Canadiana was in abundant supply last week when Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea (this time, performing as Alan Doyle & the Beautiful Gypsies) and the poster boys for Speaker’s Corner, Barenaked Ladies, joined forces for a very happy show at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 10 mm · 1/350 s · f/4.5 · ISO 3200
Alan’s show contained much (though not all) of the energy of a full GBS show, with lots of happy bouncy energy, audience participation and, before one song, a particularly poignant story of sailors who lost their lives at sea and, knowing their fate, selflessly thought of their families, and carved their names into a piece of wood, floating it toward home.
L: Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 23 mm · 1/250 s · f/4.5 · ISO 3200
M: Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 25 mm · 1/90 s · f/4.5 · ISO 3200
R: Canon EOS 70D · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 70 mm · 1/350 s · f/4 · ISO 3200
Canon EOS 70D · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 70 mm · 1/350 s · f/4 · ISO 3200
L: Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 10 mm · 1/90 s · f/4.5 · ISO 3200
R: Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 20 mm · 1/90 s · f/4.5 · ISO 3200
The Beautiful Gypsies’ fiddle player was wicked talented, and also happened to be a local. Kendel Carson, who moved from Alberta to Victoria when she was seven, probably would’ve received a bigger cheer had she not been introduced as “presently living in Vancouver, BC.”
Canon EOS 70D · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 108 mm · 1/350 s · f/2.8 · ISO 3200
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 29 mm · 1/90 s · f/4.5 · ISO 3200
Barenaked Ladies, missing Steven Page since 2009, continue as a four-piece, with Kevin Hearn on keys, accordion, guitar, vocals and more, joining founding members Ed Robertson, Tyler Stewart, and Jim Creeggan.
Canon EOS 70D · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 70 mm · 1/350 s · f/2.8 · ISO 3200f
L: Canon EOS 70D · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 70 mm · 1/350 s · f/2.8 · ISO 3200
M: Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 23 mm · 1/350 s · f/2.8 · ISO 3200
R: Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 20 mm · 1/750 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
Ed carried the main vocal duties, almost sounding his best when he pushed his range to meet some of Steven Page higher notes. Jim and Kevin had their time on the mic, as well, but where they shone — where they always have — is in their beautiful harmonies.
R: Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 35 mm · 1/750 s · f/2.8 · ISO 3200
L: Canon EOS 70D · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 70 mm · 1/350 s · f/2.8 · ISO 3200
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 12 mm · 1/750 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
As much as my longtime friend Meaghan is the country’s biggest Great Big Sea fan, my other longtime friend Kirsten is about the most dedicated BnL fan of our time.
Both her e-mail address and Twitter handle long referenced BnL-ness, and she’s been to THIRTY-FOUR of their shows.
If you put that together with how many shows BnL have played in Victoria, you’ll have figured out that she Deadheaded it down the coast, following them on tour. TWICE.
Despite her encyclopedic knowledge of the band (“That’s Tiny. He’s their stage manager, but they’ve roped him into playing tambourine at the back of the stage.”), Kirsten has never had the opportunity to shoot them officially, and applied to cover the show through Rocktographers.
Unfortunately, being a relatively new and unknown (to the decision-makers in Toronto, anyway) outlet, Rocktographers was passed over for official photo accreditation to the show.
But, as luck would have it, another fine outfit in town which had been approved couldn’t make the show, so Kirsten dove at the opportunity and, with that, may I present the happiest Kirsten on the world.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 12 mm · 1/90 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
An unsettling amount of people left after Alan’s performance of Bruce Cockburn’s Lovers in a Dangerous Time, but those who stayed for the entire show were in for a heck of a treat during the encore as drummer Tyler Stewart, absolutely ripped it up with a version of Led Zeppelin’s Rock ‘n Roll, with singer Ed Robertson on drums.
L: Canon EOS 70D · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 70 mm · 1/500 s · f/2.8 · ISO 3200
M: Canon EOS 70D · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 145 mm · 1/350 s · f/2.8 · ISO 3200
R: Canon EOS 70D · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 70 mm · 1/350 s · f/2.8 · ISO 3200
I was very happy to see both Alan Doyle and Barenaked Ladies again, and thrilled to finally shoot both officially.
=)