Songwriters in the round shows are a lot if fun, because you get four different songwriting perspectives. The only problem is you never get to see enough of the people you really want to see.
Unless they all add to each other’s music , like with Olds/Red Deer guitarist Tyler Allen, Edmonton’s Kimberley MacGregor, and B.C musicians Nasti Weather and the Brain Porter who were playing as Rovers in the Round at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, April 5.
Tyler Allen plays here with a lot of bands including Boots and the Hoots as well as solo.
This time he was adding twanging Telecaster to everybody’s songs.
He started off the first set with one of his original country songs.
Kimberley MacGregor, has a new CD coming out in the next year or so, so was eager to share brand new music, beginning with a slow, mournful number featuring her huge, soulful, bluesy voice. Allen added some lead guitar while Nasti Weather added a few subtle banjo licks.
Nasti Weather was up next with her banjo and decided to out do MacGregor on the sad song front. She told a few stories about breaking up and plucked banjo, singing a sad jazz tinged number with Brain Porter bowing his upright bass to make it sound a little more mournful.
He kept up the sad jazz feel on his own song, with Allen adding a little bit of chicken picking on guitar.
He turned the set more country on his own.
MacGregor sang another more upbeat, sultry jazz number after that with everyone chipping in.
For her next song, Nasti Weather explored a more exotic sound on her banjo, with Brain Porter bowing more upright bass.
Brain Porter added some bluesy harp while thumping on his bass for his third song of the set.
Kimberley MacGregor picked up the tempo a lot with the quirky and appealing “ You Fill My Cup Up With So Much Love.”
Nasti Weather carried on with the more optimistic tone with a song about “ finding beauty out of sadness.”
And Brain Porter finished the first set with song, featuring mostly of the lines “ Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same results.”