The Allied Arts Council hoped their new upside Downtown would encourage people to hang around downtown after work to listen to live music.
So The Owl Acoustic lounge’s July 29 patio show featuring Eamon McGrath was perfectly timed, as several people enjoying Shaela Miller’s Upside Downtown show in Rotary Square outside of Casa , wandered across the street to check out McGrath.
I think he’s the first out of town touring artist to visit Lethbridge since everything reopened, July 1.
He always puts on a great show either alone as he was this evening or with the full band. He was performing for a packed patio. Luckily his music was being piped inside as well for people who couldn’t fund a seat outside or who were just looking for a respite from the heat.
He was playing a blend of covers and original music including some brand new songs.
He did antastic versions of Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho and Lefty” a heartfelt version of the Tragically Hip’s Bobacageon and turned to Clash’s “Straight To Hell” into a folk song.
He added harp to a brand new original “Cannonball” and to a couple of other songs before taking a break.
He opened his second set with a great cover of Richard Thompson’s“Vincent Black Lightning ’54.”
He sounded like Gordon Lightfoot in places and Neil young in others. his show included plenty of pretty fingerpicking and harmonica.
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
