After the long concert-less pandemic stretch, Squamish's currently very busy Cat Madden is grateful for every gig she does these days.
"I am more grateful for everything than I have ever been," she said, adding she has shows lined up into the fall, when she hopes to take a break to return to England to see family and friends.
"When you lose something, you realize how much you needed it.”
Madden will be headlining the Squamish Soirée, an adults-only afterparty of sorts to the Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival on Sept. 18.
Other musicians performing at the Soirée include LOAM, Out East and Will Ross, among others.
Organizers of the event are Madden, Adam Ravalia, Sarah Ellis and Angus Mackay.
"The idea is really awesome," Madden said.
The night of music will be held at Junction Park and O'Siyam Pavilion on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 5 to 10 p.m.
In addition, Loggers Lane Corridor Trail from the Squamish Days’ site to downtown will be lined with buskers. Organizers are hoping to attract more buskers, Madden added, “to show people how much talent we have here.”
Pandemic perspective
It has been a busy summer for Madden.
When The Chief reached her, she was preparing for Ladies Night at Norman Rudy's Aug. 27, which featured her covering female lead singers including Madonna, Alanis Morissette, Janis Joplin, Sheryl Crow and many more.
"[It’s] a night for girls to have fun listening to throwback songs from our childhood that we loved," she said.
That show came together during the downtime in the pandemic when she was thinking about how she would like to hear more female-fronted songs and bands.
For Madden, the pandemic has turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her, she said.
"I know that is a really insensitive thing to say because it was so terrible for so many people. And I am not going to lie, I completely lost my mind... ultra depressed, like really, really bad, but I think [life] is a rollercoaster and if you don't go into those low places, then you can't find appreciation for when the good things come," she said.
Now she appreciates all the positive things that come her way, she said.
In terms of her music, she also used the time to get "way better" and work on her technical skills and plan projects that she might not have otherwise had the time to pursue.
Follow @squamishsoiree on Instagram for additional information about the Sept. 18 event.
Go to squamishsoiree.eventbrite.ca for tickets.
