Xavier Rudd
Date: February 6, 2008 See the Sun is Shining, Your Waves are Easy While waiting outside the Bronson Centre, someone next to me in line described the coming Xavier Rudd concert as sunshine in the midst of winter. I'm not above lifting a line if it makes writing my reviews easier, so I'll just say that her words proved accurate. Opening the night was Mishka, playing a solo acoustic set of reggae and folk songs. He was a fitting opener for Xavier Rudd, singing songs about topics such as human interconnectedness and nature. He did a fine job filling the cavernous room with his simple but effective guitar playing and strong, Caribbean-accented singing voice. Next up was Xavier Rudd, who continues to defy his laid-back style with a ferocious work ethic that sees him record and tour at a very brisk pace. Rudd has been a frequent visitor to Ottawa, including an appearance at Bluesfest last July; and his efforts have earned enough fans to warrant two nights in the city this time. Although I only saw the second night, its quality matched that of the Bluesfest slot; and I'm sure that the earlier show was just as good. In almost all respects, this show echoed the Bluesfest concert, with Rudd again dazzling amidst his sprawling, multi-instrumental setup, usually assisted only by drummer Dave Tolley. Although Rudd opened with "Food in the Belly," from the 2005 album of the same name, the followup of "Stargaze" was more indicative of a set that drew half of its songs from last year's White Moth. Even from those first songs, the sound was excellent. Tolley sounded perfectly sharp all night, while Rudd sounded great whether he was working vocals, guitar, stompbox, various percussion, or one of several didgeridoos. The crowd also proved itself early, with a large proportion of the fans leaving their seats to dance in the small amount open floor in front of the stage. Rudd certainly gave the fans reason to keep dancing over the night, although he slowed down from those early stompers to more swaying songs like the gentle "Come Let Go" or the quiet "Land Rights." Despite the wide array of instruments at his disposal, Rudd never seems to overburden his songs with excess; and his live set is similarly balanced to perfection, flowing from beginning to end. The interplay between Xavier Rudd and Dave Tolley is interesting to watch, as the two seem consistently tight, even while improvising. Songs were broken down for extended instrumental sections before being raised to full intensity and brought to a sharp halt, with the players exchanging grins as they fed off of each other's cues. The pair received some assistance on this night, first from Mishka, who returned to the stage for "Up in Flames," which proved to be a highlight in a set that concluded with a forceful rendition of "Footprint." The encore that followed, starting with a delicate "White Moth," was also a collaborative affair, as jack-of-all-trades tour member James Looker looked extremely shy but sounded great on the banjo, which aided the finale of "Energy Song." This Xavier Rudd concert was short on surprises, coming such a short time after the last that I saw from him; but when consistency equals another joyous show, that is far from a complaint. Rudd also earns full marks for touring Canada in the dead of winter, when his sunshine was needed most. Xavier Rudd setlist (courtesy the xavierrudd.com message board) Main Set
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