Chris Antonik and Ashley Belmer Announce New Acoustic Canadian Tour for Fall 2018

Three-time Maple Blues Award-nominee Chris Antonik has announced a new acoustic tour for Fall 2018 with Canadian vocalist and partner Ashley Belmer, called NORTHWOOD. NORTHWOOD will be touring across Canada, October 10 - December 1, 2018. They will also be performing in Toronto on November 2, 2018 at the Burdock.

After three successful albums and tours across North America and the UK, acclaimed guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer Chris Antonik has paired up with soulful vocalist and loving partner Ashley Belmer (and full-time Toronto arts publicist) to embark on an acoustic journey that will go back to the musical basics, and present Antonik's music in new and simplified ways, with a larger focus on vocals and acoustic guitar. The NORTHWOOD tour, named after the place where Chris and Ashley had their first date, will travel throughout Eastern Canada, and include stops in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, and Ontario.

In NORTHWOOD, Antonik's catalogue will be stripped down, with a focus on strong vocal harmonies and acoustic guitar stylings, alongside the powerful harmonies and vocals of Ashley Belmer. While Antonik's electric, full-band approach, which continues to run in parallel with this project, has been wowing audiences and music critics for the last several years, the NORTHWOOD tour provides an opportunity to slow down, look deeper into these intricate and personal songs, deconstruct them, focus on the themes within, and re-tell their stories with a new look on life.

Toronto-based Chris Antonik was nominated for Best New Artist in 2011 at Canada's Maple Blues Awards after the release of his debut album and has since become one of Canada's fastest-rising blues artists. Blending innovative and thoughtful songwriting with stunning blues guitar work, some music critics have drawn comparisons to Eric Clapton.

Chris has performed at major blues festivals across the US, Canada, and the UK, and has toured these regions extensively. In 2017, Chris released his third studio record "Monarch," which was nominated for Recording of the Year (and Chris as producer) at the 2018 Maple Blues Awards. Chris was also nominated for Songwriter of the Year at those awards. In 2018, Chris undertook his second successful UK Tour, which included a sold-out appearance at the O2 Academy in Sheffield. Chris also recently performed with Buddy Guy (for the second time) at his club in Chicago while on a US tour.

Queen's University theatre graduate Ashley Belmer has been working as a singer and actor in both Montreal and Toronto for over a decade. With a focus on harmonization, Ashley has been a member of the Lyric Theatre Singers, the Montreal Jubilation Choir, and is currently a member and soloist for Newchoir Toronto. Ashley has also been in several theatre productions in Montreal, including a musical production which was part of the Montreal Fringe Festival, and a unique representation of Robin Hood, which was performed at Centaur Theatre, and Mainline Theatre.

In addition to Ashley's career in vocals and theatre, Ashley is also a well-known public relations specialist for the arts and runs a PR and graphic design agency called B-Rebel Communications. Ashley is currently the lead publicist for the Toronto Fringe Festival, Dusk Dances, Porch View Dances, Eclipse Theatre, and many more. Belmer is also a senior publicist for the Toronto International Film Festival.

NORTHWOOD Tour Dates

October 10, 2018
Gahan House - Saint John, New Brunswick

October 12, 2018
The Nook and Cranny - Truro, Nova Scotia

October 13, 2018
S.S. MEIGLE Lounge - Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador

October 17, 2018
Grimross Brewery, Fredericton, New Brunswick

October 28, 2018
The Acoustic Grill - Picton, On­tario

November 2, 2018
The Burdock - Toronto, Ontario

November 4, 2018
The Second Wedge - Uxbridge, Ontario

December 1, 2018
Bootlegger's - Montreal, Quebec

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