The last time we caught up with Ottawa, ON singer-songwriter Lynne Hanson was just prior to the release of her 2022 “Ice Cream In November” album – performing at a house concert in northern VA with her travel buddy and guitarist Blair Hogan. Lynne has since dropped another album (“Just A Poet” in May 2024) and returned to the eastern US earlier this month for another small run of dates.
Making her debut appearance at the Lucky Penny House Concert Series in Washington, DC on an unseasonably pleasant Saturday evening – and travelling alone on this occasion – Lynne treated an intimate crowd to a great selection of tunes from both her latest release and from across her extensive back catalogue. With no electric guitars to be found, Lynne would offer up a fully acoustic evening over the two forty-minute sets at her disposal.
“Thank you very much, I am really pleased to be here,” Lynne offered when introduced to the Lucky Penny living room. “I got to experience your traffic a little earlier. Luckily it was Saturday, it wasn’t so bad, but holy moly, there’s a lot of people.” Opening with “River of Sand,” a tune celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, Lynne would quickly progress into her new album material, performing “Outlaw Lover,” and adding both the title track and other cuts including “Weeds,” “Sort Of,” and “Can’t Let Go.” Time was also given to share a tale about the origins of “Princess And Her Pea” from this album too – and how Lynne is saddened that many from today’s younger generation no longer have familiarity with traditional fables.
Recalling the electrified version of “Hundred Mile Wind” performed back in 2022, the song sounded distinctly different delivered in this solo-acoustic format – as did many of the cuts that Lynne shared last time around, notably both “Hearts Fade” and “Hemingway’s Songbird.” But it would be a stellar acoustic performance of “Long Way Home” that stood out on this given night, with Lynne offering insights into her former alcohol fueled past, and how a memorable trip to Ireland about thirteen years ago (complete with an ‘all-nighter’ pub lock-in) led to her finally coming to terms with her addiction.
“They started buying me drinks, and then at one point the bartender walked over and locked the door, but they kept selling drinks. So, I thought it wasn’t really that late, and then, all of a sudden, the bar started to let light inside because the sun was coming up. I had a 7am lobby clock, because I was going to be on the BBC radio,” Lynne reminisced, pausing to let the plot of her tale take hold. “So, the tour manager poured me into the car and when we got to the studio there was this huge table with microphones around it. I took my seat as far away from everyone as I could sit, and I gave the best interview I’d ever given in my life. I was funny! I was charming! I played a song, and I nailed it! I was feeling so proud of myself. And when we were walking out to the car, another songwriter that I was touring with said, ‘you are so unprofessional, I could smell you across the room.’ And that is why I don’t drink anymore.”
Set List:
- River Of Sand
- Outlaw Lover
- Hundred Mile Wind
- Higher Ground
- Sort Of
- Princess And Her Pea
- Just A Little Bit
- Hearts Fade
- Lollipops And Roses
- Whiskey And Tears
- Long Way Home
- Can’t Let Go
- Weeds
- Just A Poet
- Light In Me
- Hemingway’s Songbird
- Gotta Have Rain
- Swallow Me Up
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.
