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Show in Oakville this weekend guys! The band and I are playing at Shakers Tap & Grill, Saturday May 19th, 9:30 PM. If you’re not on a dock somewhere, come have a beer with us. Imma be on a boat after the show though…so you know!
In the spirit of donating to a good cause and pushing ourselves to the limits, Oliver Gonzalez and I will be cycling 337 kilometres from Mississauga to Windsor, Ontario this coming April. Please visit the page below to donate and remember that for every $1 that you donate, Food Banks Canada can obtain $8 worth of food!! See more and donate at:
Make sure you check out Lutherie Dubosq Guitars’ website. A truly talented luthier from my hometown of Kapuskasing, ON. He’s responsible for the beauty I’ve been carrying in my case these past few months!!
#1 two weeks in a row!! Thank You Northern Ontario and the team at CINN FM 91.1!!
| 1 | – | Chris Murphy  |
Hotwired | Self-Released |
| 2 | – | The Easy-Offs |
Life is a Drone | MonoChord |
| 3 | – | Son Roberts Band  |
Tell That Story | Self-Released |
| 4 | re | Treasa Levasseur |
Broad | Slim Chicken |
| 5 | – | Michael Jerome Browne | The Road is Dark | Borealis |
| 6 | – | They Call Me Rico |
They Call Me Rico | Voxtone |
| 7 | – | Hard Pushin’ Papa |
Hard Pushin’ Papa | Self-Released |
| 8 | re | Sarah MacDougall |
The Greatest Ones Alive | Rabbit Heart |
| 9 | – | Rory Gallagher | Tattoo | Eagle Rock |
| 10 | – | Al Lukas |
In My Soul | Self-Released |
| re = re-entry to chart | ||||
End of touring for 2011. We had a blast this fall everybody! Thank you for coming out to see us and for supporting what we do. You’re the reason why we get to play around the country, so go ahead, live vicariously through: Carson Webber (Bass), Rob Benvegnu (drums) and Al Lukas (Guitar & Vocals).
We’re back to a stage near you this winter!
The Al Lukas Band
Hello ladies and gents! We’re in town tonight for one show only. Come check out the band at Grossman’s Tavern, Toronto’s home of the blues, at 10pm!
Free admission.
Thank you to everyone who came out to The Sunshine in Kapuskasing in the past week, we had a great time!!
Thanks to my pops for putting us all up and for putting up with our antics.
We’re inTimmins tonight though so come and enjoy the music at The Victory Tavern between 10pm and 2am both today and tomorrow night!
Just got back to Toronto guys and gals!
I want to send out a maritime sized thank you to everyone out East for all the hospitality, music, and overall blast I had in the past few weeks. Looking forward to going back again soon!
Next up is an Ontario mini tour with the band. Watch out for us, we’re coming your way this month and next, and heading West in the New Year!
Oh yeah, if you haven’t caught this on Twitter already, we’ve been added to 15 more radio stations from St-John’s NL, all the way to Victoria, BC!!!!! Thank you everyone for all the support!
AL
tw: @Al_Lukas
Congratulations go out to Chris Jorgensen for correctly guessing my location on last night’s contest!! I’m in Fredericton, NB. Enjoy the new album!! Stay tuned daily, you never know where I’ll be!
Thanks for playing and I hope you play again. If anyone wins more than once, albums can be gifted to a friend’s email address!
Cheers,
AL
Where am I??
I just finished playing my first surprise performance here!
Cheers,
AL
Time to keep your eyes and ears open. The mystery troubadour might be headed your way.
Fast-rising Toronto-based rootsy singer/songwriter Al Lukas is about to set off on his first solo trip to the East Coast, but this is not your conventional tour. Determined to spice up the usual on the road routine, Lukas is announcing just two dates of a trek that will run from September 28 to October 15, 2011. Those two shows at the Split Crow Pub in Truro, Nova Scotia, Oct. 14 and 15, will close out the East Coast Shuffle.
