Martha Wainwright & Basia Bulat @ Harbourfront Centre

The last time that I saw Basia Bulat perform was all the way back in December at a Criminal Records instore performance. That's a long time to go with no Basia, so I was thrilled and delighted that I had the opportunity to see her again, and for free no less.

The Harbourfront was jam packed with people enjoying their day off, so we figured that it might be good to get there early so as to make sure that we get a good spot for her performance. Well, we managed to get a couple of seats right smack dab in the middle of the first row, which for some reason seemed closer to the stage than usual. I don't know if they installed a couple of new rows than last time, or if it was just the simple fact that the barricades were placed differently, but I wasn't about to complain. Basia did what I've come to expect from her. She's still as cute as can be, and her vocals were displayed in all of their vibratoed glory. From where I was sitting and from my particular angle this time, I could really see the amount of skill that must be involved in playing the autoharp. I'm not ashamed to say that I basically suck at playing every instrument, but the autoharp looks particularly difficult, yet Basia is very adept at making it sound heavenly. Besides all of the beautiful songs that she normally performs from her excellent Oh My Darling release, she also pulled out a cover of one of my favorite Daniel Johnston songs: True Love Will Find You In The End. She made it sound like it could have been one of her originals. She once again ended her set with the handclap heavy I Was A Daughter, which I've heard a thousand times but for some reason, never seem to sicken of. The sign of a classic song indeed.

Photos: Basia Bulat @ Harbourfront Centre on flickr
Myspace: Basia Bulat
Download: Snakes And Ladders mp3


The wife and I stewed over whether or not to stick around for Martha Wainwright for a mighty long time. The thought of getting to bed early was very appealing, but so was the chance to see her for free. I have to admit that, despite all of the critical praise that she has received over the years, I had never heard a single note of her work. I know, I know, it's embarrassing but true. Just never got around to it. I am quite a big fan of her father, with 1970's Louden Wainwright III and 1072's Album III being a couple of my personal faves. I'm also quite familiar with her brother, as I believe many people are. But Martha, for no really solid reason that I can muster, just simply escaped my radar. And it likely would have happened again, if I wasn't enjoying my primo spot so much. Once again, laziness wins out, as I was duly rewarded for sticking around.

From what I saw that night, Martha's music is right up my alley, blending elements of folk and country with a weathered voice that sounds as if it's survived a stormy shipwreck or two. Her latest CD has the ridiculous title I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too, although she assured us through her witty banter than the title is meant to be humorous and not to be taken too seriously at all. And it's hard not to believe her, since she had her husband Brad Albetta playing along with her. She openly acknowledged that her music tends to get a tad depressing at times, but she prevented the show from being too much of a downer by keeping the hilarity of her dialogue active throughout. There were moments when she openly heckled the less than enthusiastic fireworks display taking place behind us, and they were other funny moments where she talked about the difficulty she was having censoring her crassness while in this family friendly atmosphere. Ultimately though, it was her voice that made the show a success, making me wonder once again, why I never took notice before. The vocals were very powerful, and this was showcased the most during the middle portion of her show, when the band left the stage and it was just her guitar and her voice. Remarkable stuff.

After the show, I took the time to look into her music a little bit more thoroughly, and although I can't bring myself to recommend all of it, there is no doubt that there are some shiny gems of classic sounding alt-country folk tinged pop in there that I should really take the time to acquaint myself with more fully.

Photos: Martha Wainwright @ Harbourfront Centre on flickr.
Myspace: Martha Wainwright