Juno Winner Fred Eaglesmith brings his Travelling Steam Show to Horning’s Mills

November 19, 2014 · 0 Comments

Juno winner and Port Dover native Fred Eaglesmith has built his career on the rural character of Ontario. For 35 years he has toured around towns and cities across the continent singing about the people and places in this province. In doing so he has earned international accolades, gold records, a spot on David Letterman and songs covered by recording stars such as Miranda Lambert and Toby Keith, but Eaglesmith says the time has come to bring his show back home to where it truly belongs. The upcoming concert at the Horning’s Mills Hall on Saturday, November 29, is just one of the local shows he has planned this fall.
“For years I have been out on the road. I have been playing to people all over the world and for those few weeks a year, when I was able to get home from wherever I was, I would drive past a Legion or a community hall somewhere in Ontario and think – ‘Why not play these halls? Why not play for these people?’”, says Eaglesmith.
At the same time, community volunteers have been asking themselves similar questions; how can we fill our halls and how can we reach out and encourage new people to get involved? Knowing they share similar goals, and with a desire to provide a special night out – complete with fancy stage costumes and a top hat – Eaglesmith and his team have been actively engaging community halls and their members to host shows.
Sarah Harrison of Horning’s Mills is one person who has agreed to help put together a show, “The Horning’s Mills Hall Board is excited to be bringing Fred Eaglesmith to the Hall. We’ll use the money raised from the community dinner and refreshments served during the show to install ice breakers and repair damaged vents on the roof of the building”, says Harrison. The history, warmth and character of the Hall provides a great venue for live entertainment, and the show provides an opportunity to raise awareness and contribute to the organization’s ability to keep the Hall running.
The Hall serves as an important meeting place for those in and around the Village of Horning’s Mills, providing events benefiting the community in the areas of recreation, education, and the arts, and including such activities as yoga and dance classes, community brunches and dinners, craft sales, and more.
The work they do, and the venue they provide, excites Eaglesmith to no end, “Old halls are special places. We love the vibe and we love that the right people are benefiting from our shows.”
Eaglesmith also thinks community halls are the ideal venue for his Travelling Steam Show. The songs he writes and performs, with the help of his band – which includes Texas knock-out Tif Ginn as opener and back up vocalist, bassist Justine Fischer, Matty Simpson on guitar and drummer Kori Heppner – seem particularly poignant and appropriate in these places because they are genuinely tied to the lives, labors, trials, tribulations and triumphs of the everyday people who may visit them.
“I have played so many venues I can’t even count them all but I can tell you, the best shows are the ones where I pull up and share a night with folks like those I meet at Ontario’s community halls. It is not what people think the music business is – but I say it is what the music business should be. A good night – in a good place. I just can’t wait for these shows.”
The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are available now at The Masonville Store, Shelburne Town Hall and online at www.fredeaglesmith.com for $25 just for the show or $37 with dinner (served from 6:30 – 8 p.m.). Tickets at the door are $5 more.