As Lukas explains, “the concept is that I have to get to this gig halfway across the country, and I’m going to hit up all these towns on the way.” He’ll be touring through Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick (not necessarily in that order), scoring himself a show only when he hits town. It could be in a regular bar or live music venue, a coffee shop, a community centre, or even a street corner.
Such an approach demonstrates a real confidence in his ability to convince others to give him a gig. That is a well-founded confidence born out of the 25 year old’s extensive performance experience over the past decade. Armed with a fiery guitar style, emotionally eloquent songs, and a gritty and powerful voice that’s drawn comparisons to Tom Waits and Howlin’ Wolf, Al Lukas is the complete package.
He has already road-tested this concept with his wildly successful The Good Faith tour in the fall of 2009. This trek out West (as far as Vancouver Island) lasted seven months, and was conducted on the barter system. “I didn’t want to book a tour, but rather make it like a pilgrimage. I built a bed for my van and got some arctic sleeping gear ‘cos I was going out in winter. I stopped in as many communities as I could and on the go I’d book my dates. I’d walk around town, go to the bars that had music and see what I could do. I had my rules. I couldn’t rent a hotel room, it had to be bartered. If I was playing music, I couldn’t ask for a price. All I could say was what I could offer, and by saying that, it was then ‘give me what you think its worth.’ That could mean meals, or a place to stay, and some gave me money for gas.The generosity was quite striking.”
This tour was a great leap of faith, but the gamble paid off handsomely, turning Al into a hardened troubadour and providing fertile material for the new songs that then surfaced on his third album, In My Soul. For the East Coast Shuffle, Lukas has eased the barter rules a little, and in true rock star style, he has traded in the van for a younger model! The core premise of picking up gigs on the fly remains, however.
Fuelling the anticipation around his unannounced appearances will be a competition Al is holding on his website (www.lukasproductions.com). “As I get into town and figure out the venues and where I might be playing, I’m going to take a picture of something identifiable enough that I can post it on my site,” he explains. “The first person to guess which town I’m in will get a free album download.”
The lucky winners will be in for a treat. Publications from across the country have been unanimous in their praise of Al and In My Soul.
Better be alert, then. The guitarslinger may have your town in his sights!
-Kerry Doole
Street Sounds: Artist has blues in his soul
Al Lukas brings his gritty, yet honed voice to new CD, In My Soul.
By Dean Gordon-Smith – Vernon Morning Star
Published: August 19, 2011 1:00 AM
Kapuskasing native Al Lukas is an old school musician across the board: touring in a van, booking shows as he goes, and (most apparent here) releasing spontaneous feel-based recordings.
Lukas sets up songs, brings in the players (usually just bass and drums), and goes.
In My Soul is Lukas’ third recording and showcases two things thoroughly: Lukas’ guitar skills (acoustic and electric) and his rough whiskey-toned voice.
It’s his vocal performance that elevates the bare bones, blues/rock songs that Lukas and company knock off.
The material takes its cue from the vocal and stays close to a gritty core (The Answer, Wild Child). The drive within the songs, coupled with the exuberant wailing of Lukas’ axe, makes them appealing on a straight ahead level. There’s no showboating, wanking or posturing here that can sometimes plague a genre noted for over-the-top hero poses.
A touch of the low-down lurks in Lukas’ sound. It’s Not Hard (It’s Simple) keeps the rough-and-tumble edges slightly affray –– a dark take on a Randy Bachman style jazz/blues feel.
The path grows darker but not down on some of Lukas’ acoustic cuts (In My Soul and One True Friend) –– moody songs that take in atmosphere and release it easily.
No frills; the mood is deep; the vibe is strong and Lukas’ voice rocks.
–– Dean Gordon-Smith is The Morning Star’s music reviewer. His column, Street Sounds, appears every Friday.
After Al Lukas released his 2009 sophomore Fall & Flight, he did not want to book a tour; as a result, he set out on the Canadian tundra with just his van, some arctic sleeping gear and his guitar. Booking shows along the way he had a few ground rules for what he calls, The Good Faith Tour.
