On Saturday evening, singer and songwriter Jeffrey Straker performed in Carlyle at the Rusty Relics Museum.
The outdoor concert, which started at 7 p.m. had a cozy feel to it as people brought their lawn chairs and gathered about the stage in the back of the Rusty Relics’ property.
The concert was part of a tour that Straker has been on called the Pandemic Piano Backyard Tour, which will include over 50 such concerts.
Straker also performed at the Moose Mountain Lodge beforehand, but that performance was moved inside due to thunderstorms. Thankfully, however, the storm passed and Straker was still able to perform his concert at the museum without any major issues.
Overall, the concert was a delight, with Straker’s storytelling songs enchanting the audience throughout the evening. The audience, which mostly consisted of local Carlyle residents, was also able to take a peek at the interior of the museum and take a look at some of the exhibits during the intermission. In addition, popcorn and drinks were being sold.
Straker was also delighted to have been part of the concert and enjoyed the audience’s energy.
“That was a really nice audience…they were fantastic and…a live performance is an exchange of energy, and the musicians push energy off the stage, and you hope you get it back and tonight we got it back…it made it a really magical night.”
The concert consisted of many songs which highlighted the small town, agrarian lifestyle of the Prairies, which Straker grew up around.
Straker, as a musical artist, likes to define his genre as “roots folk,” as it has elements of folk music, but since folk has progressed to include many different variations, he also emphasizes the way that his songs spring from his roots, specifically his roots in Saskatchewan. They are storytelling songs, which relate to people of all places but are inspired by his home.
“The funny thing is, even though they might be story songs about the Prairies, I find people anywhere can sort of connect to them … cause they’re more songs about sort of like experience or places versus specifically here. But I also do think that songwriters from wherever they’re from have a duty to chronical that place, so I’m trying to do a bit of that, too.”
Straker’s music can be found on most music streaming platforms as well as on his website www.jeffstraker.com.
