Jean-Paul De Roover recording at Confederation College. (Facebook / Jean-Paul De Roover)
As a part of his “Complexity in Simplicity” cross-Canada CD release tour, Thunder Bay native Jean-Paul De Roover is stopping in Brandon on March 24th to play Park Community Centre at 7:00 pm.
Heralded as “the mad scientist of the Thunder Bay music scene” (Jason Wellwood, Earshot!), multi-instrumentalist De Roover constructs his songs in the presence of his audience, building them piece by piece, as demonstrated in his video for his original song “One by One”. De Roover blends bits of rock, pop, electronica, folk and a cappella in his music to create “an aurally and visually stimulating show that keeps generated audiences and quality music.”
“What Jean-Paul De Roover has delivered is something that is inspirational, creative, engaging, calming and intensely disturbing at times,” glowed Derek Wall from The Argus. “What this album isn’t is safe, formulaic, and predictable. The few tunes that are set to a more traditional 4/4 time rock beat seem to act almost as traps, blinding you of the rabbit hole the next track is going to plunge you headlong into. …this album is custom-made for anyone that demands a little more than what is offered from their music.”
Raised overseas in Africa, Asia and South America, De Roover returned to Canada in 2001. Relentlessly touring (with his signature red piping platforms) since 2007, he now has over 10 tours under his belt, has showcased at international music festivals, as well as Canadian Music Fest and NXNE, and has shared the stage with the likes of the Beach Boys, The Weakerthans, and Goo Goo Dolls.
De Roover has also composed music for film and television, including commercials for businesses in Thunder Bay and films like Bully (Jason Bower, 2009) and The Autumn Girl (Eric Boissonneault, 2012).
Brought to you by Brandon’s We’re Hear For the Music (WHFM), a group dedicated to promoting local musicians and providing Brandonites with “exhilarating, enjoyable, and fun” music regardless of their age, the event will also feature folk/blues/indie group Them Creative Types and ukulele/indie Chris Schollenburg, both local bands.
The next event organized by WHFM is a punk show on March 27 at 7:30 pm in the Elephant Room at Brandon University. Bands include The Bad Nerves from Winnipeg and Brandon’s “least favorite coffee enthusiasts” Moledebater and up-and-comers Stand Against This World.
To see his new videos and other projects, visit De Roover’s official website.
Republished from The Quill print edition, Volume 103, Issue 25, March 19, 2013.