Blake Berglund took a risk last year. Instead of heading into the studio to record a perfectly thought out and edited album, he filled the Jasper Legion with a rowdy crowd of country music fans and pressed record.
A year later to the day, the Canadian country star is heading back to the legion to release his live recording, Jasper. Although he鈥檇 like to take credit for the timing, Berglund said it wasn鈥檛 planned; everything worked out serendipitously.
鈥淚t turned out awesome,鈥� he said. 鈥淛asper was the perfect place to record it, and it鈥檚 the perfect place to release it.
鈥淭he legion has that perfect mixture of chill factor鈥攅verybody鈥檚 calm and cool and not stressed out about anything鈥攂ut, with that said, it鈥檚 also rowdy as hell. It鈥檚 the perfect mix.鈥�
Despite Jasper鈥檚 perfection, Berglund is quick to admit the recording process was a bit stressful. As a musician who鈥檚 used to sitting in a studio perfecting each and every note, it was difficult for him to let go.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an uncontrolled environment. You can鈥檛 control what people are going to say to you while microphones are on and how you react to that. So going into a live album, that is one of the things that you have to release.
鈥淵ou play on your feet.鈥�
And what you get is what you get, even if that means including the awkward moments; like, when an audience members yells out, 鈥渨here you from, anyway?鈥� right after you鈥檝e shared a story about your hometown.
It鈥檚 that kind of rawness that almost had Berglund scrap the project all together. It wasn鈥檛 the safe move to make; he knew that. But, after receiving some positive feedback from people in the industry, he and his band, the Vultures, ran with it.
鈥淲e鈥檝e become a live band; we鈥檙e on the road over 150 days a year. It鈥檚 our entity. It鈥檚 who we are. So, why give the fans an in-studio product when we can just let it rip and give them a live show?鈥�
Plus, he said, there鈥檚 something special about releasing a live album. It gives people an opportunity to experience the environment and the people, as well as the music.
鈥淲hen we first started to mix it and we listened back to the tracks, there were so many nice little magical moments where someone in the crowd says something and you respond just like any live show.
鈥淭he crowd was just great. The crowd in Jasper adapts to the act that they鈥檙e listening to. Someone can come in that expects a listening crowd and the crowd gives them a listening response. They sit and digest the words and show appreciation. Then we come in and we want a rowdy crowd that鈥檚 yelling and drinking and dancing and that鈥檚 what we get.鈥�
Berglund will take the stage at the Jasper Legion Friday, Aug. 15. The performance is the first in a series of pre-release shows that will take him across the country.
On Saturday, Aug. 16, he will also play the Jasper Heritage Rodeo dance at the Jasper Activity Centre.
This is his second year rockin鈥� the rodeo and he said he鈥檚 pumped to be back.
鈥淭he rodeo crowd鈥攖hey鈥檙e completely off their rockers. They鈥檙e the most satisfying people to play for.鈥�
Nicole Veerman
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