Look out Texas – the Lone Canadian is heading south! In February 2012, Nancy Beaudette will embark on a 10 day tour through the Lone Star State, guitar and Maple Leaf in hand. She’ll land in Fort Worth on Feb 09th for two performances in the city before making her way to Houston for a full week of performances. When asked, Nancy said, “My hosts assure me that Texan’s really know how to serve up ‘big’ hospitality, so I’m really excited for this tour.”
Check out the schedule below:
Saturday, Feb 11th, 7:30 p.m. Open Doors Productions Coffeehouse
Sunday, Feb 12th, 10:30 a.m. Agape MCC – Charter for Compassion Service
Monday, Feb 13th, 9:30 p.m. McGonigals Mucky Ducks Open Stage
Tuesday, Feb 14th, 7:00 p.m. Featured writer at NSAI Kingwood, TX
Thursday, Feb 16th, 7:30 p.m. Anderson Fair – Featured writer in the round
Saturday, Feb 18th, 7:30 p.m. Sandi’s House Concert
Sunday, Feb 19, 2:00 p.m. Guest performer at LOAF Women’s Group
Nancy Beaudette followed the lead of her songwriting heros when she took the stage last Sunday night at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bluebird Café is one of the world’s preeminent listening rooms and the venue has gained worldwide recognition as a songwriter’s performance space where the “heroes behind the hits” perform their own songs; songs that have been recorded by chart-topping artists in all genres of music. Located in a small strip mall outside of downtown Nashville, the 100 seat venue is unassuming in appearance but some of the most significant songwriters and artists have performed on this stage. Our reputation as a listening room is based on the acoustic music that is our signature style. Our patrons repeatedly tell us that they are captivated by hearing songs performed by the creators themselves.
For the past four years Nancy has been frequenting this Music City, performing in listening rooms around town and c0-writing with numerous artists. She will step onto the Bluebird’s Stage again on Sunday, June 10th, 2012.
The National Women’s Music Festival is a four-day musical and cultural extravaganza that incorporates all facets of women’s lives. It’s a jam-packed long weekend where choices for things to do range from workshops, concerts, comedy, theatre presentations, a marketplace, newly released films and videos, a live auction, spirituality series, writer’s series and much, much more!
On July 1st, Nancy put on a stellar performance to a full house! As it was also Canada Day, tribute was payed to her home and native land, along with stories of her life in Eastern Ontario.
As an unexpected bonus, Festival Organizers asked Nancy to lead the Saturday evening “All Artist’s Jam Session”! The night was capped in a high energy, joyous atmosphere. Highlights included an invitation for the stage crew to step into the limelight and join in a rousing rendition of “These Boots are made for Walking”!
Chris MacLean & Nancy Beaudette at St. Lawrence Stage, Morrisburg, ON
Whether sharing the stage or performing solo, artists Nancy Beaudette and Chris MacLean delivered a concert at the St. Lawrence Stage on Saturday, April 9th, that literally won hearts – and also a new group of fans.
Beaudette offers empowerment workshops when she isn’t on stage. Her theme “run, fly, soar” frankly struck me as exactly the right description for the musical experience she and MacLean offered the audience Saturday night.
The two musicians, both recipients of major Canadian music awards, each with successful albums out, backed each other up both instrumentally and vocally. They have worked together before, and it showed in the way they were comfortable with each other on stage and in the effortless blending of their voices on songs like “A Million Reasons to be Here with You” and “Make My Feet Be Still”.
Yet as solo performers, the artists have unique, personal approaches.
Chris MacLean’s music is often poignant. She has known love and loss and her very thoughtful lyrics and vocal style reflect this.
There is also an undertone of social commentary in many of her pieces. She told the audience that one song was inspired by a series of negative signs she saw along a Michigan roadway, proclaiming that the world is dark and dreary. “If you’re always afraid the sky will fall / That’s no way to live at all / Trust the map inside.”
MacLean has performed in Africa taking her music to Tunisia and Morocco. She has seen desperate children, hungry children, children for whom the world is not a kind place. She reflects on social matters like these in her music, but never, as she herself puts it, in a ‘preachy’ way.
There is a real flavour of Nahsville, and traditioanal country in MacLean’s strong clear voice. She sang a Gillian Welch song, with its ironic undertones, following it with what was almost a ballad, “Sisters of Charity”, about a betrayed Cree woman in the 1840’s. The musical style of Appalachia seems ideally suited Chris MacLean’s voice.
Nancy Beaudette has a strong background in gospel music, for over 20 years writing and singing for the church. The open, rich, full voice gospel style seem to be reflected in her approach to music.
Whether she was strumming a ukulele in a short medley of old favourites, or delighting the audience with an upbeat bouncy spring song “You’ve got a step in your swing / You make the robins and the daffodils jump up and sing” her voice was an instrument itself.
Beaudette is an Eastern Ontario girl, born and bred, and she has kept those roots in her music. There are memories of childhood, old friends, old places in her music.
“South Branch Road” is just one example. It is a song about the line outside Cornwall where she grew up. “The South Branch Road winds and rollls, Like the river that flows by its side. I can trace the years from my birth to here / right down the centre line”.
And who could fail to enjoy the hilarity in Beaudette’s song about her less than successful efforts to be a hockey star in college (dedicated to Cornwall Olympic star Lori Dupuis)? “Just like Bobby Orr / Shoot to score”
The Chris MacLean, Nancy Beaudette concert was a memorable and highly enjoyable one. When they performed, one could not miss the sense of optimism which seemed to run through their music. Almost a sense of joy.
The audience at the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage was attracted right from the beginning.
