Bells Larsen
Fairmount Theatre was bustling with conversation as more and more people arrived. The moment the spotlight shone down on Montreal’s very own Bells Larsen, the venue grew completely silent. His gentle voice warmly made its way through the room, guiding everyone to attentively listen to his songs of grief and love.
The silence felt heavy. Usually, during an opening act, you’d hear soft voices over the music, but not during Larsen’s set. There was an automatic respect that we all simultaneously felt for him. Larsen stood in the center of the stage, singing with a smile as he accepted the positive energy from his audience.
Between songs, Larsen explained that during the Covid lockdown, he took some online songwriting classes taught by Buck Meek. He expressed his disbelief that he’s now sharing a stage with an artist who inspires him so much. The audience appreciated that story just as much as I did. We weren’t just watching him perform; we were getting to know him as an artist.
The crowd took to Larsen very easily, and how could they not? His talents in songwriting were clear as day in that dark, well-air-conditioned room. His voice sounded as sentimental and soft as the sounds resonating from his guitar. The audience’s silence broke into clapping and cheering after each song he played.
Not only was Bells Larsen an incredible performer, but he easily connected with his audience, which, to me, is just as important as a pretty voice. He shared stories, made people laugh, and left the attendees and myself feeling refreshed after his set. Whatever was on people’s minds on that Tuesday evening just melted away, and everyone was properly primed for a great night, sure to be filled with fantastic music. All thanks to Bells Larsen and his beautiful performance.
Jolie Holland
Once again, the crowd’s voices quickly died down in volume as soon as the light shone on stage. This time, it was Jolie Holland’s turn to grace the stage. She immediately had her audience enamoured as she sang and played her guitar along with her band.
Her voice is very unique and equally compelling. The passion in her vocals was intoxicating like she had us all in a trance as she sang her beautiful lyrics.
While tuning her guitar between songs, Holland explained briefly about the inspirations she finds in Indigenous music, how the rhythms of some of her songs are heavily influenced by their prayers and songs. She spoke very carefully, as though not to interrupt herself, tightening or loosening her guitar strings to the perfect key.
The energy in the room felt very conscientious. People clung to her voice and the words produced from it. They swayed, but not too much, as their eyes fixated on Jolie Holland while she sang with great passion.
The bassist and drummer accompanying her on stage complimented her energy amazingly. The three of them seemed deeply in tune with one another while they played, flowing sweetly through the entire set.
For the last song, Holland ended it with beautiful whistling. It blew me away and reminded me of the time I saw Molly Lewis live and how awestruck I was by the emotions conveyed through her whistling. Jolie Holland’s whistle gave me that same feeling. I could not help but smile as I watched her close her set with that blissful melody.
Buck Meek
Finally, Buck Meek and his band took their positions on stage, a warm orange light enveloping each of them. Meek offered his audience a pleasant hello and waved for everyone to get closer to the stage. He wasted no time in starting his set, immediately enchanting his audience with his lovely voice.
His lyrics flowed from his lips and stuck to every listener like honey—so sweet and pleasing to the ears, no one dared make a sound in hopes of not missing a single thing. We all clung to every word, watching him sing beautifully as glowing colours emitted from above, embracing Buck Meek and his band while they played. The adoration for this talented artist was clear through the cheering offered at the end of his first song.
As Meek’s set progressed, the silence in the room slowly faded as people started to sing along to their favourite songs and dance a little more obviously. Shoulders and hips swayed, feet tapped, and people’s bodies were drawn to move by the sweet rhythm that echoed throughout the room. It was enjoyable to see different people encourage their friends to dance with them and to see strangers feel compelled to move along to the music after witnessing such encouragement.
Meek and his band had terrific energy with one another. Their voices meshed together in perfect harmonies, all the while staying distinct and unique in their own sounds. They danced together and joked around with each other while tuning their instruments. It’s always a sight to behold whenever I see talented musicians play together as one. Seeing the music they produce bring a room filled with people to dance and sing is an even greater sight.
Somewhere in the middle of his set, Buck Meek gave his thanks to Bells Larsen for sharing the stage with him, describing it as a great pleasure. He also spoke highly of Jolie Holland, explaining that she helped him write a few songs on his album Haunted Mountain. Meek invited Holland up to sing some of those songs with him. The two of them share clear chemistry in songwriting. Their styles are similar but not identical, which I imagine helps balance each other out to create something beautiful. They sounded incredible together.
After their first song together, Meek revealed that he and Holland “kinda wrote those songs over texting back and forth,” which earned a good laugh from the crowd. More laughter erupted when Holland added, “It’s very introverted of us.”
Any opportunity Buck Meek had to express his gratitude, he made sure to take it. He shared his appreciation for everyone’s attendance, for the opening artists, and he highly encouraged his audience to say hi to him at the merch table after his set. He wanted to be sure to meet everyone before he had to leave.
He played a couple more songs before claiming the end of the set, which the crowd was not too pleased about. They were not ready to see him go and chanted, “One more song!” pleading for Buck Meek’s presence. He and his band promptly returned to the stage to perform three more songs for Montreal, two of which were new ones!
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The venue lights turned back on after Buck Meek gave his final goodbye before making his way to the merch table, which plenty of people quickly made a beeline towards. I made my way outside, feeling light on my feet and refreshed after experiencing such a fulfilling show.
Jamie Siddall
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