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JUNO / Maple Blues Award Winner Steve Hill is “All About The Love” Today in this 70s Rock-Meets-60s Gospel Mashup of Music

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JUNO and multi-Maple Blues Award winner Steve Hill is “All About The Love” on this day that is very much about the same thing.

Under the newly minted guise of Steve Hill & The Devil Horns, the rollicking musical mashup of 70s rock mixed with 60s Gospel and Soul is an unexpected hear-to-believe moment in Hill’s extensive library of song craft — and a glimpse into Hill’s forthcoming new album release this year.

“It’s basically a mix of two styles that aren’t really supposed to fit together in the same song,” he says. “Somehow, though… It works.”

Beyond the wildly surprising juxtaposition of genres, the song’s origin story continues with case after case of self-admitted near-misses and thank-goodnesses.

“I had these two ideas — the verse part and the chorus part — in two unfinished songs,” Hill recalls. “The lyrics for the chorus were written in my notebook for a few months before I put them to music, live on stage, one night in Italy in the spring of 2019. It came out exactly like it is, and it’s a good thing my sound man recorded the show, or I may not have remembered it!

“The guitar riff came out of the blue, too,” he continues. “A friend of mine was visiting me in the studio and, while we were talking, I started playing that riff exactly the way it is now.

“Again… It’s a good thing the tape was rolling!”

The way he tells it makes it sound like a series of happy accidents, but “All About The Love” lands as further example of the multi-talented artist’s vast breadth of skill. As the 2015 JUNO Award recipient for Blues Album of the Year for Solo Recordings, Vol. 2 — with two previous nominations for Solo Recordings, Vol. 1 and Call It What You Will respectively — that same year also earned Hill Maple Blues Awards for Electric Act of the Year, Guitarist of the Year, Recording/Producer of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year.

When it comes to one-man bands, Hill has no limits, as seen in additional releases The One Man Blues Rock Band, Solo Recordings, Vol. 3, and Domino, as well as on stages for some of the country’s biggest music festivals, including the Montreal Jazz Festival, Ottawa Blues Festival, Mont Tremblant International Blues Festival, Thunder Bay Blues Festival, Kitchener Blues Festival, and more.

In terms of 2020’s addition of The Devil Horns, Hill tells it best: “I had been thinking about trying something with horns for a little while to add some texture and power to my one-man band. I had come up with a band name a few months before — Steve Hill & The Devil Horns — which I thought was pretty cool and funny… I just needed the actual horns!

“I was listening to Queen a lot at the time and their song ‘Dragon Attack’ was the inspiration for the call and response on ‘All About The Love.’ It set the whole mood of the verses. That summer, I got together with my songwriting partner of over 20 years, Joshua Parley, to finish the lyrics, and it all came together.

“I wrote it about a special person but could see right away it could be perceived about a more universal love, too. Lyrics mean so many different things to different people, that I try not to explain them too much.

“For recording, I had a day off in Lyon, France, while on tour in the fall of 2019, which is also the home of fellow one-man band They Call Me Rico.

“Rico and I had our first band together as teenagers 30 years ago, and have been close friends ever since; he also owns Magneto Studio, so I asked him to produce the track and put a horn section together. The whole thing came together in a day, and there’s an energy to the performance that is usually very hard to reproduce in the studio. The fact I had been on tour for three weeks and playing every night really helped.

“I was in the zone.”

“All About The Love” is available now.

