IN CONCERT
What: Xavier Rudd with Emmanuel Jal
Where: McPherson Playhouse
When: Friday, June 8, 7 p.m.
Tickets: Sold out
Singer-songwriter Xavier Rudd, who turned 40 last week, has been playing music professionally for more than half of his life. It is that wealth of experience 鈥� of knowing what it takes to succeed, and the drive to see that dream come to fruition 鈥� that has helped the Australian folk singer become a runaway success story.
鈥淪ometimes, I get tired and miss family, but I鈥檓 really lucky,鈥� Rudd said from a tour stop in Salt Lake City, Utah. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of good musicians in the world who don鈥檛 have the opportunities that I have, and I respect that. I鈥檝e been doing this long enough to realize that it鈥檚 not about me or my ego, it鈥檚 about the bigger picture. I have a role in that, and I respect it.鈥�
Rudd kicks off a 16-date tour of sa国际传媒 with a sold-out stop at the McPherson Playhouse on Friday, his first concert in years in what used to be his home away from home. He spent a fair bit of time on Vancouver Island during the late 1990s 鈥� some of it living in a van with his then-girlfriend, a Courtenay native he met in Australia. His first two recordings were live albums recorded in sa国际传媒 in 2001 and 2002, while some of his early concerts in Victoria drew the biggest crowds of his career to that point. For the early portion of his career, he was considered an unofficial sa国际传媒 boy, with Vancouver Island claiming him as our own.
鈥淚 have a soft spot in my heart for places like Victoria,鈥� Rudd said. 鈥淭he support I had there early was incredible, and it still means a lot to me. I鈥檝e had success in lots of different countries now, but it feels really special to come to sa国际传媒 I don鈥檛 get to it as much anymore. I used to come to sa国际传媒 all the time, but now it鈥檚 pretty rare. It鈥檚 exciting. It feels kind of like coming a home, a little bit. 鈥�
Though his current tour through North America is with the backing of a full band, Rudd still takes a few solo turns during each concert. That鈥檚 how he started, playing all the instruments himself, and he never wants to lose touch with his humble beginnings. 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to get as wide a spread of all my stuff as I can. I feel like it鈥檚 pretty perfect at the moment, what we鈥檙e doing. The show is really well-rounded. It鈥檚 nice to do a bit of everything that I鈥檝e covered over the years, and it makes for a nice set.鈥�
To play some of his early material, Rudd is required to bring on the road his one-man-band rig, a chassis to which his didgeridoo and various percussion instruments are mounted. 鈥淚鈥檝e got all that with me, man. I seem to be addicted to carrying too much stuff around.鈥�
The multi-instrumentalist casts an international net these days 鈥� he no longer has landed immigrant status in sa国际传媒; that changed when he split from his wife 鈥� and has made up for lost time touring extensively in countries such as the U.S., which remained untapped for Rudd until 2004. Though he鈥檚 constantly in motion (his tour will take him to several countries before the year is out), he remains firmly attached to Australia. Recently re-married, Rudd lives on Queensland鈥檚 Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane. He moved there to be closer to his two sons with his ex-wife from Courtenay, who lives in nearby Byron Bay. 鈥淚 picked a place to start again and we鈥檝e started on our journey,鈥� he said.
Part of that journey includes Storm Boy, Rudd鈥檚 ninth release. It鈥檚 a typically optimistic outing from the Paul Simon-sounding performer, whose earnest but inspiring view of the world has drawn fans in from across the world who share his heartening view of humanity and the environment.
鈥淲e all know humans are not the greatest species on the Earth, in terms of how we operate 鈥� not only amongst each other, but also our footprint on the planet. We often focus on the negative, and there鈥檚 plenty of it, but I have definitely noticed a huge growth in the consciousness of people. There鈥檚 a conscious movement around our Earth that is growing quite rapidly, if you look at the history of evolution. And that鈥檚 exciting. Whether it be environmentally or for self-worth, it鈥檚 all important.鈥�
Much of Rudd鈥檚 music is inspired by the outdoors. His 2012 album Spirit Bird was inspired by the Kimberley region of Australia, where he had 鈥渟ome pretty profound experiences,鈥� and includes samples of 30 species of Australian birds. Storm Boy 鈥� which arrived on May 25 鈥� makes mention of pelicans, the same birds that figure prominently in the movie Storm Boy, an obscure Australian film from 1976 on which the album is based.
鈥淲hat I get off on is our natural earth. I鈥檓 always outside, and happy to be, and I feel like the spirit of the land plays a big part in what I write about, because I write about the things that I love.鈥�
