From one Blacksheep to another
Eight days in to Bluesfest, I was tempted by some friends to take a night off and head up to Wakefield for a show at the Blacksheep Inn. I wasn't torn up about missing Blue Rodeo and my curiosity about Xavier Rudd was tepid at best. Perhaps it was the phrase "proficiency on didgeridoo" that sealed the deal for Rudd. The only set I was bummed to miss was sleepy-sweet singer-songwriter Craig Cardiff's intimate performance in the Barney Danson Theatre.
The draw to Wakefield was Miracle Fortress. I saw them a few weeks ago during the Capital Idea! Festival, but was curious to see them again days after their album Five Roses was short-listed for the 2007 Polaris Prize.
In what seems to be a growing musical trend, Miracle Fortress is actually the recording project of one person: multi-instrumentalist Graham Van Pelt. Based in Montreal, he (and his record) both seem to fit within the larger musical narrative underpinning the city's vibrant indie scene. It's airy and light and very much a soundtrack fit for art-fag parties, if that helps place it all sonically. The colour pink comes to mind when listening to it, but that could have something to do with its predominance on the album's packaging.
Now, back to Wakefield. We arrived just in time to catch a solo set by Rolf Klausener, lead singer of Ottawa's own, The Acorn. As he was wrapping up, the Miracle Forstress folks pulled in, having driven all the way from Sault Ste. Marie. As they got settled, Rhume blasted through a quick and energetic set.
Perhaps it was end of tour fatigue or insufficient time to sound check and warm-up, but Miracle Fortress' 45-minute set was dismal. The wall of sound blasting from the stage failed to communicate the album's eccentricities and Van Pelt's vocal mic was turned down so low you could barely make out anything he said. It wasn't clear to me though if the band realized how off they sounded as they soldiered through an otherwise well-rehearsed set. They were, afterall, just back from a cross-Canada tour.
There were small moments of light as the show came to an end. Van Pelt's solo encore allowed more of his qualities as a gifted performer to shine through. It was also a bit endearing that his encore had to be solo because he had run out of material the group had rehearsed together.
I wouldn't suggest the case for Miracle Forstress should end here. I just thought riding on the coat-tails of something as significant as a Polaris nod might have made for a more promising evening.
Now, I would re-miss if I didn't mention the other Polaris nominees. They are:
Arcade Fire, Neon Bible
The Besnard Lakes, The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse
The Dears, Gang of Losers
Julie Doiron, Woke Myself Up
Feist, The Reminder
Junior Boys, So This Is Goodbye
Joel Plaskett Emergency, Ashtray Rock
Chad VanGaalen, Skelliconnection
Patrick Watson, Close to Paradise
I'll reserve my comments for a later date.
The draw to Wakefield was Miracle Fortress. I saw them a few weeks ago during the Capital Idea! Festival, but was curious to see them again days after their album Five Roses was short-listed for the 2007 Polaris Prize.
In what seems to be a growing musical trend, Miracle Fortress is actually the recording project of one person: multi-instrumentalist Graham Van Pelt. Based in Montreal, he (and his record) both seem to fit within the larger musical narrative underpinning the city's vibrant indie scene. It's airy and light and very much a soundtrack fit for art-fag parties, if that helps place it all sonically. The colour pink comes to mind when listening to it, but that could have something to do with its predominance on the album's packaging.
Now, back to Wakefield. We arrived just in time to catch a solo set by Rolf Klausener, lead singer of Ottawa's own, The Acorn. As he was wrapping up, the Miracle Forstress folks pulled in, having driven all the way from Sault Ste. Marie. As they got settled, Rhume blasted through a quick and energetic set.
Perhaps it was end of tour fatigue or insufficient time to sound check and warm-up, but Miracle Fortress' 45-minute set was dismal. The wall of sound blasting from the stage failed to communicate the album's eccentricities and Van Pelt's vocal mic was turned down so low you could barely make out anything he said. It wasn't clear to me though if the band realized how off they sounded as they soldiered through an otherwise well-rehearsed set. They were, afterall, just back from a cross-Canada tour.
There were small moments of light as the show came to an end. Van Pelt's solo encore allowed more of his qualities as a gifted performer to shine through. It was also a bit endearing that his encore had to be solo because he had run out of material the group had rehearsed together.
I wouldn't suggest the case for Miracle Forstress should end here. I just thought riding on the coat-tails of something as significant as a Polaris nod might have made for a more promising evening.
Now, I would re-miss if I didn't mention the other Polaris nominees. They are:
Arcade Fire, Neon Bible
The Besnard Lakes, The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse
The Dears, Gang of Losers
Julie Doiron, Woke Myself Up
Feist, The Reminder
Junior Boys, So This Is Goodbye
Joel Plaskett Emergency, Ashtray Rock
Chad VanGaalen, Skelliconnection
Patrick Watson, Close to Paradise
I'll reserve my comments for a later date.
posted by Capital Letters at 2:37 PM
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