In 10 years of reviewing shows for Montreal Rocks, tonight’s is a first; I can literally walk to the show from my house. And I live in Dorval, in the suburbs of the West Island. The novelty is not lost on me as I head to tonight’s show at the local library, turning left on the way in to drop off some books, then turning right to head into the Peter B. Yeomans Cultural Centre for tonight’s show, part of a winter “Cabaret Night” series. And if that wasn’t great enough, free popcorn is provided!
Tonight’s headliner, Brittany Kennell, will always hold a special place in the heart of Montreal Rocks. Back in the hellish days of COVID in August 2020, when live music was nowhere to be seen, Brittany invited us to attend a live show, socially distanced of course, that was being broadcast online. Of course, I was more than happy to go, and it was a truly memorable evening that I still remember fondly.
If Country music was popular then, it has truly exploded in the years since. The 2-day Lasso festival that finally started in 2022 is a huge part of the Montreal calendar, of course, but even in the alternative world, the nu-Country sub-genre has been exploding of late too; just look at the rise of Wednesday and MJ Lenderman! Brittany has certainly been in the thick of things, appearing at Lasso, of course, but also gracing the stages of festivals such as Ottawa Bluesfest, Calgary Stampede, and many more. In August 2021, she became the first female Quebec artist to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. And she even sings the anthem at Habs games from time to time! An impressive CV for sure, so it’s a real blessing to have her performing so close to home!
Her usual 4-piece backing band is shrunk down to just 2 tonight, consisting of guitarist Antoine, with Mario on the cajón, that kind of box drum you sit on and slap with bare hands, so it’s a much more stripped-down, acoustic vibe. It works well across the whole of Brittany’s catalog, especially on songs like Eat Drink Remarry and Bought the T-Shirt, which originally carried a lot more production. Antoine provides note-perfect harmonies on Neither Did I and new song Country Club, and also switches to a mandolin on songs like Wait on You, Wallow, and Life’s Waiting on Me, which adds even more variety to the sound at regular intervals. Mario only gets 1 song off during the set too; how he avoids chronic back pain from hunching over that cajón all night, I will never know!
The crowd is more senior than your average, so a number of covers are peppered across the 20-song set, including Dolly Parton, Chris Stapleton, Zach Top, Sheryl Crow, Dixie Chicks, and The Band, the latter of which gets a couple of old guys singing along at the top of their voices! The show really does have a cozy community feel to it, with so many friends, family, and neighbours in attendance; even Brittany remarks, “it feels like a living room show!”
It’s a great 90 minutes from start to finish, and as I enjoy my leisurely stroll home, I know I’ll be looking out for more of these Cabaret Nights in future!
Setlist
- Eat Drink Remarry
- Neither Did I
- Wrong Horse
- 9 to 5
- Country Club
- House & a Dog
- Parachute
- Bad Luck
- Daylight
- Bought the T-Shirt
- Wait on You
- Soak Up the Sun
- Give Up Girl
- Wallow
- You Don’t Get Me Stoned
- Cowboy Take Me Away
- Life’s Waiting on Me
- The Weight
- Together We’re Rich
- Grand Marquis
Review & photos – Simon Williams
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