Calgary musicians perform Canada’s greatest hits in legacy musical

Rock the Nation (RN) is a musical production performed by local musicians in Calgary, giving a walk back in time through decades of Canadian hits.

“We’re celebrating Canadian music,” said RN’s bass player Lisa Jacobs. “It’s kind of nostalgic and there’s something for every generation.”

The National Music Centre at Studio Bell in Calgary’s East Village is a hub for promoting Canadian music, and the show is free with admission until early March, with four shows every weekend.

For the performers, it’s been an eye-opening experience to see Canada’s music legacy

“There’s one or two songs that I didn’t even know, which I found a bit surprising,” Jacobs said.

“We wanted it to be an educational experience, a lot of people are unaware that these are not just big Canadian hits, but big international hits,” added Scott Henderson, RN’s music director.

“It’s kind of the soundtrack to growing up in Canada.”

READ MORE: 87-year-old Calgary woman rediscovers love for drumming

Rehearsals began last month, and performances began last week.

It’s been a gathering of great local talents like Matty Mckay.

Mckay is usually travelling all over North America and the world as a supporting musician for other notable artists like Brett Kissel, so this is a gladly welcomed change of pace in his own city.

“Yeah, it’s really nice to be home for a stretch. Definitely different for me, I don’t usually step into the lead singing position very often. It’s not something that I typically do. So it’s fun. It’s been a challenge and a stretch,” said Mckay.

And no genre is left out; from Drake and the Weeknd, to Shania Twain, Joni Mitchell and The Guess Who, there’s something for every audience member.

“We’ve had five shows, we’ve had five standing ovations, so that just shows the incredible impact that these songs have on people,” said Henderson.