The Dirt Road Opera (Venables Theatre)

Dirt Road Opera’s journey began back in 2016 when Rachel Matkin and Barry Mathers once again teamed up to make music. Barry’s musical career began at the age of 14, playing drums in a band in his hometown of Osoyoos. His parents owned the local music store, Mathers Music and Electric, where he worked and gave drum lessons.

The two had previously worked together on three albums by the Cruzeros, a Canadian country band. Barry was the singer and songwriter and Rachel sang harmonies on many of the songs. Musicians came and went as the band developed a distinctive sound. Dirt Road Opera solidified it’s core when Jim Ryan, also a former member of the Cruzeros became the third member of the trio. Skip ahead three years and after countless hours in Barry’s home studio, Redhouse Recording and an album was finally finished. Rachel and Barry’s voices have always had that special “thing” when they sing together and Jim’s third part brings it all home.