StettlerLocal.com April 9, 2024 at 8:30 pm
Folk/roots singer and pianist Jeffery Straker is probably one of the most enthusiastic promoters of small prairie towns.
Straker, who gave two performances on April 7 at the Stettler Performing Arts Centre, said it wasn't until he moved to Toronto that he fell in love with his small Saskatchewan hometown.
"Seeing [my hometown] from afar," he said, "helped me see things I didn't see when I lived there."
Straker, a funny and charismatic entertainer, joked about small town traditions. "Fall suppers are $10 gluttony," he said. "Am I right?"
He waxed poetic about prairie skies ("A sky aglow is a letter from home"), and referred to grain elevators as "prairie furniture", but added, "They're one of the few things that make people stop and take a picture."
His humour and philosophy translate into his music, which is lively and thought-provoking. He's been compared to Elton John and Neil Young, with his rich melodies and inventive lyrics.
Straker was gracious to the people working behind the scenes at the Stettler concerts, such as the sound technicians, Showcase volunteers, and the piano tuner. He dubbed Stettler "The Nicest Town in Alberta".
He encouraged the audience to sing a couple of songs with him, and took selfies with concert-goers during the break and after the show.
Accompanying Straker were guitarist Bryn Besse and bassist Connor Walsh.
Stettler was the last stop on Straker's month-long tour. On his Facebook page, he posted the tour statistics, "21 sets performed, 10,500 kms driven, 4 provinces, 23 hotels, 1000 laughs, countless wonderful people I got to meet."
The 2024-2025 Stettler Showcase lineup and tickets are available HERE. Season tickets now on sale. Individual show tickets go on sale May 16, 2024.
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