REGINA (CUP) โ Fred Penner is many things. Heโs a childrenโs entertainer, a Canadian icon, a CBC television star and a part-time bar act.
Wait, part-time bar act? Since when?
It started a couple years back when Penner played a show at Gertโs Bar, a student pub at McGill University in Montreal.
โI ended up going to Gertโs Lounge on a Friday afternoon at four and selling out this bar. I was there for about two to two-and-a-half (hours) just interacting with students and talking about the history of my career and Fred Pennerโs Place and people that Iโve met along the way, and songs that they wanted to hear and songs that I wanted to share,โ says Penner.
Since then, he has sprinkled in shows at university bars along with his childrenโs shows. Currently, he is in the midst of a West Coast tour and, after a quick regrouping in his hometown of Winnipeg, heโll travel to the East Coast for a mix of public and university shows.
โItโs like I have this range of variables to play with now and try to put them all together on a tour. Itโs interesting playing the different levels.โ
The content of the university shows is largely dictated by the audience, he says. He’ll assuredly play The Cat Came Back and Sandwiches, his two biggest hits, and many other songs students remember from childhood.
The show isnโt just a childrenโs concert performed for young adults, though. Rather, this is the next evolution in Pennerโs career, which has always been about creating a positive connection with the audience.
โIt has never been just about getting up and singing a couple of songs and trying to be funny. Itโs always been about trying to make a positive connection with the vulnerable spirit of the child. That may sound intense, but thatโs the way itโs always been,โ Penner says.
โThe thing I really enjoy about doing the university (shows) is thereโs such an interesting rush of coming to see this guy they grew up with, and itโs still a really cool thing to connect with me.โ
With a 30-year history of making music and entertaining people, Penner is aware of the impact he has had on many peopleโs lives. At times, he still feels overwhelmed by the love and thanks people show him.
โIt was always about doing this because it felt right, because I had something inside of me that I needed to express through music and story and whatever direction it would go,” he says. “I felt that inside me, but you never know if thatโs going to be received or reciprocated by the audience.
โSo, you start with the core of your talent, your ability. You do things to the best of your ability and see where it goes. Fortunately, it has been and continues to be a most incredible and powerfully positive journey for me.โ
At this point, Penner is in a position where he can pick and choose projects. Heโs interested in getting back into television, possibly doing some film and of course is committed to live performing. Although heโs just a few years away from being able to accept Canada Pension Plan payments, Penner has no plans for retirement.
โAll these aspects of my creativity and my life are essentially in place at this point. Itโs the kind of thing that is going to continue to carry me until I drop.โ