Meaghan Smith live in your living room; an unforgettable experience

Have you ever heard of a program called Home Roots? It’s a lovely program that supports Canadian music by allowing inspiring singers and musicians to travel a circuit of towns and provinces and play in people’s homes, coffee shops, and town halls; basically anywhere that’s capable of plugging in musical instruments and can seat an audience.

I’ve had the privilege to attend three Home Roots events here in Fort McMurray and they are worth every penny of my $35 dollar ticket. Not only are the concerts as intimate as it can get by literally having bands perform in the same living room I’m sitting in, but it truly was a wonderful experience that, just for a couple of hours, had taken me away from the business of everyday life.

Just this past weekend, I saw Meaghan Smith and Jason Mingle perform and it was magnificent. This was a sold out show, seating for approx. 25 people; which was a comfortable fit around a living room. The couple that hosts the local Home Roots experience open their home monthly to musicians; providing them with a place to stay, home cooked meals, sometimes sight seeing and in return, the musicians perform for an audience, interact with them and have an opportunity to sell merchandise.
Meaghan Smith was phenomenal and all of her songs bled from her own memories and experiences which made each verse and lyric more real and familiar.
Meaghan was nominated for three East Coast Music Awards and is the recipient of the 2011 JUNO for Best New Artist. Originating from Nova Scotia, Meaghan’s album, The Crickets Orchestra, offers a mix of blues inspired folk music that just touches you when you hear it. Although Meaghan was not part of the current Home Roots circuit, she supports the Home Roots Initiative and was able to fit this visit into her performing schedule between Canmore and Edmonton, allowing the host couple to end their Home Roots musical experiences with Meaghan’s show.

For more information about Meaghan Smith, visit her website at http://www.meaghansmith.com/
For more information about Home Roots, visit http://www.homeroots.ca/