Fear and uncertainty is not something new for Loyrn. An album release for a collection of songs centered around the intimate process of grieving and feelings of loss, could make one feel vulnerable and exposed.
Yet, Loryn aptly named the project The Lost Art of Pulling Through.
The difference is that through the journey, Loryn has gathered strength, confidence and a hunger to create and perform.
The evening, at Cabaret Lion d’Or on October 2, 2023, would be filled with anecdotes and stories about the song’s “raison d’être”, adding a layer of appreciation for the valour of each piece.
Loryn, at the helm of a piano, started us off with Boston In The Fall, a delicate song that signified the loss of a project, and the birth of one with more depth of meaning.
Audience participation helped create the Gospel mood Tell Me How evoked. As the song progressed, the band joined Loryn, sweeping us up in the emotive pull of the melody.
The Vow showed us that a song can tackle a difficult topic, but yet sound celebratory. As Loryn shared, she did not want to look back at this project in a decade and hear sadness. These are songs of sadness, yet the negative energy is reversed, and transformed into a glimpse of happiness just within reach.
It’s like laughing at a funeral, thinking back on all the highlights of a person’s contribution to this world. It can be sad, but it can also be a celebration of life.
Scandal Monger revelled in the celebration, ragtime style. The performance evolved into a jazzy improvisation from the talented band, each impressive in their own rights.
Heat touched on heartbreak combined with retrospection that although hard to deal with at the time, sometimes a bad relationship is only recognized from the rearview mirror. From the shadows came the addition of the saxophone to wrap us into the emotions of the song.
A seamless transition into I featured a string quartet on the balcony to give a Cirque du Soleil dreaminess to the performance.
The Reunion was upbeat with the ragged rhythm of Swing, allowing the Cabaret Lion d’Or to revisit a bygone era. Loryn even sat down in the audience as the band shined on stage in front of us all.
A special request was inserted into the set for The River, a song about relocating for love, only to find the sacrifice was one-sided. The song featured Loryn’s delicate power as the single spotlight shined down on her.
This was followed by In My Company, one of the early songs of her repertoire.
Egy Dal Apanak was quite the powerhouse of a song, the one song written specifically for Loryn’s dad. A sweeping instrumental that was the result of an emotional purge, one that could not be recreated after the fact, or played live. We sat listening to the recorded version of the song, each going on a voyage of emotional depth, like travelling through the stormy seas, but knowing we were safe within the confines of our vessel.
Ohio closed the emotional loop of the album, a song about the hardship of the music industry. Despite the resistance, aptly described in The War of Art (Steven Pressfield), Loryn pulled through and delivered the album that was 4 years in the making.
The show was a celebration of the healing powers of music, and how through our trials, we become refined and reinvigorated to pursue what matters to us most.
The show ended on a very high note, with an unreleased song that will be available in July 2024. Described as a Pop song, it was full of life and energy, making us look forward to new creative endeavours from the band. I purposefully did not record it, because this was a gift to the audience who showed up to support Loryn’s journey.
Loryn TaggART made it evident that the word ART fits effortlessly in her last name.
Writer: Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and MasterMind Facilitator with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. His Podcast RockStar Today helps musicians quit their day jobs with out-of-the-box advice from Ted Talk Speakers, Best Selling Authors and other interesting Entrepreneurs and Creatives. He created the Rock Star Today Music Business Jam Session for musicians. Randal is a collector of signed vinyl, cassettes and CDs.
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