StettlerLocal.com January 28, 2024 at 7:00 pm
"I couldn't wait to play Stettler," said Calgary's Denis Dufresne.
Dufresne is half of the roots country/Canadiana duo, The Charms, who played Stettler's Performing Arts Centre on Sunday, January 28.
During the afternoon performance, Dufresne told the audience an amusing story about a gig the night before at a lively bar, and how "bar" audiences differ from "listening" audiences.
Stettler was certainly a listening audience, but when several people cheered at the end of a song, Dufresne joked, "You're starting to sound a lot like that bar crowd last night."
Dufresne and his wife, Megan Konschuh, are award-winning vocalists and instrumentalists. According to their website, they've performed for The Prince and Princess of Wales, the Prince of Monaco, and several Canadian Prime Ministers.
Among their many accomplishments, they provided instrumental music for competitions at Calgary's Spruce Meadows. "We had to learn music that doesn't scare horses," says Dufresne.
The duo play violin, guitar, and mandolin. During what Dufresne called "The Fiddle Set", the duo played "twin" fiddles, featuring music from an upcoming album.
They performed updated versions of old favourites, as well as an astonishing mash-up of "Ahead by a Century" (by The Tragically Hip) and "Sweet Child of Mine" (by Guns N' Roses).
As innovative as the music is, nothing equals watching The Charms in concert. They exude a joyfulness that comes from interpreting music in their own style, and knowing the audience connects with it.
At the end of the performance, the performers received a standing ovation, and they played "Orange Blossom Special" for an encore.
The Charms played two shows at Stettler PAC on January 28, 2024. The next Stettler Showcase will feature The McDades on Sunday, March 3, 2024.
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