Koerner Holler

On Wednesday, I was at The Monarch Tavern for 2 singers. First up was Kirty. I was at the show where she joined Fast Romantics. Since then, she has been working on some solo material. I was interested to hear how it differed. Where the larger band often had an Arcade Fire vibe with ecstatic sing-alongs, Kirty was small songs about personal events. Though most numbers, like the usual pop song, was about romantic love, some like the one about "this year's been hell" was more clear-eyed and sober.

Headliner Maggie Koerner from New Orleans is still a young performer. Yet she already has material spanning several years. She sang with her whole body, all expressive hand gestures and emotions. She often stood back from the mic, but that didn't diminish her huge voice. Koerner channeled older soul singers through a modern, sometimes Billie Eilish-ish aesthetic: a little Aretha Franklin on He Calls Me Mama or a touch of Janis Joplin with Cayute Woman. It was visceral music (doom soul?) and her band matched her energy with several extended bluesy intervals. Throughout her set, it was clear that Koerner was much too big for this small bar. Her second visit to Toronto will be for sure at a larger venue.