Matt Blais at Grizzly Plaza!

Revelstoke Arts Council presents FREE nightly live music at the Grizzly Plaza Gazebo on MacKenzie Ave!Roots-rock troubadour Matt Blais makes his message clear on the first track of his upcoming album, In Shadow and Light: We need to disconnect to reconnect. On In Shadow and Light, Blais reveals his chops as a chameleonic songwriter, weaving heavy blues influences (“Shotgun Kiss”), rock ‘n’ pop hooks (“Fool’s Gold”), slithering atmospherics (“Slave to Skin”), and twangy flourishes (“Set Me Free”) – all with his sit-up-and-listen harmonica work and belting vocals throughout. Indeed, Blais is an artist that fits as comfortably alongside the best of his bluesy roots-rock contemporaries as he does the revolutionaries of Canrock.In the six years Blais spent between albums, he’s collaborated with Sam Roberts, played nearly a thousand shows, including opening slots for Monster Truck, The Strumbellas, The Trews, and Blue Rodeo, trod some of Alberta’s biggest festival stages—Calgary Stampede’s Coca-Cola Stage, Big Valley Jamboree, and more—and solidified his reputation as an on-stage force. Festival runs June 29 to August 25 from 6:30 to 9:00 pm every night.