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Woodpigeon are a Calgary based band led by singer/songwriter Mark Hamilton. Having only previously released a single in the UK, this supporting slot to Calexico is in aid of promoting the forthcoming UK release of their debut album ‘Songbook’. The set opens with a beautiful introduction to the augmentation of the band as Foon Yap on violin and Kenna Burima on keyboards play a dramatic and sensual extract, before the rest of the band join them for a heart-warming version of ‘Knock Knock’. Mark Hamilton’s vocals are delightful in many ways; smooth, rich and yet not over confident with obvious comparisons to Sam Bean and Sufjan Stevens.
When you listen to the depth of Woodpigeon's live performance the layers and textures truly stun you together with the added sonics that flow effortlessly over harmonies. Final number of the night ‘Tic Tac Toe’ shows this best as Mark announces that they are playing a 4 minute version of a 35-minute song. The band are left to experiment and just flow with the track through a lengthy musical section that show the real extent to the talent they have. The all-too short set was simply brilliant from start to finish.
Calexico take to the stage with full intentions of promoting their latest album ‘Carried To Dust’, performing eleven tracks from the album during their 20 track set. Opening their performance with an acoustic version of ‘Bisbee Blue’ and ‘Crooked Road and The Briar’, frontman Joey Burns and Paul Niehuas on pedal steel play alone. Joey is in good spirits making jokes and generally fooling around with the audience. As they move through new tracks such as ‘House of Valparaiso’ and ‘Writer’s Minor Holiday’ the backdrop continuously changes to show images of Krusty the Clown, Mexican carnivals and nuns in death masks. The images are weird yet playfully match the heavily Mexican and Cuban influence the band weave through their performance. ‘Two Silver Trees’, which pulls them back to a rockier-indie style, was a stand out track from the new album, as Joey’s vocal is comparative to the likes of Ryan Adams or Olly Knight. The track has a funky laid back groove that still holds a cool Cuban vibe.
Calexico’s now famous cover of Love’s ‘Alone Again Or’ brings down the house as though the band and crowd were trying to bring Arthur Lee back from the dead. “It's time to bust out the accordion,” Joey says as they play ‘Sunken Waltz’ which he reveals is inspired by Elliot Smith. Guero Canelo’ is the party anthem of the night - and as the band sing “soma, valium, oxycontin/reds, whites, speed, vicodin/t's, b's, thorazine….güero canelo” the crowd sway like on a Cuban dance floor, although lets face it the Scots drunken shuffle doesn’t live up Latino divas.
The band leave the stage and return to play ‘Bend In The Road‘ which was a solo performance accompanied by drums and ‘Red Blooms’ which shows Calexico’s mellower side. Then after a long pause they return for a second encore consisting of ‘Fractured Air’ which shows the result of working closely with Iron and Wine, the track also has similar features to Turin Brakes with the subtle melodies and harmonies that layer over each other giving a full sound. The set left the audience satisfied and no one was leaving disappointed.
