This jolly season country singer Jason McCoy, formerly front man of the esteemed country band The Road Hammers, has vowed to give audiences across Canada a night of feel good Christmas tunes. The Perfect Gift tour kicks off November 21st in Campbell River, British Columbia and wraps up the night before Christmas Eve in Clarksburg, Ontario.
This unique and interactive concert revolves around one man – McCoy – backed by a five-person crew. But careful – should you be in the right area in the right time and known in your community you could find yourself on the big screen at the next performance. The crew is looking for cool clips and interviews to include locally as the tour travels.
"I didn’t realize that there’d be that much demand for a Christmas tour," McCoy says of his full roster of upcoming shows. Once the tour begins McCoy will only get roughly three days off.
Alberta stops entail November 29th in Grande Prairie, November 30th at Festival Place in Sherwood Park, December 1st in Airdrie, and December 3rd in Bassano.
Not a stranger to Christmas music, McCoy has written and recorded numerous holiday tracks. However it was only when CMT invited him to perform a second Christmas season special, Christmas at the Grand recorded at Calgary’s Theatre Grand, was a full-length recording posited.
"And with that came an album," he says. The track list on The Perfect Gift boasts a happy combination of season classics and McCoy originals – "all the good ones," the singer jests.
The Christmas tour offers audiences both Christmas tracks and old Road Hammer favourites before a high tech big screen that will light the stage up, as well as special guests, quirky interviews, and warm family videos.
Such an intimate tour inspired producers to select tour venues equally as cozy. That is why you will not see McCoy performing in any major cities this winter – but you will find him in neighbouring towns a short drive away.
"It seems to fit better," McCoy says. "We’ve also done well in rural communities."
The tour brings to these roughly 500-seat venues special guests such as Belle Starr (three lovely musicians named for the notorious American outlaw), as well as Colin James, Pro Trio and George Canyon.
McCoy enjoys getting his audience involved, which is why he opted to make this interactive screen part of the Christmas tour. Through it he gains the opportunity to inject a bit of personal material as well as a lot of humour into the performance.
"It’s a very fun show," he says. "We explore the true meaning of Christmas as opposed to dancing around the issue; we really just drive it."
As well as being an accomplished singer and entertainer, McCoy is a devoted dad and husband. McCoy’s family will be joining him in Winnipeg through to Ontario. After the tour wraps up he will be spending Christmas at his farm in Barrie.
"We’ve got a place in Nashville too but it’s not the same," he says. "You’ve got to have the snow and the bone chilling, freezing temperatures to make you feel warm inside."
Asked whether or not The Road Hammers will be recording again McCoy was optimistic.
"We’ve been talking about maybe doing another record," he says. The band went on hiatus after their record label in Nashville went bankrupt.
"Broke everybody’s hearts," McCoy says, "But we’re almost at that point where we’re all there for [an album] again."
McCoy has been playing music for 25 years. He was nominated this year for the 2012 JUNO Award in the category of Country Recording of the Year for his 2011 release, Everything.
He says another CMT special is in the works – a sort of travel show, though nothing has been cemented. This special could compliment a new solo album or EP.
"The way music is released right now is just so different," he says.
In any case, more than two decades in country music has taught the seasoned country singer what audiences are really looking for.
"I’ve been in the industry long enough to know when you’re doing something really cool," he says. "We tested [The Perfect Gift tour] last year and it’s the most fun I’ve ever had.
"We make sure everyone leaves there going, that was awesome!"
McCoy’s CMT special Christmas At The Grand airs across the country on December 7th, 8th, 16th and 24th.