It’s shaping up to be a busy and musical 2013 for K-Leigh Schofield.
The Airdrie resident is getting set to host another block of home concerts at her house in Summerfield.
Schofield began hosting the house concerts after getting a chance to interview some of the biggest names in country music, like Johnny Reid and Paul Brandt, while she was in charge of the entertainment section of the George McDougall High School newspaper.
She networks with concert promoters and booking agents at events like the Canadian Country Music Awards and the Alberta Country Music Awards (ACMA) to find acts to perform at the concerts.
There is usually a $20 charge for the concerts, which goes towards paying the act.
The first concert of the new year is scheduled for Feb. 2 when The Orchard, a band from just outside of Edmonton, comes to town.
Other confirmed dates and acts include a return appearance from country singers Adam Gregory March 16 and Will Ardell April 6, the Brandt Anderson Band May 4 and Alberta band Domino June 8.
“They’re all amazing,” said Schofield, who hosts the concerts at her house in Summerfield. “The up-and-comers need the support and I like focusing on them. It’s about pushing their music out there and getting the community more familiar with these acts.”
Schofield has hosted several concerts in her home over the past three years and has presented some of Canada’s best country singers, including Chad Brownlee, Gregory and Willie Mack.
Mack, his band the Friday Night Satellites, Codie Prevost and Jake Matthews were part of the bill last year and Schofield said the response for the 2012 lineup was “overwhelming.”
“We did one pretty much every month,” she said. “It was insane. The last one we had was Craig Moritz and half the people were brand new faces. One night we had 45 people in our living room, so it was definitely a crazy night, but a lot of fun.”
With many of the artists being solo acts, the concerts are usually stripped down, acoustic sets, but with bands Schofield said the set up is a bit bigger with two to three band members, multiple instruments and a small cache of sound equipment.
It takes a bit to rearrange the living room furniture to accommodate the crowds in the winter, but Schofield’s backyard becomes a spacious venue on warm, summer evenings.
While she has four dates confirmed right now, Schofield said many more are in the works and include several nominees and winners from the ACMAs which were held Jan. 27 in Red Deer.
For more information on the concerts, contact Schofield at 403-479-2769 or visit her blog kleighskorner.wix.com for a full lineup.
