Musician Jacob Moon returns to the Imperial Theatre on Feb. 11 to reimagine the timeless folk-rock hits of the 1970s with a full band.
Jacob Moon remembers exactly what the atmosphere was like the last time he played in Sarnia.
“We played the Imperial at this time last year and I knew that we wanted to bring the show back for another run,” Moon says.
Moon is bringing Classic Troubadours Live back to the Imperial Theatre on Feb. 11. The show highlights the songwriting giants of the 1970s, specifically James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, and Carole King.
According to Moon, the intimate nature of the downtown theatre is the perfect setting for these specific stories.
“You can hear a pin drop in songs like 'Both Sides Now' and 'Fire and Rain' and you really feel the attentiveness of the audience when you're performing iconic songs like the ones we get to play,” he says.
While Moon is often recognized for his technical skill with live looping—building layers of sound solo on stage—he is leaving the technology behind for this performance.
“I reserve looping for my solo shows, and I don't use it at all in these shows, relying instead on the human interplay of my bandmates,” says Moon.
He notes that while looping was necessary when he was touring alone, the band format allows him to present the songs with a more organic feel.
The tour comes at a time when audiences seem eager to reconnect with the folk-rock era. Moon suggests this resurgence is driven by a desire to return to a less complicated cultural landscape.
“These songs were in many cases #1 on the charts back in the 70s, and it was a simpler time,” Moon explains.
“Songs like 'You've Got a Friend' and 'Raindrops Keep Fallin On My Head' were emblematic of that sort of earnest, wholesome song that everyone can sing,” he adds.
Moon, who has released 12 albums, has previously caught the attention of Canadian icons like Rush and Gordon Lightfoot.
He says that earning the respect of his heroes changed the way he views his own place on the stage.
“I think it's really hard to have objectivity on what you do as an artist, and when someone you look up to gives you positive feedback and calls you higher, it can give you the gift of confidence and make it more likely that you'll take risks artistically,” Moon says.
That confidence is what drives his approach to these classic tracks. Rather than treating them as museum pieces, he aims to use his own “lived musical experiences” to give them fresh expression.
Jacob Moon performs Classic Troubadours Live at the Imperial Theatre on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Get tickets here.
