Last week I saw Jon-Rae Fletcher for the 3rd time and, as always, was shook to my foundations by songs of soul revival and broken hearts. His new CD, Oh Maria, is a concept album in which Jon-Rae voices a romance that brought him to dark days. These roaring vocals, country style guitar, and hymnal melodies create this unparalleled rarefied experience of flowing sorrow coated in brown-sugary folk.
The show was in the back of the 50-50 Arts Collective and was filled to the walls by a massive shaking and chanting audience. Jon stood at the front, backed by members of the mind-blowing band Ladyhawk, and played on the emotions of every hopeless romantic in the audience. I'm not one to compare concerts, but the vibes of this particular show will sit above all others in my mind for a long time to come.
Just closing, I can't go without mentioning the amazing opening performance by Himalayan Bear. In his solo performance, Ryan Beattie, also of the band Chet, wielded a wailing hollow body guitar and lulled us with his harmoniously filled dynamic vocals. I don't rightly know how to describe his music but when listening to it I felt like I could relate to the lifestyles of gold-miners in the 19th century.
Below is the title track from Oh Maria which sheds a little light on the concept of the rest of Jon-Rae's new album:
Jon-Rae Fletcher - Oh Maria mp3
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