Shadows and Light

The 2008 performance season at the Evergreen has started – with a sell-out performance!

Why Friday night on Sunday afternoon? For those who don’t know, Stan Carew is a well-known Maritime CBC radio personality – host of Weekend Mornings . As he is on the air from early mornings on the weekend, Sunday afternoon is his “Friday Night”. So when he gets out and about with his band, the Magpies to perform at special community venues like the Evergreen, we get to share his “Friday night” on Sunday afternoon! See the photo gallery of the performance here or read on for my impressions of the performance.

Sunday afternoon really did feel like a breath of Spring, with Stan and the band as the early birds (to quote Stan, but does that make us the worms, Stan??) launched into “Jungle Life” and really got the afternoon off to a great start. Their performance was full of toe-tapping rhythms interspersed with his fascinating tales and amusing anecdotes. Stan is not just a radio host and raconteur, but also a songwriter of considerable talent as the audience found out that afternoon.

Stan, playing guitar and singing lead vocals was ably accompanied instrumentally and on backup vocals by his band, the Magpies – Richard King on guitar, John Sayre on keyboard, Rick Jones on bass and Steve Brown on guitar. One of my particular favourites, “When the Money Came Down” , composed by Stan, was a moving commentary on how a small community and its values are changed when money becomes a focus. Other real crowd pleasers were the medly of 50’s country tunes that had the place rocking as well as the great Western Swing piece, “So Many Songs about Texas”.

Many of Stan’s regular listeners were delighted to meet the man behind the voice and two were particularly pleased to win the bidding for a poster signed by Stan and the band, to help raise funds for the Evergreen.

View the gallery of images here. This gallery features a track that I particularly enjoyed in their performance by Stan and the band from their forthcoming CD – Elvis and Marilyn.

Thanks for starting off our season in such a great way, Stan, Rick, Richard, John and Steve! Come back soon!

Ellie