Prairie blues-rocker Dustin Harder and his band Prairie Soul will be in Prince George tonight for a concert appearance.
Harder will be the main attraction at a Blues Underground event at the Old Library - Seniors Activity Centre (425 Brunswick Street). It's a dance and a concert all rolled onto one dance floor. It's part of the band's Hittin' The Road Harder Tour that has about a dozen dates in B.C. and almost as many from Alberta to Ontario. This is Harder's northernmost date on the junket.
However, he is quite comfortable in the upper-regions of Canada, despite being based down near the U.S./Manitoba border, where the nation's two Trans-Canada Highways fork from each other. Harder said it was a trip up the northern road and then on to the Arctic that started his career out in the music business.
"At the age of 19 with $20 in my pocket and a guitar on my back I hitchhiked from Winnipeg, and busked my way to Dawson City, Yukon, to pursue my grandfather's dream of panning for gold," Harder said.
"When I arrived in Dawson City I actually did find gold and even more. I was hired to perform with the house band at The Westminster Hotel, aka The Pit. After an eight-month stint of performing four 45s (four music sets, each one 45 minutes long), five nights a week I returned to Winnipeg with a tangible career in mind: recording/performing artist/songwriter."
He said that being from Winnipeg meant an inevitable, and welcome, influence from Neil Young that pervades the scene there to very few complaints. He also tips his hat to artists like John Lennon, Bob Marley and Eric Clapton who each played a big role in what he played on the stereo as he formed his tastes and styles.
"My guitar tone was once compared in a review to Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green. When I did more research about him, it brought a tear to my eye to be complimented in such a way," said Harder.
Dustin Harder & Prairie Soul will be live in P.G., tonight, with tickets available in advance from Books & Company for $25.
There's a discount if you get them from a Blues Underground member or buy in groups of four or more.
For book group blocks, email [email protected].
