A Tale of Two Matts at Cityfolk in Ottawa

It was a perfect night for a helping of some soul filling music at Cityfolk in Ottawa with headliner Matt Andersen, friends Matt Mays, and The Record Company.

We resumed Cityfolk’s second weekend on the great lawn at Landsdowne Park last night and boy what a treat the artists had in store! It seemed like someone switch the heat off and the air conditioner as the crowd gradually gathered for another night of great music. First on the roster was Grammy-nominated, Los Angeles based The Record Company. The members are Chris Vos (guitar, lead vocals), Alex Stiff (bass, backing vocals), and Marc Cazorla (drums, backing vocals). Their music is influenced by blues musicians like John Lee Hooker, early punk bands like The Stooges, and rock bands like The Rolling Stones. Their sound incorporates slide guitar, distorted bass, a Ludwig drum kit and the vocals of Chris Vos. Personally, I remarked to my friends that they reminded me of the Black Crowes in their heyday. They were fun to shoot and fun to listen to and they got the crowd up out of the grass and grooving along.

As the sun set on another glorious night behind the Aberdeen Pavilion it was Matt Mays’ turn to take the stage. Dartmouth native Mays is no stranger to Ottawa, or to Cityfolk for that matter. He remarked mid way through his set that Ottawa had always supported his musical career and he was grateful. The Juno award winner is perhaps best known for being a staple on the Canadian music scene having ties to The Guthries, Sam Roberts, and Kathleen Edwards. In fact, he is so Canadian that Hockey Night in Canada‘s Ron McLean listed Matt Mays & El Torpedo among the artists whose music he “never leaves home without.” When I think of Mays, I think of a folksy barefoot long-haired dude from Nova Scotia who has a beautiful voice and makes music that makes me want to chill. There was very little chilling happening on stage last night! He and his fabulous bandmates were geared up for a party. Remarking that “damn this stage is high up” it was obvious that he would have loved to jump into the crowd for some human contact at the end of the set, but it was just too damned high, so instead he leaped from the drum kit much to the delight of his fans gathered in the front rows. The performance galvanized Mays as one of the city’s favorite live acts.

Finally, it was time for the big man to step on stage to follow in the footsteps of his Maritime buddy. If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know who Andersen is, you really need to pay attention. The Juno award winning New-Brunswick native (yay team NB!) is a powerful blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. He may refer to himself as having stubby fingers, but man can this guy play! In 2010, Andersen won the top prize for a duo/individual in the Memphis, Tennessee, International Blues Challenge, beating artists from eleven other countries and five continents – the first Canadian to win in the event’s 26-year history. I’ve seen him play once before, at the National Arts Centre, and during that performance he mostly sat on a stool as he blew the audience away. Last night he was up and on the move, complete with hair flips and backed by wonderful musicians and a trio of backup singers that really brought the show to life. It was a night to remember at Cityfolk and we’re really looking forward to tonight’s edition including the enigmatic Orville Peck who is no stranger to the fest.

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