For anyone sitting on the fence about ponying up for ducats to see The Higgins , the dynamic young British Columbia family band who’ll play Nov. 7 at the Admiral Theatre , the group offered up a compelling nudge Sunday night.

That is, if you put any credence in the British Columbia Country Music Association’s annual doling-out of awards. The Higgins — 26-year-old John , 22-year-old Eileen and 20-year-old Kathleen — carted off six awards, including Album of the Year for their summer release, "Real Thing."

The group also won Best Group-Duo honors in the ceremony at the Red Robinson Theatre in Coquitlam (and if there was ever a phrase that summarized country music in B.C., it’s "the Red Robinson Theatre in Coquitlam"). Their song "Flower Child," co-written with manager and co-producer David Wills , won Best Single, Best Songwriter and Best Video (directed by Stephano Barberis). They also won BCCMA’s "roots/Canadiana" award, presumably for being , well, rootsy and Canadian.

Bass player Dennis Marcenko, who played on "Real Thing," was voted onto the all-star band, but nominees John (guitar) and Eileen ("special instrument") both missed out. Eileen, who won the BCCMA honor last year for her mandolin-pickin’ proficiency, can’t feel too bad, though — earlier this fall she won the same category at the Canadian Country Music Awards … which, if you’re keeping score, is the whole flamin’ country, not just one province.

Having heard a good chunk of "Real Thing," I can attest to its appeal, not only to BCCMA voters but to the country music community in general. It’s a seamless amalgam of traditional Country and Western sounds, highlighting fresh three-part harmonies and Kathleen’s Shania Twain-esque lead vocals, a splash of young-country hubris, a tasty rock ‘n’ roll sensibility … and an overflow of energy. The songs literally jump out at you, and make you wonder just what seeing the trio (and three backing musicians) live would be like.

Pretty good, I bet.

So, if you were leaning, take it from me and the BCCMAs. Like the title of their record, The Higgins are the "Real Thing." The show’s at 8 p.m. Nov. 7 (dinner, for those with foresight and hunger, is available with reservation beginning at 6:30 p.m.).

Information: (360) 373-6743, admiraltheatre.org ; and to hear several of the more poppin’ songs off "Real Thing," you can fire up the music player at higginsmusic.com .

More later … — MM

Keep track of Sunday’s British Columbia Country Music Association awards, which will be doled out Oct. 26 in Coquitlam, B.C., and you’ll know just how many of the awards The Higgins will be toting into Bremertron for their Nov. 7 at the Admiral Theatre.

The photogenic young family band from Delta, B.C. — John Higgins , 26, and his sisters Eileen , 22, and Kathleen , 20 — will perform at the BCCMA show, where they’re also nominated for 13 various awards, ranging from B.C. Entertainers of the Year to honors for their producer, videos and Web site.

Then they won’t play again until they hit the stage at the Admiral. Dinner, for those of you with the wherewithal to make reservations, is served beginning at 6:30 p.m., and The Higgins will bring all that pent-up energy from a week’s vacation onto the stage at 8 p.m.

"It’ll be a kickoff night for us," Eileen said during a phone interview Oct. 23. "It’s the start of quite a few dates for us (the group will tour well into December), so we’re really looking forward to it."

Both John (guitar) and Eileen (mandolin) are nominated for individual musicianship awards. Eileen won the "special instrument" category in 2007 for her playing. The group is also up for songwriting honors, based on the material on their June release, "Real Thing" — a CD, ironically, that takes its name from one of the few songs some combination of the siblings didn’t write.

Eileen said the Admiral show will include both electric and acoustic components — the threesome (Kathleen also plays guitar) will be backed by another guitarist, bassist and drummer.

In the four or five years since they were singing a cappella, mostly-for-fun gigs, Eileen said she thinks The Higgins have become a polished and crowd-pleasing unit.

"We think we put on a good show," she said. "We just want to be real with the audience and have a lot of energy in our shows."

After a week off, they ought to be rarin’ to go.

Information: (360) 373-6743, admiraltheatre.org, higginsmusic.com

More later … — MM

If you’re on the fence about whether to go see Kathy Mattea when she plays at the Admiral Theatre on Oct. 24, I’m telling you — GO.

Up until about a week ago, I knew as much about Mattea and I knew about quantum physics (come to think of it, I might know more about quantum physics). But a phone interview with the veteran country-folk-roots singer last week (the results of which you can read at kitsapsun.com/entertainment and in the Oct. 17 print edition of Kitsap A&E ), and a listen to some of her music, has made me a convert.

Hopefully, she’ll play most — if not all — of her newest CD, "Coal ," which is a collection of songs about coal mining and coal miners. To say that her interpretations of the songs she chose for the record are effective would be a gross understatement — I think I cried five times (and I’m not a person normally given to the water works), and the closing, a cappella reading of "Black Lung" had me blubbering like a kid throughout.

I can hardly wait to hear her perform live.

More later … — MM