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Mahood hyped for intimate setting

One of Canada’s hottest country musicians is ready to get intimate with fans in Okotoks’ newest grill house.
Canadian country music singer Beverley Mahood will perform an intimate concert at Bradley’ s Grill House in Okotoks on April 15 at 9 p.m.
Canadian country music singer Beverley Mahood will perform an intimate concert at Bradley’ s Grill House in Okotoks on April 15 at 9 p.m.

One of Canada’s hottest country musicians is ready to get intimate with fans in Okotoks’ newest grill house.

Singer-songwriter, actress, model and television host Beverley Mahood will cozy up with fans during an up close and personal performance at Bradley’s Grill House April 15 at 9 p.m.

“I like the more intimate places because you really get to connect with the audience,” said Mahood. “Country music is all about the stories and being authentic and real. That comes through when you get to do performances in a smaller venue.”

The 2015 Canadian Country Music Association Female Artist of the Year nominee is used to performing for crowds in the tens of thousands around the world, but there is something about smaller venues that continues to attract Mahood.

“The big stages are great, but you are so far away from your fans or blinded by the lights and you can’t really connect with people and see their eyes,” she said. “I love sharing the details of my songs and how they came to be.”

Mahood’s Okotoks performance will feature a little friendly banter between Mahood and members of her band, which people don’t get to see at a larger concert.

“I do like to make fun of my band, and them of me,” she laughed. “We bicker back and forth and we always include the audience.”

Mahood’s stop in Okotoks is book-ended by larger shows as part of a western Canadian tour with award-winning Canadian country singer Gord Bamford and American country music artist Joe Nichols.

“It gives the smaller communities a taste of what I’m doing,” she said of this weekend’s performance. “If they can’t afford to go to the city, but want to support music and Canadian artists they don’t have to drive very far.”

In a couple weeks, Mahood will join Canadian Juno-award winner Tom Cochrane on another tour.

Both tours are on the heels of the release of Mahood’s single New Religion, which made its debut in January and will be followed by a full-length album later this year.

“(An album release) always makes me do what I love the most, which is touring and being on stage, whether it be for one person or an audience of 10,000,” she said. “I just love to perform.”

Mahood is eager to showcase her new single on stage this weekend, but fans will also recognize some old favourites and have the opportunity to hear songs she hasn’t performed publicly.

“I’ll be performing some of the songs I’ve done over the years that got me to where I am today and it’s a chance to showcase new tunes that I’ve written for other artists,” she said. “I will play the music people know, but also try some new songs and see how people react.”

Mahood began entering singing competitions at the age of 12 and released 10 albums throughout her career and has made a name for herself during the last couple of decades.

The Northern Ireland-born vocalist has co-hosted the Citytv Vancouver morning show Breakfast Television and CMT Central, her songs topped the Canadian charts, her music videos have placed number one and she’s acted in movies and sitcoms, with the most recent being Chicks with Sticks, Pick a Puppy and Changing Seasons.

In 2014, Mahood was presented with the Canadian Country Music Association Slaight Music Humanitarian Award.

Mahood said her family moved around a lot in her earlier years and lived in various communities throughout Ontario.

Once her career began to take off she ventured to Nashville, Tennessee and now lives in Los Angeles, California, but she always has a soft spot for Canada.

“Canada is my home, it’s my place to be and I try to make it to this area as often as I can,” she said. “Alberta is one of my favourite provinces because I think it’s where country music is alive and well.”

Bradley’s Grill House co-owner Laurie Bradley said Mahood is just one of many quality entertainers the Okotoks establishment brings to its stage, with three performances already since opening its doors in mid-December.

“We are trying to do live entertainment once a month or once every six weeks,” she said. “I think it’s unique to the area. I love music personally and I think that our guests really enjoy it. We are trying to be a little bit different by bringing some live music in.”

A $20 charge will be added to each patron’s bill during the performance.

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