Summer of Folk
Vancouver’s Summer got mixed reviews in the way of weather, but no one can deny (rain or shine) that this city appeals to the hidden, or otherwise, Muso in all of us! I got a bit of a late start to both tanning and show going, but as I’m sure many would agree, take in a show or two and you are hooked! Vancouver, in all its charm, plays host to all types of music and thus creates an almost tangible positive energy and great memories year round. My summer was centered on the ever down-home genre, Folk.
The first show I took in on August 7 was Chicago based folk/rock geniuses, The Fruit Bats. The show was held at The Media Club on Cambie, previously not one of my favourite venues. The suspected change in ownership has done little to change the décor but a lot can be said for the obvious change in sound quality and vibe. The opening band kept it pretty melodic, hinting that maybe the Fruit Bats would favour a slower set, but exactly the opposite was true. The band did a surprisingly long set, containing songs from all four of their albums; Echolocation, Mouthfuls, Spelled in Bones and their most recent, The Ruminant Band. The band even included a song with no name, which left me anxious for their next album. The smallish venue made for a very intimate setting and there can be no argument that the recording studio cannot do these men justice. After leaving the show, I was left with a great feeling that followed me throughout the night.
On September the 8th, at the Rickshaw Theater on Hastings, I had the great pleasure of seeing one of my favourite acts, Tallest Man on Earth, with one of my favourite ladies, Robyn, who loves Tallest Man as much as myself. Tallest Man is one of those performers who makes it hard to put his music style into words or justification, it is probably just much simpler to say he is a performer and writer unlike any other! The connection that he has with his instrument, the guitar, is so obvious and natural that is easy to forget that it is not as simple as he would make it seem. When listening to Tallest Man, aka Kristian Matsson, it’s hard to imagine that there is only one guitar and one man, it’s not as if you hear percussion that is not there, its more like his guitar style is so all-encompassing that you easily forget that any other instrument exists while he plays. Robyn and I sat in the back in the seats, which at first seemed as if it might be a disadvantage, but we were thankful when we realized that we could see every strum, cord change and apologetic tuning. It was also a treat to see the opening act, S. Carey, solo project of the drummer/pianist from Bon Iver. Both bands left us with the sensation that we had been part of something wonderful and unique.
Three days later Robyn and I were back at the Media Club to be serenaded all Saturday night long by A.A. Bondy, along with opener, JBM. JBM played roughly seven songs with a quirky shyness one wouldn’t expect from a performer, especially one as talented as he. His songs were moody, and his guitar layered. There was only one thing I found disappointing about his performance, he didn’t play Cleo’s Song, a song that, last year, I had played on repeat for weeks. Other than that, he was a great person to set the stage for A.A. Bondy. Again, the Media Club provided the most intimate of settings, made even further intimate by sexy gutturally delivered lyrics and a great supporting band. About four songs in I was overcome by one of the deepest states of relaxation I have ever experienced in public.
So ended the Summer of Folk, which was undoubtedly also the Summer of sexy men who know how to use their instruments!
xo. Kiki .ox
