BARRHEAD – It is not often that Barrhead area residents have the opportunity to see an artist of Martin Kerr's stature and quality in-person.
This is what Barrhead Arts Council (BAC) president Jennifer Letchelt said about Kerr, an Edmonton-based singer-songwriter, who will perform at the Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS) theatre on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m., as the second in a four-concert series the council sponsored for the 2022-2023 season.
"He recently put on a concert at the Arden Theatre (in St. Albert), and it was so popular, it sold out."
Fortunately, for Kerr fans in St. Albert, they were able to put on a second show.
"But that shows people how popular he and his music is," she said.
During the height of the pandemic, Kerr made national headlines when he staged hundreds of concerts in Edmonton region neighbourhoods performing solo on streets, crescents and cul-de-sacs as part of his Stay Home Street Tour."
However, Lechelt said Kerr had been on the radar from even before the pandemic hit.
Every fall, there is an event in Fort Saskatchewan where Alberta artists can showcase themselves for community arts councils and other organizations looking to book potential entertainment acts. The BAC saw Kerr perform at the 2019 showcase.
"Everyone has 15 minutes to show what they are all about, and even in this short time span, in which he had the chance to play three songs and interact with everyone a little bit, not only could we tell that he was talented, everyone there is talented, but that he had something special that would appeal to a Barrhead audience," she said. "When we go to these showcases, we go in blind and in the short time that he had, his performance and manner just spoke to us all."
Lechelt said the BAC is also looking to widen the appeal of the acts they bring in, especially to attract a younger audience to the live arts.
And with Kerr, Lechelt believes they have an artist that appeals to everyone.
"He is mainly a pop artist but goes into many other genres such as hip-hop, soul, and funk. He is just a well-rounded, talented musician," she said, adding, which is why Kerr has performed with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra on multiple occasions. "There will be something for everyone ... he has this great sing-along song, "You're Amazing."
Tickets are $30 and are available in advance through Comfort Corner or at the door. Concertgoers are asked to use the school's north entrance, at the rear of BCHS, using the bus lane off of 49th Street.
The third concert in the series, on March 16, sees Over the Moon, an acoustic roots duo featuring Suzanne Levesque and Craig Bignell, perform. The pair was nominated for a 2022 Juno Award for the Best Roots/Traditional album.
Closing out the series will be Steve Pinepo, a Calgary-based singer/songwriter who will be performing his Elvis show.
