Hanorah @ Peter B. Yeomans Cultural Centre▪

The latest installment in Dorval’s “Cabaret Night” series sees Montreal songstress Hanorah come to the suburbs for an evening of free popcorn and $5 beers in my local library; seriously, $5 beers alone should be enough to get you to any show! Having followed Hanorah for a number of years now, I’m pleased to finally be able to catch her live show, having heard glowing reviews from others here at Montreal Rocks. The fact that the show is only 20 minutes walk from my house just adds to the novelty!

The novelty is not lost on Hanorah either, who inquires a couple of songs in: “How is everyone? Have you got your popcorn?!” The set starts in a soulful manner, the smooth funk of If Life Were a Movie leading into the more chilled Coffee, perfectly showcasing her impressive vocal range, which is almost Aguilera-esque at the end of Matty, the opener from last year’s Closer Than Hell EP. Twin harmonies from drummer Philip and guitarist Maxwell on the lazy strum of Time Waits For No Woman make Hanorah’s vocal sound even more angelic.

Things strip down another level altogether as her 3-piece band leaves the stage, leaving just Hanorah and her acoustic guitar for Skeletons, and after a 15-minute intermission, the open-mic vibe continues with just Maxwell on the ultra-mellow Emily, Funny Valentine, and New Orleans. Philip and bassist Etienne (I think that was his name, apologies if I get any of these wrong!) then return to the stage, and any chill vibes previously created are obliterated by a thunderous cover of Portishead’s Glory Box. Those distorted riffs, those thumping drums… it’s probably the loudest thing this library has ever experienced! An extended breakdown emerges with a deep wandering bassline, and Hanorah throws in some lyrics from Aretha Franklin’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman; it sounds awesome.

After Heavenly One, the main set closes in a flurry of country vibes with Long Road, and the place suddenly feels like the Brittany Kennell show I covered here last month! The 90-minute show rounds out with an encore of the stellar Clementine, which starts with Maxwell jumping off a chair like a punk rocker, then hopping around during the first verse. Obviously, Hanorah can’t keep a straight face, laughing audibly during her vocal! She even manages to get the silver-headed crowd to sing along for the mid-section, which they do well, “even if the West Island is not the first thing you think of when it comes to soul music,” in Hanorah’s own words. She was raised in Pierrefonds, though, so she’s allowed to make West Island jokes!

Which basically makes tonight a homecoming then. And a triumphant one at that!