Born in Punnichy, the now famous folk/roots singer, songwriter and pianist Jeffery Straker has just released a new song One Foot On Main Street, which was inspired by “memories of being from a small Prairie town.” He is now going through many small and big Saskatchewan towns and cities and will be stopping in Estevan on Oct. 9.
The tour started on Oct. 1 in Shaunavon and over the next month will take Straker, the band and two other well-known Saskatchewan artists all across the province.
Straker is no stranger to Estevan. In the interview with the Mercury, he shared his memories of his last visit.
”The last time I performed in Estevan was probably five years ago (2014) and it was a small show at the Art Gallery, but it was packed it was a really nice audience. So that’s my memory of Estevan, so I’m hoping for similar memory from this show,” said Straker smiling.
Not only will this performance be bigger, but the format of the show also will be different.
“Last time it was just me and the piano. This time I’ll have a small backing band and two guests. So I think we are bringing something special to Estevan. I think it’s going to be a great night and the audience is going to like it,” said Straker.
Guests joining him on the tour are Jack Semple, who is a blues guitar player and vocalist, and folk singer Annette Campagne, who also plays the acoustic guitar-player and sings in both French and English. The music they play is different from Straker’s but it works well together.
“I think there is a real variety across three of us, so I think it makes for a good and interesting show,” said Straker.
Besides the individual parts, the three artists plan to come together on some cover songs and sing three-part harmony.
When performing, they also like talking to the audience, giving them background on the songs and telling some funny stories from what happened on the tour.
“We like to create an intimacy with the audience,” said Straker, noting that it’s something that will happen during the Estevan performance as well.
The audience will also get a chance to hear Straker’s new song, which has already received a lot of positive feedback.
“The lyrics of the song recall long-time memories, and … there is so many people living in big cities, small cities, cities the size of Estevan and Weyburn who really came from a small town in the first place. And they seem to be really finding or seeing themselves in this song,” said Straker. “So I’m excited to be able to perform it for the first time live on this tour and see what the life experience is.”
And even though due to family reasons he spent quite a bit of time in his small town of Punnichy earlier this year, he still misses it.
“It’s a charming little place… Every time I went back I just had so many memories of things that’d happened through my younger years. Driving past my old school, seeing the pool hall where we used to play. It was a simpler time. And small towns, even the ones that are still doing well today, they are great because they’ve just got that slower pace about them,” said Straker.
These days he spends half of his time in Toronto, and a half in Regina, and finds his trips back home “a little magical.”
The notion of a small town is another thing that unites the three performers, who all grew up in smaller communities and now happen to live in the same neighbourhood in Regina.
“We all like coming to places outside Saskatoon or Regina for shows,” said Straker.
The Estevan audience will also get a chance to personally meet the performers after the show.
"We like to stop and say hi to people wherever we go. For me, that's half the fun... It's just so great to connect after you spend that time together in the theatre, me making music, them listening and soaking up the music, it's so great to then actually have a conversation and just be people," said Straker.
The Estevan concert will be celebrating the 50 years of the Organization of Sask Art Councils. It will take place at the Estevan Comprehensive School on Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $25 for adult/senior, $15 for teens (13-18) and $7 for children (3-12). Door prices will be $30 for adult/senior, $18 for teens and $8 for children. Advance tickets are available at Henders Drugs, ticketpro.ca, the Visitor Information Centre in the Estevan Leisure Centre and the Estevan Arts Council office.
