Rodney Brown to play here Sunday

Thunder Bay singer/songwriter Rodney Brown will be in town Sunday night to play a concert at La Place Rendez-Vous with local musician Richard McKinnon.
From all accounts, Brown is something of a legend in these parts–an artist who has brought a bit of Northwestern Ontario to the rest of the country; a local boy whose varied career has won him recognition from as far away as Japan.
And though he lives in Thunder Bay, Brown’s roots are in this area. The son of country and western singer Mel Brown, who grew up in Emo, Rodney began his career playing Thunder Bay bars and coffee houses.
But his reputation as a talented folk musician quickly spread, and he is now widely considered a veteran of the Northern Ontario folk music circuit.
Brown is best-known for his musical versatility–he frequently will maneuver between country, rock, folk, and even Reggae numbers in a single set. He also has a famously huge repertoire, which includes more than 100 Rodney Brown originals.
More recently, Brown has won acclaim as a gifted children’s entertainer. But, at the age of 45, the singer now is turning his focus back towards an adult market.
A busy and prolific musician, Brown has recorded six albums of original material since his 1977 debut release. He currently is working on another album, to be released sometime this fall.
The musician also continues to tour the country regularly. Over the course of a career spanning some 30 years, Brown has played all of the major Canadian festivals, including the main stage at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the Calgary Folk Festival, and Mariposa in Toronto.
He recently returned from a spring tour which included appearances in coffee houses, pubs, and folk clubs around Toronto and Ottawa.
Brown also will perform this Saturday (Aug. 11) at the Emo Inn before taking the stage at the Rendez-Vous on Sunday with McKinnon.
Doors open at 7 p.m. and the music begins at 7:30. Advance tickets cost $7 and are on sale at the Rendez-Vous, St. Jude’s Gourmet Coffee, and Northwoods Gallery and Gifts.
Tickets will be $10 at the door.