Skye Theatre in South Carthage will host New Brunswick fiddler Samantha Robichaud, who is touring in support of her album “In The Green Room.” To that end, a phone interview was conducted that found the three-time Music NB award winner calling from her home to talk about her upcoming gig as well as her 22 years of performing on the fiddle.
Q: What impresses me about “In The Green Room” is the variety of styles on the album. Your fiddle has so many different “voices” you can bring forward.
Robichaud: That was the whole idea of the album — to do a lot of collaborations and show that I can be versatile in what I play and what I do. That you can really fit the fiddle almost into anything.
Q: What’s your show going to be like up at Skye Theatre?
Robichaud: It’s going to be kind of a mixture. There’s going to be singing and fiddle playing and there’s going to be all sorts of upbeat, lively tunes, great toe-tapping tunes and we’re playing all of the instrumental tunes on “In The Green Room.”
Q: Who will be with you as support musicians?
Robichaud: Chris Colepaugh will be playing with me and he wrote the “200 Miles” song that’s on my new album, too … he’ll be playing guitar and singing along with me, as well.
Q: Have you ever performed at the Skye Theatre before?
Robichaud: Yes, I have.
Q: Is it a venue in which you enjoy playing?
Robichaud: Oh my goodness, very much so! I mean, Phill (McIntyre, Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center director) is amazing and it’s such a great venue, though I haven’t been there since they renovated it. I’ve played there a couple of times but I guess the last time was probably three or four years ago, maybe. It’s a great place to perform and the people are amazing — it’s a great experience all around so I’m very much looking forward to get back there.
Q: Do you tour much in the U.S.?
Robichaud: I do actually play a fair amount in California — I toured there last October and did a couple of festivals (there) which was really great. Yeah, it’s kind of surprising because I really didn’t know what to expect when I went out there and to be so really well-received by the West Coast audiences was amazing–it was great.
Q: Could you talk a little more about the Skye Theatre gig?
Robichaud: I’ll be playing a variety of styles–I’ll be playing Celtic tunes, I’ll be playing a little bit of French-Acadian tunes, so it’ll be a little different. I do a lot of my own compositions as well so those have a bit of groove to them and Chris Colepaugh, he’s a bit of a rocker. It’s not going to be hard-core rock music or anything like that, but he’s got a really great groove and a drive that really makes you want to tap your toe — and that adds a little bit more of a modern twist to the fiddle music which is really great.
Q: With all the different styles of music you perform, is there any one you prefer over the others?
Robichaud: Not really, I think what I love about playing so much — and the various styles — is that I do get to always play something different so I don’t get bored ever really playing the same style of music over and over again … I think it’s great for everyone involved — myself included — and I tend to meld them together so it’s a lot of fun.
Q: Is there anything, Samantha, that you would like to have passed on to the readers of this “What’s Happening” article?
Robichaud: No, not really. I’d just love for people to come out to the show and have a great time … come enjoy the music and say “Hi!” It’s going to be a great night of lots of different styles of music — it’s going to be fun!
Lucky Clark has spent over four decades writing about good music and the people who make it. He can be reached at luckyc@myfairpoint.net if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
