The stars have finally aligned for Jeffery Straker and the Marysburg Assumption Church and Centre Of The Arts with Straker coming to perform a live acoustic show on April 8.
It been a year and a half since the Punnichy raised singer/songwriter was last performing in the Humboldt area and five since hearing about the impressiveness of the Assumption Church.
鈥淚t鈥檚 funny about how word travels around Saskatchewan about places to play and quite a few places I went people said to check out Marysburg,鈥� says Straker.
With his sister singing harmony and a double bassist, Straker says his acoustic folk-roots-pop sound will definitely fit the space.
Straker has been a busy artist since the release of his latest album, Dirt Road Confessional, about a year and a half ago. Straker鈥檚 seventh full album debuted at number five on the iTunes Canadian singer/songwriter chart, which is great because that meant that people were actually buying it, he laughs.
More importantly, the album鈥檚 success meant a lot of bookings with the stop in Marysburg being a part of a larger cross Canada show that is keeping Straker hopping.
Between May 2017 and May 2018, Straker will be doing around 100 shows including his first European tour which already has him booked to return for even more performances in 2019.
He has also been a regular cast member on Telemiracle for the last two years after seven years of performing on the Saskatchewan based telethon, including the most recent Telemiracle 42 March 3-4. Straker has also been busy compiling the score for the Regina鈥檚 Globe Theatre show, Us.
If anything, Straker only wishes he had a little more time to relax, but his phrase for working in the arts at times like these are, 鈥渨hen it rains, you gotta run around with a bucket.鈥�
Even with the success of Dirt Road Confessionals, Straker learned early that people wanted to hear some of his other tunes as well, including Wonderful Mrs. Bell and I Wanna Go Back There.
鈥淚 constantly get surprised by listeners that they know and want to hear certain songs...people would either message me or corner me after a show. People really like certain songs.鈥�
Straker says he is finding the best set to be ones that include Dirt Road Confessional tunes mixed with some Straker classics.
No matter what people come to listen to, Straker says he hopes people come to escape with him into an afternoon of music and stories.
鈥淭he reason I do what I do is I am a lyric nerd. I love sharing songs with people that make people think but also get their toes tapping.鈥�
If he can do that, he has succeeded, he says.
