Roger Marin and Gordie Tentrees seem to be cursed by poor attendance whenever they play Lethbridge. They are either usually competing against a big show like the Canadian Country Weekend or play on a Sunday or play at the beginning of a crazy week or all of the above.
Luckily it doesn’t dissuade them from coming back because they always knock it out of the park. Like they did this past Sunday, Oct. 14 at the Slice.
Most of the above are true this week, which could account for a turnout of about 15 totally engrossed and intently listening fans.
Gordie Tentrees, Roger Marin on pedal steel and Telecaster plus Pat Phillips on drums have been touring since July — 180-some tour dates in eight different countries — but they sound like they were just getting warmed up.
While they only played one short set, they had an impressive amount of intensity for a lazy Sunday night.
I missed most of Roger Marin’s opening set, backed by Pat Phillips on drums, but I arrived just in time to catch “Blondie and Dagwood,”my favourite song he performs but didn’t write.
Gordie Tentees was in a jovial mood, cracking jokes like Fred Eaglesmith, telling stories about the sings and living in the Yukon. He was having a blast on stage. He kicked off his set with an incendiary chicken -picking version of his song “Same Old Blues¯” and took off from there.
Marin supplied beautifully tasteful leads on the guitar and switched to steel guar while Tentrees told his tales.
Much of his set came from his latest CD “North Country Heart,” though there were a couple other highlights like ‘29 Loads of Freight¯” which was originally released in 2005.
He told his old joke about getting a woman in the Yukon was easy if you had all of your teeth,” then played “Holy Moly” from the new Cd, which examines that.
The title track of the CD was a highlight as was a rollicking,m bluesy version of “ Wheel and Wrench,” which which he wound down his set on dobro.
