Thursday night saw Canadian singer-songwriter Tim Chaisson, who is currently touring the country with Diesel in support of their joint EP Last Shower, stop in at Perth’s Ellington Jazz Club for an intimate solo performance.
Unfortunately, being mid-week, the night never really threatened to sell out. Even by the time Chaisson took to the stage the audience was still pretty sparse. Whilst this was perhaps disappointing for Chaisson, it did give the evening an added cosiness, generating a relaxed ‘living room; gig vibe, and we were probably treated to a more varied set because of it.
Opening proceedings was local singer-songwriter Riley Pearce, who quickly set about the task of easing the crowd into the night. Armed only with an acoustic guitar, Pearce navigated his way through a set characterised by rich arresting vocals, clever songwriting and some none too shabby guitar work. He also proved to have a good ear for a cover as well – dropping an entertaining rendition of “You’re The One That I Want” from Grease and a folky reimagining of Passion Pit’s “Moth’s Wings”. All in all it was a great first introduction to Pearce and his music, and I for one hope to hear more.
That evening was also an introduction of sorts to Chaisson’s music and as introductions go, I don’t think I could have asked for better. It was a memorable and entertaining performance, which not only highlighted Chaisson’s skill as a songwriter, but also his talent as a musician and multi-instrumentalist. I certainly wasn’t expecting him break into a series of fiddle tunes about four songs in. Nor was I disappointed.
Though the majority of the songs in the set where his own, Chaisson did manage to drop in a few covers – including the Paul Kelly track “Leaps and Bounds” – though the majority of the covers were old fiddle tunes that served to perfectly emphasise Chaisson’s music heritage – the highlight of which being a beautiful rendition of “Neil Gow’s Lament For The Death of His Second Wife” on piano.
The intimate setting, and hushed attentiveness of the crowd, certainly brought a relaxed vibe to the proceedings, with Chaisson at ease to chat to the audience and tell stories, by way of introduction, between songs. Though a few more in the audience would have perhaps been ideal, those in attendance were treated to a charismatic and captivating performance that they won’t soon forget.
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