Rosebud Music Series presents Canadian bands in concert

Laureen F. Guenther
Times Contributor

 

Rosebud Music Series, a new program hosted by Thorny Rose Cafe, presents its first concert, Sunday, July 17. The concert, held in Rosebud’s outdoor festival space beside the cafe, features the bands OQO and Rotary Park.
OQO, whose name means “balance,” is an Albertan trio who use accordion, violin, stand-up bass and synthesizer to create what they call “original, cinematic, operatic folklore.”
Nicolas Gonzalez, manager of Thorny Rose Cafe, calls their sound “emotional and complete.”
Gonzalez says the music of Rotary Park, a Calgary-based alternative bluegrass band, is “more like classic, ballad pieces.”
Gonzalez and his wife Chelsea, who became managers of Thorny Rose Cafe a few months ago, are hosting musical events at the cafe most weekends this summer, but this is their first big concert.
“Since first visiting Rosebud I wanted to do a musical event,” Gonzalez said.
Meeting many artists in Rosebud, and seeing the outdoor festival stage, “we just saw it as a great resource for us and also as a cultural resource for Rosebud and the region in general,” he said.
The OQO and Rotary Park concert starts at 4 p.m., after the Tent Meeting show in the Opera House, and will run into the evening. Concert tickets are $30 and may be purchased at Thorny Rose Cafe the day of the event. The cafe and patio will be open, featuring new menu items. Gonzalez suggests bringing lawn chairs or blankets for the open-air seating. In case of inclement weather, the concert will be moved inside the Thorny Rose Cafe.
“Come to enjoy a great afternoon and night in Rosebud. Plan to stay in a bed and breakfast or camp, and make it a weekend,” Gonzalez said. “There’s lots of things to do if you are willing to venture, like go for hikes and walking and just enjoying the countryside.”