MEOTA — It’s Aug. 17 and the highly anticipated Keegan Isaac and his Itsy Bitsy Big Band benefit concert is about to begin. This is a premier concert for all. Has a big band ever played in a small town in Saskatchewan? Certainly, Keegan has never arranged a concert of this magnitude.
Imagine the scene: a stage bathed in violet banners and light, a band in formal black suits, each adorned with a striking red tie (a gift from Keegan to his band members). Like the Lawrence Welk show, each music stand has an “Itsy Bitsy Big Band” banner lovingly handmade by volunteers. And, of course, there is a band leader. Keegan, the man of the hour, is a vision in a burgundy shirt and fitted grey vest.
The packed Meota Hall undergoes a magical transformation as the stage is set. What was once a gym is now pulsating with the energy of a nightclub, ready to host a night of unforgettable music and entertainment.
Since he was 14, Keegan’s love for the Big Band genre has been unwavering. He had dreamt about this concert: every detail meticulously planned, every song carefully chosen. At 20 years of age, his dream is about to become a reality. On a student budget, the concert came together “almost miraculously”. Ultimately the performance was “everything I imagined and more!” He gratefully noted the personal significance of the moment.
In October, Keegan’s mother passed away from cancer. Keegan knew the concert of his dreams would be a magnificent tribute to his mother and her dedication to his musical career. His support network of fellow musical students agreed to be members of his little Big Band; mentors from his youth were added. Everyone had a reason to be included.
He knew it had to be in Meota. He knew it would be titled “My Kind of Town.” He knew who to ask to pave the way for the concert.
The heart of the music community in Meota, Charles and Anne Baillargeon, had previously organized 14 musical fundraisers. He approached them in February with the idea to host a Big Band concert this summer. They immediately agreed! Keegan was, after all, the town’s very own musical prodigy. The genre, Big Band, would take musical entertainment in Meota to a new level.
The Baillargeons agreed to promote the event, sell tickets and prepare the venue. Keegan would arrange the music.
“The show sold out three times!” Charles Baillargeon notes. Each time they sold out, a new list of people wanted a ticket. Each time, they increased the chair count to accommodate. The numbers went from 320 to 350. Show night, 380 guests packed the Meota Arena for “My Kind of Town!” Not a chair was empty! The last two seats went to guests who were 81 and 91 years old and drove an hour from Spiritwood. They hoped this would not be the last time they saw Keegan perform.
Charles Baillargeon reflected after the concert: “Keegan had the crowd smiling, laughing, clapping and dancing in their seats,” he added, “including an impromptu auction of Keegan’s last gospel CD.”
The pace slows. Keegan sits to sing a dedication to his mother, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” his mother’s favourite song. Many in the audience are brought to tears, and Keegan receives his first standing ovation.
Charles summed it up perfectly: “It was a heartfelt evening. There was an emotional connection between the performers and the audience.” Indeed, Keegan has a way of communicating with his audience.
Gene Aulinger, musician, teacher and band leader of Itsy-Bitsy Big Band, explains the synergy: “The performers on stage and the audience connected. They shared a profoundly personal journey, an experience that will be cherished for a long time.”
He explains music is a language. Big Band is a genre of positive vibes and big sound so when the energy of the musicians and the crowd is in tune, it becomes miraculous. And indeed, so it was that night.
For Keegan, the concert fulfilled a dream and enabled him to do something productive with his grief.
The band included fellow music students and local musicians: Jack Tatchell on trumpet, David Decker on alto sax, Erin Forman, violinist; accordion; dobro mandolin; Madison Hemmerling, Ann Marie Woyatowich, Don Tatchell on drums, Ross Ulmer on trombone and Sanjana Brijlall, vocalist and tap dancer.
International trombone artist and former member of the Duke Ellington band, Brad Shigeta, was the special guest artist. His magnificent trombone voice was garnered by a master’s in music and perfected by years of living in New York and being part of performances with many live jazz greats. The comedian in Keegan quips, “You know he’s the best in the band; they are the ones who get to play with the toilet plunger.” And so, he did!
The wonderful evening ended with yet another standing ovation.
The band hugged one another after they walked off stage to the back. They knew they were a part of something extraordinary in a unique town. This was a fantastic journey for friends and musicians. They shared the heartbreak of losing a mom and being part of a childhood dream come true. Musicians came from miles away and donated their talents and time. Guests came from near and far. For everyone in that room that night, it was a performance that will remain long in their memory.
Keegan, who had been on this stage since he was eight, fulfilled his dream of a Big Band performance with his friends in his community. Every detail flowed from the arranged playlist of old and original music through the humorous moments of a microphone that was not co-operating. The concert dedicated to his mom accelerated his career as a concert organizer – a high marker has been set. His special event raised over $11,000 for COPS, the Community Oncology Program at the Battleford Union Hospital.
The small town of Meota, a community by the lake, was indeed the perfect spot for Keegan’s first homecoming concert.
Driving home, the dream of bringing the positive energy and happy, beautiful vibes of a big band danced like sugar plums in his head. He chuckles when he wonders how many performers get to drive five minutes home to a farm. He figures 380 people are an audience about the size of the Copa Cabana. It’s a magical audience number made famous by Frank Sinatra, and Saturday night proved the theory that this is the perfect audience size.
That night, the energy of Big Band, made famous in the difficult decades of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, came alive for an appreciative audience in Meota, Saskatchewan, to enjoy.
Later, the entertainer began musing about sharing Big Band again: How many gymnasiums in small towns in Canada can become nightclubs for a night?
