Friday night marks the beginning of another season of Westlock’s Cultural Arts and Theatre Series (CATS).
Fredericton, N.B. singer/songwriter David Myles will take to the stage for a night that celebrates east coast music.
“The idea is people can have a good time and relax,” Myles said. “The guys I play with are fun to watch. I play with an upright bass player, a guitar player and we all sing.”
His Westlock stop is part of a seven-town Alberta tour that includes stops in Fort Saskatchewan, Cold Lake and Calgary.
“I’m excited about it. I love discovering new parts of Canada, I really do. One of the best parts of my job is that I’ve seen almost every corner of the country.”
Myles is no stranger to traveling and playing shows off the beaten path in places like Westlock — he says they’re the ones he likes best.
“It’s a huge part of our day-to-day in terms of touring … much more than most musicians in Canada,” he said.
“I really see that as being one of my favourite parts of my career.”
He says whether people are familiar with him or not, they can expect a fun night.
“It’s fun, I engage the crowd a lot, I tell stories and I like to tell jokes,” he said.
“You don’t need to know my songs, or who I am really well to enjoy the show. The idea is it’s accessible, it’s family-friendly, it’s for people who want to come out and be entertained.
“The songs are varied, it’s not just one mood. I play some gospel stuff, some bluegrass stuff, some R&B stuff.”
Among his musical accolades includes the 2013 Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year for his collaboration on the song Inner Ninja with fellow Maritimer Luke Boyd, better known as rapper Classified.
“We’ve collaborated together as songwriters for probably five years and we get along very well and we have different ways of approaching music,” Myles said.
“I have a traditional music background and he doesn’t at all. He has a totally different way of approaching music, but it’s amazing, I’ve learned so much from it.
“We’re really close friends and I think that’s what made it work.”
After the conclusion of the mini Alberta tour, Myles heads back home to the Maritimes for a series of Christmas shows.
When Myles isn’t on the road he guest hosts a regional show on CBC Radio, “The East Coast Music Hour.”
“I don’t host it every week anymore because I’m on tour too much,” he said.
Tickets for the performance are on sale at the Flower Shoppe on Main Street, while a limited number of tickets will be on sale at the door on the night of the show.
