Square Dancing

Friday night, I stopped off at Yonge-Dundas to see Lindi Ortega. This up-and-coming country singer had recently left Toronto to make a name for herself in Nashville. Backed by a 3-piece band, she regaled a crowd of fans and curious onlookers over the next 80 min or so.

Drawing on a majority of songs from her sophomore album, there were songs of love lost and found (The Day You Die, Don't Wanna Hear It). She seemed particular drawn to images of damnation (Demons Don't Get Me Down, Heaven Has No Vacancy). James Robertson (formerly of New Country Rehab), brought the fast fingers on rockabilly numbers and whammy chords on bluesy tunes (Little Red Boots). She did wear those signature boots (also the title of her first release), along with a curve-hugging black dress.

Whether old songs (I'm Not Elvis Presley) or new ones (Waiting For My Luck To Change), it was old-school country. Along with a quaver in her voice, there were definite echoes of Dolly Parton in her performance. But Ortega also delighted in letting her voice loose in "testifying" blues number including a cover of I Never Loved A Man (Aretha Franklin) Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (Nancy Sinatra), and Folsome Prison Blues (Johnny Cash). With a promise of a hug with every album purchase, a line-up of about 30 waited for her by the merch table after the show.