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Steven Lee Olsen will open the Forever Summer Playlist show tonight at Canalta Centre, something Olsen says is a great cap an amazing year. After Olsen, Aaron Goodvin and Rascal Flatts will take the stage.
cbrown@medicinehatnews.com@MHNBrown
According to the calendar it’s technically fall, and everyone in Medicine Hat knows winter weather could return any moment.
Neither of those things are stopping Steven Lee Olsen from keeping the summer vibes going at tonight’s Forever Summer Playlist show at the Canalta Centre. Olsen is a special guest, along with Aaron Goodvin, on the tour headlined by Rascal Flatts.
The Medicine Hat stop, the only Alberta one on this quick six-date run, caps a what Olsen said has been an amazing year.
“I did about 20 dates with Billy Currington this summer and now going out with Flatts is going to be awesome,” he said. “I can’t think of a better way to cap off the year and cruise into Christmas.”
Christmas carols are the future. Summer songs are the present.
Olsen’s new single “Hello Country” is perfect for the tour and as is often the case it’s not about what you know but who. Olsen has known Rascal Flatts members Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney for years, the band previously cut a song he wrote and they have the same management group.
“So when they heard the new single we were coming out with “Hello Country” they loved it, they wanted to support it and thought it was a good fit. I love those guys, it’s a dream tour for me.”
Asked for three songs he’d put on a summer playlist, Olsen was quick with answers.
“Billy Currington’s new single ‘Details.’ That is a jam. I have to shamelessly tell you that I wrote it. It’s basically about how much you pay attention to your girl’s details. Down to which hand she stirs her coffee with and how may pillows she sleeps with and how many freckles she has. It’s a fun playful summer jam and Billy Currington’s voice is just money sauce all over it.
“‘Drop’ by Dallas Smith. I also wrote that but it’s also a great summer jam and then I’m throwing on ‘Hello Country,'” he said.
Noting his close connection to all three, the Ontario-born but now Nashville-based singer was typically Canadian about it.
“I’m sorry, but these three songs they just make me want to party.”
Olsen, who loves to connect with fans on Instagram, will take the stage first tonight and is out to “jam it living room style.” He plans to play his radio releases and also songs he’s written for other people, songs he says have changed his life.
Keith Urban’s CMA song of the year winner “Blue Ain’t Your Color” and Garth Brooks’ “Cold Like That” are two of the many songs Olsen has a writing credit on.
Olsen says his songwriting and performing work rarely coincide, but they certainly feed off of each other. He said being on the road a lot this summer has given him a new perspective in the writing room for things like what works for crowd reactions.
“You do enough shows you get comfortable enough on stage that you have some mind space to actual pick up notes and be consciously there. One has totally served the other and I don’t think one can live without the other.”
For right now it’s all about the road life.
“I write every single day here in Nashville and it’s a nice break to get to go and have fun, play music for people and travel on the road. I was built for it,” he said.
After Olsen gets the party started expect Aaron Goodvin to keep it going with hits like “Lonely Drum” and “You Are.” Rascal Flatts, with its huge catalogue of hits, will finish off the night. Don’t be surprised to hear “Life is a Highway,” “Bless the Broken Road” and “Summer Nights.”
The show starts at 7 p.m.
Tickets are available at ticketmaster.ca, by phone at 1-855-985-5000 or in person at the Canalta Centre box office.
