The secret to one man’s success

Acoustic blues-rocker, Mark Reeves, known for his legendary live performances and an ability to take over the stage, is coming to the Golden Civic Centre, November 13, with special guests Sister Girl from Revelstoke. The show marks the latest in a series of successful Live Kicks events put on by Kicking Horse Culture.

Reeves, an accomplished Winnipeg-based artist, earned his stripes on both ends of the musical spectrum. Not only has Reeves played in clubs and festivals all over North America, at the age of 19 he won a scholarship to Berklee’s prestigious College of Music in Boston. However, with three albums under his belt, Reeves has developed his own approach to music, one that is well beyond the academic.

There’s only so much you can learn about music from school, says Reeves.

“At its element, you can’t teach someone music. You can tell them what notes to play, but you can’t teach the emotions that go along with them. How can you teach something like Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water?” says Reeves.

“Don’t tell me about style, don’t tell me what notes to play.”

Reeves’ musical style is heavily influenced by his upbringing. Reeves recalls how he grew up in a European family that didn’t listen to the radio, but imported music like gospel, soul, jazz and the blues from the US. Reeves says that as a kid, he didn’t realize that his exposure to music was well-versed and unique.

Reeves remembers that his dad had a way with music, hearing things that other people didn’t. He knew music better than most people and although he didn’t play, he was a terrific dancer. Reeves saw the way his father could move and realized what a connection with music can do for people.

Imitating this connection, Reeves delivers a powerful live performance.

“When I’m singing, sometimes there’s this inner moment, even in front of an audience, and it’s a nice place. I’m tuning everything out and I’m present in what I’m doing. It gives something deeper.”

“I don’t like set lists,” says Reeves, “I don’t want to lose connection with the audience.”

Reeves’ songs often pack a hidden gem. One review describes his music as comparable to a caffeinated single-malt whiskey. It goes down smooth and easy, but hits you with a bit of a punch at the end. Reeves says that he likes to tell stories with a bit of hook, something for the attentive listener to appreciate.

“I like to tell stories about life, things like missed chances or good times. My songs usually deliver some kind of punch line, a moment where the crowd goes ahhh.”

Reeves is also known for instilling his music with a sense of humour.

“I like to be playful, there’s a lot of stuff that’s very tongue-and-cheek. It’s nice to make an audience laugh, to make them feel something without trying.”

When Reeves isn’t pleasing audiences across the country, he can occasionally be found in backcountry Ontario. There’s a little spot out near Kenora with no road access where Reeves likes to go to relax and write music.

“If you can’t write something out here, you got a problem.”

When Reeves gives a performance, he’s known to be an audience pleaser.

“I’m just a one man band and when people see me come up on stage they’re expecting to hear an acoustic ballad or something. Sometimes people are surprised when they hear a full sound. I like to perform and make it interesting.”

Visit the Kicking Horse Culture’s website at www.kickinghorseculture.ca for more information.

+More Entertainment Headlines
<Back to Mobile Edition