Kim Barlow Saturday Oct 20 @ Baba's

Wow, am I ever glad I still check the front page of peilocals.com, on a whim I was wondering what to do tonight and did a double take when I saw that Kim Barlow was playing here.

I first heard her music when CBC Radio's Morning Edition had her on back in about 2001, interviewing her about living in the Yukon and how she writes her music. They played her song "Goodbye to a Boy" and it was so upbeat and humourous and witty and the music was uniquely melodic, her skilled musicianship was pretty obvious but understated - she uses a banjo as a proper country folk/music instrument, not an indie rock cliché. Her lyrics were playful and personal, the kind that make you feel like you're really able to put yourself in the shoes of the person singing them. As soon as the song ended I immediately went online and searched for how to order her CD. I ended up getting her first 2 CDs, Huminah and Gingerbread, directly from Caribou Records. When they arrived there was a hand-written note thanking me for my order. It was very interesting how ordering something online actually ended up being a more personal experience than just going into a store and buying something.

Anyway, I know this is short notice, and that only about 5 or 6 people even read this site, but if you are in Charlottetown tonight you should absolutely try and make it to the show at Baba's tonight. Also Tim Vesely formerly of the Rheostatics will be doing a set and local singer Nikkie will start things off. I'll be parked in my usual music appreciation seat probably looking like I don't want to talk to anyone just because I'm listening intently. This isn't true, please say hello :)

Update: The show was a good one, but Kim Barlow's set was a little disappointingly short. It was very cool how Great Aunt Ida, Tim and Kim all changed instruments around and played on each others' sets. I bought her new CD, Champ but haven't gotten a chance to listen to it yet. There are only a handful of singers/bands that I own more than 2 albums by, and she's now one of them.

Labels: Charlottetown, Concerts, Music