by Kyle Wells [email protected] Matt Andersen, the Canadian bluesman who blew the audience away at the Vinyl Café evening last October, is returning to headline a concert at Max Cameron Theatre on Wednesday, October 5.
As part of a 40-shows-in-45-days tour, Andersen is making a stop in Powell River, a community he still remembers for the enthusiasm of the crowd when he last played here. Andersen also played at the Sunshine Music Festival in 2006 and said he’s really looking forward to getting back to play here again.
Andersen is promoting his new album, Coal Mining Blues, recorded with producer Colin Linden and cut at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York. Helm is a former member of The Band and former Band alumni Garth Hudson also plays keyboard on the album. Vinyl Café staples, pianist John Sheard and bassist Dennis Pendrith, also appear. It’s an album storied in history, speaking to the lives of working people and to the industries that shaped communities across the nation.
“[I] pretty much assembled my dream team of players that I’ve wanted to play with for a long time,” said Andersen. “I just showed up and sang with everybody, it was pretty cool.”
For those who saw Andersen play at the Vinyl Café concert he said they can expect a similar atmosphere only with a lot more songs and some new tracks. Andersen said he tries to keep the energy up in the crowd when he plays live and tries to make the show a shared experience between performer and audience.
Andersen attributes his success and his audiences’ enthusiastic reactions to reminding “everybody of their uncle playing campfire songs a little bit.” He doesn’t describe himself as a showman and said he plays his songs live the same way he plays them at home, which creates a sense of legitimacy that people respond to.
“Music at home was just something you always shared, it was never a separation between performer and audience,” said Andersen. “We just played in the kitchen or played with friends at home. I still try to get that vibe playing with an audience, the more they get into it, the more I get into it, try to feed off each other like that.”
Blues isn’t a genre commonly associated with Canada, but for Andersen that distinction doesn’t ring true. Growing up in the rural town of Perth-Andover in New Brunswick, Andersen found influence in the working-class music that he heard, providing a sensibility attuned to the blues. Growing up close to the United States border also helped expose Andersen to the blues and helped him discover the sound.
“It’s really not that watered down, I don’t think, when you come up to Canada,” said Andersen. “I’ve been lucky that way. As far as what I bring to it, your own experiences, your own stories come into it.”
Playing in smaller communities often equates to playing in smaller venues, something that Andersen appreciates for the intimacy of the show.
“The big venues are a lot of fun too,” said Andersen. “You get quite a bit of energy off 1,000 people, but it’s really cool to be able to see everybody’s face and hear their toes tapping.”
Opening for Andersen is Del Barber, a 26-year-old Juno nominated Manitoba-based singer-songwriter, who plays music in the alt-country vein. Barber is promoting his 2010 release Love Songs for the Last Twenty, which was nominated for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year at the 2010 Junos.
The show starts at 7:30 pm and has reserved seating. Tickets are $26 for adults, $24 for seniors and $12 for students and children, available at Powell River Academy of Music, Breakwater Books and Coffee or by phone at 604.485.9633.
