Fred Eaglesmith stops in Sudbury during cross-country tour

Fred Eaglesmith is nearly through a cross-country tour that began on July 2. He said it wouldn't be complete without some stops in his home province though.

“Coming home to Ontario is always good, because that's where they get it the most,” Eaglesmith said. “It's where I'm from, it's what I sing about. So people in Ontario get it the most, no doubt. I always feel when I come to Ontario that I'm coming home.”

On Aug. 19, his tour will make a stop at the Beef N' Bird in Sudbury.

“I try to play the smaller places,” he said. “I've played some concerts with hundreds of people, maybe thousands, at some of the festivals I've played. Really, we go into smaller places because that's the kind of show it is. It doesn't translate into a stadium.”

Eaglesmith said he likes the excitement of playing to a full house in smaller venues because it reminds him of a time when live performances weren't quite as easy to get to.

“(Rock n' roll music and) pop music is just too accessible for everybody,” he said. “There was a time you couldn't get into every show, and it drove you crazy. We really like that world.”

The Juno award winning performer said his shows are hard to describe, “because there's so much going on.” He said his performances are a lot like a rock n' roll show, “at least in attitude.”

After his Sudbury show, Eaglesmith will head to Aylmer, Ont. to play a charity picnic while the counts down the days to the end of the “longest tour ever in the world.”

Eaglesmith's Sudbury show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door for $20. For more information, phone 705-675-7833.