Alone Together

I headed out for a show in Ottawa at the NAC (National Arts Centre). The downtown core was devoid of people but that's not pandemic-related, just the city being itself. Ironic then that the head-liner Andrea Ramolo tried to hype the audience by extolling the excitement of "going out in Ottawa on a Saturday night". They were prompt, though. The smaller 4th stage venue was filled with about 70-80 people who all got there before Sarah MacDougall opened at 8:30 pm. But maybe the NAC has a no late-comers policies for all its venues?

I haven't seen MacDougall in about a decade. No doubt she has played in Toronto numerous times but our paths never crossed again. I don't remember her guitar-playing back then but tonight it was an interesting combination of resonant finger-picking and ringing chords. MacDougall was deft with imagery both evocative: "You were made from wolves" (We Are Fire) and grounded: "let's jump on the Number One/All the way to Saskatchewan" (It's A Storm). The pandemic has been a two-edged sword for her. MacDougall built a studio in the house she inherited from her grandmother in London, Ontario. The lock-downs gave her time to hone her production skills; so much so that she produced Ramolo's latest record. But she couldn't go to Sweden to see her mother, who had a bad case of Covid, until this past August. As a travelling musician finally able to tour, MacDougall closed her set with the wistful Ramblin'.

Ramolo's latest album Quarantine Dream was written and recorded during this turbulent time. She played the entire record, accompanied on piano/synth, with songs about challenges during the pandemic: musician friends who couldn't work (Road Kill), being cooped up alone (End Of Time), aging (My Way Home), and missing life pleasures (Italian Summer). But it was also about re-assessing priorities: "there's so much to be fighting for" (Quarantine Dream), "We can't be free/Cause we're not all free" (Free).

Ramolo finally addressed her "childless woman" situation despite wanting to be a mother (Morning Glory). This desire came from being raised by a wonderful one who, despite a double mastectomy, came to her album release at The Paradise Theatre this past Thursday. She gave a strong performance tonight but my past experiences (and a few anecdotes she dropped about that release show) convinced me the Thursday concert was more powerful. Not only was there a full band at The Paradise, but Ramolo also had numerous guests (who co-wrote or played on the record) and many friends in the crowd.

On a related note, I've complained before about the Toronto crowd and their propensity to form a stand-offish U-shape in front of the stage. I don't know if it was the sit-down cabaret setting or the demographic (mostly older and white) tonight, but this crowd was even more staid. On the other hand, it was a capacity crowd most of whom did not know either artists.