(Photos by Mark Girdauskas) Shows and plays at the Princess Avenue Playhouse have been introduced over the past few months with an acknowledgement of last year’s funding from the estate of Dorothy Palmer. That gift allowed substantial improvements to the theatre, including a new sound system. The sold out Joel Plaskett show on Sunday evening (April 29) rocked the pews of the former church, and gave that sound system its best test yet. Both performer and sound acoustics proved worthy of rave reviews.
The Canadian singer-songwriter shifted chameleon-like from balladeer to rock-star throughout the evening and carried the crowd along with him every step of the way from the first number, North Star, to the last of several encore songs. Chris Pennell (bass and vocals) and Dave Marsh (drums and vocals) provided the gritty back-up for the rocking numbers of the evening.
Plaskett made reference to his St. Thomas show being the last on a string of tour dates before heading home to Nova Scotia for a break, and to the fact that the voice starts to get a bit craggy by the end of a tour. He then proceeded to play the audience for two non-stop hours and they were happy to play back. Plaskett may have been thinking it was time for a rest, but he definitely hadn’t shifted into that mode Sunday evening as he mesmerized, energized and entertained a very receptive crowd.
Plaskett made reference to his St. Thomas show being the last on a string of tour dates before heading home to Nova Scotia for a break, and to the fact that the voice starts to get a bit craggy by the end of a tour. He then proceeded to play the audience for two non-stop hours and they were happy to play back. Plaskett may have been thinking it was time for a rest, but he definitely hadn’t shifted into that mode Sunday evening as he mesmerized, energized and entertained a very receptive crowd.
Plaskett played a wide range of songs, including some from his new album Scrappy Happiness. In a recent Canadian Interviews review of the album, Andrew Gunn notes “Lacing lyrics with nostalgia is a difficult trick to attempt. A song can get maudlin or depressing very quickly. Joel Plaskett somehow pulls the rabbit out of the hat time and time again, taking listeners home to some fuzzy memory while keeping pain and complexity just at the edges. We are locked into the present with wry smiles.” Scrappy Happiness follows on the success of Plaskett’s 2009 Three which received a Juno Award and a Polaris Prize nomination.
Plaskett’s lyrics, music and commentary reveal his feel for the music of places other than Canada and of times other than the present. However, Canadian place-names pop up in many of his songs and he built a feeling throughout the evening that his connectedness with the places of Canada would now include St. Thomas. Early in the performance he gave a nod to the playhouse, saying “This place is cool, St. Thomas, look at this place.” and later, “St. Thomas, who’d a thought,” to which many in the audience replied, “Ya, who’d a thought.”
Plaskett’s lyrics, music and commentary reveal his feel for the music of places other than Canada and of times other than the present. However, Canadian place-names pop up in many of his songs and he built a feeling throughout the evening that his connectedness with the places of Canada would now include St. Thomas. Early in the performance he gave a nod to the playhouse, saying “This place is cool, St. Thomas, look at this place.” and later, “St. Thomas, who’d a thought,” to which many in the audience replied, “Ya, who’d a thought.”
Above, photos by Mark Girdauskas from the Sunday show: Joel Plaskett; Chris Pennell on electric bass and vocals; Dave Marsh on drums and vocals.
Plaskett played with The Emergency, then alone, then brought them back, providing doses of intensity, humour, and pure entertainment. His little animated rock monkeys sprang to life at a few key points throughout the night. Plaskett made good natured references to St. Thomas’s trains and Jumbo. When he left the stage, the audience demand for an encore sounded very much like one of those trains was coming right through the building. Plaskett obliged with four more songs, ending with a free-wheeling ode to St. Thomas. Those in attendance Sunday seemed to be in agreement - they would definitely like to see a return of Joel Plaskett Emergency to St. Thomas and the Princess Avenue Playhouse.
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