't have interest in.

So, that was my mindset five years ago, thus there have been very few articles concerning talent from my neck of the woods. That said, I think the past five years and more than 50,000 visits have deemed the coast clear when it comes to talking about bands and artists that are geographically close to me. With New Brunswick's annual music festival/awards showcase choosing my actual hometown as its host city this year, I seriously doubt there's a better time than now for me to celebrate all of the rich and diverse musical talent my province has to offer.

I have been a music lover for more than thirty years now and, as soon as I was old enough to go to shows, I've always had a fondness and respect for local talent. Over the years, I've seen local shows in cities all across the province, meeting and befriending a few bands along the way. When I worked for our local radio station, I was fortunate enough to play music by artists based all over New Brunswick. Later, working out of our local CD store (R.I.P.), our shelves stocked not only the biggest and best bands worldwide, but also a slew of exciting New Brunswick artists. I've even been given the honour of being a judge at two Battle of the Bands events here in Miramichi.

Those who know me personally know me as a supporter of local music and, with the province's premier musical event coming to town, it's time I made my love of The 506 just a little more public. That's why, leading up to the full slate of concerts beginning on Friday, I'm devoting Sound Bites to the sole purpose of talking about the artists appearing at Festival 506. It starts tomorrow with a hodgepodge of artists from different areas of the province, while the other three days are focused on the three cities most represented this weekend (Fredericton Wednesday, Moncton Thursday, Miramichi Friday).

So, make sure to come back through the week for a crash course in the artists making great music in New Brunswick. Better yet, plan to come out and see some shows with me this weekend! All the pertinent details, including schedules and ticket information can be found on the Music/Musique NB website. Even if you're not from the area, I think you'll find a new band or artist that you like as we progress through the week.

We'll talk more tomorrow!