Myself and a wonderful group of people called The Magic Project are releasing a special video today.  It is a music video of sorts, I suppose, but not a conventional music video like we are all used to.  Rather this is a joint venture to show the Beauty of people.  All People.  And this song and video are both primarily a message from me to everyone that my concerts are open to all with love in their hearts.

I wrote the song Beautiful to Me with a pal Tawgs Salter in 2016.  I have written a few tunes with Tawgs and I explained to him that I wanted to write a song in response to some legislation that was recently tabled in a US targeted directly at members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. What would become known as “the bathroom bill” seemed so regressive to me and so unnecessarily and unfairly aimed at a part of our population that I felt I needed to make a statement of some kind in their defence.  I suppose I just wanted the LGBTQIA2S+ community and everyone else to know, that I just want people to be themselves.  Their whole selves.  I want everyone to feel comfortable and be their happiest selves, and whatever gender, sexual preference, colour, race, or creed is welcomed and encouraged as far as I’m concerned.

If this video speaks to you as it does to me, I encourage you to share it as much as you like. There’s never too much Love in the world.

Smile
I wanna see you smile
Anytime
Your eyes meet mine
My song for you
Is be Easy and True
I’ll be yours
If you wanna be mine

My marquee is a Welcome sign
My arms and doors are open wide

Come one Come all
Come Big and Small
Let all the colours of the rainbow fly
Bring the fellas and the girls
And the dreamers of the world
And you can let your own light shine
I’ll tell you right from the start
If you’ve got Love in your Heart
You got everything I need to see
You’re Beautiful To Me

Time, don’t waste your time
Trying to hide
What you got inside
‘Cause I want you
I want all of you
My heart is yours
If yours is mine

My marquee is a Welcome sign
My arms and doors are open wide

So Come one Come all
Come Big and Small
Let all the colours of the rainbow fly
Bring the fellas and the girls
And the dreamers of the world
And you can let your own light shine
I’ll tell you right from the start
If you’ve got Love in your Heart
You got everything I need to see
You’re Beautiful To Me

I think about the lost and lonely
I think of all nights
We wouldn’t walk alone if only
We could love like stars can shine

Come one Come all
Come Big and Small
Let all the colours of the rainbow fly
Bring the fellas and the girls
And the dreamers of the world
And you can let your own light shine
I’ll tell you right from the start
If you’ve got Love in your Heart
You got everything I need to see
You’re Beautiful To Me

Spread the Love.

Cheers,
Alan

More info on the project from the great folks at Asterix Media HERE.

I had a few hours shy of a month Home for the Holiday Season and it was a glorious break with family and friends. I almost got used to sleeping in my own bed.

The last day or so have been typical of the last few days of a long break before the beginning of a long time away. Regular readers of this blog have heard me speak of this many times. The odd mix of excitement to hit the road and sadness about leaving those who love to have you around. You start counting the school drop offs you have left before you’ll go close to a month without another one. You walk your dog a little bit longer and hope he doesn’t know he won’t get the kind of walk he likes most for a few weeks. You linger at your Mom’s counter ten or fifteen minutes longer than you have reason to, just to watch your parents putter around the house and ask one more time, “where are you going this time?” Trying to commit the sound of their in-person voices to memory as they just don’t quite sound the same on the phone.

Then today comes. The bag gets packed. The cheeks get kissed. The furry heads get scratched and you make your way to the Air Canada Counter at YYT.

So here I am, somewhere in the sky between Newfoundland and Toronto. Flight #1 of the year, and the familiarity of my seat in row 13 tips the scales in the mix of emotions from melancholy to excitement. The joy of gathering the band at the airport gate. The smiles on the faces of the others who, much like me, can’t believe their luck. And that we get to fly on planes, jump on tour buses and cross international borders to sing and play for people.

Sad as Ever to Leave Home. Happy as Ever to Go on Tour.

The double life of every touring musician I’ve ever met.

I’m thrilled about the ticket sales and all so far, by the way. Sell Outs in Portland and Phoenix on this week, with a few more to come it seems. Looks like we’ll be jamming to great houses on both sides of the border.

Speaking of which, I feel compelled to say how grateful I am to be rolling to the US once again. I am Canadian for sure, but I love the US, and consider it nothing short of a privilege to get to cross the border so often to play and work in America. I think the relationship between Canadians and Americans is a special one. We may not agree on everything, all the time, but honestly, what good friends ever really do?

The Come Out With Me Tour starts Monday in Seattle. You’ll get to hear Donovan Woods open the evening with his awesome songs, then the band and I will romp through a set of songs from my latest album, A Week at The Warehouse, as well as songs from my other recordings, the Great Big Sea catalogue and the traditional music canon of Newfoundland.

The Beautiful Beautiful Band is on the go with Kendel Carson on fiddle, Cory Tetford on guitars, Kris MacFarlane on drums, Todd Lumley on keyboards and accordion, and Shehab Illyas on bass and impossibly beautiful Instagram Pics.

We’ve announced three legs of the tour which leads us ‘til about May. There will be another leg in the Summer which we’ll announce soon and will include the much asked about Newfoundland gigs, amongst other fun things.

For all info on the tour, check out the tour page.

I would love to see you out there.

Come on. Come on. Come Out with Me.

Cheers,
Alan

Hey all. On November 19 last year, close to 50 of Canada’s most celebrated musicians gathered at the legendary Commodore Ballroom to help a dear friend– John Mann, singer for Spirit of the West. John has Early-onset Alzheimer’s which demands incredible resources, and the musical community rallied for an amazing show of support in one unforgettable night of music and love.

A makeshift studio was assembled in the building to record this song on the spot as a memento of the gathering and to help raise funds for John’s continuing care. Check out this new recording & video for “Home For A Rest” in support of John Mann:

Please share this link as far and wide as you like and give a little if you can.