Begonia with Dana Lee @ West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Photos and review courtesy of Jenny Ramone Photo | February 27 2020
For most people February 27th 2020 was just an average Thursday, but for the 300 plus people who packed Winnipeg’s West End Cultural Centre the day will live on as something more. It was shortly after 9pm when Winnipeg’s Begonia took to the dimly lit, glitter fringe draped stage and the buzzing crowd fell silent, not wanting to miss a second of a show to which tickets had been purchased in late 2019. Tickets to the first 3 of 5 shows at the intimate venue had sold in hours, 2 more shows were later added and sold equally as fast, to say these were the hottest tickets in town would be a massive understatement.
Begonia, the solo project of Chic Gamine’s Alexa Dirks, has been on the rise since her EP “Lady in Mind” dropped in 2017. Hot off a tour in support of “Fear”, her first full length album, Dirks was visibly happy to be home celebrating the album’s release and all of Winnipeg welcomed the band with open arms. Dirks took to the stage in a light purple ballerina style dress which was almost as dramatic as the light on stage and began singing Otherside acapella, joined mid-song by backup singers Heather Thomas and Kenzie Jane. Later in the evening Alexa spoke about trying to find a balance between being emotionally vulnerable and strong as hell, something she achieved with the flow of the night’s setlist. Intimate, quiet moments, a stripped down version of fan favorite Hot Dog Stand and a haunting duo performance of Dead Flowers in the encore, flowed into all out bangers The Light, Out Of My Head and Fear, tracks on which the power of Alexa’s voice really shines.
With a set designed by Winnipeg artist Seth Woodyard and band outfits designed by local designer Tony Chestnut, the city of Winnipeg’s best and brightest creative minds came together to create a live experience that doesn’t happen often. An evening full of emotion, drama, and beauty with sprinkles of humour and goofiness.
Alexa Dirks has found her voice with Begonia. Her lyrics are deeply personal and she leaves it all on the stage with her commanding live presence. She is a force to be reckoned with and it won't be long before Begonia is a household name in Canada and beyond.
Winnipeg singer songwriter Dana Lee played a lower key opening set. Lee's sweet, sultry voice was a perfect juxtaposition to Alexa's powerful vocals and the band's groovy pop sound eased the crowd onto the main event.
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.