Hello everyone,
We are gathered online here today to say goodbye to a good friend, companion, sherpa, shelter, and apartment mover, but most of all the greatest band van a band leader could ever ask for. Today we say goodbye to the grandest of caravans I have ever owned…my sport, Greg.
From the moment we took our first road trip together, Greg tested my faith in him. He tried to find out right away if I would be faithful to the commitment we had made by dumping all of our radiator fluid onto highway 11, between Latchford and Temagami. Forcing me to idle him up and down the rocky hills that sprawl across Northern Ontario, we eventually found a privately owned garage in Temagami that could take us in at the last minute.
After a close inspection of the van, I realized that we we’re dealing with a bit of a “rust issue” because of the salt laden roads he must have been traveling on previous to my ownership. The mechanic on hand informed me that everything would be manageable for a while but to keep an eye on it. With a quick patch job on the heater line underneath and a rad fluid top up, our mechanic Greg sent us on our way. So there we were, me and my newly named Dodge Grand Caravan Sport Edition, Greg. We would be partners in crime and BFFs because, as they say, the first ride makes the bond.
We had a great time that summer traveling around and playing shows, all the while carrying the band across Ontario. Little did we know, we would end up spending much time together in the fall of 2009 and winter of 2010. We were in for the biggest test our friendship had ever faced, the Good Faith Tour.
I decided to be the first to demonstrate my commitment to the task we were about to face by ridding him of all seats in the back. I wanted to show him that it was just me and him all the way, a brotherly bond to be trusted from the start. I built a bed and storage in the back with the help of my family and friends and we then equipped him with all the necessities for an arctic winter camping expedition.
Greg and I left for the great wide open on October 1st, 2009, unknowing of what lay ahead of us, we drove off into the sunset. We didn’t know how long we would be gone for, nor did we know how either of us would react to the harsh winter we would soon encounter as we drove through Northern Ontario and into the Canadian Prairies. Come December, we had already spent some cold nights together with temperatures diving below -40 degrees Celsius, but he never let me down. Even with a frost laden interior, his engine started like clockwork every morning, turning our icy sleeping quarters into a warm home in a matter of minutes.
Greg always kept his promises and I kept mine. He was always treated to the best of oil changes, synthetic, in an unmatched timely manner. I knew that good maintenance and fresh fluids was the least I could do for my caravan. After all, Greg is the reason we all have these memories from the road. Our encounters would never have happened without his unparalleled perseverance and commitment to the craft Greg and I cultivated, ultimate winter touring. Hell, he was even so gracious as to bring a friend of mine along the next year!
Regrettably, only about a week ago, Greg let me know on our way home from our promotional tour up north that something was wrong. I heard some grinding from the right front wheel and I knew then the brake and caliper were finished. I brought him in for a check up and was winded by the blow-bearing news that unless Greg had a complete braking system overhaul, he had seen his last touring days. I have my responsibilities as a band leader and driver of the band van to make sure that everyone knows when enough is enough, and when to stop. Unfortunately Greg got too old and didn’t know when to stop anymore. It could happen next tour, or in two tours from now. I just couldn’t take the chance on him, my band, or myself and so Greg is now in a better place. I know he is driving our musicians passed to the great gig in the sky.
May you rev in peace Greg, and may you know that you are missed by all of us who have had the pleasure of seeing the road with you. I hope there is plenty of courteous free parking next to every venue up there.
Sincerely, your best friend, Al.
Well hi there, happy Tuesday everyone!
We just wanted to remind you that you should come to the Rainbow tomorrow night if you live in, or are vacationing in, the Ottawa region!
Show starts at 9:30 with Stinger and finishes off with the Al Lukas Band until close!
See you at the Rainbow,
Al & the band
The band and I would like to send out a big thank you to all the people from Hearst and Kapuskasing who came out to the Northern legs of our CD Release tour this weekend! Also, a big thank you goes out to Kathy and Melanie at CINN FM in Hearst, Frederique Larouche at CKGN and Rob Williamson at Moose FM in Kapuskasing!! Thanks for making our northern experience a memorable one!
