Written By Olena Riznyk
AILSA CRAIG – After years of performing for massive crowds across Canada, Sean McCann says the shows he remembers most are the small ones.
McCann will bring his “Sink or Swim” tour to Ye Olde Towne Hall on May 15 at 7 p.m., performing an intimate solo concert at the historic community hall. “When we played for 20,000 people at a time, those shows I don’t remember,” McCann said during a recent interview. “What I do remember is the smaller clubs and theaters and churches that we used to play in when we started.”
Originally from a small town himself, McCann said places like Ailsa Craig feel meaningful to him. “I come from small, and I see value in small,” he said. “I know what it feels like to be from a small town and not have anybody come and do a concert.”
McCann said the town hall itself stood out to him when he recently drove through the community. “That hall has history,” he said. “That community has revolved around that hall for 100 years or so. That’s the heart of the town.”
He said smaller venues create a different kind of atmosphere, where audiences can connect more personally with both the music and each other. “It’s very personal. It’s intimate. It’s up close,” he said. “My fondest memories are of the smallest crowds.”
During the show, McCann performs alone and encourages the audience to sing along with him. “In this age of division and conflict, there’s something really positive and healing about being in a room full of people,” he said. “By singing a song together with strangers or neighbours, it reminds us that we have more in common than our differences.”
McCann said modern life has left many people feeling distracted and disconnected from one another. “We have less time to stay connected. We’re more distracted,” he said. “We have to do whatever we can to slow things down enough to remember who we really are.”
The musician also spoke openly about his own struggles with trauma and addiction, saying music became an important part of his recovery. “The best weapon I had to fight back against that trauma and the subsequent addiction was songs,” he said.
The title of his latest album, Sink or Swim, reflects what he believes is a choice people face during difficult times. “We need to fight back, not with hate, not with anger, but with love,” he said.
McCann said he hopes people leave the concert feeling encouraged and connected.
“I want them to come to my concert, remember that we’re human beings, sing songs together, and walk out the door feeling better and stronger than when they walked in,” he said.
