Oscar Wilde once wrote of the importance of being earnest. For this music fan, we’re adapting the line to the importance of being early! Not only from the perspective of a music fan, but also from a dedicated GDW blogger, one thing learned very quickly over the years when it comes to live music is to arrive at the venue in plenty of time so as not to miss the opening act(s). Just casting our eyes over the Roll Call of Concerts here on the GDW website, how quickly we recall some of the show openers who were completely unknown to us at the time, but who have since become firm favorites (and in some instances, good friends).
Of course, there are never guarantees that an opening act will always resonate and rock your world with their music (and let’s be honest, we’ve all experienced some that we’d rather not want to encounter again) – but given that most are somewhat in tune with the headlining act that you’ve paid good money to see, the percentages for success are favorable. We can certainly drop names such as Rob Moir, Scarlett Jane, and Ten Kills The Pack into this category, and most recently the Californian band Gold Star, who opened for Orville Peck here in PA this past summer.
Our most recent visit to Canada included a stop at Mills Hardware in Hamilton, ON, to reconnect with The Julian Taylor Band (who did not become a firm favorite as a past opener, but more an unknown-to-us headliner at a small festival back in 2017). Not recalling any mention of a support act when purchasing our tickets a few months prior, upon arriving at the venue a little earlier than planned, we learned of an artist named Bob Sumner being added to the show. We were more than impressed by the folk-country sounds seeping out onto the street as the soundcheck was wrapping up, and once inside, a quick online search dropped a recent Americana-UK article into my feed (a worthwhile read), elevating the anticipation even more for that next discovery.
Hailing from the Vancouver suburb of White Rock, BC, Bob Sumner very quickly earned the full attention of this intimate music room – partly from his commanding stature up there on stage (being quite the tall fella), but largely from the outlaw-country and folk-troubadour roots that strongly influence his take on the genre. Just a verse into his opening track, “A Thousand Horses,” my mind was awash with the similarities to fellow Canadian country crooner Zachary Lucky, and if I’m to be perfectly honest, plenty of Kris Kristofferson and Marty Robbins cues in his vocal delivery and style. Just one verse in, and this old-school country music fan was sold.
“It’s nice to be here tonight folks … we’re out here kinda staying in Toronto for the week,” Bob offered following that first tune. “I could talk a lot about the differences in our cities, Vancouver and Toronto, but out here it’s not oppressively grey and raining and wet all the time. So, I’ve been in a good mood this week. You want to get out of bed here. Vancouver is a very beautiful city, but for a very small window of time throughout the year.”
Performing a solid 45-minute set as a trio, Bob (vocals/guitar) was flanked to his right by good-friend and touring companion Etienne Tremblay (guitar/vocals), and to his left by a very familiar musician handling both fiddle and vocal harmony duties. “This is Kendel Carson on the fiddle. You’re welcome! It’s an honour to have her playing with us, and it’s a treat for you to get to listen to her tonight,” Bob shared. “No pressure, Kendel.”
During a brief conversation with Kendel following the show, she confided with me that while she frequently collaborates, she felt very passionate about working with Bob and contributing to his latest “Some Place To Rest Easy” album. Bob would recall their time together recording “Didn’t We Dream,” from this album (one performed on this evening). “This song was done, and she just happened to be in Vancouver, and went into the studio and sang harmonies on the song for me,” he reminisced. “It brought the song from something I was proud of and really loved, to something that I am absolutely head over heels in love with.”
Naturally, with plenty of new material in hand, Bob was eager to share several album cuts, adding “Turn You Into Stone,” “Baby I Know,” and “Motel Room” – one written for “a dear friend … who was struggling with a severe case of alcoholism.” “The verses recall the times that we were having that were great, the adventurous times, the fun times, and I’m proud of it,” Bob shared. “And we made a music video for it where I do all these dance moves.” “It’s brilliant,” Kendel added. “You have to look it up!” “The editing makes me look like I can dance, kind of,” Bob continued. “And for some reasons kids really like it. My niece is only three, and I get videos almost daily of her singing the lyrics: ‘and I’ve got your 2.6 of bourbon and your party of one’ … and she doesn’t know what that means. And I’ve got other videos of toddlers sent from friends singing this song. I think it’s good for my career.”
Adding a great cover from the late Billy Joe Shaver into the mix, the trio would close with ‘a sad suicide ballad’ and something ‘that offers some joy and is a little more upbeat.’ It would be the ballad that struck a chord, as Bob teased by first painting a scene of his affluent hometown, before shifting to a tale of how he once encountered a homeless couple buying a lottery ticket at a gas station during the winter – and the gas station employee who refused to let them remain inside in the warm whilst waiting for the numbers to come up. “And he was outside looking in through the window, looking at the screen [and] mumbling to himself, ‘you never know, you never know’,” Bob recalled. “The desperation shook me to the core, and this song just came out of that.”
Of course, Bob Sumner is no average opening act – he’s a solid headlining artist in his own right, simply out here for a few brief east coast gigs to share his new music. But, as mentioned earlier, don’t skip those tasked with warming up a crowd, lest you miss out (to quote lyrics from Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor: the opening act … was a nice surprise…). By simply arriving early, not only did we discover a fabulous new-to-us talent, but we made a new friend in the process who we would love to encounter again.
Set List:
- A Thousand Horses
- Turn You Into Stone
- Didn’t We Dream
- Baby I Know
- New York City
- Motel Room
- Ride Me Down Easy (Billy Joe Shaver cover)
- Ticket To Ride
- Tonight (sic)
Photo Credit: Album Cover / Artist Website
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.
