With many Canadians enjoying all type of celebrations for Canada’s 150th anniversary last year, award-winning singer/songwriter Nathan Nasby had a big thrill as a VIA Rail’s “Artist on Board” and performing on the CP Canada 150 Train last summer.
When you are riding the rails as a 1958 engine pulls more than ten beautifully restored Royal Canadian Pacific heritage cars from Winnipeg to Vancouver, you can’t help but love the unique experience as an artist. “VIA is very supportive of artists promoting their original material but also encourage them to perform a good variety of Canadian covers. Audiences always love to hear familiar music that they can sing along to.”
Growing up in a home where musical instruments were abundant and exploration and discovery were highly encouraged, Nasby didn’t know what to expect, as this was his first experience performing on the trains. It was also quite a significant historical trip when you consider big names ranging from Sir John A MacDonald and John F Kennedy to Maurice Richard and Queen Elizabeth also have shared a ride in these same cars.
Nasby performed originals as well as Canadian covers throughout the trip. “The activity coordinator sets the schedule which is fairly flexible as train timetables can be very unpredictable.” He tried to organize each 45-minute set according to the crowds that were in his car. “Some crowds loved the mix of originals and the familiar folk standards. Some of the younger crowds would really get into the more contemporary pop and singer-songwriter sets, so I kept things pretty flexible.”
Nasby has a lot of memories about his train riding experience as well as a new appreciation for how huge and diverse Canada really is as he sped along non-stop for days watching the landscape transform before his eyes. “The people and the interaction was by far the best part of the trip. Sharing the stories behind the songs and having crowds sing along to familiar old standards was amazing. He added that music is really a universal language. “I performed for different tourist groups from Germany, India, Spain, France and many other countries around the world. It didn’t matter where the audience was from. When I would play Jason Mraz’s ‘I’m Yours’ or Ed Sheeran’s ‘I See Fire’, they would all sing along,”
With his voice recorder close at hand, Nasby would record song ideas, and fans will one day likely hear songs inspired from the trip. “I have another song that I started writing about traveling on the trains. I plan on finishing next time I tour on the trains.” For now, local music lovers can look forward to the upcoming Southwest Showcase at the Deloraine-Winchester Theatre on Sunday, March 25 with a chance to quite likely hear selections from his soon-to-be-released album “Whole Lotta Love”. For concert tickets, contact Linda Watson at 204-747-3575.