STEVE HILL TOUR DATES
February 21 @ Salle de Spectacle du Pôle de Chambly, Chambly QC
March 6 @ Cabaret BMO, Sainte-Thérèse QC
Marc 21 @ Shamrock Pub, Thionville, France
March 22 @ Le Blues autour du Zinc, Beauvais, France
March 23 @ Le Blues autour du Zinc, Beauvais, France
March 24 @ Le Blues autour du Zinc, Beauvais, France
March 25 @ Le Blues autour du Zinc, Masterclass, Beauvais, France
March 26 @ Le Blues autour du Zinc-Magic Mirror, Beauvais, France
March 27 @ Ours Macon, Tence, France
April 3 @ Maison de la culture de Thetford Mines, Thetford Mines QC
April 4 @ Centre Culturel St-John, Bromont QC
April 18 @ Centre d’Art La Petite Église, Saint-Eustache QC
May 29 @ Théâtre Petit Champlain, Quebec QC
May 30 @ Théâtre Petit Champlain, Quebec QC

Ron Sexsmith Releases “When Love Pans Out”

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Ron Sexsmith has released a second track from his upcoming album HERMITAGE.  The new single, “When Love Pans Out” follows up on the album’s lead single “You Don’t Wanna Hear It.”  Featuring lyrics such as “I was on my way to you,” and “I swear I love you more,” in Ron’s inimitable style, the song promises to resonate with romantics as it arrives just in time for Valentine’s day. HERMITAGE will be released April 17th

In addition to the new music, Ron will be heading out on a Canadian tour in May of 2020.  The 7 date run will bring him from Victoria to Ottawa, with stops in Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Toronto.  Fans who purchase a ticket to the show will also receive a link to download HERMITAGE.  For full tour details see below or visit ronsexsmith.com.

Ron Sexsmith is one of Canada’s greatest singer songwriters.  He has collaborated with the likes of Daniel Lanois, Mitchell Froom, Ane Brun, Tchad Blake, and Bob Rock.  His songwriting appears on albums from Rod Stewart, Michael Bublé, k.d. lang, Emmylou Harris and Feist.  He has been awarded 3 Juno Awards, having been nominated 15 times including 8 nods for Songwriter of the Year.  For all the latest on Ron Sexsmith follow Ron on TwitterFacebookYouTube, or his website.

 

Tour Dates

May 3

Victoria, BC

Alix Goolden Performance Hall

May 5

Vancouver, BC

Rio Theatre

May 6

Calgary, AB

The National Music Centre

May 8

Saskatoon, SK

Broadway Theatre

May 9

Winnipeg, MB

West End Cultural Centre

May 28

Ottawa, ON

National Arts Centre

May 30

Toronto, ON

Danforth Music Hall

Gordon Lightfoot Releases “Why Not Give It A Try”

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Legendary singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot has released a new song from his upcoming album SOLO. “Why Not Give it a Try” follows up on the release of “Oh So Sweet,” his first release of new music since 2004’s HARMONY. The new song features Lightfoot singing profound lyrics that touch on love, trying new things and remaining true to oneself. Accompanying the new track is a beautiful lyric video that highlights the songwriter’s powerful words and his prolific career.

Gordon Lightfoot is Canada’s greatest singer-songwriter. He was a genre-defining figure in the folk-pop scene of the 1960s and 1970s. He has been awarded the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts, as well as being named a Companion of the Order of Canada. His songs are indelible to the Canadian music landscape, and include such national treasures as “Sundown,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “If You Could Read My Mind.” Lightfoot has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as Canada’s Walk of Fame. His songs have been recorded by the likes of Elvis Presley, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton and The Tragically Hip. For all the latest on Gordon Lightfoot, including upcoming tour dates follow him on Twitter, Facebook or his official website.

Canada’s “Queen of the Fiddle” Natalie MacMaster Receives 8th JUNO Award Nomination for Latest Release, Sketches

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With over 300,000 albums sold, Canada’s most endeared and revered fiddler Natalie MacMaster has received a 2020 JUNO Award nomination for her newest release — and first solo album in eight years — Sketches.

The number eight factors in further, as the nod for Traditional Roots Album of the Year at this March’s 2020 JUNO Awards counts as her eighth nomination. Previously, the Canadian ‘Queen of the Fiddle’ has received a GRAMMY Award win and nomination, two JUNO Award wins and seven previous nominations, 19 East Coast Music Association awards, and five Canadian Country Music Association’s “Fiddler of the Year” nods — as well as three honorary doctorates, an induction into the Casino Nova Scotia Hall of Fame, and a member of the Order of Canada.

