Alan Doyle's Kitchen Party Hits Moose Jaw

By Robert Thomas

“We had just booked Moose Jaw and an hour later I find out they are holding the Scotties curling championships just down the street and I thought oh crap. But now I look out there and I see we filled the place right to the back row and some of you are missing your curling,” Canadian musc icon Alan Doyle told a raucous and noisy crowd at the Mae Wilson Theatre on Wednesday evening.

Doyle, who is best known for his being the front man for the Newfoundland folk rock group Great Big Sea, was in Moose Jaw to officially kick of his 21 city cross Canada tour to support his new album “Rough Side Out” gave Moose Jaw audiences probably one of the best and lively concert experiences in a generation.

The concert featured not only Doyle belting out some of the most recognzable songs from the Great Big Sea catalogue but also a mixture of sea shanties, personal recollections and some newer music infused with the Celtic charms and tones of Newfoundland but also the Maritimes as well with his band drawing inspiration from the Cape Breton musicians on tour.

Doyle is by far one of the most personable performers to hit Moose Jaw with his charms, witticisms and insight into the common person which touches at the heart of the audience. It is a mixture of pure Canaidanna and Newfoundland Irish roots which bring the energy of the fabled Newfoundland kitchen party right to the stage. It is as personal as sitting around with a few buddies singing songs over a few drinks while grabbing into an audience of hundreds.

It is an infectious presence which takes over the audience from the first note.

Alan Doyle performing in Moose Jaw - Photo credit: Ashley Lauren Clark

The weapons in the concert go far beyond Doyle’s personality, charm and talent as the show masterfully introduces instruments many see as outdated in today’s music scene such as the accordian, piano and the fiddle.

The show freely and seamlessly not only draws together the instruments many see as the past into the present and the future in a lively rollercoaster which had people dancing on their feet but it also brought together a crowd which featured an audience ranging in age from six to well over 70 years old.

Insrumental performances by individual band members were intentionally long and at the same time perfectly timed as the audience did not tire of it but were immediately lead from one high plateau to another.

A cover of John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Paper In Fire” played in the concert and part of the new album may well be better than the original and destined to see radio air time. It is the masterfully use of not just Doyle’s voice and charms but the use of the fiddle as part of this version is nothing short of pure genius.

Orignally billed as a concert schedued for just two hours including lead act rising Canadian country music star Kelly Prescott is actually much more. Prescott plays her original songs in the first 30 miutes with the charm she is starting to be known with.

But following Prescott’s appearance Doyle breaks his promises of a 90 minute performance as it is really two hours in length with some of the best concert performances you will see with the three part finale guaranteed to get audiences up and dancing.

For those of you who missed it you missed a great show. For those who decided to miss Wednesday night’s Scotties draw for Doyle you made the right choice.

For those of you who missed the show buy the album it is that good.