'It was a special night': A Nashville Christmas leaves lasting impact on Moose Jaw

A Nashville Christmas held Friday night at the Mae Wilson Theatre was a big success.

The concert, which was hosted by Joel Stewart, was put on by River Street Promotions with proceeds going to support youth mental wellness initiatives in Saskatchewan.

The event featured five award-winning Nashville songwriters, including Emily Shackelton, Jenn Bostic, Jonny Mo, Sarah Darling, and Lindsay Ell.

"We almost sold out, a few singles were left," noted Jared Mathieson with River Street Promotions. "We ran into a little bit of issues with Lindsay's flight but she got there in time. She did our solo performance in the second half and then we finished it off back In Rounds like the first half."

The concert was held in the format of a Writers Round, which provides a more intimate listening experience for the audience.

Mathieson says feedback from the event has been very positive.

"I think people really got to experience that Nashville In The Round. A lot of people said they loved the two pianos and having Jonny there on the violin gave it that extra element. It was an emotional night, there was a lot of emotional songs that were sung and a few tears out in the audience and we gave a little surprise with the nine members of the Moose Jaw Choir students coming out and joining Sarah and everybody else with a version of 'Don't Let This World Break Your Heart', which the girls wrote specifically for the students and just anyone growing up. It was a special night for sure."

High school students from Moose Jaw and surrounding area were treated to a private concert on Thursday. The artists talked to the students about mental health and also played a few of their tunes. 

Mental wellness is near and dear to the heart of every member of River Street Promotions. Mathieson explained why he got involved.

"I know personally, I lost a friend to his battle. I just think if we can get to the youth young and know that it's ok to not be ok, I think that was the big message on Thursday. I know Amanda [Olson], from the [PSSD] school division, she was taking notes and I think she had 21 different actions and points that she got from the messaging from all the artists on stage. It's got to be tough to be a teenager these days and I personally think that if the event that we put on last week can affect even one person, it's worth it. Hopefully, we can hit more than one."

Organizers have yet to release a dollar amount on how much was raised from the concert.

River Street Promotions is continuing to plan for Homestand '24, with another musical event being talked about for the spring.

"If people keep supporting, we'll keep doing them," concluded Mathieson.

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