FEATURED LOCAL MUSICIANS
THE RHYTHM OF FERNIE
Fernie ’ s bars and eateries offer an eclectic mix of live entertainment from meat draws and comedy nights to some of Canada ’ s hottest DJs and biggest musicians . Keeping the calendar alive every night of the week is a chorus of local musicians performing familiar covers and their own new work . Take in a solo performance or duo collaboration over dinner , later into the evening or at a Sunday afternoon patio session . Here are just a few of the names to watch for :
CHARLES BENJAMIN linktr . ee / charlesbenjamin
Charles Benjamin is a singer-songwriter from Southern Ontario . The mountain lifestyle brought him to Fernie a little over a year ago and he now performs regularly around town and regionally . He plays a mix of covers and original music from a wide range of genres , with a focus on folk and country music . Charles counts Canadian artist such as Neil Young , Bahamas , and The Tragically Hip among his biggest influences and gains inspiration for songwriting from folk and country artists including Bob Dylan , John Prine , Nathaniel Rateliff , and Tyler Childers .
He has collaborated and performed with other local artists and was a member of
The Long Haired Business Men over the last winter season . Charles is currently working on writing new music with hopes of releasing a new project sometime in the fall of 2023 . Follow him on social media and download his original music on Spotify , Apple Music , and all other streaming platforms .
SAMI VALAVAARA Linktr . ee / valavaaramusic
Sami Valavaara , a born-and-raised Fernie local , specializes in playing a mix of folk , rock , and pop music with a particular focus on acoustic guitar . As a freelance singer-songwriter , Sami performs as a solo artist and sometimes plays bass with Wild Honey , an East Kootenay trio who released their second album this year , and electric guitar / backup vocals for Drew Gregory in Alberta .
His musical influences include Dustin Kensrue , Switchfoot , Tom Petty , and John Mayer , among others . Sami is
10 currently working on two projects with his latest single Say Goodbye , an acoustic-focused project under his own name , and a prog-rock project under the name Child of Dust which also has a few singles released . Sami regularly performs at The Loaf and Bramasole - watch for dates on local events calendars .