Delta Spirit @ Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto
April 4th 2022 - Delta Spirit, Palm Palm @ Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto
Delta Spirit in Toronto - Photos Courtesy of Jenn Kostesky
Delta Spirit hit the stage at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern on Toronto’s bustling Queen St. West April 4th for a show 2 years in the making. The band was in the midst of a reunion tour in spring of 2020 when, like so many others, they were forced to pump the breaks and return home and wait out the global pandemic. Over the course of the following months the band released their most recent album What is There, and have since announced One is One due out May 20th on New West Records.
A palpable excitement in the air in the room of the only Canadian date on Delta Spirit’s spring tour. The set opened with “From Now On” from 2014’s into the wide and went on to span their entire discography, with every song turning into a sing along with the enthusiastic Monday night crowd. Mindset the sweet smell of incense filled the room making it feel more like watching your buddies jam in their living room rather than a well worn venue in a busy city. Being mid tour, the band was tight and fine tuned, yet loose and relaxed having clearly shaken off any rust that may have settled in during their hiatus and following lockdowns. The evening wrapped up with an extended jammed out version of “Trashcan” with everyone in the house shouting along with the band.
Delta Spirit wraps up the Eastern leg of their spring run in North Charleston before for heading West through Colorado, Washington and California in May.
J. Roddy Walston’s new project Palm Palm brought a 40 (ish) minute set of no bullshit rock and roll to open the night.
Palm Palm
Shovels & Rope @ The Axis Club - Toronto
April 4th 2022 - Shovels & Rope, Jeremie Albino @ The Axis Club - Toronto
Shovels & Rope in Toronto - Photos Courtesy of Jenn Kostesky
Charleston based Americana power couple Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent, known musically as Shovels & Rope, paid a visit to Toronto’s The Axis Club April 3 2022. The stop fell roughly midway through the duo’s tour in support of their latest LP Manticore, released February 18 via Dualtone Records.
As they are wont to do, the couple floated between instruments with each taking a turn on guitar, drums and piano. The 18 song set leaned heavily on material from Manticore as well as the couple’s first album under the moniker Shovels & Rope, O’ Be Joyful, which is celebrating a decade since its release. The couple offered up some quieter, more subdued moments throughout the set, “The Show”, “Shank Hill St.”, and “Bleed Me”, highlighting their passionate harmonies. Fan favorites “O’ Be Joyful”, “Birmingham”, “The Wire”, and ragtime inspired, piano driven version of “Ohio” had the welcoming crowd singing along with every word. Wrapping up their Sunday night set with heavy hitters “I’m Coming Out”, “Hail, Hail” and “Domino”, Shovels & Rope returned took to the stage for a 2 song encore of “Happy Birthday Who” and the Beach Boy’s “In My Room” to wind down the evening.
Toronto’s own Jeremie Albino opened the night with a solo set armed only with a guitar, harmonica and kick drum. The songwriter, who is accompanying Shovels & Rope on their North American tour, is hot off the release of his latest EP Past Dawn.
The Manticore North American tour continues through April 16 before heading to Europe in June.
Jeremie Albino
Deep Dark Woods @ West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
With Support from Kacy & Clayton
Photos and review courtesy of Jenny Ramone | November 21 2018
The Deep Dark Woods brought their prairie influenced take on Americana music to the West End Cultural Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba on November 21, 2018.
The band, lead by smooth velvety voiced Ryan Boldt, showed no sign of being on the tail end of a ten day tour that took them through western Canada via Spokane and Seattle. From the second the Deep Dark Woods took the stage, the audience was held captive by songs of life, death and trying to survive life on the Canadian Prairies. The band was loose and tastefully jammy, bringing to mind notes of Canadian folk legends the Band or Neil Young.
As a live band, the Deep Dark Woods feels very much like a collaborative effort, with each musician showing respect to their band mates during a guitar or organ solo. The band was joined on harmonies by Kacy Anderson, of opening act Kacy & Clayton, whose sweet breathy voice was the perfect compliment to Boldt’s near baritone. Haunting harmonies, mournful lyrics, twangy guitar, and swelling waves of organ wove together to form a blanket of sound to keep the soul warm through a tough Winnipeg winter.
Saskatchewan based folk duo Kacy & Clayton, who happen to list the Deep Dark Woods as one of their musical influences, warmed up the room for the band they had accompanied on the whole tour. With perfect harmonies and easy picking guitar stylings, Kacy & Clayton’s music sounds and feels like it’s from a time and place in the not so distant past, making one nostalgic for a simpler time.
Reignwolf @ The Pyramid Cabaret, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Photos & review courtesy of Jenny Ramone | November 15 2018
As a music fan there is no greater feeling than walking out of a venue wondering what the hell you just witnessed! Seeing rowdy blues rocker Reignwolf is bound to leave even the harshest critic buzzing with excitement after their captivating live show.
Reignwolf, also known as Jordan Cook, wrapped up his fall tour November 15 at the Pyramid Cabaret in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Having been on the road since mid September, the three piece band were on fire, tearing through a ninety minute set to a sea adoring fans. One such fan was local Blues legend Big Dave McLean, obviously an influence for Cook, who was invited on stage to join Cook for a couple of tunes. Not one to shy away from flirting with danger (as a friend of mine said before the show “there’s an element of safety in there somewhere”) Cook thrashed around the stage, stood atop his signature kickdrum, wrapped the mic cord around his neck and filled the room with a thick layer of fog, all while ripping fierce guitar solos. At a certain point Cook exclaimed he’d had enough of not being able to see drummer Joseph Braley through the fog so he brought Braley, the drum kit and bass player S.J. Kardash down onto the floor for the remainder of the set, much to the delight of the ravenous crowd.
