January: it’s f*&*ing cold, the parking ban is in effect, and for the students among us, the break is over. Chug Your Nog – with performances from CAMERON + Cyrus R.O. Group + Cal Johnson & The Former Cause + Braden Lam – takes place at The Carleton on Thursday, January 10th at 9 PM. Admission is $8 at the door, or $6 with valid student ID!

CAMERON, consisting of sisters Barbara and Victoria Cameron, is a pop rock – heavy on the rock – duo ready to take the Canadian music industry by storm. Formerly two-thirds of the all-girl band Pink Thunder, these sisters are no strangers to the stage. Barbara, a recognized songwriter in her own right, having attended the Gordie Sampson Songcamp since its inception, and Victoria, a hair-flipping bassist for the likes of The Town Heroes, are now ready to take a second stab at the music scene, with a more mature image and edgy sound. Their 12 track self-titled debut album is comprised of songs the girls have written and recorded, over the last 6 years, with producer Brian Talbot (Slowcoaster).

With dirty guitars, synergetic harmonies and pop hooks so infectious even an earworm will have them stuck in its head, CAMERON will have listeners begging for more.

Cyrus R.O.’s greatest passion lies in creating music that keeps you on the edge of your comfort zone: never quite alienated but never, ever bored. His music takes the familiar and continually pushes it just a bit beyond what is normal. Like the rush of adrenaline that comes from an extreme sport you’ve never tried, or the experience of exploring the mystique of a foreign culture, Cyrus offers an experience at once familiar and mysterious, comforting and daring.

Born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, his musical affinity was evident from an early age, when a toddler Cyrus stumbled onto John Campbelljohn’s stage show and picked up a tambourine. He hasn’t stopped playing since.

Armed with a backbone of raw and rebellious soul inherited from his father Stuart Robertson, Cyrus has at some point performed everything from hardcore punk to classical choral arrangements. His training spans multiple genres and 5 instruments. He has performed in various bands on the east coast including award-nominated Halifax heavyweights Dali Van Gogh, and pursued a degree in physics all the while.

Sultry with an edge – Cal Johnson is a multi instrumentalist & singer-songwriter immersed in jazz, folk-pop and blues while staying true to his song writing roots and creating a fusion.

No stranger to the scene, Johnson is a Nova Scotia Music award nominee for Indigenous Artist of the Year (2018), has been featured in the CBC “Searchlight Competition” (2018), and also has performed with “The Blue Lane” at Halifax’s TD Jazz Festival (2016), Bell FibeOP’s “Club One New Releases” and CTV’s Breakfast Television (2016).

Along with these experiences, Johnson has also obtained a diploma in music arts and has been privileged to attend private songwriting workshops under the instruction of artists such as Matt Anderson, Thom Swift, and Christine Campbell.

Today Johnson is currently based out of Halifax, N.S, Canada, working on the release of his debut EP Come and Go.

Braden Lam seems to mend every situation with his delivery of feel-good hooks and warm vocals. The folk-pop songwriter from Halifax, NS builds upon influences such as Hey Rosetta! and Dallas Green to create the refreshing and upbeat anthems of his life.

His sophomore EP Driftwood People (September 2018) is an intimate look at the social disconnect of life on the road and the reconciliation of lost relationships. Growing up in rural Ontario, Braden’s honest lyrics reflect the many landscapes of his upbringing. He made his solo debut in 2016 with The Coast EP before settling upon Nova Scotia’s salty shores; where he has since been inspired and shaped by the allure of the ocean.