With so many venues closed indefinitely across the country, it doesn’t seem like the music scene will return to normal any time soon. But while tours are pushed back on what seems like an almost daily basis, there are a handful of innovative artists who are finding new and creative ways to take their act to the highway. One such artist is Calgary-based singer/songwriter Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, who’s coming to town for back-to-back shows this weekend.
Touring in support of his fifth LP, Love Valley, Fitzgerald is setting out on an 11-show leg of what’s come to be known as “The Farm Tour,” which consists of small and intimate shows on farms across western Canada.
“Basically it’s a 20-foot-by-40-foot tent that we call ‘The Greenbrier,’” says Fitzgerald. “We throw it in the back of a truck, along with heat, chandeliers, chairs, and a PA, and we find a spot to set it up and we host people for the shows. It’s just a mobile venue in a pickup truck.”
Fitzgerald says that they send out the location, which will be no more than a 45-minute drive from Victoria, on the morning of the show. The tent hosts five cohorts, or households, which are seated in a physically distanced manner.
Fitzgerald says that the new record was ready when COVID-19 hit and everything changed.
“I called everyone that I know in the industry and got some advice and I decided to go ahead and put it out,” says Fitzgerald. “Basically, I wrote this record by detailing my dream outcome. Where I wanted to see things go for my life. I’d never really taken the time to think about that. That’s what it is, and I think that’s pretty universal.”
Fitzgerald says he decided to follow some of the traditional routes with PR, but with the current situation he had to be innovative to make sure that his music was heard.
“Traditionally, that would be supported by press, and touring, and events, and playing at radio stations,” says Fitzgerald. “But, like many other artists, I had shows cancelled at the beginning of the lockdown, and playing live is part of my livelihood. I had to think of a way to do something because A, I love playing for people, and B, to give the record the attention it deserves. These tent shows check both those boxes, but it also meant we could go ahead with the release. I just keep going out and playing for people, 20 at a time, to just keep inserting energy into it, and fuel the story.”
After trying a few streams back in the spring, Fitzgerald says it made him see that he needed to play for people in person.
“That’s when I asked myself if it would be weird playing to four people in my backyard?” says Fitzgerald. “It ended up being so fun. I played 58 shows, averaging six people a night, in my backyard all summer. We had to find a way to do it differently, so we decided to take the tent on tour.”
Fitzgerald says the end product almost feels like a cross between a house concert—due to the stage banter between songs—and a mini concert hall.
“We’ve done 22 touring shows through Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba so far,” says Fitzgerald. “Every night has been great. We always hear a unique perspective on how the world’s going and how everyone’s feeling. And there’s no set list, so the shows are full of all kinds of twists and turns. Often the conversation predicates what song will come next. I definitely plan on continuing The Greenbriery into next year.”
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald
8 pm Friday, October 29 and 8 pm Saturday, October 30
$37, locations to be announced
michaelbernardfitzgerald.com