Curbside Concerts bring music to your door

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This article was published 21/08/2020 (2175 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Leaning forward to the microphone set on the lawn, musician JD Edwards welcomed the small group of people gathered in a Wolseley yard and launched into his first song of the evening.

Playing music is nothing new to singer-songwriter Edwards, well-known for fronting the JD Edwards Band, which has its roots in folk, rock, blues and alt-country. Playing outdoors is not new, either, given the band took the Winnipeg Folk Festival and Dauphin Country Fest by storm in the mid-2000s, the first of many festivals.

But the pandemic closed all indoor venues and shut down major and minor music festivals, leaving artists like Edwards short of gigs that would put him in front of his fans, and also short of a regular pay cheque.

Enter the Curbside Concerts concept. Started last March by veteran Calgary musician, Matt Masters, who came up with a way to get live music back into the lives of both performers and their song-starved audiences, Curbside Concerts allows people to book a musician and enjoy the music at a socially-safe distance on their front lawn.

“I saw this picture of Matt playing a concert from the top of his van, and thought this would be a great thing to have in Manitoba,” Edwards said, adding it didn’t take long to connect with Curbside Concert’s Manitoba producer Romi Mayes and start playing outdoor shows.

“I’m doing this as a solo artist, bringing a small PA, so I do get amplified,” the Riverview resident said. “I’ve been playing some of the JD Edwards Band songs, but they’re harder to do because they don’t translate well from a band to a singer-songwriter position. And I take requests. Someone this September wants me to do Fleetwood Mac. I’ll have to change the key. It’ll be a challenge, but people appreciate me giving it a shot.”

He’s done a handful of shows this summer, with another half-dozen of the 45-minute long curbside sets lined up for the fall.

Mayes, a local blues musician known for her comedic stage banter, said she has booked 60 shows since June for the eight musicians or duos who are part of the Manitoba Curbside Concerts.

“People are booking these for birthdays or anniversaries, or just a chance to get together with a few friends or neighbours and listen to music,” Mayes said, adding the concept has really caught on in live music-mad Manitoba.

“Some people are booking one artist for two sets. Some people go to one concert, enjoy it, and go on to book a concert of their own,” she said, adding she’s played to audiences in Winnipeg and as far as cottage country in places like Winnipeg Beach and Lac du Bonnet, as well as other parts of the province. “We are limited to how far we can travel, but if someone really wants us there, we’ll consider it.”

The five other artists on the Manitoba roster include Jamie Buckboro, Rodrigo “Papa Mambo” Munoz, Jessie Rae Ayre, Amber Rose and duos Double the Trouble and Fubuki Daiko. “I wanted to have a lineup that reflects our diverse cultures in the province,” Mayes said, adding the group includes Métis, Japanese and Latin American music.

A concert can be booked for $300, with $200 of that going to the artist, and $100 to the Curbside Concerts company. Tips for the musician are suggested at each concert.

“I’ve seen people split the cost of a concert between a group of friends or neighbours. I’ve also seen someone pay the whole thing, and then pass the hat for the musician,” she said.

Mayes expects the concerts will keep on going until October. “Can you see it? Have one on Halloween, when everyone is sitting outside, bundled up by a bonfire,” she said.

Curbside Concerts expect patrons to follow social distancing rules, including keeping a minimum of five metres away from the performer.

For more, see www.curbsideconcerts.ca