Marv Machura: Press Reviews, etc.

Folk Rocker Insists on Keeping Up with the Western Flavour

By Carson Mills

Provincial country legend Ian Tyson’s musical footprint has impacted several Alberta musicians and Marv Machura is no different.
The Sherwood Park area folk rocker first discovered Tyson’s 1987 album Cowboyography several years ago and fell in love with Tyson’s brand of straight-shooting authenticity.
“His songs are literate” said Machura.
“They are no schmaltzy country songs. They’re actually songs that tell a story in a narrative style.”
“This is what country music should be about.”
Machura said he marvels at Tyson’s ability to marry his music with his lifestyle.
“He ranches and does music” said Machura
“He’s the model of go out and do it. Shut up and stop complaining. When I first discovered him, I thought, ‘if he can do it, why can’t I?’”
That authenticity is what Machura has strived for throughout his 30-year career. Of-course there are a few differences between Machura and the country music legend.
“It’s a difference between being a want-to-be farmer and a want-to-be rancher,” laughs Machura. “I’m more of a want-to-be farmer.”
Machura will be making his first Stony Plain appearance in roughly a decade with a performance tomorrow night at the Early Stage Saloon.
“It’s a long time coming,” said Machura
“I had some great times in Stony Plain. The last time I was at the Early Stage I played with Gary Chevalier on steel guitar. The crowd was dancing and it was just bouncing. I just loved the people.”
Macura noted that the Stony audience can expect a little more of an up-tempo performance form his band than his primary influence probably would.
“I’m more rock than country,” he said. “When I look down my set list, the number of pure country two-steps is pretty small.”
“My band and I have a lot of miles under our belt so it gives me a chance to really play guitar. But we’ll play everything from Neil Diamond to Neil Young. It’s eclectic but there’s a thread that goes through it.”
Machura is currently putting the finishing touches on his third album in six years titled Warm Summer Night.
“I’ve spent more dough on it and we’ve got bigger production,” he said.
“The songs are fully done with a lot of background vocals. It’s not such a rootsy album. I wanted this album to be a good as I could get it.”
Still despite bigger productions values and fully fleshed out songs and ideas, Machura insists that he has remained true to his country—and specifically Alberta country—roots.
“I’ve put a few albums out since I was last here, but I’m still doing the same kind of Western Canadian roots music that I’ve always done. It’s all I know.”
- Carson Mills Stony Plains Reporter Published on Friday, February 6, 2009.
Exrep.editor@bowesnet.com

Heavy helping of Lightfoot onstage in local tribute
Peter North, Freelance
Published: 2:34 am
It was only a matter of time before someone assembled a local cast to pay tribute to Gordon Lightfoot.
Tunesmith, singer and promoter Marv Machura lined up Willie James, Anne Vriend, Dalia Wakefield, The Ranger Creek Wranglers and a few others who will be stringing together more than two dozen Lightfoot songs at The Haven on Saturday night.
Like so many Canadian roots musicians, Machura was bowled over by the Lightfoot songbook in his formative years as a musician.
"I must have worn out a copy of Sundown on my parents' console stereo. I was as entranced by the guitar voicing as much as the lyrics. I must have plugged over 30 of Lightfoot's tunes into my repertoire over the years," says Machura, who snagged The Circle Is Small, Talking In Your Sleep and Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald for this event.
"The Lightfoot catalogue is so big there weren't any conflicts about who would perform what. Early Morning Rain is one of the tunes Anne is doing, the Rangers picked Baby Step Back as one of their three and Peter Pirquet jumped on Boss Man. Everyone will come together at the end and perform Alberta Bound."
Doors at The Haven open Saturday night at 8 and showtime is set for 9 p.m. Advance tickets are available at Tix On The Square for $18 or at the door for $22. The Haven is at 15120A Stony Plain Rd.