Who: Ndidi Onukwulu, with Valery Gore

When: Tuesday, April 21, 8 p.m.

Where: Pepper Jack Cafe, 38 King William St.

Cost: $8

It's not easy being a blues singer in Canada, especially a female blues singer. You put out a record on some small, independent label, get rave reviews from critics, an interview and maybe some airplay on CBC Radio, a show at one of the two roots clubs in Toronto and a followup at a place close by such as Hamilton's Pepper Jack Cafe. Then you go home and work at your day job.

Which is why a tremendously talented singer such as Ndidi Onukwulu is packing her things to try her luck in France. Onukwulu, a B.C.-born singer with a Nigerian-German descent, has done just about all there is in Canada, recording two critically acclaimed CDs with some of the top names in the country, earning a Juno nomination and new artist of the year honours at the Maple Blues Awards. But she still keeps finding herself playing roadhouses where half the clientele are more in-tuned to Hockey Night In Canada than her singing.

Which is why Onukwulu is packing her bags and moving to Paris, where a French record company signed her sight unseen to a contract to release her latest CD, The Contradictor, across Europe. It seems they not only love blues in France, they treasure it.

"It's hard to build in this country," she says from her home on scenic Howe Sound north of Vancouver. But I have this very supportive network overseas. So I'm going to work over there for a while.

"They've set me up with a tour and I have a gazillion radio shows and promo shows. It's constant stuff, non-stop and we'll be touring excessively."

Luckily, the Pepper Jack Cafe is a club that appreciates quality blues and jazz and Onukwulu will be performing with her band (which includes brilliant multi-instrumentalist Jesse Zubot) there Tuesday before heading off to Paris. There may still be hope for Canada, though. Onukwulu is keeping her home on Howe Sound, expecting to return from France in about four months. After that, she'll be splitting time between B.C. and Europe.

The Saturday Night Live More Cowbell skit will always be associated with Christopher Walken.

But behind the facade of the stone-faced actor lies the true story of Blue Oyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard.

He's the real-life guy hitting the cowbell in Don't Fear The Reaper, the legendary '70s band's greatest hit and the song on which the SNL sketch is based.

Bouchard and his brother, Joe, were two of the founders of the pioneering New York-based band that sold out arenas around the world after scoring a hit with Reaper. The Bouchard brothers and their new band Blue Coupe (featuring original Alice Cooper bassist Dennis Dunaway) are coming to the Pepper Jack Cafe on Saturday at the behest of local rock promoter Lou Molinaro.

Molinaro is a rare breed -- an original Blue Oyster Cult fanatic.

"A lot of people have their Led Zeppelin," Molinaro says. "I have my Blue Oyster Cult."

Because of that cultish love, Molinaro put together an all-star band of local musicians to help back the Bouchard brothers with some of their BOC classics such as Godzilla. The band features Greg Briscoe on keyboards, Andrew Aldridge and Strat Andriotis on guitars, Eric Herrmann on drums and backup vocalists Lisa Winn, Ginger St. James, Lynn Bebee and Monica McKnott.

They call themselves the Outrageous Canadians and will be backing up the Bouchards for a set following Blue Coupe at the Pepper Jack, as well as travelling with them for two shows in Toronto and Oshawa. Also on the bill is Hamilton hard rock band Porcelain Youth, which just completed a new CD produced by Garth Richardson (Hedley, Rage Against The Machine, GrimSkunk). Doors open for this eclectic show at 9 p.m. $15.

For posterity's sake, the character Walken was playing in the SNL sketch was based on Blue Oyster Cult's producer/manager Sandy Pearlman.

grockingham @thespec.com

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