A group of celebrated Canadian country artists are in the middle of a cross-country road trip and they’re preparing to stop in our region next month. Pure Country 106 Morning Show Host Jason McCoy is joined by two members of JUNO-award-winning country group Doc Walker, Chris Thorsteinson and Dave Wasyliw, along with five-time CCMA female vocalist Michelle Wright for the Great Canadian Roadtrip. The four of them joined CTV News live from their tour bus at their stop in Trail, B.C. The crew is about 60 shows in, having completed earlier legs of the tour, but they’re not stopping yet. “The crowd gives us energy – we want to do more,” Jason McCoy tells CTV News. So how did the musicians join forces? “We were all individually talking to our agents about how fun it would be to put a group together of some sort and head out on the road – sort of a multi-bill idea,” Wright explains. “And our agents sort of approached us all individually and went, ‘what about this combination?’ And we went, ‘Yeah! Let’s give that a go.” The musicians not only share a stage but songs as well, something the group says fuels their passion. “We’re all supporting each other. It kind of just gives us energy to keep going. And the fans, they bring it every night,” McCoy says. The tour has an acoustic feel, which Thorsteinson says makes the shows more intimate for the crowd. “We can be a little bit more personal for the audience,” says Thorsteinson. “We get more time to tell stories about the songs.” He says he enjoys hearing Wright tell the backstories of her hits like, “Take It Like A Man” and “He Would be 16.” “I feel the fans get to know us each a little bit better, being an acoustic show like that,” Thorsteinson says. Not only is the group travelling the country sharing their music with fans but they’re also supporting a worthy cause by giving proceeds to World Vision Canada. McCoy and Wright actually went to Zimbabwe, Africa to see what work was being done there and they had the chance to meet their sponsored children. Video footage from that trip is shown during their concerts, helping to encourage audience members to also sponsor children. “We’re hear to have a party but we’re also here to change the world one child at a time and it’s working,” says McCoy. “We Are One,” a McCoy song featuring Wright and several other Canadian country artists, is all about that sentiment. Also, “The Great Canadian Roadtrip Rides Again” is another collaborative single, which started with Wright sending the rest of the crew a sample of the chorus. As it turned out, they were all “hooked,” so they travelled to a studio in Winnipeg and recorded the song together, to some solid reception from audiences. “The crowds have been absolutely loving it,” says Thorsteinson. “By the end of the song, they’re singing it, so its worked out really well.” While McCoy is on the road until the end of November, he has a message for his Pure Country 106 fans back home: “Miss you guys, miss hanging out with Carey in the morning and can’t wait to get back,” McCoy says. The tour will make a stop in Orillia at the Orillia Opera House on Nov. 22. McCoy won’t have much time between the stage and the airwaves, as he says he’s back on the air the next day on Nov. 23.
