For us self-professed music junkies, it’s hard to comprehend that our first concert on Canadian soil this year did not take place until mid-March (thanks in part to a winter snowstorm that thwarted some February plans) – but harder still to believe that the tickets for this first event were purchased back in early August of 2024. Indeed, when the National Arts Centre in Ottawa announced this show featuring Acadian folk-country trio Les Hay Babies, we accepted that this band had eluded us for several years, making the decision easy. Oh yeah, tickets bought!
Releasing their fourth full-length album, “Tintamarre,” last October (featured here on GDW), it was only a matter of time before Les Hay Babies hit the road to promote this fabulous new collection of Cajun inspired tunes. What we did not know at the time of purchasing our tickets, however, was that this show at the NAC’s “Azrieli Studio” stage would be the opening night of an extensive tour – one announced via a press release just prior to the show, with an additional announcement of a new music video release for their latest single “Some People.”
With a solid ninety-minute performance in front of an enthusiastic (and very-close-to-capacity 300-seater studio) audience, the trio of Julie Aubé (vocals/guitar/banjo), Katrine Noël (vocals/bass), and Vivianne Roy (vocals/guitar) – along with bandmates Mico Roy (guitar/bass) and Marc-André Belliveau (percussion) – did not skip any of the ten album tracks from “Tintamarre,” even adding plenty of crowd favorites into the mix from their vast back catalogue.
Drawing upon the new material from the offset, the band delivered flawless back-to-back versions of their 2024 singles “Soyez fiers” and “Entre le chien et le loup,” before pausing while Katrine and Vivianne offered some insights about “Some People” – one inspired by time spent in Louisiana whilst recording the album. “While we were there, we noticed how there were so many unsung heroes around – talented musicians that sing about what they know to their people,” the trio share in their accompanying press release. “Having seen the fame-famine of Nashville, it really puts things into perspective and made us appreciate the people who carve their own path instead of doing as others do.”
Each vocalist had plenty of opportunities to shine at various moments during the show. Katrine would unstrap her bass during “Gars de l’île aux vaches” (Mico handling the four-string duties) and demonstrated some flair for a true vintage chanson sound (hints of Edith Piaf hit me as Katrine built up the vocal intensity). Julie would also perform a new tune – sans instrument – easily coercing the audience into some hand clapping participation as she delivered a rousing version of “Maringouin” (the faux ending and additional instrumental refrain executed to perfection). And literally having an opportunity to shine, Vivianne would exchange her guitar for a pair of tiny mirrors tucked into the palms of her hands, preceding “Miroir” with a stunning light show where she refracted light beams to simulate Hollywood worthy mythical effects.
It was a delight to witness “Same Old, Same Old,” a hit from their 2020 “Boite aux lettres” album that still earns a ton of airplay on SXM radio – which Les Hay Babies followed immediately with “J’ai vendu mon char” from their 2014 “Mon Homesick Heart” album (we found a copy of the limited RSD anniversary vinyl pressing last year) – complete with some amazing spaghetti western vibes that brought on an attack of the goosebumps. The band would add “On est Les Hay Babies” before taking their bows and exiting the stage.
Returning for a two-song encore, after some lengthy discussions about the order in which they would perform these tracks (Vivianne dropping plenty of “band meeting” comments for the audience), the five musicians would dip into the “Mon Homesick Heart” material once more to share “Fil de téléphone.” With cries for another popular hit, Julie would acknowledge the audience requests (“okay, you asked, you got it”), with her sweet banjo licks signaling the arrival of “La Bear Song,” the breakthrough hit from their debut 2012 “Folio” EP.
This was an outstanding evening of music from a band we had waited a long time to see. Their 2025 tour is an extensive one – we highly recommend catching a Les Hay Babies show if their tour bus rolls through a town near you.
Set List:
- Soyez fiers
- Entre le chien et le loup
- Some People
- En Californie
- Dernière mais non la moindre
- Pas façon de tomber
- Néguac and back
- Gars de l’île aux vaches
- Miroir
- Limonade
- Maringouin
- Mots électriques
- Motel 1755
- Same Old, Same Old
- J’ai vendu mon char
- On est Les Hay Babies
Encore:
- Fil de téléphone
- La Bear Song
Photo Credit: Tour Poster – Artist EPK
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.
