Nickelodeon Music Club Presents Andrew Collins Trio with opener Backyard Betties.

Andrew Collins does it all. He plays the mandolin, fiddle, guitar, mandola and mandocello. He composes, produces, arranges, writes and teaches across multiple genres, including a popular collision of folk, jazz, bluegrass, celtic, and classical. He co-founded the Creaking Tree String Quartet, the Foggy Hogtown Boys and, more recently, his namesake Trio. He and his various ensembles have had five Juno nominations and seven Canadian Folk Music Awards. His Trio-mates are fellow string guru Mike Mezzatesta, whose versatility shines through on guitar, mandolin, fiddle and mandola, and James McEleney, who holds it down on bass, mandocello and vocals. Showcasing a dizzying number of styles and instruments on stage, the Trio appear to live by the old adage, “idle hands are the devil’s workshop”, likely keeping them just ahead of his grasp. Bending and blending genres, these musical shape shifters land somewhere between the re-imagined worlds of Béla Fleck and Newgrass invader, David Grisman.

Watch the Andrew Collins perform their official video I Don’t Know (But I Like It).

 Calgary’s Backyard Betties offer an authentic folk/americana style performance. The band engages audiences with Nancy Laberge’s witty banter and heartfelt original songs, the high-energy background vocals of Pip Hazell, the vocal-harmony and driving beats of Sarah Nielsen, and the captivating lead guitar of Mark Cassano. Together, they skillfully communicate personal experiences of love, life, and loss through their music, creating a genuine and relatable connection with their listeners. In addition to their musical endeavors, Nancy and Pip actively support aspiring songwriters through Write On! The Songwriting Experience, the volunteer-driven program that showcased some of its talented performers last year at the Nick.

Listen to Backyard Betties perform their song The High, which won the 2024 YYC Music Folk Recording of the Year.