Strumbellas wax nostalgic, opening CityFolk with flourish
What a difference five years makes. Last time the Strumbellas played a folk festival in Ottawa, they were a side-stage band that had yet to make a splash outside Canada.
Now they’re a major international act with a string of hit singles and a tour schedule that takes them around the world. And on Thursday they returned as the opening-night headliners at CityFolk.
But they still remembered that rainy night in 2014. “It’s one of my favourite shows that I can remember,” said keyboardist Dave Ritter when he greeted the audience. “We had a totally amazing time.”
They kicked off the show with We Don’t Know, one of the infectious songs from their breakthrough album, moved to Young and Wild, and then broke out the new single, Salvation. At deadline, it was shaping up to be a fun-filled set.
Earlier in the evening, the program was a treat for fans of twangy tunes and heavenly harmonies.
A country-tinged twang lit up mainstage sets by Americana singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams and Canada’s masked troubadour, Orville Peck, while the harmonies soared during an indoor performance by Newfoundland’s The Once. The U.S. sister act, Larkin Poe, also gave a sensational show on the indoor stage, located in Aberdeen Pavilion.
For Williams, the limited time slot meant she didn’t take time to chat between songs, except near the end when she expressed her delight at getting out of the U.S. for a few days. “It’s always a joy to come to Canada,” she declared.
Backed by the wallop of Buick 6, her powerful three-piece band, the 66-year-old multiple Grammy winner got down to business, singing in a smoky voice that exuded both strength and vulnerability.
With drummer Butch Norton, bassist David Sutton and super-talented guitarist Stuart Mathis, they cruised through a set that ranged from heartbreak tunes to songs of betrayal, including the likes of Let It Go, Drunken Angel, Big Mess and the scathing You Took My Joy, to name a few. The set came to a blistering close with an updated version of Foolishness, a great track from her 2014 album, Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone, that listed all the things she doesn’t need in her life, including hate, walls and sexism, as well as the things she does: Peace and love.
Peck proved to be an ideal opener for Williams, with the Roy Orbison-like resonance of his voice and the unique perspective of his brand of alt-country songs.
He’s the guy who performs in a fringed mask, a prop that allows him to be fully immersed in his flamboyant-cowboy character. With his solid band, he gave a terrific performance, and fans lapped up the melodic craftsmanship of songs like Roses are Fallen and Queen of the Rodeo, a tale of a drag queen.
On a clear but chilly evening, music fans turned out in droves, roaming between the main stage on the Great Lawn and the indoor venue in the Cattle Castle.
CityFolk continues until Sunday, resuming Friday with a program that features the return of Summersault, the ‘90s rock festival curated by Our Lady Peace. The still-active Canadian band is in the headlining slot, joined by two other grunge-era faves from south of the border, Live and Bush.
(The gig in 2014 is) one of my favourite shows that I can remember. We had a totally amazing time.