Mister K making virtual concert debut on Friday

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This article was published 03/02/2021 (1709 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Teacher turned musician Kevin Kratsch, better known by his stage name “Mister K,” is set to perform virtually for the very first time this upcoming Friday, with a solo concert that is being live streamed via the Killarney Turtle Mountain Arts Council’s YouTube channel.

Talking to the Sun on Tuesday, Kratsch admitted that he is nervous about dipping his toe into this brand-new format, since he’s way more comfortable playing in front of a physical crowd.

“As soon as there’s no audience in the house and you’re in front of a camera, there’s definitely a lot more nerves involved,” he said. “It’s kind of weird because it evokes those feelings of early performances, where you’re a kid at a recital.”

Still, the self-described “cosmic folk-pop balladeer” is excited about this Killarney concert, as it will double as a launch party for his debut album, “In Event of Moon Disaster,” which was released on Tuesday.

Not only will this digital showcase provide great exposure for the Manitoban’s unique blend of Neil Young and The Beatles, but Kratsch is also using the stripped-back format to expand on what went into the making of each track.

“It gives the audience a little bit more of a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of this record, and you get to hear the songs the way they were constructed as the original demos,” he said.

Kratsch describes the album itself as a “concept record,” with songs weaving in and out of each other and swirling around certain overarching themes.

One of the LP’s biggest underlying motifs is enduring the highs and lows of “darker days” and coming out the other side, like how Kratsch was able to manage his anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak by retreating into nature and taking photos of wild foxes.

“With the pandemic, it’s really forced me to examine the whole artistic scope and how to proceed forward,” he said. “You can’t just do one thing anymore. You have to roll with the punches and find other avenues to get yourself out there.”

Kratsch went on to reveal that the upcoming show was actually filmed ahead of time in Winnipeg using a three-person production team, who are now in the process of splicing together all the audio and video for Friday.

But the veteran musician maintains that there is still a purely live component to this concert, since he and producer Rusty Matyas will also be conducting a Q&A session once the pre-recorded set is complete.

While Kratsch is hoping that in-person concerts can make a return in 2021, he’s more than happy to virtually bond with fellow music lovers in the meantime, especially with those who have been following his multi-year transition from educator to troubadour.

“I’m really looking forward to actually connecting now, in a live setting, with people who have been following me along this journey,” he said.

Mister K’s solo show on Friday, starting at 8 p.m., is part of the Killarney Turtle Mountain Arts Council’s ongoing “Music for the Masses” concert series, which is being funded by the province’s Safe at Home initiative.

This string of digital shows officially began on Jan. 29 with a performance from singer, songwriter Leela Gilday, although the arts council also hosted online concerts featuring Winnipeg-based folk band Red Moon Road and actor Jeff Daniels earlier that month.

So far, arts administrator Jane Ireland said their patrons have responded positively to this new format, especially since these digital concerts can include people living outside of Westman.

“It’s amazing how far you can go with this because we’ve had people tuning into the performances from all over the world,” Ireland said. “We had people from the U.K., we had people from California, from Mexico. It was really neat.”

The council’s “Music for the Masses” series will run until the end of March, featuring performances from the likes of Rhonda Head (Feb. 13), Mitchell Mozdzen (Feb. 19), Sierra Noble (Feb. 27), Little Miss Higgins (March 12), meagan&amy (March 14) and Cicchillitti-Cowan Duo (March 28).

These concerts can be viewed for free on the Killarney Turtle Mountain Arts Council’s YouTube channel or Facebook page.

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