I had high hopes for covering a couple different Saturday gigs, Jan. 29 but was stymied, like I’m sure numerous others were, by our
lovely weekend snowstorm.
However I did not want to miss the return of Calgary based country singer/ songwriter Matt Masters at Cudos Lounge, who I last saw at Henotic opening for Romi Mayes. After all, he braved a blizzard to drive out here to play all of 15 people including the bartenders. So I wanted to get my fix of his own unique take on country and western music.
Karen Romanchuk and guitarist Pete Watson were up first with a superb set of new material from her new CD “15 Angels” which is now due in February.
Her set was familiar to those who’ve seen her perform in the previous months at the Geomatic Attic and Owl Acoustic Lounge, but, as always, there were highlights, for me it was ‘15 Angels,’ and one of my other favourites ’Go On Now Go.’
She also added a few choice covers, including a bluesy Suzie Vinnick cover, and R.E.M’s ‘One I Love.’
Matt Masters was at his folksy best, playing an outstanding set of originals as well as lots of classic country covers about “dead cowboys.”
He joked about being flown out to Vancouver the day before to play a specially commissioned song for a paint company and speaking about how difficult it was to be creative writing a song about paint.
I don’t think he ended up performing the paint song at Cudos, but his originals were excellent as well as a classic covers like Johnny Cash’s ‘I’ve been Everywhere,” which was performed at lightning auctioneer speed and included lots od Albertan locations.
What impressed me was his cover of a newer Ray Wylie Hubbard song, ‘Snake Farm.’
It’s great to see someone covering a Ray Wylie Hubbard song other than ’Redneck Mother,’ as cool as that is. He ended his set with an excellent version of Hank Williams’ Jr.’s ’Family Tradition’ which had the audience singing along.
