Old Cabin, Clara Engel and Quin Gibson at Bar Robo
My first show ever at Ottawa’s Bar Robo was one filled with great folk artists Old Cabin, Clara Engel and Quin Gibson.
Many know Quin Gibson as the guitarist and singer of Steamers, but what you may not know is he also plays solo and writes his own stuff. Armed with an acoustic guitar plugged into an amp, Quin played us songs soaked in small town and working class values. Never more present in “Blue Collars,” a song he was playing for first time ever played live in front of more than a couple of cats, with lyrics like “take nothing for granted, love what you got and what you need, not what you want. ” There is always a lot to learn from in a Quin set. He later played Steamers’  “Head North,” which was a fun treat. He finished his set by leaving the stage and playing an unplugged rendition of his song, “Fast Train,” as he said “I don’t need a mic because I scream the hell out of this one.” Great track.
Next up was the dark and introspective lyrics and haunting vocals of Clara Engel. She brought her doom folk or folk noir to Ottawa from Toronto on the bus. “I took the bus here today and I’m taking the midnight bus home tonight, I feel like Cinderella,” said Engel of the ordeal. I really liked her sound, it is something very different than the norm of most solo artists with a guitar. The song that really stuck out was “What Should We Leave for the Monster Tonight?,” which she explained she wrote for her 4 month old nephew. Check out Clara Engel if you can, it is a unique opportunity.
The night was capped off with Yukon’s Old Cabin. Being so far from home only two members of Old Cabin made the trip, which left openings for ThĂ©an Slabbert of Bosveld and Pascale Oflaki of FET.NAT and so many more bands, to fill in wonderfully. The band played some real rocking folk, much more rocking live compared to the more laid back sound of the record. Most notably during one of my favourite songs “Steady on the Wheel.” The show wasn’t only full of excellent music, but there was even some trivia “Beautiful people of Ottawa what province is Whitehorse in?” Everyone replied Yukon. We were then told “Trick question, Yukon is a territory, you’re all wrong.” The absolute highlight of the set was the incredible organized chaos that was the avalanche of sound between the final two songs “Where Did You Go?” and “I Got You.” Watching four talented musicians simultaneously exploring their respective instruments all at once live on stage is a wonderfully powerful thing. When they can do it and seamlessly transition into a song, that is the sign of true musicianship. What a wonderful way to end my first concert at Bar Robo.