HI RES PHOTOS
 |
 |
POSTER
 |
BIO ONE SHEET
 |
CD ONE SHEET
 |
ALBUM COVERS
 |
BIO [PLAIN TEXT]
Upon his return from a 1997 trek throughout war ruined Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jon quit writing songs and performing, claiming, "I'm at least a 1000 books and emotions shy of earning the right to stand behind a microphone." 8 years later - Jon dusted off his Taylor 615 Jumbo.
Though Jon's music is filled with grey and morally ambiguous characters living on the outskirts of approval, his mandate is unequivocal: "I'm not interested in writing 'happy songs' - I've chosen to write healing songs and for that reason, I'm obliged to reveal a wound or two now and then. That said, I'm less interested in writing 'unhappy songs': I want to write hopeful songs, inspiring songs and I expect I owe today's listener some compelling argument as to why we should believe our present world can be improved, or healed. A song's highest aim is to invoke empathy - to offer that rare sight of ourselves in others. In this sense, the songwriter is simply trying to 'politicize love', hence my contention: today's songwriter should be a lobbyist for compassion to be our principle representative in government office.'
In 2006 Jon debuted with NO MEAN CITY, a portrait of Toronto homelessness and a weighty exposition of the modern urban soul's condition and moral fatigue. A year later Jon was afforded superlative acclaim with the release of OURS AND THE SHEPHERDS, a cd of Canadian war stories inspired by James Loney, Senator Romeo Dallaire, Sgt. Tommy Prince, and John McRae among others. The collection earned Jon a Songwriter of the Year nomination at the 2007 Canadian Folk Music Awards. OURS AND THE SHEPHERDS is now among the collections of the Canadian War Museum and the John McRae Society. 2009 brought MOTH NOR RUST, an album of songs looking inward and to what 'neither MOTH NOR RUST can touch'. MOTH NOR RUST earned Jon his second Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for Songwriter of the Year. As well, MOTH NOR RUST's music and lyrics were published by Canada's esteemed literary quarterly, Exile Editions.
Jon's new record, DELICATE CAGES (2011) takes its title from the Robert Bly poem, TAKING THE HANDS: Taking the hands of someone you love/You see they are like delicate cages...
Delicate Cages aims to reveal the complicit natures of good and evil, love and fear, and freedom and imprisonment. The DELICATE CAGES we live within are forms of enslavement - and not all 'cages' are necessarily bad. On his latest and most urgent and accessible collection of songs, Jon Brooks promises freedom to all who choose love over fear.
| Date | City | Venue | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05/23/13 - 05/26/13 | Jon Brooks in Kerrville, TX | Kerrville Folk Festival | United States |
| Time: 7:00pm. Buy tickets | |||
| 06/02/13 | Jon Brooks in Toronto, ON | House Cpncert | Canada |
| Time: 8:00pm. Details TBA | |||
| 07/09/13 | Jon Brooks in Toronto | Songwriting Workshop | Canada |
| Time: 7:30pm. | |||
| 09/20/13 | Jon Brooks in Downers Grove, IL | Two Way Street Coffeehouse | United States |
| Time: 8:00pm. Address: 1047 Curtiss Street. Buy tickets | |||
| 09/27/13 | Jon Brooks in Livonia, MI | Trinity House Theatre | United States |
| Time: 7:30pm. Address: 38840 W. Six Mile. Buy tickets | |||
| 09/28/13 | Jon Brooks in East Lansing, MI | Pump House Concerts | Canada |
| Time: 7:00pm. Address: 368 Orchard St. Buy tickets | |||
| 10/05/13 | Jon Brooks in Nelson, BC | Ellison’s Cafe | Canada |
| Time: 7:30pm. Address: 523 Front Street. Buy tickets | |||
| 11/01/13 | Jon Brooks in Ormstown, Quebec | Cafe NamasThe | Canada |
| Time: 8:00pm. Buy tickets | |||
| 11/10/13 | Jon Brooks in Middltown, RI | Heal Co Op Benefit | United States |
| Time: 7:30pm. | |||
