Kathleen Edwards @ Biltmore Cabaret -- November 23, 2024

It’s been a minute since the last time I saw Kathleen Edwards perform live, so I was very excited to see she was coming back to Vancouver. Especially since the show would be at the Biltmore Cabaret, which (unsurprisingly) sold out almost instantly.

Opening the show was folk singer-songwriter Ken Yates, as I arrived a little bit into his set, his smooth voice crooning out “Surviving Is Easy”. From there he teased some new songs from his upcoming album, as well as older ones like “Quiet Talkers”, the title track to his 2020 album. He finished off with a song about existential dread (“because, why not?” he joked) called “The Big One”, and was a perfect opener to set the stage for the evening.

It wasn’t long then before Kathleen Edwards came out with her guitar, flanked by her bandmates joining on guitar and keyboards, launching into “Glenfern” from her last full length album, Total Freedom — slyly changing the line about playing at the Horseshoe to playing Richard’s on Richards. She followed that up with “Empty Threat” which had the crowd singing along, not for the last time in the evening, and with Edwards sporting a huge grin when she heard everyone joining in.

From there, her set spanned her career, back to the beginning with the breakout hit “Six O’Clock News”; to the hauntingly beautiful “A Soft Place to Land” and the sold out room once more softly singing along; up to her latest release, a cover of John Prine’s “Hello in There”.

Between songs, Kathleen chatted with the crowd, telling stories behind songs like “Empty Threat” and teasing an upcoming album with the new song “Little Red Ranger” (or the alternate title, “The Leafs Still Suck”) which was about a bandmate who moved to LA, and even opening up about some of the rough patches in her career.

Partway through the set, Edwards was joined by Ken Yates for a few songs, including the emotionally heavy “Asking for Flowers”, before the main set wrapped up with “In State”. But the packed room was eager for more, as she returned for one of my favourites, the raw emotion of “Change the Sheets” and one final gorgeous singalong to “Options Open”.

The last couple times I’ve seen Kathleen Edwards perform were both at the Vancouver Folk Festival (seven and eleven years ago, geez) so it was an absolute joy to see her play an intimate show at a venue like the Biltmore. She ended up playing around an hour and a half, but with her effortless charisma and incredible songwriting, I definitely could have listened to her sing all night.

setlist
Glenfern
Empty Threat
Who Rescued Who
A Soft Place to Land
Hello in There [John Prine cover]
Chameleon/Comedian
Six O'Clock News
Hockey Skates
12 Bellevue
Little Red Ranger (The Leafs Still Suck)
Burn The Cedar, Burn The Sage
Asking for Flowers
Mercury
Hard on Everyone
In State
(encore)
Change the Sheets
Options Open

PHOTOS: Shred Kelly, with Hyaenas at the Biltmore Cabaret - March 29, 2024

Shred Kelly, with Hyaenas
Biltmore Cabaret
March 29, 2024

Photos by Christine McAvoy

Shred Kelly w/ Hyaenas @ Biltmore Cabaret -- March 29, 2024

A few months ago, Shred Kelly released Blurry Vision, and since then they've been touring the country in segments. This week finally saw them hit the west coast, and with Vancouver's Hyaenas alongside them, they returned to the Biltmore Cabaret to celebrate their newest album. 

Starting off the night, the four members of Hyaenas took the stage; Sophie Heppell on guitar & vocals, Jessie Robertson on bass, Jen Foster on drums, and Luvia Petersen on synth (with all joining in on backup vox as well). The band opened with “White Rabbit” – appropriate for Easter weekend – and weaved through songs off their album which came out a year ago. The title track “Little Trophy” and the intense “Another Level” being highlights of their punchy synth-rock.
They also teased a few new songs, including “All The Girls”, as well as chatted with the crowd between songs, sharing ‘hot goss’ about their tourmates Shred Kelly, before capping off with the stellar “Written in the Stars”, for a fun set. 

It wasn't long after for Shred Kelly to hit the stage, Tim Newton (banjo & guitar) sharing vocals with Sage McBride (keyboard) backed by Ty West (guitar) & Ryan Mildenberger (drums) and joined by Nik Winnitowy (bass). 

Starting with the slow burner “Lay Down Your Head”, they gradually built the energy over the first few songs, before erupting with “The Bear” and a big singalong to, fittingly, “Sing to the Night”. From there the set ebbed and flowed with their alt-folk sounds, from softer songs like “Lost With You” which spotlights gorgeous vocals from Sage, and “Days We Have Left” (shouting out their Award win from this very blog), to the more bombastic “Ghost Inside My Head” and the frenzied “Cabin Fever”, Tim’s fingers a blur over his banjo. 

