MICHAEL KAESHAMMER
Where: McPherson Playhouse, 3 Centennial Sq.
When: Thursday, Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $65.75-$75 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or
Michael Kaeshammer is a piano-playing polymath.
The North Saanich musician has explored a range of artistic endeavours in recent months, from music and television to non-fiction writing — interests that are not motivated by commercial rewards. Curiosity is what drives the native of Offenburg, Germany, in 2023.
“Ideas are great, but you can’t do everything,” Kaeshammer said. “The day is over pretty quick, but if you prioritize things which are important to you, and can get the stuff that doesn’t matter as much off your shoulders, you can do it. What’s the worst that can happen?”
The six-time Juno Award nominee added the titles of author and television host to his oeuvre, after long periods of gestation for both. He was motivated to write a non-fiction book about his touring travails when the pandemic arrived, and the passionate foodie — whose kitchen in his North Saanich home borders on commercial grade — used the remainder of his time away from the road to explore the culinary arts.
The book has not yet been released, but his new TV series, Kaeshammer’s Kitchen, is currently airing on CHEK TV. He taped six 30-minute episodes over the summer, welcoming musicians Randy Bachman, Jim Byrnes, Marc Jordan, Dee Daniels and Andy Kim into his kitchen to cook and perform.
“[My girlfriend] and I came up with the idea over the pandemic, because that’s what we were doing anyway. We walked into CHEK one day and presented it to [general manager] Rob Germain and he said, ‘Let’s do it.’ ”
The sixth and final episode, with American bluesman Curtis Salgado, airs Saturday on CHEK. The show’s long-term future is yet to be decided; Kaeshammer said he has a meeting with the station this month, to determine how to proceed. It was tough to secure guests during the initial round of shooting, as many of the musicians were either touring or on holiday, but he expects to have his pick of performers during the winter months if new episodes are greenlit.
“Who do you want to have come over, make some food, and play a couple of songs?” he said of his decision-making process. “If we do more — and it has been received well so far — then there’s a long list of guests.”
Kaeshammer, 46, has applied that same adventuresome spirit to his musical pursuits, and the move has rewarded him with a steady international career. He will focus on Europe for the majority of 2024, where his stock has risen sharply. China remains a big market for Kaeshammer: In November, he will perform shows there in massive cities such as Shijiazhuang (which has a population of 11 million), Fuzhou (7.75 million), Dalian (7.5 million) and Shantou (5.5 million).
He currently has 18 tour dates on his itinerary, many of which were originally scheduled around the release of his new album, Turn it Up, which has been bumped and is now due for release in March. He has released four songs from the album thus far, and will play those and others from across his career during his McPherson Playhouse performance tonight.
Vancouver Island audiences always see a side of Kaeshammer in concert that other cities rarely do, he admitted. The new recordings extend Kaeshammer’s jaunty jazz-pop into other areas, so fans can expect some surprises. A few in-progress compositions might even find their way into his set, he added.
“I’ve always spent a lot of time playing and singing and writing at home, but I feel like I am doing it now more than ever. I’m surprised at how much more into it I am than I used to be.”
It has been a remarkable quarter-century run for the performer, who moved to Victoria from Germany with his family in 1995, when he was 18 years old. He recorded his 1996 debut, Blue Keys, soon after, during a rare trip to the Mainland.
“Back in those days, going to Vancouver felt like you’d made it,” he said with a laugh. “Getting off the Island? Holy moly. At the time, it was incredible.”
He admits to feeling many of the same emotions with Turn it Up, his 15th studio album.
“With this record, it feels like we’re just starting. With what’s coming, and how it feels, and how excited I am, I’m thankful I’m not jaded and bitter.”
