The Duhks!
Yesterday we were looking around for things to do, and I noticed that the Duhks were playing tonight at the Iron Horse. So we went. Wheee!
(In case you haven't heard of them, they're a folk group from Winnipeg. They sing, you know, traditional folk songs and French folk songs and gospel songs and play reels, and they cover things like Leonard Cohen and Sting and manage to make it sound like they're so folky. And they write songs that sound basically traditional as well. They're fun. You should listen to them.)
They played a bunch of new songs, which is okay because all their songs sound pretty much the same. Of their new songs, I think the one I liked best was their cover of a Stan Rogers song. (Does the Canadian government, like, reward you if you cover Stan Rogers?) Also they did a really awesome zydeco song, for which the banjo player announced that he had written extra verses in French, because the song only had one verse (it was in English), and clearly needed some more. In French. [heart]!
Of the songs I already knew, I was really happy about "Du Temps Que J'Étais Jeune," even if I still don't know any of the words, as well as "Mists of Down Below." But my favorite was "Dance Hall Girls," which I still want to vid to Homicide, even though it is apparently about a different Baltimore. Hmph.
I totally got my money's worth, though -- they played two sets, for probably two hours total. Hooray for folkies! And they bantered and had someone from the audience come up and parody "We Are the Champions" to be about them, and the banjo player is cool. As is the violinist, who sings nicely. And the drummer is very good. I went and bought their first CD. I hope it has more French songs.
My only complaint is that the lead singer appears to have been grafted onto them from a rock band. Yes, she's very hot, with the short blonde hair and tattoos. But after every song she'd say things like "Whoa" and "That song really moves me; I can't think," and general rock banter. Totally not folksinger banter. Is sad.
So yes. You should see them, if you're into that kind of folk. (In a similar vein, The Waybacks are coming here next week. I wish I could see them too.)
(In case you haven't heard of them, they're a folk group from Winnipeg. They sing, you know, traditional folk songs and French folk songs and gospel songs and play reels, and they cover things like Leonard Cohen and Sting and manage to make it sound like they're so folky. And they write songs that sound basically traditional as well. They're fun. You should listen to them.)
They played a bunch of new songs, which is okay because all their songs sound pretty much the same. Of their new songs, I think the one I liked best was their cover of a Stan Rogers song. (Does the Canadian government, like, reward you if you cover Stan Rogers?) Also they did a really awesome zydeco song, for which the banjo player announced that he had written extra verses in French, because the song only had one verse (it was in English), and clearly needed some more. In French. [heart]!
Of the songs I already knew, I was really happy about "Du Temps Que J'Étais Jeune," even if I still don't know any of the words, as well as "Mists of Down Below." But my favorite was "Dance Hall Girls," which I still want to vid to Homicide, even though it is apparently about a different Baltimore. Hmph.
I totally got my money's worth, though -- they played two sets, for probably two hours total. Hooray for folkies! And they bantered and had someone from the audience come up and parody "We Are the Champions" to be about them, and the banjo player is cool. As is the violinist, who sings nicely. And the drummer is very good. I went and bought their first CD. I hope it has more French songs.
My only complaint is that the lead singer appears to have been grafted onto them from a rock band. Yes, she's very hot, with the short blonde hair and tattoos. But after every song she'd say things like "Whoa" and "That song really moves me; I can't think," and general rock banter. Totally not folksinger banter. Is sad.
So yes. You should see them, if you're into that kind of folk. (In a similar vein, The Waybacks are coming here next week. I wish I could see them too.)