This was a neat experience…I had the wonderful opportunity to play a few songs with Kim Barlow last night at the Tranzac in Toronto. The video below is hard to watch because it’s such poor lighting but at least you can hear it well. I have a very small flute solo towards the end of the song.
The Burning Hell opened the night, performing a more acoustic set which was a serious treat. Talk about the most thought provoking lyrics and what a voice! Mathias Kom had me captivated from the moment he began his set to the very end and he left me craving for more. The music that Mathias and Nick Ferrio shared with us, all that sweet music that warmed my heart, made me smile and made me laugh…it was amazing.
And Kim Barlow. Wow. Beautiful voice, intoxicating banjo and such soothing guitar lines. She’s all about the music and it really shows. What a treat. I often found myself so immersed in the music that I was surprised when it was over. Her heartfelt songs have lyrics which one can really relate to. I shed a tear during one of her songs because it hit so close to home. Haven’t experienced that in a long time. Toronto musician Ryan Driver was performing with Kim as well, experimenting with many different sounds throughout the set, which was a nice compliment to what Kim was doing. You’ve gotta love musicians who really push that envelope as they try out new things. Their performance was perfect for the intimate Toronto Tranzac crowd.
Funny, Ryan decided to pick up his flute just as I was invited up for my guest flutist appearance with Kim. I hate to say this, but I would have preferred him to have played his flute during a different song. He’s got some amazing musical ideas but it really didn’t compliment the song to have two flutes playing at the same time. It was really distracting and a bit too much for the music. One of those moments when I felt that it really took away from the magic that could have been, had we kept things simple. As you watch this video, you’ll be able to see what I mean.
