Celebrating the Unsung Heroines of Guitar: Sue Foley's Wizardry Slays the El Mocambo
- Michael Drukarsh
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
By: Michael Drukarsh
Toronto, Ontario - With her upcoming book release entitled “One Guitar Woman” multi-award winning Canadian blues guitarist Sue Foley is looking to shed light on the many innovative, pioneering and unfortunately often forgotten women of guitar. At the April 10th sold out show at the El Mocambo, Sue allowed her blues guitar wizardry, as well as her sultry and soulful voice, to deliver the message that women can not only take over a stage, they can slay it!
Sue Foley
Picking up her signature pink paisley Fender Telecaster, Foley, along with bass player Jon Penner, who has been with Sue in the band since high school, and newest member Arjuna RJ Contreras on drums opened the set with "Sue’s Boogaloo" and kept the house rocking all night!
With a nonstop hour and a half set that had the crowd on their feet and dancing, the three piece played a mix of covers and original blues hits that would have felt right at home along the Mississippi Delta. Aside from an incredible drum solo by Contreras and a deep grooving bass solo by Penner, Sue, with her electrifying presence, was front and centre bending and shaping the guitar tones to match the emotion and grit in her voice.
Taking a moment to acknowledge her book, along with some of the guitar legends featured in interviews including Bonnie Raitt, Suzi Quatro and Lita Ford (along with many others), Foley pulled up a chair and grabbed her custom made Mexican Flamenco guitar treating the audience to a mini stripped down set showcasing female guitar legends Memphis Minnie’s “Nothing in Rambling” and her innovative guitar picking style, as well as Elizabeth Cotton's "Cotton Picking” guitar style with the crowd sing along “Freight Train.” Foley finished the acoustic set, as the band joined her back on stage, with one of her own, “Jack of Diamonds”.
Strapping the paisley on again, Foley took a moment to explain the meaning behind her alias, “The Ice Queen” (also the title of her 2018 release). “To be an Ice Queen”, Sue explained, “is not a bad thing, it just means that someone is waiting for the right person to melt that layer of ice around the heart”. With the fans in full agreement she delivered an incredibly soulful and beautiful rendition of her signature song.
Playing since she was in her teens, Sue and her guitar embody everything warm, gritty and smoky about the blues. Watching her lose herself, punctuating notes with a stomp or a head toss highlighted her passion for the music she plays so well. Adding to the depth and richness of the sound, Penner and Contreras are the perfect backing band. Together, they delivered a night of incredible music that left the crowd feeling happy to sing the Blues.
Photo Concert Gallery (all photos by: Michael Drukarsh)
Sue Foley Online
Show Date: April 10, 2026
Comments