"There
were some awesome shows though, like the Irish Festival
in Milwaukee. We had our own stage, all the Nova Scotians
did the same rotation every day of the festival, it was
packed all weekend long. We’re going back as a headliner
next year, it’ll be really good."
Collaborating
with fellow Maritimers is something Cormier loves to do,
whether it’s crafting a song with Charlie A’Court,
who put their co-write Big Dark Canyon on his new CD Bring
on the Storm, or trading licks with bandmate Darren McMullin.
The
same goes for teaming up with Andersen, who’ll open
the show, and return to share the stage for the encore.
"We
just have a ball with each other," says the burly roots
musician from his parents’ home in New Brunswick.
"We just have fun performing, and I think we push each
other a little bit.
"I’m
not intimidated by J.P., I’ve played with a lot of
people who are better than me. I take it as an opportunity
to learn something, and he always makes people feel comfortable
about playing with him."
For
his part, Cormier looks forward to having Andersen along
for the ride.
"There’s
a specific kind of chemistry between me and him," says
Cormier. "For one thing, we’re both big men,
and we cut imposing figures on stage, side by side. He’s
sort of a genre counterpart to what I do. I’m a singer-songwriter/guitar
player who’s on that side of the fence where folk
and bluegrass and Celtic and country live. He’s the
same thing on the other side of the fence where blues and
jazz and folk meet. >>more
