IDOW:: Jim Bryson & Jenn Grant

Hi kids, today's secret word is...quirky. Why you ask? Well last night Petra and I took in the last show of this year's In The Dead Of Winter festival at St. John's United Church here in Halifax. It featured Ottawa singer-songwriter Jim Bryson and Halifax songbird Jenn Grant, both of whom have personalities and performing styles that can be described perfectly by tonight's secret word. But quirkiness works well when it's mixed with talent, and like the three previous days of the festival, there was plenty of talent on display last night.

I had intended to write a lengthy, in-depth review of last night's show, similar to Wednesday night, but after getting home I was a little bit of the exhausted. So I jotted down some thoughts before crashing out, intending to craft them into a more coherent piece today. Well you know how that goes, we're busy today with it being Super Bowl Sunday and what not (Go Saints. Honestly, it's been a while since I've been this ambivalent about the game), so I'm simply posting my thoughts in bullet form along with some audio/video goodies.

Jim Bryson

- Jim Bryson likes telling stories. If you've seen him live before, this is not news to you. He might've been able to play another song or two if he'd cut back on his banter, but honestly, his banter was really enjoyable, so I don't think anyone cared.
- One of his opening stories was about pens he bought in Germany, six for three euros I believe. He's a big fan of those pens.
- He tries to deliver a bit of a one man band experience, stopping his guitar playing a few times to hit a piano key here and there or shake a shaker.
- He's a big fan of the shakers, keeping a little box of them on the keyboard he was using. He also threw a couple a Sean MacGillivray during his finale when Sean, Jenn Grant, and Kinley Dowling joined him on stage.
- Bryson isn't one for song titles. No a problem if you're familiar with his work, and it wasn't really an issue for me - it's not like I enjoy the song more if I know the name. It's simply an issue for nerdly bloggers looking to post his songs. Oh, right.
- He's a seasoned performer for sure, knows how to keep a crowd interested. He had us all in stitches between songs, but everyone was captivated and dead slient during Pissing On Everything .
- He's honest too, at one point he stopped while playing a song with Jenny Omnichord and admitted he started the song in the wrong key.
- The omnichord is pretty cool, no Theramin though
- The highlight was likely Fallen Leaves, he loaded up a disco beat from his laptop, but then had re-start it as he talked too long before launching into the song.

Jenn Grant

- If you've never seen her, Jenn has a really unique stage presence. She comes off as awkward and kind of shy, but the more you see her, the more you realize it isn't nerves, it's simply her personality.
- That being said, her performance is anything but awkward, her voice is the same nuanced, soaring instrument you hear on the record, and she performs with a confident ease.
- St. John's Church was a great venue for Jenn. I saw her open for Joel Plaskett this summer, but that was outdoors, and it didn't seem to suit her as well. In the church her oooo-oooo's and ad-libs seem to resonate so much more.
- She seemed genuinely excited for this show, appreciative of the turnout and happy to be part of a festival she volunteered with a couple years before.
- Jenn performed almost everything off Orchestra For the Moon, as well as 2 or 3 new songs, I think Fireflies was my favorite from her new songs.
- There was plenty of help from her friends, played most songs with a five person band, joined on vocals by Rose Cousins, Dan Ledwell, Tanya Davis at various times.
- A "mini-pop choir" accompanied her for Make It Home Tonight, as a number of her friends, including Jim Bryson, Don Brownrigg, Rose Cousins, Dan Ledwell, Tanya Davis, and Fred Connors (from FRED Salon & Cafe fame) snuck on to a balcony and helped provide some hamrony.
- Dreamer was a highlight for sure, Tanya Davis' spoken word got a big response from the crowd.
- She did a rendition of Baby Its Cold Outside with Dan Ledwell, which was actually quite enjoyable. You might hear this on the hill next Christmas.
- Without a doubt, the quikiest moment of the night was Jenn's 80's inspired, choreographed dance routine to Billy Ocean's Get Into My Car that she performed with her best friend to close the evening. It was something to see.

Overall, a great show, and a great Festival. I was happy to see so many people out at the shows I went to, I'm guessing it'll be bigger and better next year. There aren't many festivals at this time of year, so, as they proved this year, they're able to attract some excellent, Canadian musical talent. Kudos to the organizers for a job well done.

MP3:: Jenn Grant - Unique New York (Live @ IDOW)
MP3:: Jenn Grant - Dreamer (Live @ IDOW)

Video:: Jenn Grant - Dreamer (Live @ IDOW)