It might be a summer concert series, but this Sunday you’re gonna get a good dose of Fall as Morgan X Barrie takes the stage to play some folk rock burners from his latest album.
Barrie is making quite the name for himself in the Canadian folk music scene. After launching North in 2017 and selling out the Heartwood Concert Hall for two consecutive nights, he followed it up with his second album, Fall, one that is getting great reviews from across Canada. He’s currently touring for it in Ontario before heading out on a European tour with Matt Epp where he’ll have to get used to calling his album automne and herbst.
But before he’s Europe bound, you’ve got a chance to catch his “warm guitar riffs and thoughtful lyrics” at Harbour Nights, a free show this Sunday July 22 where he’ll play a selection of his Cockburn-esque tunes from two albums, and maybe try out a few new ones from his upcoming third in the works. Barrie has been compared to Neil Young and Tom Waits with his carefully crafted and socially conscious songs that ask questions about humanity instead of pointing fingers. Behind each restful harmony is a restless curiosity about the state of the world. And there’s plenty of love for the muses in his life to balance out the restlessness.
Barrie plays all instruments himself for his recordings, so when he plays live, he likes to call up some good buds to back up his guitar, vocals, and harmonica. Tyler Beckett is one of these friends, and what a talented friend to have! He’ll be on stage at the inner harbour Sunday to remind the audience who rules the fiddle around these parts.
Have a listen to Barrie’s recent single, Control, where the harbour is main focus for his protagonist, who jumps off the harbour wall in his skivvies. We here at Rrampt strongly recommend you don’t follow suit at the Harbour Nights concert, regardless of how much fun it looks (both jumping in and stripping down into your underwear in public).
Tyler Beckett is one of the most talented musicians in this area, and one third of the familial supergroup, The Becketts. He’s worked with several musical artists, including the award winning bluegrass group, The Chapman’s. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, playing with Jason McCoy on a Canadian Service Tour to Afghanistan, and performing with CCMA winners Jason Blaine and Tara Oram.
He and Morgan Barrie have graced the stage together a number of times, including the most recent sold out show at Heartwood Hall for the release of Fall. They are developing a seamless live show that adds an extra flavour to Barrie’s tunes and will create a perfect Sunday night atmosphere along the water.
So use Sunday evening as an excuse to wind down after the weekend laying supine on the grass or with your butt in a lawnchair if you’re clever enough to have brought one. And remember, if you miss this show, you’re going to have to fly all the way to Europe to see Barrie play. So, save yourself some time and money (and having learn another language), and just wander on down to the inner harbour on July 22 at 7pm.
Written by Jesse Wilkinson