For Sketches, the Celtic music superstar is drawing on a different set of numbers for inspiration.

“It is a moment during my 47th year of life, my 37th year of fiddling, my 16th year of marriage, and my 13th year of parenting,” MacMaster says of Sketches, and in reference to her seven children and husband, and fellow fiddler Donnell Leahy. “It’ll be a moment of joyous appreciation inspired by years of parenting, marriage, friendships, music, and life.”

This is a professional life that includes performances with Béla Fleck, Faith Hill, Carlos Santana, The Chieftains, Sharon, Lois & Bram, Buddy MacMaster and Jesse Cook, as well as award-winning collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, and a blended line with award-winning collaborations with Donnell and their children. And speaking on the family-front, she’s distantly related to fiddler Ashley MacIsaac and rocker Jack white, and spends much of her time collaborating with Donnell as well as putting her teaching degree to use homeschooling their children.

Sketches is a return to a solo sound, and the result is a fiery, must-hear collection of traditional tunes and medleys mixed with new compositions. The album teems with retrospect and legacy as MacMaster reflects on her extraordinary journey in both life and career.

“I have something to say through my fiddle,” she says.

Hear what it is; Sketches is available now.

Photo Gallery: Lifehouse at Niagara Falls’ Fallsview Casino

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All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com

Lifehouse
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Understanding the Need for SEO

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The full form of SEO is “Search Engine Optimization” or sometimes “search engine optimizer”. It is quite complex to choose the SEO services that can improve the site to rank higher but it is also risky as it can also cause some damages to the site and the reputation too. Before going for SEO, keep a check over the damages and potential advantages that SEO service gives you. Useful services provided by the SEO companies as well as other agencies to the website owners which are mentioned as follows:

  • A quick review of the content and structure of the site.
  • Get technical assistance on website development such as hosting, redirects, error pages and Java Script.
  • Development of Content.
  • Manage online business development campaigns.
  • Search for Keywords.
  • SEO training.
  • Get expertise in a certain market and geography.

There is no benefit of advertising the site on the top search results of Google and Google never accepts any kind of money to advertise the website on top of Google Search results. A bunch of information can be taken from some of the free resources such as Search Console, the official Webmaster Central Blog and discussion forums about the optimization of the site for organic results.

It will take time to show the results of SEO services on your website and the time range varies from four months to a year under which you can take an estimate of the duration to see the benefits of the SEO. You can also take some assistance from the Professional SEO expert but it is somehow difficult to choose the right one. Here are some tactics to pick up the best one.

If you are thinking to hire an expert in the field of SEO, then make sure that they are enough as per the quality of services you are seeking. When you are looking for designing and launching a site, then you can take SEO services. However, a good SEO can improve the performance and ranking of the existing site.

  • It takes time as well as efforts to make the desired changes as advised by the SEO services. It is not even worthy if do not give time to the professionals for serving these services to the website owner.
  • You should interview the SEO professionals like about their previous work, guidelines to follow the Google webmaster, online marketing services, Vital SEO techniques, timeframe for proper SEO and how much experience they do have in the SEO field.
  • Check out the previous references of the SEO Company and as for the quality of services provided by SEO services. Make sure as it is easy to work and produce positive results.
  • Ask the SEO Company to look for the technical and search audit as to how it is done perfectly and what will be the outcome.
  • Take the final decision after calculating all the services of the SEO Company and then go for a suitable one.

 

 

 

 

 

Microsoft MD-100: The Certification Exam That Can Only Be Completed with Practice Tests

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Microsoft MD-100 is developed to evaluate the candidates’ skills and ability to perform specific technical tasks. To pass this exam, the students should be able to deploy Windows and maintain it, configure connectivity, and manage data and devices. It is essential to mention that those individuals who have already passed the Microsoft Exam-Labs MD-100 test before its expiration don’t have to take this certification exam. Otherwise, you should go ahead to take Microsoft MD-101 to enable you to earn the Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop AdministratorAssociate credential click.

