For Calgary singer-songwriter/local treasure Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, there is no such thing as a small show. His gigs are events, and the bigger the better. They can involve strings, horns and more musicians than should be squeezed on a stage, along with dancers, artists and the occasional spin class, all unified by his pop-drenched music. As he said in a recent love letter to Calgary penned for the Huffington Post, “our show is all about singing and playing fun songs loudly,” a mantra his fiercely loyal and growing legions of fans wholeheartedly get behind. MBF’s songs burst at the seams with honest, longing-filled lyrics, rich melodies, a relentless percussive drive and accessible hooks, all delivered with his infectiously sunny disposition and smooth vocals. As a touring troubadour, he drops the monster productions for a more manageable quartet that enhances his heartwarming brand of acoustic/funk/soul.