MOOSE JAW — With less than a week to go, excitement is building for “A Night in Nashville,” presented by the Moose Jaw Co-op and the Co-op Ethanol Complex and hosted by River Street Promotions. This must-see songwriter’s round will be hosted by Joel Stewart and features the incredible talents of Damhnait Doyle, Jeff Cohen, and Phil Barton.
A Night in Nashville is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 14, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Mae Wilson Theatre and doors open at 6:30 p.m.
“If you are in Moose Jaw next Saturday night, please come down. I guarantee you will have an amazing time,” announced Jeff Cohen, one of the acclaimed artists set to perform at the show.
“Phil Barton is just an absolute spectacle to see, and you will be so entertained by Phil… and Damhnait (Doyle) is just a treasure. I mean, she’s just such a talent and a legend,” he continued. “I’m really, really honoured to share the stage with them.”
Although Cohen didn’t launch his career until his 30s, his lifelong passion and undeniable talent for music was always evident.
“I mean, I always (played music) for fun,” he recalled. “As a late teen I started teaching myself, but I didn’t become a full-time songwriter until I was about 33 and a half.
“I worked for a music company called Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) from (age) 23 to 33, and was very lucky to discover and sign a bunch of bands like Jeff Buckley, the Spin Doctors, Lisa Loeb, and Joan Osborne.”
When he got “inconveniently sick” around the age of 32, Cohen had to take time off work and seized the opportunity to channel his energy into his passion for songwriting. “I just decided I loved writing songs, and didn’t want to be 40 years old and say I never showed anyone.”
After “retiring” from the job he reflected fondly on at BMI, Cohen’s new career soon took off.
“It was strange that it didn’t feel strange,” he said about the experience. “I just love doing it, and got very, very lucky to get a theme song on The WB Television Network — a show called Jack & Jill — within the first year of being a songwriter.” Following this, Cohen signed on to television placements on several shows including Dawson’s Creek and Party of Five.
“I developed two artists, Evan and Jaron and Teitur (Lassen), and they both got record deals within the next few years. We were off to the races.”
Describing his personal style as “pretty diverse,” Cohen said he definitely leans towards being a singer-songwriter — especially when he’s alone in the evening — but has been “very fortunate to work on pop, rock, pop opera, R&B — all kinds of genres.”
Cohen said there’s never one way to find inspiration for his next song. “A lot of times, I’ll write about real life experiences. Most of the time, I just pick the guitar up, or sit at the piano, and start playing.
“It’s almost like reading a book; I don’t even know what the plot is. I don’t know where it’s going and, as I keep playing, it’s revealed to me. Once I recognize what I want to write about, then I focus on that.”
Having already been to Moose Jaw as recently as 2022, Cohen said he’s happy to be returning for A Night in Nashville.
“I will say, to the people of Moose Jaw, that I still remember that weekend so fondly,” he said. “The people of Moose Jaw were so kind and so generous, and just awesome. And when Jared (Mathiesen) called, I said… ‘If I can be there, count me in.’”
When asked what he looks forward to most on his upcoming tour, Cohen replied: “I’m just looking forward to playing some songs and getting everyone singing along and then getting the chance to say ‘Hello’ to everyone after. (As well, I look forward to) raising money for a great cause.”
Proceeds from the show will support the River Street Promotions youth mental wellness fund.
“It’s going to be a great night of storytelling and song, and it’ll be a very special night. I really look forward to seeing all of you there.”
Tickets can be purchased from the Moose Jaw Centre for Arts & Culture at MooseJawCulture.ca, [email protected], or by calling 306-693-4700.
For more information visit RiverStreetPromotions.com or ‘River Street Promotions’ on Facebook.
