We're dreaming of a bluegrass Christmas, and so is Halifax's Modern Grass. They're drumming up holiday nostalgia with their second seasonal album Swingin' Around the Christmas Tree...Again and to help spread the word, they've got a hell of a marketing strategy. Farmers' marketing, that is. The group (Tom Terrell, Donald MacLennan, Andrew Sneddon, Adam Pye and Dan MacCormack) built an entire tour around playing market gigs in the morning, and bar shows at night. "The whole idea behind booking this tour was to take in a part of a community most bands don't get to take in when they travel," says MacLennan, the band's violinist. "Despite busking being such an old practice it's been almost looked down upon, but we think its a really grounding experience." Though getting up for peak market time might be tough after playing until the wee hours of the morning, The Modern Grass hope their grassroots approach will help widen the age gap that their music reaches and spread their country-infused holiday cheer a bit further. "The good Christmas carols are either really good country songs or really nice jazz arrangements," says MacLennan. "It really gives us potential to take it where we want to."
Sat Dec 10, Seaport Farmers' Market, 1209 Marginal Road (morning); The Company House, 2202 Gottingen Street, $8, 9pm, w/Nick Everett
