Tag: Alt-country

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Live music galleries

Live music galleries: Colter Wall [2018]

(I got the idea for this series while sifting through the ‘piles’ of digital photos on my laptop. It occurred to me to share some of these great pics from some of my favourite concert sets from time to time. Until I get around to the next one, I invite you to peruse my ever-growing list of concerts page.)

Colter Wall and his band performing at CityFolk September 2018

Artist: Colter Wall
When: September 16th, 2018
Where: CityFolk Festival, Lansdowne Park, Ottawa
Context: Ottawa’s CityFolk festival wrapped up for another year just a couple of days ago. It’s been six years since I’ve attended any of its shows and seven since I bought a full festival pass but this year’s lineup was so impressive I definitely would have pulled the trigger on one had I been able to attend. Much like its sister festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, CityFolk* has allowed me to see a litany of great acts over the years. Back in 2018, I hadn’t yet heard of Colter Wall, a Saskatchewan born country/folk singer/songwriter, but I made sure to catch his set based on a recommendation from my youngest sibling Emma. Wall blew into town with his touring band**, the self-proclaimed “Scary Prairie Boys”, and breathed a whole different life into a selection of tunes from his first two records. Wall was but twenty-three years old at the time but his deep gruff baritone made him sound thrice that age. And man, was it something powerful live. Even if you’re not a fan of dust and tumbleweed old country, I’d recommend giving Colter Wall a go. He blew the doors off everyone who showed up early for his set and I ended up buying both of his first records on vinyl soon after.
Point of reference song: “Wild Bill Hickok”

Colter Wall at the microphone
Jason Simpson on the bass
Patrick Lyons on the pedal steel
Jordan Solly Levine beating the skins
Jake Groves resting his harmonica
Colter Wall and Jordan Solly Levine
Patrick Lyons and Jake Groves
Jason Simpson having a wobbly pop
Colter and Jason and Jake, oh my…

*Previously known as Ottawa Folk Festival.

**Seven years ago tonight.

Categories
Tunes

Best tunes of 2020: #12 Elliott Brood “Stay out”

<< #13    |    #11 >>

It was an old high school friend that tipped me off to Elliott Brood close to two decades ago. I haven’t seen Jeff in the flesh for many, many years but we’ve long been friends on the Facebook and at some point in the 2000s, he posted on his page about his cousin Casey’s band. I was mildly curious so I checked out their website. Their self-description as ‘death country’ made me laugh enough to give their debut long player, “Ambassador”, a listen and the rest, as they say, was history.

The trio of Mark Sasso, Stephen Pitkin, and Casey Laforet formed in Toronto in 2002, a few years before that fateful Facebook post. I’ve since found much to like in their alternative folk/country/rock over the years, have seen them live a couple of times, and would jump at the chance to do so again. By my count, they’ve released six studio long players and a bunch of EPs, including 2023’s “Town” and 2024’s “Country”, which were collected together to form one super album last year.

Today’s song, though, comes care of their last full-length album, “Keeper”. Of track two, Casey Laforet fully admitted that it was inspired by an old mandolin that he bought in St John’s, Newfoundland, that he calls ‘Old Smokey’. He hadn’t picked the instrument up in a while but when he finally did, “Stay out” simply burst forth into existence. He says that he doesn’t think the song could have or would have been written on a guitar. It was ‘Old Smokey’s tale to tell. Indeed, the mandolin strum is prominent and alive in the song. But so too are the foot stomps and hand claps* and for that we can only be eternally grateful.

“I got healthy kids and a beautiful wife
But I don’t wanna go home
I’m proud and thankful and terrified
But I don’t wanna go home”

“Stay out” is a joyful sounding number despite its not-so-joyful lyrics. Sometimes everything appears to be going well on the outside but things are not quite right on the inside. Thankfully, we have songs like this that make it all feel alright and we can get up to stomp it all out.

Thanks, Old Smokey. And you too, Elliott Brood.

*Both are sounds that the band went to great lengths to include on “Keeper”.

For the rest of the Best tunes of 2020 list, click here.

Categories
Live music galleries

Live music galleries: Corb Lund [2024]

(I got the idea for this series while sifting through the ‘piles’ of digital photos on my laptop. It occurred to me to share some of these great pics from some of my favourite concert sets from time to time. Until I get around to the next one, I invite you to peruse my ever-growing list of concerts page.)

Corb Lund performing at Ottawa Bluesfest 2024

Artist: Corb Lund
When: July 11th, 2024
Where: SiriusXM stage, Ottawa Bluesfest, Lebreton Flats Park, Ottawa
Context: So this year’s edition of Ottawa Bluesfest wrapped up five days ago and as is usual when I purchase a full festival pass, it’s taken me a few days to recover from the grind. Indeed, I always find myself glad it’s over but at the same time, sad and missing having live music to see every night. All told, I went to seven of the ten nights of the festival and saw more than twenty excellent sets. Hands down, my favourite of the bunch was Corb Lund’s 8pm set on the SiriusXM stage on the second Thursday night. I’d heard of the Canadian country singer-songwriter before, of course*, but had never really given his music a chance**. I had done a small sampling in the week before seeing him so was somewhat familiar with some of the tunes. Lund and his band powered through a set that played on the rockabilly, blues, and rock country side of the genre. With lyrical themes of trucking, farming, and drinking, he had the crowd jumping like maniacs and knocking back cans of Canadian like it was water. Corb and his cowboy hat never took himself too seriously but his talent on the guitar was palpable and his voice hit all the right notes, even when he yodelled. His backing band kicked ass, as well, with Grant Siemens setting the tone on the lap steel and Sean Burns knocking us all out with his upright bass chops. It was such an eye-opening performance, that I’ve resolved myself to make up for all the lost time without his music in my life and would definitely jump at the chance to see him and his group perform again.
Point of reference song: “Redneck rehab”

Lyle Molzan on the drums
Sean Burns on the upright bass and mouth organ
Corb Lund
Grant Siemens and the lap steel
Sean Burns and Lyle Molten
Corb and Sean Burns sharing the mike
Grant Siemens
Corb Lund taking it away

*In fact, my friend Tim left Mark and me to catch a bit of his set at Osheaga back in 2013.

**Not because I was prejudiced in any way against listening to him but as usual, a case of so much music, so little time.