James Barker was sad, but stopping in the Sault made him happy (14 photos)

The last time the James Barker Band rolled through Sault Ste. Marie, it didn’t stop to play. The band was supporting another act on the cross-Canada tour and was at the mercy of someone else’s schedule. This made Mr. Barker sad. At least that’s what he told the crowd at the Machine Shop Wednesday night.

Luckily, in just a few short years, the James Barker Band has earned it’s own stripes and is on a cross-country tour of its own. Stretching from Halifax to Vancouver, the Game On tour in support of the band’s 2017 debut release managed to make a stop in the Sault much to the delight of area country music fans. And at the perfect time, too – deep enough into the tour so the band is relaxed, rehearsed and going with the flow, but not so deep that the members are tired of the road, tired of each other and homesick. That all came through during Wednesday night’s performance at the Machine Shop.

Opening and almost co-headling the evening was Meghan Patrick touring her own release, Country Music Made Me Do It. JoJo Mason warmed the crowd up with the first set of the night.

Upcoming performances at The Machine Shop include Harpdog Brown on Feb. 10, Big Wreck on Feb. 13 and Brett Kissel on Feb. 25. For more information about these and all other Machine Shop activities, please click here.