I have always suspected that musicians want to be comedians and comedians want to be musicians. And on Sunday, February 2nd, my theory was proven correct.
Standing outside Bar le Ritz in freezing February weather, I questioned my sanity. Why was I out on a school night when it was dark and cold and I was tired? And then I saw the other crazies and remembered… Live music!
This was my first time seeing Donovan Woods and I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I knew nothing about him and had never heard one single song. (I’ve been making a conscious effort to check out bands that are not on my playlists.) I did know the supporting artist Billy Raffoul, who I had interviewed a few years back when he was touring with JJ Wild. So I figured if Billy was the opener, then Donovan should be pretty good.
Billy came on around 8:00 and did a very short set. There was no accompanying band. All he had was his acoustic guitar but with a voice that powerful, it was enough. Billy has that perfect smoky rasp that can be dark and moody and then light and sweet. I don’t like making comparisons, but if I had to, I would say Bruce Springsteen. Although most of the songs were about heartbreak and longing, Billy kept it light and humorous in between tracks. He was warm and endearing, giving us backstories and making us laugh before hitting us with his heavy lyrics and passionate vocals. My favourite was “Coffee.”
Donovan took over around nine and immediately lifted the energy. He had a super laid-back attitude, talking to us as though we were all best buds. It was a different crowd from what I was used to. Not just older, but very mellow. The diehard fans were easy to spot because they showed up early and stood at the very front and knew the words to every single song.
I soon realized that most of the songs were quite heartbreaking. He did a few from “Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now” which was released last July. When Donovan said he feels like he’s been divorced 30 times, I didn’t understand until I heard “I’m Around.” The lyrics appear simplistic yet they cut so deep. I saw more than one person crying. “Back For The Funeral” was another heavy one. “And we’ll laugh about all the young dumb dreams we had. And we’ll pretend we’re all only sad because we’re back for the funeral.” Donovan’s soft voice, poignant lyrics and delicate acoustic guitar playing reminded me of Paul Simon.
The highlight of the evening was when Donovan brought someone from the crowd to sing a duet. Genevieve Racette did a lovely version of “I Ain’t Never Loved Anyone Like That.” Donovan’s genuine reaction of pure joy illuminated the entire room as we all cheered her on. It was one of those magical moments that I’m sure she will never forget.
Maybe it’s because I didn’t know any of the songs or had no idea what to expect, but everything seemed truly spontaneous. There was no setlist or planned moments. Every song seemed like a last-minute decision. Right from the start, Donovan had to re-tune his guitar because he said that all the body heat in the room screwed up his tuning. Then he began making jokes about trade wars and would have us all cracking up before he would hit us with one of his super sad songs. His sense of humour was just as strong as his songwriting. If we played a drinking game where we had to take a shot every time he mentioned the trade wars or Trump, no one would’ve been able to walk out of that club in a straight line.
I’m glad I got to see Donovan Woods in such an intimate setting. He really is a brilliant singer/songwriter. And if that music thing doesn’t work out, he could definitely be a stand-up comedian.
Review & photos – Annette Aghazarian
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