by Michael Thomas
Nevado Records has been on a roll lately with both the talent signed to its roster and the stellar shows it’s put on lately involving Jordan Klassen, Royal Canoe, and now Megan Bonnell. Last night saw the intensity of Hunt and Chase at least doubled thanks to Bonnell’s undeniable musical charisma as well as her four-piece backing band.
Opening the night was Toronto’s Donovan Woods, a sharply witty singer-songwriter who always manages to make a lasting impression thanks to his self-effacing and hilarious stage banter and his deeply honest songs. He prefaced the set by explaining that he had cut his finger several weeks ago, making it hurt to play guitar, but the pain could be lessened with vaseline, which he applied several times throughout the set, referring to it as “finger lube” and “perv lotion,” eliciting loud laughs from thee audience.
His material, of course, spoke for itself. He balanced well material from The Widowmaker and Don’t Get Too Grand, the latter bringing up songs like the wonderful “Put On, Cologne” and the depressing “Sask.” In between he brought out the Toronto National Anthem (the line about the “shiny condo towers” is so bitingly accurate) and a song that a guy asked him to write to help win the girl he loves back (Woods was disappointed that he didn’t find out how successful the song was.
Megan Bonnell, slightly obscured by a heavy smoke machine
By the time Bonnell took to the stage, the room was absolutely packed, and the crowd seemed to hang on every word and every action. The set began with “Off the World,” a song that built to greater heights than it did on record, even sounding a little loud—something that didn’t seem as possible given the precision of Hunt and Chase.
It became immediately clear after that first song how well the tension of the album translated into the live setting. You could feel Bonnell pounding on the keyboard like her life depended on it. Chris Stringer moved effortlessly between electronics and guitar, while Joshua Van Tassel used the drums sparingly but effectively.
Unsurprisingly, Hunt and Chase dominated the set, including “Coming Home,” “Found You” and “Stars.” Bonnell proved that the members of her backing band weren’t the only talented musicians on stage when she took on “I’m Not Your Woman” solo (she jokingly referred to the piano ballad as her “upbeat song”). The performance of the title track upped the craziness inherent in the recorded version to the point where it almost got the crowd dancing.
Bonnell also played two new songs: one called “Lucky Man” and another called “Out and Away.” Both went over well with the audience and sounded right at home with the more familiar material. In between songs, Bonnell broke the “intense songwriter” persona and genuinely connected with all watching, often laughing after saying something.
The set ended with a song called “The Wind,” an old track that predates even her first EP. It was an excellent choice to end the night, as a last-minute burst of energy. Bonnell often referred to the audience as her friends—it’s unclear how many knew Bonnell personally, but there didn’t seem to be any people who were anything less than impressed,
