We sadly cannot get to every show of interest, but as another year winds to a close, it’s fun to recall some of the memorable moments we encountered from Canadian artists on those stages out there. Here are 10 – no, scratch that – here are a dozen notable moments (I can make the rules, I can break the rules), listed here in chronological order by date (some can be found on our YouTube page – indicated with (*)).
Les Hay Babies, “La Bear Song” (Ottawa/March)
Here is a band that we’ve followed pretty much since the release of their debut “Mon Homesick Heart” album back in 2014 – yet eleven years would pass before we had an opportunity to finally catch up with the trio of Julie Aubé, Katrine Noël, and Vivianne Roy. Kicking off their spring tour in Ottawa, Les Hay Babies would share all ten tracks from their latest “Tintamarre” release, but when it came to an encore, many voices in the packed house called out for this early tune. If you are a true Acadian folk roots fan, your first memorable moment can’t fail to be a popular, banjo-driven tune about a grizzly bear, right?
Celeigh Cardinal, “The Wandering River” (Gatineau/April) (*)
Thanks to some good timing and the generosity of the event publicist offering us some media passes, we found ourselves back in the capital region for the 2025 Canadian Folk Music Awards. Attending the opening night at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, QC, while there were so many performances that could have easily made this list, it would be evening’s closing tune from Edmonton’s Celeigh Cardinal that brought out the goosebumps. With accompaniment on keyboards from Brennan Cameron, the sheer potency of Celeigh’s vocal performance had to be witnessed to be believed.
Dead Root Revival, “Poverty Line” (Chelsea/April) (*)
When you can discover a previously unknown-to-us band as part of a double-header concert, and that band makes this list of memorable moments, you know that they left a lasting impression. Kingston, ON blues-rockers Dead Root Revival are a guitar-driven jam band that earns your immediate attention, and during a show at Motel Chelsea in QC, had me reaching for my camera in no time. It was pure luck that “Poverty Line” would be the first clip captured – but talk about a tune that is just-oh-so-good – this is classic rock n roll at its finest. And how about Motel Chelsea – what a hidden gem of a music venue.
Elisapie, “Qaisimalaurittuq (Wish You Were Here)” (Ottawa/April)
Another artist we had been itching to see since learning of her 2023 album, “Inuktitut,” we returned to Ottawa to catch JUNO-Award winning artist Elisapie in concert. While the album version of this Pink Floyd cover features some amazing brass, Elisapie (and her three bandmates) would close their regular set congregated around one microphone to deliver a stunning a capella version. Offering harmonious hums in lieu of the horns, each band member would leave the stage at intermittent intervals down the stretch, until only Elisapie remained, center stage as the stage lights faded to black. Simply stunning.
Graven, “Love Keeps Holding You Back” (Burlington/May)
Same old story – another artist on our radar, but as-of-yet never seen in concert – until now. Taking a last-minute US Memorial Day weekend trip to Burlington, ON, we lucked out with Nepean, ON singer-songwriter Graven performing while we were in town. Following an unreleased tune titled “Your Hate Keeps Holding You Back,” a member of the audience approached Graven, visibly moved by the message, and asked the artist for a hug. Graven willingly obliged, reflecting on this moment with his emotionally charged recollection on social media shortly afterward. What a moment – wow, just wow!
Matt Andersen (ft. Julian Taylor & Suzie Vinnick), “Helpless” (Vienna/May) (*)
This moment at Jammin’ Java in VA was a lock before it even happened! Once in the room, you could sense something special was brewing – like smelling the rain long before the first rolls of thunder were heard. When you have two GDW faves on tour together – with the likelihood of both artists teaming up during the show’s encore – we could have never imagined the possibility of a mystery guest making that final tune a performance by a trio. Blues artist Suzie Vinnick was a fully-fledged audience member (yes, really) and joined Matt and Julian to deliver this classic anthem. We captured it on camera too…
Thierry Larose, “J’en sais rien” (Montréal/June)
Once knowing we would be in town for the second half of the annual Francos de Montréal festival, of all the artists participating in the event, it would (naturally) be indie-rocker Thierry Larose whose name was circled as our primary MUST-SEE performance. And while Thierry and his band (including Lou-Adriane Cassidy) performed popular hit after hit, it would be a solo encore moment where Thierry surprised all with news of his next album – strapping on his electric 12-string guitar and a harmonica to share an unreleased tune. Yes, we captured the moment – one locked away for safe keeping right now.
Elliott BROOD, “The Bridge” (Chelsea/August)
Our summer vacation plans were tweaked upon learning that Elliott BROOD was at Motel Chelsea (just a slight diversion – LOL). While every song the band played belongs on this list, on this given night, their performance of “The Bridge” was simply sublime – this was more than a memorable moment – this one was elevated to monumental status. Planting seeds to involve the audience prior to the tune, building an explosive moment, and whipping the room into a frenzy – this was a lights-out experience. Regrettably our camera was not rolling for this one, but if one memory tops all others, this is it!
The Sadies, “No One’s Listening” (State College/September)
We LOVE that The Sadies have toured the US northeast for three years straight – and we’ve caught a show on each of those tours. Catching up with the band in State College, PA, we never tire of hearing cuts from their JUNO-Award winning “Colder Streams” album. The Sadies are one of the few bands that create amazing studio albums and then perform those tunes flawlessly live on stage. For me, both “So Far for So Few” and “No One’s Listening” have become instant classics, and on this given night, Travis Good would save the latter as the trio’s closing tune. ABSOLUTELY BLOOMIN’ OUTSTANDING!
Ariane Moffatt, “Tina” (Ottawa/October)
Team GDW had waited over fifteen years for an opportunity to catch a live performance from JUNO-Award winning synth-pop artist Ariane Moffatt (full concert – lest observant readers remind me that we saw the artist at a tribute concert last summer), and she did not disappoint. Performing this one song in a solo-encore moment, I really was not ready for the goosebumps brought on by “Tina.” Originally written during time in Paris, Ariane once stated that the announcement of Tina Turner’s death triggered something in her, leading to this incredibly moving tribute to the artist and her resilience. Stunning.
Blue Rodeo, “Lost Together” (Ottawa/November) (*)
This is the first of my last-minute late-adds, and sure, it happens to be Blue Rodeo – but hear me out! This is by no means a gimme of any kind. Yes, this is the band’s pièce de résistance, one that caps another timeless performance – but this was the second night of their fortieth anniversary concert in Ottawa, with GDW fave (and support act) Adam Baldwin handling the second verse duties! And to top it all, guest violinist Kendel Carson and multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Bowskill shared a dual fiddle solo to add a new element to this classic hit. Absolute Perfection – as was this entire concert!
The Dears, “Ticket to Immortality” (Ottawa/November)
And the second late-add – we had waited many years for an opportunity to catch a show by The Dears. Ditto for lead vocalist Murray A. Lightburn, whose pair of solo albums in 2019 and 2023 respectively proved essential listening. Being in the right place at the right time on US Thanksgiving, we finally enjoyed music by this popular Montréal based indie rock band. Any of the excellent tunes performed are contenders for this list, but it would be Murray’s solo-acoustic moment to kick off an encore that allowed us to witness this gifted singer-songwriter in a slower paced, intimate moment. What a voice!
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
