Steve Brockley, Lake Of Stew, Mike O’Brien at Divan Orange
Posted by Jonathan on October 15 2011, at 14:30 Print
On October 11th, Divan Orange was host to an all-star lineup of some of Montreal’s finest Folk, Country and Bluegrass acts.
Mike O’Brien started off the night with a solo acoustic set that was very well received by the crowd. His guitar playing and deep vocals made for a great opening act. Mike’s finger-picking guitar style was very impressive. This was my first time seeing Mike O’Brien and I was thouroughly impressed. Here’s a video of Mike performing his song “Josephine“.
Next up was Montreal Bluegrass band Lake Of Stew. This was the second time I’ve seen them play and they certainly do not disappoint. Having only one condenser mic placed in the middle of the stage the members took turns taking the lead whether it be vocals, guitar, mandolin or even washboard. One of the most enjoyable things about watching Lake Of Stew live is the amount of fun it looks like they’re having on stage. At one point in their set they had a wasboard duel which was a first for me. Overall, their set was very entertaining and I look forward to their new record which they recently recorded in Nova Scotia with Old Man Luedecke. Here’s a video of their song “Sit Down On It“.
Closing the night was Steve Brockley and his band who are in the last legs of a national tour that started in British Columbia, continued to the east coast and ending (as per their website) next week at the Pearl Company in Hamilton Ontario. With that being said the band was in playoff form starting the night with a song called “Dress Me Up”. As the set progressed what impressed me was how tight they were as a band and their use of dynamics. The upright bass and drums were locked in and Steve’s guitar playing is truly remarkable. Check out footage of Gold, Late Night Nancy and Socks and Shoes.
Overall a great night of local music at a great venue and for peanuts. Help support these artists and buy their music.
Here are links where you can purchase their music: Mike O’Brien, Lake Of Stew, Steve Brockley