After the sprawling “Nothing for a While” from the new album, the main set finished off with the darker and moody “Didn't Know”. But the band was out mere moments later, bringing some friends with them as they launched into a cover of Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” with the members of Hyaenas. Finally, they closed out the show with the raucous and tempestuous “Tornado Alley”, leaving the crowd exhausted. 

Shred Kelly always puts on an incredibly fun show, and the pairing with Hyaenas was perfect, making for a Good Great Friday at the Biltmore. 

setlist
Lay Down Your Head
Jupiter (Any Other Way)
The Bear
Sing to the Night
Long Way from Your Heart
Lost Without You
Cracks in the Finish
Take Me Home
Days We Have Left
Ghost Inside My Head
Cabin Fever
Archipelago
Nothing for a While
Didn’t Know
(encore)
Hungry Like the Wolf [Duran Duran cover]
Tornado Alley

PHOTOS: Great Lake Swimmers @ Biltmore Cabaret - October 19, 2023

Great Lake Swimmers
Biltmore Cabaret
October 19, 2023

Photos by Christine McAvoy

Elliott BROOD with Shred Kelly @ Biltmore Cabaret -- October 06, 2023

Sometimes, two bands touring together just makes sense. And that was definitely the case with Elliott BROOD and Shred Kelly on their “Across the Great Divide” tour. While the two bands have played on the odd show before, I don’t believe they’ve been through Vancouver together, so I was very happy to see them come to town. And especially because they were hitting up the Biltmore Cabaret, since (somehow) I hadn't caught a show there in about three and a half years(!).

The early show started with Shred Kelly hitting the stage as the crowd gathered, the Fernie band kicking off with a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”, before launching into the explosive “New Black”.

From there the band hardly slowed down, Tim Newton’s blurry hands over the banjo and Sage McBride’s finger flying over keys on songs, while their voiced intertwined, on songs like “The Bear” and “Archipelago”.

With a new album, Blurry Vision, on the horizon, the band teased a couple songs from it; a heartbreaking tune called “Days We Have Left” and “Nothing For A While”, which was a nearly seven minute tour de force that somehow managed to ramp up the already-high energy. And that energy carried through to the last couple songs, the frenzied “Cabin Fever” and a raucous “Sing to the Night” to cap off their set.

After a pretty quick turnaround, Elliott BROOD hit the stage, the trio of Mark Sasso, Casey Laforet, and Stephen Pitkin starting strong with a couple big singalongs and perennial faves, “Without You” and their cross-country hit, “Oh, Alberta”.

With a set that spanned their 20 year career, the band went back to their early days for songs like “Only at Home” and the gritty “Wolfgang”, to newer “Bird Dog” and “Out Walkin’”. Other highlights included the soaring “Northern Air”, another raucous singalong to “The Valley Town”, and a deceptively jaunty song about murder, “Dig a Little Hole”.

Not to be outdone, they also teased a few songs from their own upcoming album, Town, with “Stars Align”, “Dried Up” and “Rose City”, an ode their home town of Windsor, Ontario — Casey introducing it with a wry smile, claiming it was about the best city in Canada, which predictably got a… mixed reaction from the crowd.

As the set drew to an end, the band invited Shred Kelly back on stage for a fun cover of Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls”, before unveiling a surprise for the audience. In a move they haven't done in quite some time, they passed out their iconic wooden spoons & tin pans throughout the crowd, so folks could join in on the percussion (and of course, yelling along) to “Write It All Down For You”.

That ended the main set, but both bands were quickly back before the curfew for one last singalong, “Miss You Now”, a heart filled song to cap off the night.

Both bands on their own have a fun and vibrant live show, but putting them together brought out the best in each. Hopefully this tour won’t be the last time they all share the stage together.

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Shred Kelly setlist
For What It's Worth [Buffalo Springfield cover]
New Black
Jupiter (Any Other Way)
The Bear
Long Way from Your Heart
Take Me Home
Days We Have Left
Archipelago
Nothing For A While
Didn't Know
Cabin Fever
Sing to the Night

Elliott BROOD setlist
Without Again
Oh, Alberta
Out Walkin’
Dog a Little Hole
Better Times
Stars Align
Wolfgang
Bird Dog
Northern Air
Only at Home
Nothing Left
Rose City
Dried Up
The Valley Town
The Bridge
Fat Bottom Girls [Queen cover w/ Shred Kelly]
Write It All Down For You
(encore)
Miss You Now

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