Saskatchewan singer Eileen Laverty is coming to Melfort to perform for a Home Routes Show on Sunday, Oct. 27.
Laverty said she was invited to be on the first Home Routes tour 17 years ago but could not do the shows because of her work situation.
“Now I’m able to go and I’m just thrilled to be working with them,” she said. “They are a wonderful organization. I’m excited because it’s an opportunity to get out to some communities.”
Laverty compared it to touring for OSAC (the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils).
She said Home Routes is a nice chance to have intimate concerts and really make a connection with the audience.
“I have not done any house concerts in Saskatchewan, so that’ll be fun to get into some of these other communities down south, particularly as well, and like Frontier and Eastend,” she said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve played down in that part of the country so I’m just kind of looking at this as a reintroduction of sorts to go back and reconnect with folks.”
Laverty is in Eastend on Oct. 23 and in Frontier on Oct. 24.
“I’ve been to a number of these Home Routes concerts as an audience member as well, so I’m excited to get back to that,” she said. “It’s a really lovely community vibe and everyone there loves music and it’s really it’s just really a wonderful night,”
Laverty has been around the music industry for several years. She toured with her own band and played with the SSO (Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra).
“It’s never the same,” she said when asked about touring. “It’s always different and I’m looking forward to getting back out. It’s been a long time since I’ve actually gone on tour, so I’m quite excited.
“I was a full time English teacher, so I was doing a lot of my projects. I did music full time from 2000 to about 2007, and then I taught I went back to my career as a teacher full time but was still doing music part time.”
Laverty said it will be nice to reconnect at the grassroots level through the Home Routes.
“Now I’m fully engaged again in the music business and looking to find different avenues and different ways of sharing my music,” she said.
According to Laverty, the show will focus on her past work, current work and some covers as a tribute to some of her favourite songwriters.
“It’ll be a really fun night,” Laverty said.
This show is in a public venue Koffee Grounds but Home Routes shows can be at unique venues and private residences.
“It’s kind of like a secret club where you purchase your ticket, then you get the location and all the details, so I’m really excited to get out and meet people and have this sharing of music,” Laverty said. “It’ll be fun.”
This is Home Routes 17th season of bringing artists to smaller communities for ‘home-based’ shows. After Melfort, Laverty will be in Norquay on Oct. 29, Fort Qu’Appelle on Oct. 30 and Regina Beach on Nov. 1.
Koffee Grounds is at 518 Main Street, doors are at 6:30 p.m.and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 each and available online or at the door, if you see the poster there is also a QR code for tickets.
For more information on Laverty see www.EileenLaverty.com. For more information on Home Routes see homeroutes.ca
