Michael Kaeshammer dishes on his upcoming Vancouver shows, his forthcoming record, and a cooking tip straight out of Randy Bachman’s mom’s North End Winnipeg kitchen.
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Michael Kaeshammer
When and where: Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m., Massey Theatre, New Westminster; Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Kay Meek Arts Centre, West Vancouver
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Tickets: $35-50 at ticketsnw.ca (Massey), $29/46/49 at kaymeek.com (Kay Meek)
Born and raised in Germany, Michael Kaeshammer moved to Vancouver Island with his family when he was 18. Since releasing his 1996 debut Blue Keys the pianist/vocalist/songwriter has recorded 13 more albums and played countless shows, won several awards, and made numerous TV appearances.
We talked to Kaeshammer about his upcoming Vancouver shows, his forthcoming record, and a cooking tip straight out of Randy Bachman’s mom’s North End Winnipeg kitchen.
Q: You shot a cooking show with Randy Bachman. What was that all about?
A: For me, cooking is as much of a passion as music is so I always wanted to kind of package it into something where I could do both. Since the pandemic made us stay home, I thought let’s pitch this cooking thing to a station on Vancouver Island. They were on board, so Randy came over to our house and we cooked some food and played Taking Care of Business. It was edited into a show, and I think it’s going to air in spring.
Q: Are you are you both passionate about cooking or did you have to show him a few things?
A: Well, he likes to eat. And he likes certain things. But I don’t think he actually cooks much at home himself. So I showed him a couple of things, but we made this special Bolognese with lots of odd ingredients. And the one thing I remember him showing me was putting all the vegetables to the side of the pan when add the ground beef. His mother taught him that. So he actually had his own way of doing it from his childhood.
Q: What can you tell us about the new album, Turn it Up?
A: It’s coming out in March. I reconnected with an old friend of mine from Toronto, a great producer named Ron Lopata. He’s also a keyboard player who used to play in a band called Jacksoul. He’s got a pop-head but he can bring that to other styles. I wanted to work with him because we respect what each other does but I also wanted to make sure that the record sounds contemporary and maybe get it on the radio. And so I just wrote the songs and did my thing on the piano and with the band and we recorded live off the floor. And I let Ron have a little more wiggle room in the production. It’s very accessible and probably the most fun I’ve had making a record.
Q: What from your life inspired this batch of songs?
A: Generally, I’m a very happy guy, I’m very positive and I love life and I want to convey that in my music. It’s great to play piano and sing a song but the music is almost just a vehicle to get in the room with everyone and connect with an audience, and that’s really what it’s about for me. But also, I had an aunt in Germany who was probably one of the most supportive people in my family and she passed away from cancer. So there’s a little bit of reflection on family and what’s important in life. As well, since the music industry kind of shut down for two years, there’s some reflecting on not taking things for granted.
Q: What do you want people to know about your upcoming shows in New West and West Vancouver?
A: People always say that I have so many influences. There’s boogie, there’s pop, there’s classical, there’s jazz. That’s what I grew up listening to. To me, I’m just a piano player and singer. But I think what’s important to let people know is that even if they don’t like jazz, they will like this show. You don’t have to be a jazz-head or a blues-head or anything like that.
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Q: Are you going to have any Christmas songs for the people?
A: I think so. I mean, I have a few in my repertoire. You know, growing up in Germany, Christmas is a big thing. So there are a few favourites that I grew up with, and I have a few original Christmas tunes. It won’t be a Christmas show, but it will definitely put people in the mood for what’s coming up three weeks later.