Three renowned folk musicians will tune up their guitars and put on a show as a fundraiser to help save the Patricia Theatre.
Gary Fjellgaard and the duo Saskia and Darrel will be on stage 2 pm on Sunday, February 5 at the Patricia for a show presented by Friends of the Historic Patricia Theatre Society, a not-for-profit group that raises money for infrastructure support at the theatre.
All of the musicians involved have played at the Patricia before in fundraising events and they are looking forward to coming back, according to a press release.
Gary Fjellgaard is a Juno award-winning musician who tours all over Canada and Europe with his brand of Canadian western roots music. Originally from Saskatchewan, Fjellgaard prides himself on tapping into the old frontier spirit in his music and singing about an older, simpler way of life.
“His western heritage, cattle drives, wagon treks and working folks with ties to the land,” reads his online biography, “have all been an inspiration for the lyrical imagery in his songs.”
Saskia and Darrel, consisting of Darrel Delaronde and Saskia Overbeek, are also from Saskatchewan and describe their sound as “prairie roots music.” They often tour with Fjellgaard and say they have a similar spirit to the “vaudevillers, showbiz people, travelling snake-oil salesmen, big-tent revivalists.”
“People like us love being on stage,” the duo wrote online. “Entertaining is as much a part of our psyche as singing and playing, and after a while, the two get intertwined seamlessly.”
Both acts are promoting new albums, which will be available for purchase at the concert. Fjellgaard’s The Collection features his old classics recorded acoustically and Saskia and Darrel’s Songbirds is a new album of originals.
The Patricia is raising money to go toward a necessary switch to digital projection. Sometime later this year all movies will begin to be distributed in digital format and if the Patricia does not find the $75,000 necessary to make the conversion, it will no longer be able to screen movies.
Ann Nelson, theatre manager, said people often don’t realize that the theatre was originally designed with live music and performance in mind and has great acoustics for it.
Tickets for the show are $18.50 for adults and $15 for seniors and students and are available at Breakwater Books and Coffee or at the Patricia. For more information interested readers can visit the Patricia's website or call 604.483.9345.