AL & the band.
Hi guys,
Just letting you know that you can hear you’re favorite Al Lukas on three radio interviews this Friday August 5th: CKGN 89.7 FM at 8:00am, Moose CKAP100.9 FM at 9:00am, and Hearst’s CINN 91.1 FM at 3:30pm!!
Tune in if you can!
CKDM Dauphin, MB 2009
We had a great time in Montreal on Saturday!! Thanks to Lidia for having us and for everyone who came out to the show at the Merge Art Gallery.
Btw, Schwartz’s Montreal smoked meat sandwiches are amazing!! …but i guess they just call them smoked meat sandwiches there…
Thank you SO much to everyone who came out last night! The band and I are really appreciative of your great support and of how much fun we all had. Thanks for packing the place!!
Al & the Band
P.S.: For those of you who missed it last night, here’s the video 
Hey everybody!
The official CD release party for the new album IN MY SOUL & video launch for the single TELL MY MIND will be taking place at the Cameron House in Toronto on Tuesday July 26th, 2011, at 9 pm.
THAT’S ONLY 27 DAYS AWAY!!!
Doors open at 8 pm so make sure you get there early to get a good seat! You don’t want to get stuck near the sound man at the top… unless you like that sort of thing… and if you do, you’ll want to get there early to secure it!
There are only limited number of tickets for this event so you will have to contact me directly at (al@lukasproductions.com) or on the CONTACT section of my website if you want to attend. Please include your name, how many tickets you will need, and your phone number. Tickets are $20 each and include entry to the evening with the band, a copy of IN MY SOUL (new CD smell included) and some take home surprises that we are preparing for you as we speak!
And now, a little about how this all started.
As many of you already know, I as well as other Canadian musicians were hard at work in Thunder Bay, ON this winter. We were busy recording my new album at DININGROOM STUDIOS. There was many a Caleco coffee, 3 am frustrations, 4 am mental blocks, many smoke breaks, string and winded symphony kids, energy drinks, “Did you plug it in?” moments, and pure talent involved in the process.
As you can imagine, this made for an unique and energetic album that we are all very proud of! Even more so because it represents some of the great people I met, and that met each other, while I was on the road in 2009 for the Good Faith Tour.
IN MY SOUL is a true testament of what people can do when they come together to work on something instead of just poking each other on Facebook all night! You know who you are…
TELL MY MIND is the hot new single off the album so we made a video for it! Jamie Carswell and Rattail Films have produced and directed my first official music video, which we will be showing on the night of the party so don’t miss it!!
Stay tuned guys, the countdown begins!
AL
Hi Everyone!
Are you getting excited for the release of the new album ‘In My Soul’ this summer? I know I am and I can’t wait to perform it for everyone attending the CD Release Party which is being planned for later next month here in Toronto! I’ll be in touch soon with more information!
In the midst of planning and releasing the new album some of you have been contacting me to let me know the website has been down, well here’s why it was all worth the wait!
A little while ago, I found out about Mat Dunlap’s designing edge because he’s responsible for some of the best independent artist websites in Canada. If you watched Jimmy Fallon last Wednesday and saw The Sheepdogs perform, you should check out their website too! I’m really digging these guys right now.
And, if you like Garrett Mason, The Joel Plaskett Emergency, Grady, etc… then you’ll know why Mat’s the man in cyber design. Lets give a big thanks, round of applause, and roaring/loud crowd noises to Mat! Many thanks man!
When you’re browsing, make sure you click on the RSS feed, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace buttons and get your updates faster! The first Official Al Lukas Music Video for Tell My Mind is being shot this month with the help of Jamie Carswell and Will Primrose at Rattail Films. Be the first to see it when it hits the world wide web late July!
I’ll leave you in your excitement for now!
Cheers,
AL
P.S. The music player has a new song for you! ;0)
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