One of the few remaining full-time travelling rock ’n’ roll productions, the Fred Eaglesmith Show, has performed extensively in North America and Europe.
But this April, Juno Award winner Eaglesmith plays a series of intimate shows in his native rural Ontario to celebrate the release of his 20th album Tambourine.
“The performance harkens back to the 60s and 70s’ variety shows that were on TV. It’s a show. It’s a lot more than a concert. I like to pay attention to what’s cutting edge and bring that into the live show,” said Eaglesmith.
His songs have been covered by some of the biggest names in Nashville, including Toby Keith, Alan Jackson and Miranda Lambert, and the band has been musical guests on David Letterman.
Eaglesmith, whose songs were also featured in the play Dear Johnny Deere, has spent over 30 years touring the world writing songs and collecting stories. He brings it together with his six-piece band for a music/comedy evening with a twist.
“When I put the songs together for Tambourine, I was thinking about the days when there were five push buttons on an automobile radio,” Eaglesmith explains.
“Everyone was listening to AM stations and, at any given time, one of those five buttons was playing a song worth listening to.”
Each show boasts a pie auction for charity. The rapid-fire auctioneer’s chant comes effortlessly to Eaglesmith as he spurs the audience to bid on a home-baked pie that stirs up memories of farmhouses and spring planting.
“It’s gonna just be rock ’n’ roll. It feels a lot like 1966, around there. I want to pick up where those guys left off. It was a really cool time in music,” Eaglesmith said.
Last summer the band raised $17,000 for Alberta flood relief. But most often, the money is donated to Operation Smile, a charity that helps treat facial deformities, such as cleft palates, in Third World countries.
In 2013, the band donated over $26,000 to Operation Smile.
“We all feel satisfied and rewarded when we can do something fun and simple to make a big change in a kid’s life,” says Eaglesmith.
“Everyday we get to live the kind of life we want to and we want to share this kind of freedom with others.”
Despite international acclaim and a world class show, fans are more likely to see Eaglesmith playing to 150 of his fans in a small town community hall or Royal Canadian Legion rather than a large theatre or concert venue, officials say. That’s the premise of the Small Town Ontario Spring Tour.
Likewise, it’s more probable to hear about his next live show via a stenciled roadside sign or simple black and white posters, and to find Eaglesmith sleeping in his bus in a parking lot over a five-star hotel.
The Fred Eaglesmith Show complete night of original music and jokes plays the following venues in the area:
– April 12, Legion Branch 229, Elora; and
– April 26, Theatre 311, Listowel.
For tickets or the full list of venues, visit www.fredeaglesmith.com.
Tickets are also available at the door.
