Sexton, Page to perform in concerts
Harmony House Theatre begins new season
This weekend marks the beginning of 2017 performances at Harmony House Theatre.
The season kicks off with two returning performers: Martin Sexton, a native of Syracuse, N.Y., and Steven Page, former lead singer of Barenaked Ladies.
The award-winning singer/ songwriters play respective shows on May 6 and May 7 at 8 p.m.
Sexton is touring in support of his latest record, “Mixtape of the Open Road”. He has been touring regularly since the 1990s long before the days of digital downloads, so his fondness for tape recordings comes honestly.
“I’ve taken comfort and inspiration from mix tapes friends made for me,” said Sexton, during a recent interview with the “Wall Street Journal.”
“You know, like that soundtrack that you crossed the country to after graduation or that music that got you through a broken heart. I wanted to make a record in this fashion with each song musically different from the next.”
Sexton grew up in the 1980s and eventually migrated to Boston, where he began to build a following singing on the streets of Harvard Square, gradually working his way through the scene. His 1992 collection of self-produced demo recordings, In the Journey, was recorded on an old 8-track in a friend’s attic. He managed to sell 20,000 copies out of his guitar case.
From 1996 to 2002 Sexton released “Black Sheep”, “The American”, “Wonder Bar” and “Live Wide Open”. The activity and worldwide touring behind these records laid the foundation for the career he enjoys today with an uncommonly loyal fan base; he sells out venues from New York’s Nokia Theatre to L.A.’s House of Blues, and tours regularly across Canada and Europe.
Page and his band, The Odds, will keep the music going with a one of a kind performance on May 7.
He will be joined by guitarist Craig Northey, a founding member of the Canadian band, The Odds, and cellist Kevin Fox. Page has played as duos with the two of them for years, but only recently did they decide to come together as a trio.
“They’re two of my favourite guys in the world, they’re two of the greatest musicians,” says Page who will still be singing many of the songs he wrote with BNL, including ‘Brian Wilson,’ ‘It’s all Been Done’ and ‘Old Apartment’ but he will also sing some of the songs he has written since then.
As a solo artist he has produced three full-length albums, including his 2016 effort ‘Heal thyself’, ‘Pt. 1: Instinct’.
“People hear the records and they say ‘that sounds like what I remember from the Barenaked Ladies,’ well that’s my voice,” he says.
Tickets are available online through Ticketpro or by calling 1-888-311-9090.