Episode Details

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Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Ethan Askey has carried a harmonica in his pocket for the better part of 30 years - from campfires on the Alsek River to festival stages in Europe, from Junior Wells' living room in Chicago to the studio in Kimberley where his new album Outside the Lines was born. He is a storyteller who found the blues by digging backwards through his dad's record collection, and every story he tells feels like a song. Ron Thorogood built a life around cars and the community they carry - from drag strips in Calgary to leading the charge to bring one of Vancouver Island's most beloved summer events back to the beach at Parksville Community Park on July 5th.

This Episode Features:

(28:32) Ethan Askey is a singer, songwriter, and blues harmonica player based in Cranbrook, BC. Known in music circles as Shorty, he spent decades as a sideman and session player before stepping out front with his 2022 debut album Walk When You Wanna Run, which spent over 160 weeks on the Canada Roots and Blues Top 50. He leads Ethan Askey and the Elevators, whose new album Outside the Lines is now out and features contributions from Steve Marriner, Susie Vinnick, and Jimmy Bowskill. Ethan talks about walking a fish through the South Side of Chicago to Junior Wells' door, headlining the Baltic Blues Festival in Germany, and what 30 years of always having a harmonica in your pocket really means. Contains the song "Swing Like That." ethanaskey.com

(07:58) Ron Thorogood is one of the key organizers behind the Parksville Car and Bike Show - the revived, rebranded Van Isle Show and Shine returning to Parksville Community Park on July 5th. Ron moved to Vancouver Island from Calgary nine years ago, bringing a lifetime of drag racing history with him, including a 1970 Plymouth Duster 340 that won back-to-back pro titles in 2000 and 2001 and that he owned for 50 years. He talks about reviving a show that once drew a thousand cars to the beach, why there are no judges and no trophies, and why - for him - it has never really been about the cars. https://www.car-show.ca/

Episode Quotes:

"It has nothing to do with a car. Really what's behind the car is the people. The whole community of people is what drives me." - Ron Thorogood

"Everywhere I go, I've got a harmonica in my pocket. It's a thing." - Ethan Askey

We've had the pleasure of sitting down with musicians from across Vancouver Island and beyond - explore more stories and interviews on our Vancouver Island Musicians page.

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