The Niagara Rhythm Section

"Niagara's Best Kept Secret"

Catch The Niagara Rhythm Section's Saturday Night Showcase Series
Where: The Old Winery Restaurant, 2228 Niagara Stone Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake
When: every Saturday night - 9:30 p.m. start

Since the early 70's Steve Goldberger has been a band leader and a freelance bass player/vocalist. Today, he keeps very busy with his own bands, The Fringe Locals and The Niagara Rhythm Section, as well as with a diverse list of folk, jazz, blues, country and roots artists. Each week this unrehearsed adventure continues to be fresh and exciting.

This weekly musical extravaganza features the veteran rock steady rhythm section of Steve Goldberger on bass, David Norris on drums and Penner MacKay on percussion, backing up different guest artists each week. The diverse variety of performers over the past two years continues to push the musical envelope with an eclectic mix of styles including pop, rock, blues, R&B, New Orleans' gumbo, jazz, folk, brazilian and country. Many of the guests are Niagara favourites (Mark & Paul Lalama, Bruce Jones, Vox Violins, Craig Roberts, Susan Hayatt, Scott & Simon, James Brown, the Fringe Locals, Rick Labrie) and many are brought in from Toronto and may be new to Niagara audiences (Steve Grisbrook, Gayle Ackroyd, Lance Anderson, Bill Colgate, Martin Aucoin, Rod Phillips, Johnny Max, Bernie LaBarge, Conrad Kipping, Virgil Scott).

You can also catch Steve, Dave & Penner in Steve’s other band, The Fringe Locals performing at various venues around the Niagara Region. Here’s what the critics have said about Steve’s music:

A "gumbo-type" mix of roots, country-rock, blues and folk. If you had to "label" his music, you might be reminded of Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Lucinda Williams or Little Feat with some Don Henley and Miles Davis thrown in.

"Bits of acoustic folk, ersatz California country pop, New Orleans swamp rock, Celtic airs and raucous pub rock float up to the surface of this stew, truly an amalgam of alien parts. For all that, an infectious good humour and energetic teamwork lend this record, GUMBO DREAMS, genuine appeal." - Greg Quill, Toronto Star

"Steve Goldberger's subversive THE NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE RHYTHM PROJECT ... the sounds on this disc are beautiful free flowing instrumental illustrations of life in tourist heaven...A sort of mash up of folk, soft rock and jazz combined in the aesthetic of a jam band... get your hands on this disc and wrap your head around the sounds." - Pulse Niagara

"...the nerve to be different..." - Don Campau - KKUP 91.5FM, Cupertino California

"...he has made the "Niagara Sound" more Niagara..." - James Brown, Pulse Niagara

The Fringe Locals have released four CD’s on Steve’s label, Shed Records, which are available online.

Upcoming Niagara Rhythm Section Performances: