TORONTO, Ont. — Truckers are being invited to attend a truckers’ valentine Ball in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 14.

The ball, to be held at the 360 Club, 326 Queen Street West (near Spadina), will celebrate Valentine’s Day with special musical guests: The Daisy DeBolt Trio, the Matadors, and Uncle Herb Dale & Ferdinand Blom.

Presented by the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, all proceeds go to Highway Workplace: the Canadian Trucker’s Story. This is a mobile museum exhibit that will begin travelling across Canada in 2005.

Tickets are being sold in advance for $15 each or $25 per couple, and include a buffet dinner and door prizes.
Tickets are available at the 360 Club, or the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, 51 Stuart Street, Hamilton, Ont. Call 416-604-2680 for details or e-mail Truck News on-road editor Harry Rudolfs at hrudolfs@sprint.ca

About the bands:

Daisy DeBolt has been called the female Tom Waits. She’s played with (and mentored) the cream of the Canadian music world including Willie P. Bennet, Doug Riley, Joe Hall, Jane Burnett, Larry Stanley and Robert David.

Daisy’s connection to trucking goes back to her childhood. Her dad would take her along in his tow truck when he pulled big trucks out of the ditch on Hwy 69 in the old days. She promises to perform a version of Cannonball on Valentine’s. Daisy will be accompanied by masterful guitarist Margaret Stowe and unflappable percussionist Michelle Josef.

The Matadors are a rockabilly band that was born in the shadow of the 401, in the heart of tobacco country around the St. Thomas/London area. They play to enthusiastic followings regularly on Queen Street in Toronto. Guitarist Joel “Hooch” Parkins’ instrument literally catches fire during some of his scintillating licks, Jeff Sheppard rides his hound dog base like a possessed demon and drummer Steve Ormerod keeps the pedal to the metal.

“Uncle” Herb Dale and creative partner Ferdinand Blom are a staple of the Bloor-Annex strip with their regular Friday and Saturday night gigs at Shakespeare’s Cafe.

The pair is something increasingly rare in Toronto: working, writing musicians who incorporate a strong traditional country component (and original truck songs) into their performance. They’ll be joined by drummer Rob Duffus, Stompin’ Tom Connors original concert drummer for this occasion.