British Columbia folk singer John McLachlan presents original songs hand-woven from his own roots and the history and salty air of Canada’s west coast at Key City Theatre in Cranbrook on Friday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Moving from wild waters of the west coast, vast landscapes of the north, and big open spaces of the prairies to the minutiae of life on a small island, John’s performances are a heartfelt journey narrated by yearning for adventure and love of home.

Original songs of reminiscence and nostalgia, drawn from John’s 30 year repertoire, include: ‘Chief Thunderbird,’ based on Andy Cruikshank, the 1920s pilot who introduced commercial air service to Yukon; ‘Shingle Spit,’ a unique take on a section of shoreline near John’s home on Hornby Island; and ‘Standard 8,’ a poignant ballad tracing the passage of time through his father’s 8mm colour home movies. A backdrop of projected images, video and old home movies infuse an intimate touch to lyrical story-songs which move from the personal to the universal, inviting audiences to open a door into their own experience. Who is that waving to us from the past?

Performer plus images become the campfire around which long forgotten stories are told and memories shared, taking the audience on both an inward and outward journey of poignant transformation.

McLachlan began writing and performing in folk clubs in Vancouver in 1979. Over the next 20 years he presented his original songs about his own experiences and historical events in hundreds of theatres, festivals, clubs and schools in Western Canada, and as far away as Colombia. After a hiatus working in arts administration and graphic design, in 2014 John returned to music, writing, and recording the albums Call it Home (2016), Wind and Bones (2017) and Time Broke (2018) with multi-instrumentalist Marc Atkinson.

Slow Joe Crow is also on the bill May 2 at Key City Theatre. Tickets are $27.50 and $25.

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