Matt Mays marks 20 years of Shore Club shows in a special way

Matt Mays is performing at Hubbards, N.S. Shore Club to honour 20 years.

Fans lucky enough to snag tickets are gearing up for a big weekend in Hubbards, N.S. as Canadian rocker Matt Mays returns for an extra-special run of summer shows.

“We as a band work on nothing but magic,” Mays said. “So a place like the Shore Club, we’re just very drawn to.”

The three-night series - called the Sundown Salut - celebrates two decades of Mays performing at the historic Shore Club. But this year, the milestone comes with a twist: the stage is moving outside.

“The first time I was in Hubbards was to see Matt Minglewood on the beach,” he said. “It was crazy, so fun, and I was like - can we do the Minglewood thing? He’s the king, right?”

Instead of playing inside the intimate dance hall, Mays and his band will set up in a field next to the venue, with the stage facing up toward the hill and the ocean at their backs. Organizers expect about 2,000 people each night.

The Shore Club, known as “Canada’s last great dance hall,” has hosted generations of concerts and lobster suppers over its 80-year history.

Ahead of the sold-out shows, Mays has been rehearsing with his band at Sonic Temple’s new recording space in Indian Harbour, N.S. He says fans can expect a mix of favourites - like Cocaine Cowgirl -alongside brand new material.

“I have an album that’s pretty much done,” he said. “So we’re just getting the new ones kind of tightened up too, which is fun.”

For Mays, the annual Shore Club shows have become as much about the crowd as the music.

“It’s the people that make the shows good,” said Mays. “We just play the songs, but the reaction we get back - that’s what makes up this whole legendary Shore Club weekend.”

The Sundown Salut runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, with all shows sold out.