Teach A Man To Fish

I've heard Hamilton-based singer Jeremy Fisher only once before, at a Junos showcase at the Horseshoe. So on Tuesday, I went down to the Harbourfront to see a full set at the Pan Am-related Celebration Zone. Being on the scene since 2001, he seems to have a good number of long-time fans, as well as plenty of songs to draw on. The oldest one, Lemon Meringue Pie, got some amazed murmurs. Most of them (Alison, Cigarette, High School) were typical pop. Their distinguishing feature was Fisher's well-crafted lyrics. Although a tune like The Bride Is Dead (from reading an article about a man having a wedding day for his girlfriend after her sudden death) did veer into groan-inducing puns.

The set was elevated by Fisher's stories. The man was a natural show-man and story-teller. His songs often stretched into the 10 minute mark because half-way through he would relate some amusing or laugh-out-loud anecdotes. They could also be touching as during his cover of Greg Brown's Canned Goods. The most funny/"right in the feels" story was told while he played Ain't Got Nothing But Plenty of Time (inspired after a cross-country bike ride a long time ago). Recently, Fisher was on a bicycle tour of Southern Ontario. After he passed the 1000 km mark, he spent 20 minutes revising a humble-brag tweet. Just then, a man passed by on foot. After they struck up a conversation with Fisher crowing about his accomplishment, it turns out the man was Jean Béliveau, who was a few days from completing his 11-year walk around the world. Amid the laughter, Fisher quipped: "I'm sure both of us thought the other guy was an asshole."