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This week at Whistler Olympic Plaza

Sam Roberts Band and Kathleen Edwards to feature in Village
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As you are all well aware by now, the RMOW is hosting its free concert series at Whistler Olympic Plaza and this Saturday is the official grand opening. The pavilion is finally completed and ready for great performers to sing great songs while great people stand around and listen.

The Sam Roberts Band will headline the grand opening, with alt-country singer Kathleen Edwards supporting. Neither of these performers were available for interviews but Pique has put together all you need to know to enjoy the shows.

 

The Sam Roberts Band

Born: Oct. 2, 1974, Pointe-Claire, Que.

Target audience: People who claim to like indie rock but really just want to listen to Tom Petty and John Mellencamp; people who read CHARTattack ; people that like good rock music played by a stubbled man with a backing band that looks exactly like him

Most recent album: Collider, released in May 2011. It's the first released under the "Sam Roberts Band" moniker

Best known for: The 2003 single "Brother Down," which earned him national recognition and launched his career as a bona fide Canadian rock star; the 2004 We Were Born in a Flame , which included "Brother Down" and "Where Have All the Good People Gone?" and won two Juno Awards in 2004 for Album of the Year and Rock Album of the Year. Roberts also won Artist of the Year on the same night.

Betcha didn't know: Roberts is trilingual, fluent in English, Spanish and French. He married his high school sweetheart in 2004 and together they have three children. He has a relationship with the St'at'imc Nation and helped raise funds for the centennial of the Lillooet Declaration.

He formed the Montreal band Northstar (formerly called William) in the 90s, which gained a following in indie-rock circles but never broke through the mainstream. After breaking up in 1999, bandmate George Donoso went on to play with the Dears while Roberts struggled for a few years until "Brother Down" became a hit in 2002. His album Chemical City is apparently named after Sarnia, Ont.

Kathleen Edwards

Born: July 11, 1978, Ottawa, Ont.

Target audience: Neko Case fans; people who wish Dolly Parton was younger and a little hipper; those interested to see Justin Vernon's taste in women

Most recent album: Asking for Flowers, released in 2008. Her new as-yet-untitled album is set for release in January 2012.

Best known for: "Six O'Clock News," the single from her 2003 album Failer , which caught the attention of the North American music press. She performed the song on The Late Show with David Letterman that year.

Betcha didn't know: She's currently dating Justin Vernon, a.k.a. Bon Iver. The two met earlier this year when he was producing her upcoming fourth album. Vernon, whose latest album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart, has openly cited her music as an influence on his own. Edward's parents were diplomats and she spent parts of her childhood in Korea and Switzerland. In 2003, Rolling Stone declared her one of the year's most promising artists. In 2008, she sang backup on Bryan Adams' album 11 and supported him on one of his tours.