After years away, Sault musician returning to stage for all the right reasons

Joseph Kargiannakis (known professionally as Joseph Kargi) will be returning to a local stage to perform for the first time since the 2015’s For The Music Inside (FTMI) tour stop at Shingwauk Hall.

Kargi, who was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, relocated to Toronto to pursue various endeavours: working as a hired gun for studio work and score writing, becoming a member of John Hewitt’s band, collaborating with an artist collective, and performing solo as part of Arlene Paculan’s Let's Make A Good Production series, a cross-Canada concert series raising thousands for charities and non-profits.

“I took a more background supporting role in music with opportunities to do collaborative works,” he says.

Then the pandemic happened and like many musicians around the world, he found that his opportunities disappeared overnight.

“The devastating effect of all things coming to a halt and uncertainty for the future of where my chosen career path would lead me, was incredibly demoralizing. Unlike many who have much more fortitude than I and persevered with finding any way to keep releasing music, playing music and keeping the hope alive, I shut down.”

Kargi says that he removed any trace of being a musician from his life. 

“I truly believed that the journey had run its course and I allowed myself to explore alternative career paths at that time.”

Kargi returned to his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie and “shunning” his previous life found himself moving from job-to-job in the hopes of finding that fulfillment he previously felt with a career in the arts.

“Like most who run from what they should be doing, dissatisfaction of self was ever apparent,” he says.

He found it was through his friendships that Kargi was encouraged to return to what made him happy: music.

“If it was not for beautiful people like my friend Karin Beith, who encouraged me to return to music, I would have never had the courage to see if I still had it in me to get back on stage again,” he says.

Kargi and Beith were working together at JD Aero.

“Karin just lights up a room with her amazing charm and personality,” he says.

“Anyone who knows Karin knows how giving she is. The greatest of confidants and would never hesitate to give you her last dollar to help you no matter the trouble you are in. Over the past the years, this friendship has blossomed in supporting one another through the pandemic, family health crises, and the loss of loved ones.”

Recently, the musician discovered his friend is facing terminal cancer.

“With her being a single mom and foster parent, who has been unable to work since diagnosis due to the veracity of treatment and aggressiveness of her cancer, I asked myself ‘what can one do to help a beautiful friend in need?’”

Kargi booked a fundraising concert in honour of his friend at The Loft on Sunday, May 5.

“I like to believe music has a supernatural power of binding us all to the human experiences we face,” he says.

“If you can harness that power, the collective good can have an extraordinary impact. In this case, applying my craft to support my friend Karin in raising much needed funds to lessen the financial burden of her fight is an honour.”

Kargi says the outpouring support for both Karin and this event has already been overwhelming.

“To see a community like the Sault so affected by one woman's journey has been evident through donations, ticket sales and overall involvement in organizing this event. It is amazing.”

All proceeds from the event and a silent auction are going to directly to support Beith and her family, to ease the stress of medical and travel expenses while providing much-needed assistance.

Kargi, who released an EP of original songs back in 2011, says that the setlist for the evening will be a “peek into a songwriter's notebook spanning 15 years,” including songs that very few people have actually heard or seen performed.

“I will be focusing on pounding out originals on piano that speak to stories of friends, family and personal experiences,” he says, noting there will also be a favourite cover song or two.

As a musician and songwriter, Kargi has had an interesting journey.

He was raised in a household where music was a staple.

“Growing up in the Brethren Church, many Sundays were spent singing Hymns from the blue, Believers Hymn Book,” he says.

His earliest memories involve the family around the piano singing Christmas carols or something from The Sound of Music.

“Everyone in my family liked to carry a tune, or at least try,” he laughs.

“Living next door to my cousins gave me a unique melding pot of two houses with two pianos and five children total … all looking to make some noise.”

He and his cousins all took music lessons.

“When my oldest cousins started taking piano lessons from Monica McNally, myself and my sisters started. When they started taking voice under Agnes McCarthy and Paul Dingle, we followed suit. Naturally, this led me to participating in the Kiwanis Music Festivals that allowed me to sharpen my classical music training,” he says.

By the time Kargi hit high school, he was performing in community and school musical theatre productions, studying under Denine Williams at Korah Collegiate. Then he went on to study in Algoma University’s Music Program under Frank Deresti.

“That expanded my palate greatly through Frank‘s mentorship,” says Kargi, who says he owes a debt of gratitude to all his teachers.

As he developed into a songwriter, he embraced the “duality” of his classical upbringing paired with the R&B/hip hop exposure that his estranged father profoundly loved.

“Then my world was completely rocked when I first heard Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody on a shared MP3 player in Grade 9 science class,” he says.

“I was awestruck at the idea of what Freddie was doing with a piano. I immediately bought any Queen CDs I could get my hands on and attempted to learn every piano-centric song from their catalog.”

He says it was due to his first high school crush that he discovered Billy Joel.

“With that, I tried my hand at songwriting,” he says.

“I figured if Billy could sway love in is his favour, why can’t I?” he laughs, noting it didn't work out the first time he tried it.

“But something stuck … then you try on some Ray Charles, Ben Folds, or Leif Vollebekk and diversify, then taking parts of their approach, you develop your own personal style.

At the upcoming show at The Loft, Kargi will be reintroducing his musical style to the Sault audience. 

“The Loft is the very definition of class, elegance and everything one could hope for in a venue,” says Kargi.

“Guy Traficante and Greig Nori have created a venue that is arguably having the greatest impact on the resurgence of original music and artistry in all of Northern Ontario.”

For the concert, Kargi will be joined by two opening acts, a folk-rock trio consisting of Courtney McDonald, Steve Myers and Nick Brash, as well as the singer-songwriter, Tianna Legacy.

“I cannot wait to share my music on an evening of coming together in support my friend Karin, hosted in such a remarkable venue,” says Kargi.

For Karin - Joseph Kargi Live at The Loft

Algoma Conservatory of Music’s The Loft (75 Huron St.)

Sunday, May 5, 2024. Doors at 6 p.m. and show starts at 7 p.m.

Tickets $40. Cash bar.

To secure tickets to the event or to make a donation, click here.

To see items in the silent auction, click here.  

For more information on Joseph Kargi, visit his Instagram and Facebook pages.