Overview of Microsoft MD-100 exam

The candidates for Microsoft MD-100 are the administrators with skills in configuring, deploying, monitoring, securing, and managing devices & clients’ applications in the enterprise environment. In addition to this, they manage identity, policies, apps, updates, and access. As the certified specialists, they usually collaborate with the Microsoft 365 enterprise administrators to implement and design a device strategy that fulfills the business needs of modern organizations. To be fully prepared for this certificationtest, you should be conversant with Microsoft 365 workloads and should have proficiency and a certain level of skills in configuring, maintaining and deploying Windows 10, as well as non-Windows technologies and devices.

We Exam labs also want to mention that this exam is part of the prerequisites for obtaining the Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate certification. The candidates should be adequately prepared before attempting this test to avoid itsretaking. There are quite a good number of preparation resources available for this exam. Check out the training materials available on the Microsoft webpage to start your preparation in earnest. Exam-Labs also offers a lot of up-to-date tools that you can use to prepare for Microsoft MD-100.This platform can provide you with the best practice tests with answers from the IT experts and video tutorials that are designed by the experienced specialists.

Micros of MD-100 is only available in the English language, and the candidates planning to take this examare required to pay$165 as the registration fee. After this, you can go ahead to schedule your preferred date and time for the test. As mentioned earlier, it is essential that the individuals understand the exam content and topics before taking this certificationtest. Understanding the objectives is very crucial to your success. That is why let’s explore these subjects in detail and look at the components that you have to master before you attempt Microsoft MD-100.

Details of Microsoft MD-100 exam objectives

  • Deploying Windows: 15-20%

The candidates preparing for the Microsoft MD-100 exam must be able to deploy Windows 10. Their skills will be evaluated based on the elements of this topic. To successfully answer the questions from it, youshould understand all about performing a clean installation, configuring language packs, selecting the appropriate Windows version, migrating data of a user, and troubleshooting activation issues. The students should know how to carry out an in-place upgrade, which includes using tools, such as WDS, MDT, and ADK. The applicants need to develop the relevant skills in performing configuration after the successful installation. This means they have to learn how to customize Windows desktop and configure mobility settings, Edge and Internet Explorer,and sign-in options.

  • Managing data& devices: 35-40%

This topic has the highest percentage among others. This means that the learners should dedicate more time to studying this objective before they attempt the MD-100 exam. Under this topic area, the candidates should understand the process involved in the management of local users, devices, and local groups. This means they have to develop competence in the management of devices in directories, local groups, and local users. In addition to this, the individuals need to learn how to configure protection &data access. Moreover, theyneed to be able to configure NTFS permissions and configure shared permissions. They also should gain skills in configuring devices through the use of local policies. This includes configuring local registry, implementing local policy, and troubleshooting group policies on devices. The skills in the management of Windows security are also essential for good performance in this Microsoftcertification test. This means the examinees should be able to configure Windows Defender Firewall, UAC, and perform encryption implementation.

  • Configuringconnectivity: 15-20%

This topic requires that the exam candidates learn how to configure networking. This means they need competence in the configuration ofmobile networking, client IP settings, Wi-Fi profiles, VPN client, and troubleshooting networking. To master this objective, you also need skills in remote connectivity configurationthat includes remote management and desktop access, as well as enabling PowerShell Remoting.

  • Maintaining Windows: 25-30%

The understanding of this exam topic is also important to successful performance. Before attempting Microsoft MD-100, the students should learn how to configure data & system recovery. This means they must be able to perform file recovery, which includes OneDrive; recover Windows 10; troubleshoot boot/startup process. The candidates should also be able to manage updates. This requires checking for them, troubleshooting if needed, configuring Windows update options, and alsothe selection of appropriate servicing channel, and validation and testing of updates. They also need to be able to monitor & manage Windows. In other words, the applicants should have the capacity to manage performance, analyze and configure event logs, and manage the environment of Windows 10.

