Bluebird North’s behind the music

Andy Stochansky

The tagline for this year’s instalment of the Bluebird North tour aptly describes it as a series of shows “where songwriters sing and tell.”

The event offers music fans across the country the opportunity to see some of the biggest names in Canadian music perform and discuss their craft in an intimate setting. The last thing you’ll hear is a dry discussion about the technical side of recording according to co-producer and host Blair Packham.

“There might be a story about how the whole band recorded the song nude or whatever,” said Packham, formerly of The Jitters. “It’s about the emotion or about what happened in the studio or whatever, it could be something very funny or tragic for that matter.”

Bluebird North brings a relatively eclectic group of musicians together. The line-up for the Toronto show includes Andy Stochansky and Canadian Idol runner-up Gary Beals.

Stochansky said the chance to play with a group of people who view songwriting as a craft as well as being able to get up on stage and give a solo acoustic performance, showing fans what a song sounded like when it was in its early stages, was very appealing.

“It’s pretty amazing,” he said. “It’s like going to writer’s camp and it’s just inspiring because you get to see how everybody else works and hear everybody else’s songs and you’re constantly talking about the process when you’re not playing.”

What sets Bluebird North apart from most concert tours is the question and answer facet of the evening. If you’ve ever been curious about what inspired Stochansky’s hit ‘Wonderful (It’s Superman)’ or you’re dying to pick veteran Canadian musician Rick Emmett’s brain this is your chance. Audience members often show up with carefully prepared questions according to Packham. He said aspiring writers could learn a lot at the gigs.

“I think people are drawn to it (Bluebird North) because they get to hear a little bit of the behind-the-scenes process but also they get to hear stories that inspired the writing, which isn’t the same thing as behind-the-scenes writing techniques it’s about inspiration,” he said.

The tour is a true meeting of generations, bringing up-and-coming artists together with musicians who have been in the game for some time. For a songwriter who’s still relatively new to the music business the chance to appear alongside experienced, well-known singers is both an honour and a valuable learning experience.

Co-producer and host Blair Packham

“I consider myself pretty fresh at it and as well I was a drummer before and picked up the guitar, for the most part, recently. So, I still feel like I’m learning,” Stochansky admitted.

“It’s cool to see the process and see that there’s seven people on stage who have been doing it for awhile,” he continued. “But also are down-to-earth enough to be able to answer questions like that (about songwriting and what inspires them), that there’s no bullshit about it.”

Not surprisingly, having a diverse group of artists on stage together creates an unusual dynamic. It can be uncomfortable at first, since many of the artists performing aren’t used to having five other people on stage with them, but at the same time it can also be exciting and refreshing because it keeps everyone on their toes.

This also leaves more room for spontaneity according to Packham. The only part of the evening that’s scripted are the songs and even then the people who are performing often end up playing on one another’s songs.

“Everybody brings their own thing into the pot and it’s cool because it’s not like a band where they’re the people I work with and that’s it,” Stochansky said. “Every night it’s like, OK, it’s completely different but also the fact that you know that; ‘Well, in a few days time it’s going to end.’ So, it’s really fresh.”

Bluebird North swings into Hugh’s Room (2261 Dundas St. W) February 12 and 13. Andy Stochansky, Kim Stockwood, Gordie Sampson and Gary Beals will play on February 12 with hosts Shari Ulrich and Blair Packham. Rick Emmett, Kevin Fox, Joel Kroeker, Craig Cardiff and Maureen Ennis will perform on February 13 with hosts Shari Ulrich and Roy Forbes.

Courtesy photographs