I never imagined seeing Ashley MacIssac playing in Moose Creek, Ontario.
MacIssac was in concert at the Moose Creek Recreation Centre as part of the Festival of Small Halls series.
The Festival of Small Halls is organized and run by the same team that brings Bluesfest and City Folk to life. Their mission is to bring established and emerging artists to small halls around Eastern and Central Ontario.
Back to the concert — Moose Creek, with a population of about 300, surprised me with its beautiful recreation centre.
My wife and I arrived early and grabbed seats near the front. Immediately, I found a few unique features about the venue. The MacIssac concert was advertised along with an upcoming community supper. While I don’t drink, alcohol prices were about half compared to what you would find at an Ottawa venue.
Concert-goers slowly filtered in, and by 7:30 pm, the venue was packed. MacIsaac strolled in wearing a red Blue Jays cap, sunglasses and a vest.
With his left boot stomping out the rhythm, he wasted no time proving why he’s regarded as one of Canada’s finest fiddlers.
MacIsaac was joined by an exceptional guitarist who matched his energy note for note.
What sets a MacIsaac concert apart from others is his storytelling and humour. Every song has a backstory, sometimes poignant, sometimes funny, but never dull. He’s also not afraid to employ self-deprecating humour.
The other thing that made the concert unique was the sense of community. It was obvious most of the audience knew each other, but not in an exclusionary way. A number danced along to almost every tune that MacIssac played.
At intermission, I stepped outside and saw MacIssac speaking casually with fans like he was at a neighbourhood diner. There was a sincerity there that you rarely see with major stars.
I had a chance to speak to him on a range of topics, including upcoming gigs, travel plans, etc. It was not just the perfunctory selfie, then move on.
For the second half of the show, MacIssac did more of the same. He shared funny and tragic stories that interwove seamlessly with his music. His guitarist also played a few songs, including a bluegrass number that had everyone dancing.
By the end of the night, the Moose Creek concert was equal to, if not better than, most I had in my life. The venue, atmosphere and artist all converged for a magical evening.
The Festival of Small Halls has a variety of concerts going on at numerous venues until early December, featuring several artists including Corb Lund, MacIssac and Junkhouse, amongst others.
For more information about upcoming concerts and tickets, check out www.ontariosmallhalls.com
Photo: Courtesy Festival of Small Halls