Conclusion

These are the topics that the candidates must study in preparation for the Microsoft MD-100 certification exam. You should know that there are a lot of study materials that you can access to prepare for thistest. There are free video training courses, paid instructor-led training, practice tests, tips and recommendations that will help you achieve success without much stress. Many platforms can offer you all these resources.And the Exam-Labs website is one of them. It is a great site to get the relevant materials for anyexam. In addition to video tutorials, you can also get access to up-to-date braindumps. Whatever platform you use for preparing for your certification test, make sure that you have access to the relevant and genuine resources. It will help you a lot, believe us.

SNL’s Colin Jost Is Releasing A Book Called “A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir”

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If there’s one trait that makes someone well suited to comedy, it’s being able to take a punch—metaphorically and, occasionally, physically.

In these hilarious essays making up A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir (out April 14), the Saturday Night Live head writer and Weekend Update co-anchor learns how to take a beating. From growing up in a family of firefighters on Staten Island to commuting three hours a day to high school and “seeing the sights” (like watching a Russian woman throw a stroller off the back of a ferry), to attending Harvard while Facebook was created, Jost shares how he has navigated the world like a slightly smarter Forrest Gump.

You’ll also discover things about Jost that will surprise and confuse you, like how Jimmy Buffett saved his life, how Czech teenagers attacked him with potato salad, how an insect laid eggs inside his legs, and how he competed in a twenty-five-man match at WrestleMania (and almost won). You’ll go behind the scenes at SNL (where he’s written some of the most memorable sketches and characters of the past fifteen years) and Weekend Update (where he’s forced by Michael Che to tell racist jokes). And you’ll experience the life of a touring stand-up comedian—from performing in rural college cafeterias at noon to opening for Dave Chappelle at Radio City Music Hall.

For every accomplishment (hosting the Emmys), there is a setback (hosting the Emmys). And for every absurd moment (watching paramedics give CPR to a raccoon), there is an honest, emotional one (recounting his mother’s experience on the scene of the Twin Towers’ collapse on 9/11). Told with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, A Very Punchable Face reveals the brilliant mind behind some of the dumbest sketches on television, and lays bare the heart and humor of a hardworking guy—with a face you can’t help but want to punch.

Choosing the Best Alto Saxophone

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The saxophone is a very popular instrument, and when played well, is a beautiful one to play and listen to. Having made its way from jazz clubs into rock music, it’s now a staple of popular music, and is a relatively easy instrument to learn. The only problem is that there are many different manufacturers of saxophones around, and also different types.

In this brief article we’re talking about the Alto Saxophone; this is the one that is recommended for learners, and also one that many top players continue with. A versatile and easy to handle instrument, the Alto sax is a sensible size for youngsters. If your child – or you – have chosen the saxophone as their instrument of choice, then we’re here to help!

How to Choose an Alto Saxophone

It’s not easy to decide for beginner and intermediate students which saxophone to buy, especially if you are not familiar with the brands or the instrument. We recommend that you stay with known brands in the first instance. It is tempting to buy a very expensive instrument in order to have the best, but what happens if the learner decides it is not for them after all? You’re left with a saxophone you paid a lot of money for, that you can’t sell for its retail price.

There are many guides to choosing a saxophone that are more in-depth than this article, and we recommend you check them out. What we will say is that Yamaha makes a very good range of alto saxophones that are aimed at beginners and players who are not too experienced, and are priced in the right area too. They are very good indeed for the price – Yamaha is a highly regarded maker of musical instruments as well as being famous for motorbikes!

Your starting point should probably be the Yamaha YAS range, but there are other makers you should take a look at. Conn-Selmer is a long-standing maker of fine musical instruments and has saxophones that may be within your budget, and Jupiter is another name to look for when considering the options. One piece of advice we will give is that if you or your child are serious, look to the upper ends of your budget, and ask a saxophone teacher or musical instrument retailer for advice. A good saxophone will always have a better tone than one that has been put together cheaply, so it is also worth having a go on one, or listen to it being played.

