Long Form

Friday night, I was at the Dakota Tavern for the new release of The Weather Station. First up was Kith & Kin. This a capella trio admitted shyly performs once a year at a Christmas Wassail (which includes a larger choir). So this set was a special departure for them, prompted by a request from singer Tamara Lindeman. It was odd to hear traditional (and in their words "sacred music") songs such as Bright Morning Stars and Lowlands in a basement bar. Even newer Cool of the Day or In This Heart (Sinead O'Connor) had that hymnal, old-timey arrangement. But it was an new original composition about Toronto Island (done in the folk style) sung with Isla Craig that made the most impact: complex harmony and phrasing that still had that timeless feeling.

The Weather Station doesn't play much as a band. So the venue was sold out ("My first sold-out show" said Lindeman) for the head-liner. In addition to a full line-up of bass, drums, and steel pedal, Isla Craig, Ivy Mairi (Kith & Kin), and Basia Bulat joined Lindeman on vocals. The crowd was hushed but ecstatic for the introspective music both new (Don't Understand, Almost Careless) and old (Everything I Saw, Know It To See It). After Craig exclaimed that she wanted to clap (in appreciation), Lindeman grinned that people don't usually say that (clap-along) about Weather Station music. She dead-panned to laughter: "Usually they wonder is this the rhythm part?" It was true: despite the drummer and bassist, and Lindeman's complex guitar-picking, there was something almost free verse about her songs. But similar to her wonderful Duets show, tonight was about song-craft. In appreciation, the crowd cheered enough for 2 encores.