Reignwolf’s live show isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s loud, raucous, grungy and and in-your-face, but it’s also a hell of a lot of fun! With bands like Reignwolf around, we can be sure that rock and roll isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The Dirty Nil with Dead Soft and Eamon McGrath @ Goodwill Social Club, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Photos and words courtesy of Jenn Kostesky | October 30 2018
Hamilton, Ontario based party rock trio The Dirty Nil played a pre-Halloween show October 30 at Winnipeg’s Good Will Social Club. From the second the band walked on stage, their rowdy, playful energy whipped the packed room into a sweaty, fist pumping frenzy. The Dirty Nil are a whirlwind of raucous vocals, shredding guitar, pounding drums and groovy bass. The trio hot off the release of their second album “Master Volume” back in September are trekking from one end of North America to the other and back again over the better part of the next month. The Dirty Nil’s live show is a no holds barred, sweat drenched, power stanced, bubble gum chewing hell of a good time that is not to be missed when they roll through a city near you!
Toronto singer-songwriter Eamon McGrath and his band kicked the evening off with a set of twang infused punk rock. McGrath’s gravelly voice is oddly comforting amidst the distorted guitar and heavy rhythm section of his band, wrapping around your eardrums like a warm blanket.
Vancouver based Dead Soft, who are accompanying The Dirty Nil on their entire run, rounded out the night. Dead Soft are anything but dead or soft, they play hard and they play fast. The band was perfect step between Eamon McGrath’s more more mellow take on punk rock and The Dirty Nil’s off the wall party vibes.
Jesse Roper with House Handshake and Band of Rascals @ Pyramid Cabaret, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Photos and words courtesy of Jenn Kostesky | October 24, 2018
Victoria based Jesse Roper brought his energetic,funky, blues rock to the Pyramid Cabaret in Winnipeg, Manitoba on October 24, 2018.
Winnipeg’s indie-folk outfit House Handshake kicked off the evening. The band’s soulful, rootsy brand of folk rock brings to mind tastes of Of Monsters and Men or Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros with a twist of rugged Canadiana. House Handshake filled their half hour opening set with gorgeous harmonies and an energetic stage show.
Roper’s tour mates, Band of Rascals filled the middle with a set of rocking southern blues. Hailing from Cowichan Valley on British Columbia’s Vancouver island, Band of Rascals have a no bullshit approach to rock and roll that they bring to their live show. With ¾ of the band barefoot on stage, Band of Rascals layer booming drums, tasty guitar licks, grungy harmonica and solid base lines to create a groovy West Coast infused sound that is all their own.
The show marked Jesse Roper and company’s second show in the city in 2018, the first being back in February when they stopped by the Burton Cummings Theatre to open for Big Wreck. Their first headlining show in Winnipeg came toward the end of the band’s October run of tour dates through the western provinces of Canada. Roper magnetic charisma and tasty, smooth guitar playing places him front and center. He plays with style and ease, making playing the guitar look like a breeze. Roper is all smiles on stage, clearly enjoying himself, feeding off the energy of the crowd. Despite being the frontman, Roper appreciates his band, taking a moment from time to time to step aside and let his bandmate shine. Drummer Steve Ling and bassist Matt Reid, the band’s rhythm section, hold things together in a funky tight little package and keyboardist Chris Van Sickle rounds out the band’s live sound. Though Roper had to compete with both a civic election and a Winnipeg Jets hockey game, his mesmerizing, energetic live show will likely make him a touring fixture in the prairie city.
Black Joe Lewis @ Goodwill Social Club // Winnipeg, Manitoba
Words & photos courtesy of Jenn Kostesky | September 30 2018
Austin based blues funk rockers Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears made a stop at the Goodwill Social Club in Winnipeg, Manitoba September 30th in support of their new album “The Difference Between Me & You”.
The show marked the band’s first appearance in Winnipeg since their set at the inaugural (but now defunct) Interstellar Rodeo festival in 2015. In the midst of a month plus tour of the US and Canada, the band was tight, locking in and grooving through their sweaty set. The Sunday night crowd danced in place to favorites “Booty City”, “I’m Broke” and “Sugarfoot” sprinkled between tunes from the new album. Not having had enough funky, grungy blues at the end of the set, the crowd demanded more. Their cries were answered with a simple exclamation of “Encore!” from Joe Lewis before he and the Honeybears rocked through one more song.
A light, breezy opening set came from Chicago’s Paul Cherry and his band. Cherry’s fluffy jazz pop provided the audience a smooth come up to the grittier soulful sounds of Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears.
Paul Cherry
Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer @ Knox United Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Photos & review courtesy of Jenn Kostesky | 21 June 2018
The Reverend Rambler:
Vancouver blues duo the Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer played a sweaty set in downtown Winnipeg’s historic Knox United Church June 21st as part of the 2018 TD International Winnipeg Jazz Festival. The band, accompanied by Winnipeg’s Andrina Turenne on backup vocals, fought through a power outage that would cut their vocal mics and eventually the stage lighting during fan favorite “Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To”. Without missing a beat, they uncovered the church piano and continued acapella until the technical issues were resolved. The sweltering summer heat combined with the band’s ability to adapt to challenges on the fly while still delivering the goods will make this a show the audience members won’t soon forget.
Winnipeg’s the Reverend Rambler brought his brand of gospel and punk infused blues rock to the church as support for the evening.