Tressa and I saw Luke Doucet and the White Falcon play the second of back to back shows (November 3rd and 4th) at Amigos in Saskatoon. It was a fun evening.
The opening band was Sunparlour Players, whom I had not heard before. There opener number was folky and reminded me of mumford and sons or frightened rabbit and so I enjoyed it.
A banjo was played in an upcoming song, but except for a a cool usage of percussion - using a steel drum, chimes tied to the end of a guitar and hitting a keyboard stand, the next songs were mediocre to me. The last song the trio played, called dyin' today, used two drum kits and the lead singer playing a bass. Than half way through the song, they switch back to their regular guitar/bass/drum formation. The lead singer than put on a slide and played a very bluesy riff with desperate hell escaping lyrics. It was very entertaining.
The great guitarist and songwriter Luke Doucet than hit the stage and opened with the bluesy-desert-surf riff of Emily, Please. Some of the songs I can remember being played are "For Joy Division fans" The Ballad of Ian Curtis, Take You Home, Mitzi's, Long Haul Driver, It's not the liquor I miss which was sung with a local woman from Saskatoon, Cleveland, First Day (in the new hometown), The Day Rick Danko Died, You gotta get it, Sundown, Dirty Dirty Blonde, and the encore of the great song Blood's too rich.
Of these many songs, the best moments for me were You gotta get it and Ballad of Ian Curtis off of the new album, the harmonica on take you home, the fact that the very old song Mitzi's was played and the encore Blood's too rich.
I had seen Luke Doucet and White Falcon at Broadway theatre about a year and a half ago. It was a good show musically, but a Sunday night and you had to remain in your seats. So this show was much more energetic (despite less people) and funner to sit or stand as we felt. I appreciated the mix of older songs played and Mr. Doucet graciously posed for some pictures after the show.
Very good performance, will make me relisten to the new album. 8/10