CROWD PLEASER
Andersen rocks mainstage
Matt Andersen and the Bona Fide performed a soul-filled show on the mainstage Sunday night that marked a perfect end to the first weekend of the Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival.
Opening the show, blues woman Sue Foley seemed to have recovered from not feeling well on Saturday night during her headlining show at Amigos Cantina, and was fully in the groove. Half the set included songs like 81 from her latest album, The Ice Queen, and the other half featured special guest Lou Ann Barton, singing classic tunes.
From the moment Andersen began to sing the first song, The Gift, the mainstage proved to be the best place to watch him live. Witnessing the power of Andersen’s voice on an outdoor stage is something else entirely, compared to hearing it confined by the walls of an indoor venue.
That voice resonated the most near the end of the show, during Devil’s Bride. After the sun went down, all that was left was the sound of his voice paired perfectly with the cool breeze of a summer night.
Although Andersen is a powerhouse on his own, the accompanying band, The Bona Fide, helped make the show feel complete. They joined in on Andersen’s entertaining stage banter, going from chicken to “first band fights,” and then back to chicken again.
As the camera for the stageside screens panned to the crowd during Andersen’s rendition of Neil Young ’s Helpless, it was obvious everyone was fully immersed. Andersen said to join in and sing “like you don’t have to work tomorrow,” and everyone in the crowd seemed to let go and sing along, which was the perfect way to end the show.