September 12, 2009

Publication title: The Province, vol. -, Iss. -, pg. –
Place: Unknown
Writer: Unknown

Perfect day for Sarah McLachlan Foundation show

The first thing anybody does at an all-day, outdoor festival is get the lay of the land.

At 2 p.m. it’s 26 C, and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. Check.

Ambleside Park, where the concert is taking place, is sold out. Check.

There are tents scattered throughout the park: crafts, foods and a beer-and-wine garden. Check.

Signs, such as those outside the merchandise tent, announce that all funds raised will go to the Sarah McLachlan Foundation. Check.

What a perfect day for Sarah McLachlan.

On stage is Dustin Bentall’s outfit, and with two albums out, Bentall’s profile is growing. Most of his set reflects the funky roots-rock of his idol, Neil Young, but his four-person group gets rowdy on its last song, “Six Shooter,” which is the title of his second album.

At the Whistler Brewing stage, a few thousand onlookers show polite approval. The sound is good, and Bentall’s “Aw, shucks” modesty is appealing.

Meaghan Smith played initially to very few people, but a crowd of a few hundred slowly formed. Accompanying her on guitar was Jason Minto, who was introduced as her husband. Despite that, the first three songs dwelt on imperfect relationships. But she diversified and went as far as singing “Fly Me to the Moon” on a spooky omnichord. For the most part, her songs had a coy honesty that was light and playful.

At first glance, the Canadian Tenors are the odd man out on this mostly folksy bill. But the quartet adapted its brief set of classical pop to include a couple of Queen songs. There was yet another version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” a song that’s been wrung dry. But the dramatic “Remember Me” was a stirring way to leave the main stage.

Of the first half of the day, Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland offered the most substance. While the lineups got longer for the food and beer or wine, the duo essayed their hybrid of blues, gospel and country. McClelland has a soulful voice and Doucet is an adept guitarist. Combined, they make a convincing folk-blues duo.

The Sarah McLachlan Foundation was created eight years ago, and has faced huge challenges. So the short set by her foundation band and choir was sort of a proving ground.

Ultimately, they showed there was still a lot of work to do. But the choice of contemporary pop makes them different. It was the more conventional “Let It Be” that was most effective, however. The Beatles song was made to be swept away by a choir.

Not everything worked — this is an amateur group that doesn’t have a lot of experience, after all, but there is no doubting how much they put into the presentation.

As the sun set, Sheryl Crow launched into “A Change will Do you Good.”

Somehow, it fit into the optimistic mood of the day. Crow’s music tends to be positive anyway, and if the theme of this concert is that music can make a difference, she and her band embody it.

She dueted with McLachlan, which added to sense of occasion.

With songs such as “If It Makes You Happy,” or “Every Day Is A Winding Road” form the core of a belief in overcoming adversity. This is why having her start the second half of the Sunshine Sessions was so appropriate.

Neil Young began sweet and gentle with a melancholy melody that set the tone for a laid-back performance. Although he did veer sharply with the next tune, “The Grim Story of Powderfinger,” he was back in form with “Pocahontas,” and then “Birds.”

The addition of Ben Keith and Pegi Young add to the sweetness as well as the country soul of the rest of his show, with such songs as “Long May You Run,” “Human Highway,” and “Hold Back the Tears.”

Young was more nostalgic than adventurous, staying with the tried and true rather than the unknown or new. As such, it made it easier for Sarah McLachlan to top the bill.

He didn’t bother to push buttons, and therefore left Sarah to push her own. But she didn’t have to.

The success of this day made its own point. She’s adored and her fans are loyal. Appearing with her band at the end of a long day is brave, though.

Cracked and breathy one second, soaring and wailing the next, Sarah McLachlan has invented her own style that continues to be seductive.

She’s still building a mystery, but it’s becoming clearer she is putting her convictions first.