Like a new-age Stevie Nicks, a Stonehenge wizardress in a cloud of crimson hair, Loreena McKennitt cut through the low light and audience chatter with only the soft strumming of her harp and her pure, near-operatic soaring voice.
The Thursday, April 26 show at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium was just one stop on McKennitt’s current tour in support of last year’s An Ancient Muse; her first studio album in nearly a decade. And, with the decadent tapestry backdrop, the oversized candle cages, and the nine-piece band, the concert was a fine return to form for the Celt-inspired singer.
Canadian composer McKennitt appeared on the scene in 1985 with her debut, Elemental, perhaps garnering the most attention for her 1997 single “The Mummer’s Dance.” McKennitt’s career followed roughly the same trajectory as Irish vocalist Enya, who broke through with her ‘88 album Watermark. But, while both artists share the Celtic connection and otherworldly vocal abilities, McKennitt is generally credited as being more rooted in classical tradition and history.
Just to watch the stage performance is to take an elective course in world music. Harp, cello, fiddle, hurdy-gurdy and acoustic guitar share space with oud, bouzouki, lyra, tabla, bodhran, stand up bass, kit drums, hand drums and electric guitar. If it seems an impossible task to fit this diaspora of instrumentation into a single song, McKennitt rises to the challenge. Each composition is a carefully researched work; the end result of her deep interest in all things Celt. For Muse, the singer traced Celtic roots along the Silk Road, delving into the landscapes of Turkey, Greece and Spain. “I’ve used the Celtic history as a springboard,” she told the audience.
But if McKennitt seems a history PhD in a Medieval dress (“I was ruminating on a copy of Dante’s work while taking a train across Siberia,” she said as introduction to the song “Dante’s Prayer”), her band—rehearsed to the point of flawlessness—grinned through the entire performance as if they were playing a birthday party at a weekend-long festival.
And the crowd responded in kind. One man removed his knee-high leather pirate boots to perform tai-chi in the aisle. Fans offered bouquets of flowers and screamed like teenage girls at the first strains of McKennitt’s biggest hits.
Overall, the 2 1/2 hour show was a heady mix of the intellectual, the mystical, and some hot rock concert-worthy solos. After all, it’s not every day you see a musician finesse both the Irish bouzouki and electric guitar in the same song.
The review is right on target. Loreena and her band were superb, and it was a real treat to be able to hear (and see) such musicianship. Regrettably, for some, the experience was marred by the staff working the show. Although I’ve lived here quite a while, this was the first time I’d attended anything at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Arriving early with an out-of-town guest, we went to an usher with our tickets and were walked to our two seats (or so we thought). This was well before the lights dimmed to signal the concert start. About twenty minutes into the show, as my favorite tune began, two other ushers with flashlights came over, lights shining in our faces, demanding to ‘see our tickets’. After ruining several minutes of the concert, we were informed we had been given the wrong seats and were moved.
In addition, in spite of printed requests by the artist to refrain from taking photos (stating people would be asked to leave if they did), several thoughtless clods ignored the request and flashed away. One blonde female with enough tattoos for a trailer park was especially flash-happy, yet not once did any of the Auditorium staff intervene. It was embarrassing.
If this was a typical experience at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, I for one will think long and hard about returning.
I recently attended Loreena’s concert held at GM Place in Vancouver, where performers and audience good-naturedly transcended the change in venue from theatre to ice rink and enjoyed a wonderful evening. But as an audience member I had one regret which I wish to remedy. I did not cheer loudly enough for Brian Hughes when the musicians were introduced. Loreena, everyone was great, and I now am complete. Thank you all.