ECMAs call it a wrap

Weekend in Saint John provides music for the soul and working opportunities for artists

It was a magical, musical weekend in a historic harbour town.

For fans and music lovers who attended the 2017 ECMAs, it was a chance to catch their favourite groups and solo artists and get introduced to new ones.

For instance, Alison Cran attended the Big Ticket Concert on Saturday night featuring award-winning Nova Scotia artist Matt Andersen, one of her favourite artists.

“He was wonderful,” she says. And, though she wasn’t as familiar with Ian James, the opening act, she immediately liked him.

“He has great stage presence and told really neat stories about how he came to write each song. Most of them were about his children,” says the Saint John resident who, moved by the music, attended an emerging aboriginal artist showcase on Sunday.

For performing artists like Dylan Menzie, of P.E.I., it was an opportunity to meet talent buyers and line up gigs for the coming year.

“I’ve just been running from showcase to showcase to showcase, playing songs and running off to the next one. We just go as hard as we can, meeting as many people as we can,” says Menzie, who also shared the stage with Hillsburn, a Nova Scotia group, at the Industry Awards ceremony on Sunday.

Also, with the hectic pace, there’s no chance for follow-up until the weekend is over.

“There are some cool things in the works. I had a meeting with an Australian producer but I’m not sure what that will bring. My manager, Kate, and I haven’t debriefed, at all, so I’m waiting for that.”

And also interspersed into the music program, artists and music industry workers were recognized with glittering ECMA awards.

“It feels really great,” says Ria Mae, a Nova Scotia artist who picked up trophies for solo recording of the year pop recording of the year during the weekend.

“I have a lot of family members here and a lot of my team is here and the weather is actually nice in Saint John, so a lot of things came together to make this happen.”

And as the weekend wound down with a gospel stage and a songwriters circle, Halifax is gearing up to be the host city for the ECMAs in 2018.

The handover took place during a party at the Marriott Saint John Trinity Royal Ballroom on Sunday night.

SALLY COLE/THE GUARDIAN Singer-songwriter Lennie Gallant performs “Peter’s Dream” on the Folk Stage at the 2017 East Coast Music Awards in Saint John on Saturday. He was awarded folk recording of the year at the showcase at St. Andrew and St. David United Church.

SALLY COLE/THE GUARDIAN Garnet Buell, shown here with his partner Mary MacQueen Elliott, received the Stompin’ Tom Award Sunday at the ECMA 2017 Industry Awards in Saint John, N.B. The award was created to honour all those who have made a long-term contribution to the East...