StettlerLocal.com February 26, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Singer/songwriter Maddie Storvold is as charismatic as they come.
Storvold was at Stettler's Performing Arts Centre this afternoon, as part of the Stettler Variety Showcase series, where she beguiled the audience with her quick wit and shrewd observations.
She hesitated briefly before sharing a song she wrote about Alberta, a good-natured poke at our province's reputation and some of its politics.
"I lived in Alberta before," she jokes, "and I wasn't good at being an Albertan."
Storvold, accompanied by violinist/vocalist Aline Deanna Jones, told stories about her family and career, and the time she sang with Bryan Adams on the series The Launch.
Storvold's lyrics are insightful, genuine, and witty. In the song "Gentle", for instance, she writes, I'm a lipstick stain on a coffee cup / I'm gonna leave a mark.
She also remembered the names of the PAC lighting and sound crew, and thanked them individually for their work.
Near the end of her set, she asked, "How much time do we have left?" A voice from the audience replied, "Two days?"
The Misery Mountain Boys brought lively swing-and-jazz infused music to the second half of the concert. It was hard to sit still while listening to their music; one audience member said, "I want to get up and dance!"
This band dove into the music the moment they appeared on stage. These boys (and one woman) are focused performers who drive energy like it's a sports car. The music, a nod to the Prohibition Era and speakeasy atmosphere, is supplied by an electric guitar, bass, and snare drum.
The fourth band member has double-duty on the clarinet and saxophone, and he teased the audience with the "The Pink Panther Theme", as well as the theme from the Tatooine Cantina Bar in the original Star Wars movie.
The Misery Mountain Boys write lyrics with a delightful local twist. One song laments an Edmonton woman who left her boyfriend and went to Calgary with "someone who drives an F-150". Another song describes "The Whyte Avenue Shuffle".
Theirs was another set that was over too quickly, but the afternoon was uplifting, energizing, and memorable.
The double concert is being held again tonight at PAC.
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The next Stettler Variety Showcase will feature Jenn Beaupre & Lewis Frere on Sunday, April 30.
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