Jess Moskaluke launches Mapdot Tour in Ottawa and sets the bar high!

Country music fans filled the house at Ottawa’s Bronson Centre Tuesday night to see internationally acclaimed artist Jess Moskaluke perform live in the first headlining tour of her career. The November 1 show was the first stop on her 23-city tour with fellow artist Tyler Joe Miller.

The 32-year-old singer-songwriter from Langenburg, Saskatchewan (population 1,065) first made waves on the country music scene with her debut single “Catch Me if You Can” in 2012, before winning Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2013 Saskatchewan Country Music Association Awards. Since then, her dynamic pop-country sound has won her numerous awards and recognition, including a Songwriting Gold Award for her 2015 single, “Take Me Home,” which she co-wrote with Emily Shackelton and Kelly Archer.

Opening with “Country Girls,” Moskaluke drew fans out of their seats and led them on a musical journey through her versatile repertoire of hit singles, including “Cheap Wine and Cigarettes,” the first song by a female Canadian country artist to go platinum since Shania Twain. Seizing the crowd energy that surged with her latest release, “Knock Off,” the star of the stage promised a little something for everyone, before going on to showcase the talent in her 5-piece band through an electric mix of cover songs, including a unique rendition of “(How Do I Get You) Alone,” by Heart.

The show then took a sentimental turn with Moskaluke’s Top 15 hit single, “Mapdot,” an ode to small-town pride, and “Halfway Home.” The show ended with a standing ovation, cheers and whistles, which brought the band back onstage for a rousing encore. If opening night is any indication, the rest of the Mapdot Tour, which continues through select cities in Ontario before heading west and wrapping up in Saskatoon on December 2, will be just as hot.

This bodes well for special guest Tyler Joe Miller, whose 30-minute set warmed up the crowd with his hit singles, such as “Wild as Her,” “Pillow Talkin’,” and his latest release, “Never Met a Beer.” Hailing from Surrey, B.C., Miller began his rise to fame with two back-to-back Number 1 hits on the Billboard Canada Country chart in 2019. Miller continues to work on new music while also pursuing his talents as a carpenter and painter, skills he uses to build homes in Guatemala through his own non-profit organization. After giving Miller a huge capital city welcome for his first-ever Ottawa appearance, and again when Moskaluke called him back on stage during her show, we know that fans will be craving more opportunities to enjoy Miller’s rich vocals.

The icing on the cake came earlier in the evening with a surprise performance by Abby Stewart, an up-and-coming country music artist. Given the enthusiasm for her short opening set, we can look forward to more from the promising 21-year-old native of Kingston, Ontario. In the meantime, watch for her just released single, “Waste the Weekend” to start climbing the charts.

The Mapdot tour continues tonight at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto where Kip Moore will join the tour for 4 nights before Tyler Joe Miller returns to the tour on November 7 in St. Catherines. You can find tickets and a full listing of tour dates here: https://www.jessmoskaluke.com/site.php/events/

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