Event Details
Date: Thursday, June 21, 2012
Start Time: 7:00 PM
Event Type: Special Events, Concerts
Last Updated: June 14, 2012
Views: 2
Petunia"With a piercing gaze, Petunia looks into the collective soul of the audience, then launches into some high and lonesome vocals that conjure up the ghost of Jimmie Rodgers Petunia defies convention and yet there is some conservancy to his music. His honest, cut to the heart songwriting and multi-syllabic narratives would leave a lesser singer tongue-tied and breathless. I know, Ive tried it. One of the many themes running through Petunias lyrics relates to living life on ones own terms fearlessly and without regret""Ive had the opportunity to tag along on some of his solo tours and can attest that he lives the life he sings about. His curiosity and adventurous nature compels him to check out whats around the corner and if something offers a challenge or a hair of excitement theres no holding him back. You can hear this in his music, boldly exploring new sounds and ideas".Spending the early part of his career playing on every major street corner, subway station and park bench in Canada (and NY city), picking, grinning and singing for his living, Petunia has been a regular on the Canadian touring circuit for many years now. He plays 150 shows/ year all over Canada and has begun touring into the USA, with his band out of Vancouver, "The Vipers".he has a unique, surreal style all of his ownhis live performances have been likened to an Avant-Country night club scene from a David Lynch movie.Growing up in rural Ste.-Dorothee, Laval, (Quebec) seems like an obvious connection for a sometimes country blue yodeler. Picture shady creeks with fallen tree bridges, and secret hiding spots. Part wanderer, part musician hes been on the road for full years at a stretch at times sometimes propelled by nothing more than his outstretched thumb alongside of the trans-canada highway. Maybe youve passed him by yourself? He has laid his hat and made his home in many, many spots along the way as befits a wandering troubadourhis traveling libido has led him to secure bands of musicians spanning across three continents. He has played with literally hundreds, and maybe thousands of musicians (personal highlights from recent west coast tours include Phil Alvin, Exene Cervenka, Wanda Jackson). Imagine that David Lynch and Nick Cave had a hillbilly baby. A hillbilly baby that yodeledor Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthries hobo junction.Petunias music is infectious, his singing ranges from the most delicate youve ever heard to the most powerful, often within a single songhillbilly flavoured swing inflected ragtime goodtime thunderously rolling one of a kind you dont want to miss this sort of a show. He has a huge repertoire of music to draw from but fans continue to cry out for the Petunia originals. He is an undiscovered Canadian treasure that will soon join the pantheon of legendary performers from north of the 49th.