If you are the kind of person that loves song circles, you must read this. There is a man named Dave Woods who organizes these kinds of shows. He really does have an ear for finding some of the best talent in the city and putting them all in the same room to play. I will share his Instagram account at the bottom of this article, so you too can discover the power of the Song Circle.
Round One
Today was a day to sit in an open bar, have a drink on a hot day and listen to quality music. In fact, it was so hot; these singers got two large fans to keep them cool on stage. It was a rare moment where I could not go up them and say I am your biggest fan.
The afternoon started with three lovely singers who just met for the first time and had to seamlessly gel together on stage.
I really felt I was at a Love-In festival the way these ladies were so supportive of each other. You can say they were really gushing after each splendid song.
Kailan McGee
First up was Kailan McGee, whose new album I recently reviewed. Here is that link- You searched for kailan mcgee – Blast Toronto
Kailan’s songs are filled with a tapestry of new experiences and eloquently presented. Her music is just made for young people and even older people. I found myself reminiscing about my younger days with some of her lyrics. Like her two new friends on stage, they all contained something special. There vocals and stories come from a place of sweetness and innocence, open to new experiences. This is the one take away I will remember about this afternoon.
Mariah Dion
Mariah sat in the middle and was promoting girl power. The vibes between these artists were perfectly balanced. Each song that that sang seems to compliment the other women’s music. Her enthusiasm seemed to rub off on the other two singers as they were finding only the best songs to play that afternoon.
Mariah went in deep with a song about loss. These moments help us realized how deep some of these young people can understand life. Young people openly tell me about their anxieties in life, but an artist like Mariah confronts uncomfortable issues and just sings about them. I find this method cathartic for both the artist and audience members.
Even though we went into the deep end, this was true soft listening for such a glorious afternoon.
Sydney Mae
Sydney Mae sat by a bright doorway, so she looked like a silhouette with an angelic voice from far away. She seemed to really soak up the excitement as she was crushing on the other two singers. In my mind at that point I was imagining, what if, these women formed a new musical group. That would be a pretty awesome band.
With similar hair and vocals to Mariah, these two could be mistaken for sisters. Her songs could almost be compared to Mariah’s, but with the view of an older sister.
They all did a cover song that they loved and then did a round of Country songs. It was like getting a mini- concert with three songs in a row about similar topics.
This was round 1 of 2. What is going to happen next?
Round Two
Round two brought 3 new artists with a brand-new energy. We had the dynamic duo of Rachel and Ayden. Then you had the hard-working Josh Taerk. This round would definitely take on a new form of energy.
Rachel Jeans
I have seen Rachel and Ayden a number of times in the past. Make sure you come to the Beaches Street Fest later this month, you will find them there.
I was surprised to see her going solo with her partner sitting beside her. I wasn’t worried because this woman will keep you locked in with her sharp and clear vocals. Even though they are Rachel and Ayden, they both took turns singing lead on their song choice.
She simply grabbed her acoustic and belted out some of her personal pieces. You can see an example of this on my Instagram page- Instagram
Whether you see them singing solo or singing together, you could now understand the power these two have when they play together.
Ayden Jacobs
Ayden was up next, and if you know this duo, you know they are evenly matched in the singing and entertaining the world.
One quick fun moment came when he ordered two shots of tequila and then realized he was driving home. Rachel got lucky and had two free shots waiting for her on a bench. This quickly turned into a chorus of “Tequila”!
What I enjoyed about this round was that the songs still stayed very personal. No Anthems, no Party songs (Except Tequila), no Politics.
At the last-minute Ayden decided to pull out an old song that he and Rachel had tucked away for a long time. They pulled it out dusted it off and gave it a go. Well, they should go and really consider this one for the next record.
Josh Taerk
When you see Josh Taerk live, be prepared to hear some inspiring and very cool stories. That is half the fun of his show. He spoke of the time he went down to Nashville about 10 years ago. This is where he became very focused on his song craft and guitar playing. After that story you could feel his confidence radiating from the stage.
On such a hot day, he even got the audience singing one of his songs. At that point I realized I was no longer feeling the heat.
His last two songs really grabbed everyone’s attention. The first was a complete reworking of Elton John’s Rocket Man. I am not going to try and describe it. You will just have to go to see Josh live and request it.
The last song of the afternoon he sang one of his love songs called, “Till my heart breaks”. I think I heard every woman swoon, when he hit the chorus. That was the highlight to finish off a perfect afternoon to hear new acoustic music.
If you would like to see one of these song circles, please go to… Instagram
Doug Woods is the man who organizes these special events. If you would like to attend his next one, here is what he wrote to me today. I do about 2 shows a month. Painted Lady and also Moonshine Cafe in Oakville (about to re-open at a new location), Stonewalls in Hamilton, Rec Room in Mississauga and Burdock Brewery in Toronto
Here are the links of each of these artists if you want to find out more about them.
www.instagram.com/kailanmcgee/
www.instagram.com/mariahdionmusic/
www.instagram.com/sydneymaemusic/
www.instagram.com/rachelandayden/
www.instagram.com/inthecountry_with_davewoods/
Please visit our events calendar to find these artists in the future
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