With the incredible year he has had since the release of his album Red Bird, Victoria-based singer Jesse Roper has performed at some of the west coast’s greatest festivals this summer, including Rifflandia.
He is now embarking on a house concert tour to give back to the support his fans have shown this year, with a stop in Red Deer Oct. 17th.
With his finalist position in the Peak Performance Project, Roper recently released his latest (and free) single, Cupid. Along with the single release, he will be launching a charity initiative through October to support Victoria’s local charity Our Place Society. Roper will be teaming up with Our Place Society to release an acoustic record, with all proceeds going towards sponsoring an entire day of meals at the charity.
In terms of his music, fans may appreciate his throw back vibe which is reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Texas blues, however, Roper’s tunes are unmistakably modern. There isn’t a ‘run of the mill’ song in the bunch – everything breathes with a refreshing authenticity. This is music that reaches out and grabs the listener, essentially demanding a response.
There is no room for indifference.
Roper released Red Bird early this year with Blue Heron Music. Without losing the sentimental and vintage authenticity of blues, the album is blazing its own path in the music scene not unlike modern yet retro influenced musicians such as the Black Keys and Jack White.
The disc’s energy is unrestrained, and there is no doubt that Roper is having the time of his life every step of the way.
A love for music came early. Starting the guitar at six years old, Roper soon mastered songs of heroes like Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin by ear.
Battling with stage fright, he was thrown out onto the stage with sweaty palms and a queasy stomach, which was quickly overshadowed by the audience’s overwhelmingly positive reaction. With an engaging set of recordings there is no doubt a live performance would be that much more compelling.
Roper has also shared the stage with many great artists over the years while also landing a number of accolades.
But at the end of the day, it’s all about the performance.
For more information about details about his schedule, check out www.jesseroper.ca.
-Weber
