Stand Tall

The last of the Live at Massey Hall concert took place Thursday night. I was excited to see Basia Bulat, one of my favourite artist, in this great venue. I was particularly looking forward to her new songs, which weren't quite given their due at the cozy but sonically challenged Polish Combatants Hall for her CD release show. First up was Dan Bejar (Destroyer, New Pornographers). He was the only one of all the performers in this series to perform solo. For the die-hard fans, with a set list that spanned back 20 years, it was heaven. For the casual listener, it got to be a slog. Props to him for some of the biting, darkly comic lyrics, but a thumbs down for the pedestrian strumming and arrangements.

Basia Bulat can hold an audience just by her lonesome. Well, alone except for her beautiful voice and collection of instruments from charango and guitar, to auto-harp and hammered dulcimer. But City With No Rivers started reverberating through the venue with her full band, it was going to be a special night. Although in interviews she hinted that she will do several new songs, there was only 1 new tune and a Neil Young cover. Otherwise, she took us through her 3 albums from fast-paced and upbeat (Gold Rush, I Was A Daughter), to sad and melancholy (Little Waltz, Paris Or Amsterdam). Though her music might be described as twee or folky, especially the early songs, when played live they were complex and expansive. Bulat herself, though, was the word personified with her laugh and banter. The second-most adorable moment might have been when she plopped herself in the front row on Never Let Me Go, because the most adorable came right after when she realized she might not be able to get back up on stage and, with a determined look, successfully scootch-hopped back up.

Of course, with every great song, there was another that was not played. If only the folks at Massey Hall took Bulat up on her vow to "never leave this stage." I also missed the wonderful violin of Holly Coish, though she was there doing backup vocals and ukelele. The evening ended with Bulat squeezing in 1 last encore before the curfew. She stepped to the front of the stage and let her unamplified voice soared to the rafters for It Can't Be You. After a well-deserved 2nd standing ovation, it was hugs and cheers for the diminutive singer at stage right.