Harrow Fair

A mate of mine persuaded me down from my garret to go hear some live music tonight. He alerted me a few days ago to Harrow Fair, a duo from Toronto consisting of Miranda Mulholland (Great Lakes Swimmers) and Andrew Penner (Sunparlour Players), thinking they would appeal to me. A little google search had me listening to Bite the Way and Told a Lie to my Heart. I was hooked, and you'll understand why if you click on those links. I ordered their one and only album, played it for two days and then went to hear them perform the same tracks live, the songs still resounding in my head.

I thought their recorded sound was good but live they were amazing. They were communicating with the audience more than performing, and communicating with each other too. They use their voices and instruments as if they're in conversation. Their musicianship and sense of theatre are superb. For their encore, they stepped down to join us on the floor and played without microphones. Their voices and instruments needed no amplification. The joy of an intimate venue. One of the best gigs I've ever attended. Cheers Rogan. Thanks for the recommendation and the company. I needed that.