Kate Nash has the type of energy that I live for—not sugar and spice and everything nice, but lemons and sage and feminine rage. Part of me wants to bring her home, brush her hair, and feed her treats, while another part of me is a little afraid of the fury she may evoke.
I wasn’t planning to catch her show at Foufounes because her latest album 9 Sad Symphonies is too melancholic, even for me. October is difficult enough with its grey mornings and dark, damp nights, so venturing downtown in the fall is even more daunting. The album is brilliant, but most of the tracks feature piano and keyboards, so I was not expecting a hard-rocking night. Thankfully, I was wrong.
The gracious staff at Foufs gave me balcony access, which was closed off for the night. I hung out alone and watched as fans slowly made their way to the front of the stage while various musicians entered and exited through the side door to the green room. I actually saw Kate Nash come out in track pants and a baseball cap to watch the supporting artist. I wasn’t sure if it was her, and I didn’t want to invade her privacy, so I just smiled and nodded from a distance. I did blow her a kiss, though, at the very end of her set, and she saw me. I know she did because I took a photo where she’s looking directly at me and grinning sweetly. Yes, I fan-girled, and I’m not ashamed.
Montreal’s multi-instrumentalist Eve Parker Finley opened the show with a short and sweet set. Engaging the crowd with humorous anecdotes, she played keyboard and violin beautifully, closing with my favourite, Fall Into Me. Around nine, the venue went really dark, and Pure Imagination (from the Willy Wonka soundtrack) eerily crept through the speakers as Kate’s bandmates cheerily walked onto the stage. All dressed in white, they poured tea, chatted, and adjusted their instruments. Everyone cheered, and then, a vision in a marvellous magenta frock emerged. Skipping in her silver dance shoes, twirling and curtsying, the lovely Miss Nash smiled mischievously, making it quite clear that she would be taking over.
Starting with Millions of Heartbeats (the first track from her latest album), she immediately won our hearts. Her ability to articulate painful and complex truths with such skill and emotion is a remarkable gift and a pleasure to witness.
Watching Kate manically race around the stage in a blur of rosy tulle and jump up and down with such force during Life in Pink was one of my highlights. If Courtney Love and Florence Welch could have a love child, it would be Kate.
Space Odyssey got off to a rocky start as Kate struggled to play the intro on acoustic guitar. She kept getting confused and asked her bandmate for help (her guitarist was phenomenal, as were the drummer and bassist). She pulled out her earphones and then went for it, and it was brilliant. I loved how she kept starting over and over, not giving up, and laughing at herself. She has such a wonderfully wide range—from soft and folksy to riot grrrl.
Dickhead was another highlight. Did I mention her guitarist was phenomenal? Halfway through the song, Kate began talking to the crowd, asking people who they would like to dedicate the song to, and encouraged us to scream at the top of our lungs to cleanse ourselves. So, we did.
She also got us all to sing along to My Little Alien, which she confessed was written about her dog. How could we not?
Saving the best for last, she performed a highly charged Foundations, pointing her mic into the crowd so the audience could finish those famous lines: “You said I must eat so many lemons, ’cause I am so bitter…”
There aren’t many artists right now who can write fresh, witty songs and deliver them with such delicious anger while being completely endearing.
Closing with the heartwarming Birds, Kate’s vocals expressed a sweet vulnerability that made me love her even more. (Every so often, I would look over at her sound tech and exclaim, “Isn’t she lovely?” She would nod and smile.) We all sang along, and no one wanted the night to end. So when the lights came on and The Time of My Life played on the sound system, everyone began dancing—including Kate. She actually stayed on stage and danced. It was the most unexpected moment of the whole evening. She exuded pure joy and transmitted her wild, feminine love energy to everyone.
As I stepped out onto St. Catherine Street, feeling a little disoriented in the dark, I noticed the full orange moon and felt assured. Although I had decided to attend only a few hours before the event, I was meant to be there, and I felt deeply grateful. The Hunter Moon guided me home as we enter the darkest part of the year.
Review & photos – Annette Aghazarian
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