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Winnipeg Free Press

Taking a shot

Romi Mayes wants to make live music an on-demand experience. Last month, the Winnipeg blues artist, event producer and booking agent launched Sure Shot Bookings, an online platform to help connect the public with musicians-for-hire across the country. 'It's kind of like SkipTheDishes, but for music,' Mayes says. SUPPLIED JD Edwards is one of the local musicians on the Sure Shot roster. Named after the Beastie Boys classic of the same name, Sure Shot currently has a roster of about 150 artists working in Manitoba, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Customers looking to book an act for a public, private or corporate event can submit a request and Mayes — currently the company's sole employee — will get to work liaising with the musician or band. 'For any event there is, live music is an enhancement. You choose who you want, when you want it and I try to facilitate that,' she says. Mayes is a Juno-nominated, Western Canadian Music Award-winning singer-songwriter who released her seventh studio album, Small Victories, last year. Event planning and logistics have always been part of her decades-long music career. 'Even as a teenager I was doing things, putting on talent shows, volunteering to help out at the synagogue. I didn't realize it was going to be such an important skill set that was also going to be my passion,' she says. When Mayes became a professional musician, she hosted local songwriter events, booked tours for other artists and co-ordinated outdoor concerts during the pandemic. She's been nominated several times for agent of the year by the Canadian Live Music Association. Sure Shot is the culmination of that experience and an attempt to create more industry opportunities. 'The goal is to bring live music to music lovers and to add work for fellow musicians. I see how hard it is to get work, to maintain work as an independent Canadian musician without really being able to expand into the U.S. anymore,' Mayes said. Beyond the current political climate down south, getting a work visa to perform in the United States is a long and expensive process and the dollar discrepancy can cut into profits made on the road. 'I'm hoping to get some more work out of it,' says JD Edwards, one of the Manitoba musicians on Sure Shot's roster. 'I'm not doing as much international touring as I have in the past, but I do like to stay connected with my community and I still love to perform. SUPPLIED Winnipeg musician and booking agent Romi Mayes has launched her own cross-country live music platform. 'I think any help artists can get to get gigs is gonna be good.' Mayes has tried to enlist artists from a range of backgrounds and genres. Other locals include Mitchell Makoons, Bobby Dove, Joe Curtis, Amber Epp, Rodrigo Muñoz, Sol James and the Sturgeons. Edwards is also looking forward to playing for audiences outside of his usual stomping grounds. Every Second Friday The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. 'People might not necessarily come out to the Times Change(d), they might not go out to other venues to see artists, so this will give more exposure,' he says. One such venue is the Bar Italia patio, where Edwards will be among several Sure Shot musicians performing in a new summer concert series beginning this weekend and running every Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. until July 13. Sure Shot offers 45- or 60-minute performance slots for virtually every kind of event — birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, yard parties, corporate functions, community events and cultural holidays. Bookings include liability insurance and rates are discounted for non-profit organizations. The musicians supply their own sound equipment. Visit for more information. Eva WasneyReporter Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva. Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.