Folk-roots musician Noah Derksen is making his return to Clearwater this week where he’ll offer a house concert performance on Valentine’s Day.
This marks the fourth time he’s come to town to entertain, with this run seeing him tour behind his latest album America, Dreaming.
“I’m doing a three-week tour throughout B.C. and Clearwater is one of the stops on the journey,” said Derksen.
“I reconnected with the North Thompson Arts Council a number of years ago and they’ve been kind enough to have me back every time, finding me different venues to play in.”
Derksen noted his performances focus mostly on his acoustic guitar playing and introspective, contemplative lyrics, though for this tour he’ll be accompanied by a backing vocalist.
In terms of energy, there’s a range of styles to his set, with some storytelling between songs, and he added the performance is, in essence, an invitation for the audience to engage and participate in the level of introspection his playing provides.
“This concert is a house concert, so it’s in somebody’s living room; there’s a bit of a different feel than going out to see live music in a bar or another sort of venue,” said Derksen.
“In this case, the music is at the forefront. There’s no formal stage or big fancy lights, there’s no separation between audience and performer — it’s a really unique environment to listen to music, to engage with the performer and be put a little bit out of your comfort zone.”
Derksen decided to become a travelling folk musician after graduating from university in Vancouver with a bachelor in cognitive neuroscience, joking that the move was just a natural transition.
He said the reason behind the transition was the simple aspect of economics.
“I figured the best way to make a whole lot of money really fast would be to become a travelling folk musician so I bought a van, as you do, and converted it into a camper van, hit the road and toured all across the country and here we are,” Derksen said, adding he’s looking forward to his return to Clearwater because the audience has always been receptive to his music.
“The people (in Clearwater) I find are very friendly and down to earth. People are just very receptive and engaging. I’ve always appreciated coming through town and getting to know the folks.”
Derksen’s performance takes place Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Ovendon’s residence at 1493 Clearwater Valley Rd. Entry is a $20 donation at the door.
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