The adventures Geoff Smith has experienced in the days leading up to his band's first show in Olds could make for a pretty good song.
Smith, who hails from Saskatchewan and fronts the folk ensemble Gunner and Smith, missed a connecting flight from Minneapolis on Feb. 19 that was bound for Kansas City where he was to play a series of shows at the Folk Alliance International Showcase.
Although he did make it in time to play a few performances in Kansas City, Smith had to head back north in a hurry to start his band's Canadian tour in Calgary on Feb. 24.
While he planned to enjoy some famous Kansas City barbecue and get some sleep following an early performance on Feb. 22, Smith said he was returning to Canada on Feb. 23 to ìpanic like crazyî while packing before heading out on the tour, which brings Gunner and Smith to Tracks Pub on Feb. 26.
The audience in Olds can expect to experience an evening of ìprairie folk rockî as Smith and company perform songs from the band's new album, He Once Was a Good Man.
He describes prairie folk rock as folk rock inspired by the desolate environment of the Prairies.
ìI always feel that some of the guys who write from the Prairies bring an element of bleakness to some of what they do,î Smith said during a telephone interview from Kansas City. ìI find the weather really affects my writing and I've been noticing a lot of guys around here, the long winters really kind of get inside our heads a little bit.î
He added his songs are not ìdepressingî but bring out ìbeauty through the bleak.î
And Smith admits some numbers off the new record are influenced by winter's seemingly never-ending cold in this part of the country.
ìI think it always comes back to that. There's definitely a few tracks where I'm sort of locked in in winter with no desire to go outside and I think that's when I end up doing most of my writing.î
Smith said his full band will perform at the Tracks show, minus one female vocalist, but anyone looking for a band member named Gunner will only find dead ends.
The name of the band, he said, originated in his search for a new moniker while he was still a solo artist.
His friend had named the guitar he was playing at the time Rex Gunner as he transitioned from a solo performer to the band, Smith said.
ìSo that's where the Gunner and Smith came from.î
According to the Tracks Pub website, doors open for the show at 8 p.m.
To preview, download or buy the new album, which comes out the day before the Olds show, visit http://gunnerandsmith.com/music/.
