Joel Stewart will be in Moose Jaw on April 29 for “Music Row at the Mae,” an evening with four Nashville singer/songwriters who will perform their biggest hits, talk about their inspirations, and explain their experience in the music industry.
The stage is set for Friday evening at the Mae Wilson at 7:30 p.m. with Emily Shackelton, Victoria Banks, Phil Barton, and Jeff Cohen.
Tickets are still available from Sasktix.ca.
Stewart will be hosting the evening, which brings together four artists who have worked with some of music’s biggest names. A couple of the artists coming to town are riding really hot waves right now, he said. Emily Shackelton has a bunch of songs on Carly Pearce’s new album, which is doing very well. And Victoria Banks’ longtime friend Mickey Guyton was recognized at the Grammys this year — and sang the national anthem at the 2022 Superbowl.
Stewart himself is a veteran of the Canadian Country Music Association and the music industry in general. He’s been nominated for and won Video Director of the Year at the CCMAs multiple times, and has worked with names like Taylor Swift, Paul Brandt, Florida Georgia Line, Jann Arden, and One Direction, to name just a few.
He’s hoping Moose Javians will come out for what he feels is a unique show.
“I just would like to reinforce to people how interesting (Music Row at the Mae) is,” Stewart said. “What an interesting opportunity it is to hear songs in their purest form, and explain the whole gig about how Nashville works… This is not a process a lot of people get to see.”
Stewart loves coming to Moose Jaw, going so far as to put it at the top of his list.
“It is my favourite place in Canada,” Stewart said.
He added that, like any great place, it’s the people who make it. Maybe it’s the winter that keeps Moose Javians humble, he joked.
“People say, ‘what, you’re going there again?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes! It’s awesome. You should come with me.’ And a few of them have.”
He is one of the founding members of River Street Promotions (RSP), which organizes two events a year (Music Row at the Mae, and Homestand at Ross Wells Park) to raise money for youth mental wellness initiatives in southern Saskatchewan schools.
“The other guys do all the hard work,” Stewart said. “I mean, I kind of help shape the shows and the lineups… and I’ve had some experience building festivals and music events. But really, it’s (cofounders) Jared Mathieson, James Murdock, Shae Jameson, Andy Hamilton, and their network of people who honestly make it all happen… I just kind of follow their lead and say ‘What do you need, guys?’”
River Street Promotion’s first event, Homestand ’21, raised $50,000 for youth mental wellness, resulting in an RSP fund that local schools can apply to for support on mental health initiatives.
Stewart said he and his RSP collaborators were proud of how Homestand ’21 turned out. With only a six-week lead-up, they raised a considerable sum and donated an additional $15,000 to improvements at Ross Wells Park. They’ve got a lot more preparation time this year, and he said they’re going to use that to make Homestand ’22 even bigger.
Stewart said that he and an artist he isn’t allowed to name yet will be revealing some fun news during Friday’s concert.
“Another thing we’re doing on the 29th of April at the Mae Wilson is we are announcing our lineup for Homestand ’22, which will be September 10,” Stewart said. “And then tickets for that are gonna go on sale just a couple days after… So that’s going to be exciting!”
