Three minutes past the hour and the Rivoli was already seated in darkness, being entertained by the young musician on stage. Kalle (like the trendy chips) Mattson is definitely both of those things; a talented guitarist who writes vivid, literal lyrics sung in his youthful voice with even some harmonica overlaid for good measure. On one song he began playing with his fingertips and then partway through plucked a pick from his guitar's neck to bring it home with some steady strumming. He indirectly revealed his age but everybody picked up on it and it helped to explain the somewhat limited vocals, especially when compared to his practiced songwriting. Even his calm demeanour worked well comically between songs in the attentive and quiet room. Without his normal backing band the spotlight was appropriately on the songwriting and his multitude of acoustic guitars. Already with some excellent work to his credit, including the standout In the Morning Light, one can't help but relish the potential seen here and eagerly await his more mature output.
Jeremy Fisher
If Kalle is the fresh face then he has Jeremy Fisher, with a number of albums and many more road kilometers under his belt, as a mentor. In fact, they have already collaborated on a song and here they were bringing a special show to Toronto together. Perhaps not a household name, Jeremy is still a seasoned veteran who knows how to handle a room, a battered old acoustic guitar, as well as a hook.
Breezing through all sorts of songs, despite his minor ailments, Jeremy was a true entertainer judging by the overall engagement with the audience throughout, something that can be difficult for a solo guitarist on a stage. However he brought the stories of the songs home through charm and candor-laced banter that came before, after and even sometimes in the middle of the tunes. He has etched out his own folk-based sound but can also let loose on his strumming as displayed during On My Mind. When he started into Left Behind with its slow guitar picking it could have been mistaken as a tribute to Bob Dylan, who was playing that same evening up the street. Actually he did play a couple of the cover songs featured on his most recent Mint Julep effort, including the French-featuring I Lost My Baby. Another notable inclusion was the seamless descent from Scar that Never Heals into Paul Simon's Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard complete with harmonica and whistling features. This was a presentation of the Canadian Songbook after all and the choice of performer was justified on The Bride is Dead, a song that is at times touchy, yet hilarious and even in some bizarre way, heartwarming. On a more wholesome and down-to-earth song he captures the allure of grandma's cold cellar with the literal and lovely Canned Goods.
Like a polished politician Jeremy treated this audience as if we were the most important thing to him and as a touring Canadian musician this is likely true and why it seemed so genuine. We ate from his hand as we sang along "this is freedom" and then heartily encouraged an encore which he seemed more than happy to provide. The loud, as well as the quiet, audience members all seemed satisfied with a dynamic final set of three songs. Jolene exhibited his quick fingers, while Lemon Meringue Pie strummed through with an honest and hooky chorus, while the Tetris Song worked an odd context in a lighthearted and revealing way, as only a skilled songwriter can. The encore, as with the entire evening, displayed Jeremy's dynamic approach to songs and songwriting - really making for an entertaining performance and one swell night.
Also played:
Cigarette
Let It Shine
High School
Built to Last
Upcoming in the Canadian Songbook Series
Mo Kenney - Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Tanika Charles - Wednesday, March 13, 2013
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