Get the Best Deal

When you’re looking for an alto saxophone, you also need to make sure that you get a good deal with regards to accessories. You need a case – preferably a hard one for protecting your new instrument – and you also need a strap with a saxophone. These should come as standard as part of the package. You should also check  that you can get the parts needed to keep your saxophone in top working order easily – preferably at a local music shop – and it should come with a cleaning kit too.

There are great variations in the prices of saxophones – as you will see when you start looking at the market – so be very careful when you’re searching for the one for you. Don’t be tempted by the very cheap model that undercuts the others by a large amount, as it will be disappointing. Stick with the name brands, set yourself a sensible and affordable budget, take all the advice and read reviews, and you’ll soon be on the way to learning to play one of the most satisfying instruments of all.

Bif Naked Spares No Punch with New Single & Video “JIM”

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The holiday’s saccharine sentiments be gone; multi-Gold and Platinum-selling Canadian rock star, author, songwriter, manager, producer, human and animal rights activist Bif Naked is packing a punch towards pain in her new single, “JIM” — available now!

“This is a song about loss, really,” she shares. “It’s the quintessential story of discovering a betrayal, and “JIM” is that villain.

“It’s totally about pain, and facing it head-on. It’s about that disillusionment we all feel when someone turns into an imposter.”

Accompanying the release is “JIM”s official video which reveals Canada’s ‘Princess of Everything’ in her rightful throne, reigning rock supreme and as strong as ever. The track lands ahead of her forthcoming album, CHAMPION — her eleventh studio release.

“I’m still fighting, still swinging as a legacy artist, an O.G. At this stage of the game- I am a CHAMPION” Bif says. “I have never allowed myself to be limited, and the direction of this new album was from experimenting and being fearless. I’m excited by it, and fiercely proud of these tracks.”

CHAMPION as a title for Bif couldn’t be more fitting for arguably one of the nation’s most recognized and beloved entertainment industry icons whose personal story provides endless inspiration.

As detailed in her highly intimate, Internationally best-selling memoir, I Bificus (Harper Collins International), the multi-disciplinary artist and businesswoman — and notably, a vegan who lives a straight-edge lifestyle — has arm-wrestled breast cancer, heart surgery, and kidney failure. Inspired by her myriad of life experiences and ardent interest in wellness, she has recently launched MonaLisa Healing, a premium, organic all-hemp CBD online boutique available in Canada, the United States, and soon to the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

And it’s not as if she’s not busy elsewhere; a contributor to such national publications as the Globe and Mail and Huffington Post — and as seen on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno — Bif is fresh off a series of talks at Vancouver’s The Wellness Show.

This month she’s set to embark on an intimate acoustic series, the Songs & Stories Tour, and the year ahead has her kicking off a podcast series, New Riot Girls, and a book of poetry and illustrations. A book designed to help empower patients and their families while navigating cancer treatments and the Canadian healthcare system, is also in the works.

For the entirety of her prolific career — and interconnected in such a woven way only one of the country’s most unforgettable and inspiring women can accomplish — Bif has documented her journey in a deeply personal, highly relatable and inclusive way, covering topics that allow her truths to be a source of empowerment for fans.

“JIM” and CHAMPION are no different.

“I’m still fighting,” she says of the album, and career at large. “I’m still swinging as a legacy artist… An O.G.

“At this stage of the game, I am a CHAMPION.

“I’ve never allowed myself to be limited, and the direction of this new album was from experimenting and being fearless. I’m excited by it, and fiercely proud of these tracks.”

“JIM” is available now.

Songs & Stories Tour — Acoustic
February 28 @ Sanctuary, Ridgeway ON
February 29 @ Aeolian Hall, London ON
March 2 @ Maxwells, Waterloo ON
March 3 @ Crow Bar & Variety, Collingwood ON
March 4 @ Market Hall, Peterborough ON
March 5 @ Doghouse, Napanee ON
March 6 @ Neat, Burnstown ON
March 7 @ Neat, Burnstown ON