The Good Lovelies are celebrating the 2021 holiday season with an intimate-setting Christmas Tour
On December 8, the Good Lovelies, a Juno-winning trio, kicked off their 2021 Christmas Tour in Kenora, ON, and will perform their last show on December 22 in Kingston, ON. The big news is that they’ll be playing at Massey Hall on December 20. For a long time, they’ve been sharing a whole collection of classic holiday songs, timeless winter selections, and original material (whether it’s from one of their albums, EPs, or a single) and their famous Christmas tours are always the perfect way for the fans to enjoy the holiday season. This year, I believe, the shows will be even more special to the fans and to the Good Lovelies for many reasons.
Canadian Beats had a chance to chat with Kerri Ough about the 2021 Christmas Tour and this is what she had to say.
Hi Kerri. I’m Nanci Dagg from Canadian Beats and it’s an honour for me to conduct this interview. I’ll keep it short and sweet as I know you are in the midst of your Christmas tour. Here we go.
What was the feeling like the day you decided to do this 11-day live tour again? You kept your tradition alive last year with a virtual tour but to see your fans faces again and to be performing live on stage must such an overwhelming experience.
We knew we wanted to be back on stage once restrictions began lifting, and the day it became a reality was surreal to us. To be in the room with our audience is a dream, and so meaningful. The first indoor concert was in a church in Kenora and we were overwhelmed and overjoyed and it felt like Christmas morning feels when you’re a little kid: absolute magic.
You’ve had a few shows under your belt now. Do you feel the normalcy coming back and how does it feel to be back on stage and visiting the communities that are near and dear to your heart?
I think a lot of people really want to get back to a feeling of normalcy and being at a concert with your community is such a great way to feel that togetherness. We’ve missed these towns and cities; these are people who’ve been coming to shows for 15 years – more than fans. Right now, it feels like a bold and courageous thing to do (safely and kindly) for each other, for our audiences and for the music industry. Seeing people come out to support us and other bands who are getting back out there means the world to us – and we are doing everything possible to create a safe environment to start getting back out there.
What was it like to have a sold-out show in London, ON?
London has always been good to the Good Lovelies. The Aeolian Hall is a gorgeous space to sing and play in, just big enough to feel like a party, small enough to feel like you really get to interact with your audience which is really what this tour is all about.
The community spirit coming back at you must be amazing. What are your fans saying to you?
It is amazing – when we were up in northern Ontario, that feeling of support was palpable. Some of these people have been watching our shows for 15 years, and made this Christmas Tour their Christmas Tradition and are ready to take this big step forward with us as we try to move through this.
I’m sure you have so many to choose from, but do you have a favourite Christmas song that you love to perform live other than any of your original tunes? My favourite is Anne Murray “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” It always brings tears to my eyes and I don’t know why because I’ve never been away from my family.
Since last year’s Christmas Tour went virtual, I have a new favourite song for this season. I’ve always been a fan of Jann Arden the artist and Jann Arden the human, and last year, when we reached out and asked Jann to be a guest at one of these said ten virtual concerts, she said yes and sang the Mel Torme classic “The Christmas Song.” A combination of her powerful voice, her guitarist, Russell’s gorgeous playing and the fact that she performed it during the hardest year of our band’s life is deeply meaningful to me, and makes my heart break in the most beautiful way when I hear her sing it still.
I’ll end this short interview chatting about your BIG show. It really is a momentous occasion for you. It’s on December 20 at the brand-new Massey Hall in Toronto. This one a very special show for many reasons.
What’s it going to be like visiting Massey Hall to play your first headlining premiere at this venue?
Massey Hall is just one of those places that you dream of playing once you’ve been inside and watched your heroes sing there. I’ve seen SO MANY shows there, including my Jann concert, and a gorgeous Hawksley Workman show many moons ago. When you stand up there, you can feel all of those performers who have graced that stage in its long history. In short, the fact that our first Toronto show in two years will be on that stage and shared with so many humans that we love, is going to feel overwhelming.
You are donating a portion of the proceeds from this show to The 519. The 519 is an agency located in Toronto with an innovative model of service, space and leadership that strives to make a real difference in people’s lives, while working to promote inclusion, understanding and respect. They are committed to the health, happiness and full participation of the LGBTQ2S communities. How wonderful that you decided to choose this organization. It’s an awesome choice and a great cause to support for the 2021 holiday season. How and why did you decide to donate to The 519?
Last year during our virtual Christmas Tour, one of the important aspects of making it community oriented was giving back to those in need in each city we shared the show with. Toronto was where our band met, where we’ve all lived, where we all started our music careers. The 519 is an incredible organization and one we feel aligns with our band’s values. Now that we have the chance to play an actual show in Toronto, we wanted to continue that relationship and draw attention to the importance of what The 519 is doing for LGBTQ2S communities.
And last but not least, how will you spend your Christmas?
My Christmas will be spent in my hometown with both my family and my husband’s family nearby. There will be food, there will be rest, there will be merriment – and then on New Year’s Eve, the plan is to dunk in Lake Ontario on the shores of Port Hope to say goodbye to this year and hello to the next.
Accompanying the Good Lovelies (Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Susan Passmore) will be a stunning backing band of some of Canada’s finest musicians. The band will have you tapping your feet, laughing and singing along by the end of the first song. This is a must-see concert for the holiday season!
For more info and to buy tickets for upcoming shows, go HERE.
Good Lovelies Holiday Musical Collections:
“Christmas Time’s A Comin’”(2020 single)
Evergreen (2019 LP)
Winter’s Calling (2014 EP)
Under the Mistletoe (2009 LP)
Good Lovelies Christmas and Winter Songs on Spotify playlist
We, at Canadianbeats.ca, thank you the Good Lovelies so much for taking the time for this interview We wish you a beautiful Christmas season filled with love, laughter and joy.
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