Donald Teuma-Castelletti
SHAWVILLE Aug. 22 2018
One Ontario woman has made quite the impression on Canadian country music and her next stop is bringing her bigtime show to the Shawville Fair.
Meghan Patrick will be headlining the Saturday night of the fair, and the award-winning singer is expected to satisfy everyone’s country cravings.
Coming off her recent win of not just one or two, but three Country Music Association of Ontario Awards, all on the same night in early June, the audience can look forward to a reinvigorated performance. Cleaning up on June 4, she came home with the Fans’ Choice, Female Artist of the Year and the Video of the Year awards.
These were added to an award cabinet that featured two Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards that she took home in September 2017, where she was named Female Artist of the Year as well as the recipient of the Rising Star Award.
“Last year, I really had no expectations and in fact, it totally blew my mind,” said Patrick, to ET Canada at the 2018 Calgary Stampede, of her CCMA win. “I’m still not really over that. I really, truly did not expect that.”
Her brand of country is powerful, as she taps into the stylings of favourites like Tanya Tucker and developed an interest in 90’s artists like Alan Jackson and George Strait.
Though she was raised on a variety of genres, as Patrick told the Ottawa Citizen in 2016, she soon developed a taste for country, identifying most clearly with the stories and themes put forward by the music.
“I just kind of found a home with country music,” she told the Ottawa Citizen. “I loved the way the stories were told and how it’s kind of about everyday life. It’s not big and splashy. Sometimes it can be about the smallest feeling or the smallest moment, and I think that’s really cool.”
This influence comes across clearly in not only her own lyrics, but in how she performs them. Saddled up with her guitar, Patrick’s voice dominates the stage with an unexpected presence, at times up front, in-your-face strong, before giving way to a softer side on ballads.
With two albums under her belt as a solo performer, and more from a previous career with a full band, Stone Sparrows, there is plenty of material to dive into ahead of the Fair’s Saturday night. Most recently she’s released her 2018 album Country Music Made Me Do It, featuring the title track and “The Bad Guy” as stand out hits on it.
Country music fans can look forward to Patrick ruling the main stage starting at 9 p.m. on Saturday, with Brea Lawrenson getting the crowd warmed up at 7:30 p.m.
