5 Reasons to Love: Michael Bernard Fitzgerald

1: He keeps his feet on the ground.
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald has only been performing since 2005. In that time, he has racked up many Calgary music awards, including the Calgary Stampede’s Youth Talent Search, the Calgary Folk Music Festival songwriting competition and X92.9’s Exposure contest. As for the rapid trajectory of his career, he says, “I have a short attention span so it doesn’t feel fast. I’m always moving on to the next thing.”

2: His songs make us smile.
His simply sweet piano song, and crowd favourite, “Care For You,” gives a first date play-by-play that ends with the lyrics, “I’ll thank you for this date/Apologize for getting you home so late/You’ll turn around/A goodnight kiss without a sound.” If that isn’t enough to make your lips curl up at the corners, his trademark daisy tied to his guitar will.

3: His new album is entirely dedicated to the subject of love. The MBF Love LP — produced by Juno Award-winner Russell Broom (Jann Arden, The Dudes) — is layered with big sounds and rich texture. “A lot of the songs I have written in the last couple years have chronicled love in different ways,” he says. “Loving yourself, losing love, leaving love behind; it’s all the different sides to it,” he says.

4: He knows how to rally his friends.
Fitzgerald is known for organizing mega-concerts and sharing
the stage with dozens of artists. In 2007, he used grant money from the University of Lethbridge (where he was studying drama) to fund the These Proportions are Epic tour, which had 50 musicians playing university campuses across Alberta. Most recently, his Love and Manners performance at the Jack Singer Concert Hall involved 120 performers including a choir, drumline, orchestra and dancers.

5: He loves you. From the tweens dancing up front at his shows to their parents clapping in the back and all the folkies and hipsters in between, he’s charmingly appreciative of all his fans. At the end of each set, he blows kisses to the crowd like he means it and if you recognize him out-and-about, he’ll likely flash you his winning smile and stop to chat.

michaelbernardfitzgerald.com