Calgary Folk Club: 09 13 13

Calgary Folk Club

09/13/13

With Kevin Welch, Dustin Welch, Eliza Gilkyson

& Surprise Guests Gretchen Peters, Barry Walsh

The Saturday Morning Afternoon

"Somebody-Asked-Me-To, So-Here-I-Go" Concert Review: 

Calgary Folk Club (Season Opener)

With Kevin Welch, Dustin Welch, Eliza Gilkyson

(& Special Guests Gretchen Peters, Barry Walsh)

Want to quickly expand your music library? Start coming out to the Calgary Folk Club, and watch how every night you will find yourself walking out with new treasures - I've got three new CDs from last night's show alone!

To kick off their 42nd season (!!), the venue hosted an Austin Songwriters night with some pretty spectacular talent, and even more amazing surprise guests to end the night - more on that in a bit.

To get the festivities underway, father and son Kevin and Dustin Welch introduced a few new songs from the senior Welch's new album "A Patch Of Blue Sky". 

"Marysville" and "New Widow's Dream" sold me - and the haunting sounds Dustin coaxed from his banjo on the latter song show the potential of that instrument. When I saw Steve Martin in his bluegrass show, he played a song to present the softer side of the banjo. This young fellow has mastered that concept...

Sharing some remarkably similar traits onstage, father and son mesh perfectly on each other's song - including Dustin's "Whisky Preacher". If you're not already familiar with these talented artists, check out Kevin Welch and Dustin Welch online - you can follow them both on Twitter!

Joining the family members for one song before the break was fellow Texan Eliza Gilkyson, who opened her own solo set with the amazing "Blue Moon Night". A wry sense of humour and warm presence, her songs elicited some good natured self-deprecating laughs on the wrong side of the love equation. 

Having had some of those songs recorded by the likes of Joan Baez, her style of sharing those songs was engaging. "Death In Arkansas" and "Rose Of Sharon" made for some mighty powerful moments, and sharing stories of her father really connected with the audience. 

After you finish reading the rest of this review, you should surf over to Eliza Gilkyson's site to check that out...

Highlight of the night? A large representation of Austin's musical population with the surprise appearance of Gretchen Peters, and husband/collaborator Barry Walsh. That got a songwriter's circle worth its weight in gold going...

That actually is the wow factor of the Calgary Folk Club, where the magic really starts. Hearing the lush vocals of Gretchen accompanied by Barry's soft piano or accordion on songs like "Matador", or the hear-a-pin-drop "Five Minutes" just makes time stop in this venue.

Add in the rest of the gang with their vocals and instruments, and you want to pinch yourself. Eliza's "Heart Of A Man", Kevin's "Clean Getaway", all pitch perfect in this format of collaboration....

But of all the gems offered last night, the runaway winner for me was a gospel-style workout with the group on "A Patch Of Blue Sky" As inspirational as it gets - and that right there was also the high-water mark being set for whoever follows this upcoming season. 

I'd be remiss to not redirect you as well to the websites of Gretchen & Barry, plus The Calgary Folk Club itself. This year marks the introduction of new ticket processes, so a visit to that site will provide valuable information for you.

Without a doubt, one remarkable evening of songwriters.....Hallelujah....

Later!