Juno-nominated songwriter performs intimate set at Albion Hotel
A crowd packed the upper floor of the Albion Hotel to hear the captivating sounds of Craig Cardiff on March 1.
The Albion Hotel in Guelph, Ontario is a mixture of rustic, classy design paired with a gently nautical flavour. A single chandelier and a plethora of tea lights lit the room with a perfect sepia tone glow, as a diverse crowd began to fill the bar. Cardiff is famous for playing in a variety of locations. From classic music locales like Hugh’s Room, to random living rooms in Whitehorse, you can find him inviting people to sit on stage and asking couples to dance.
This show was particularly filled with intimate comedic style, but Cardiff was not alone in this. Zach Fulkerson was an on-stage guest and presented his own work, plus a few on-point covers. Fulkerson asked the fans to sing along and said they’d know when. He then began to play what the most soulful, near holy rendition of “Hey Ya” by Outkast.
“This next song is from one of the great lyricists of the 90s… R. Kelly everyone,” said Fulkerson who then began to play “Ignition Remix.”
In his own work, Fulkerson brought a full and relatable 90s alternative sound that was then accented by powerful lyrics about life, love, and making it through darker times. He is a student at Wilfred Laurier University and aims to be a teacher. With multiple recordings available on Soundcloud, and more songs in the blender, it looks like there will be more music to come before he claims his tenure.
After Fulkerson left the stage, it didn’t take Cardiff long to get back to his shenanigans. At one point in the night, he targeted a couple for the enjoyment of everyone in the room. On occasion, Cardiff is known to put on some pressure to make a proposal happen and tonight he was not letting up. He went on to play an improv song called, “A Year and a Half, No Ring,” which left the woman in the relationship with a face full of joyful tears and the man beyond perplexed and blushing.
Cardiff is a Juno-nominated artist, and family man. With his hectic travel schedule and daughter at home, it’s a unique work and life balance.
“I think it’s important to remember that I talk about travelling all the time, but the reality is that I have lots of time at home and I have lots of flexibility,” said Cardiff. “[…] Unfortunately [this] requires going away but coming back from doing what you love is a pretty amazing thing.”
In 2012 Cardiff was nominated at the Junos for the Best Roots and Traditional Album of the Year: Solo.
“We all knew. I mean, Bruce Cockburn – to go up against Bruce Cockburn and be on the list felt pretty good,” said Cardiff, implying that Cockburn would win, which he did. Cockburn is also the winner of the Governor General’s Award for Performing Arts. Although many artists would be shaken, Cardiff saw the invite as a silver lining, but also had more on his mind at the time.
“It sounds like a sad sack consolation, but it’s not. I just felt like a pretty big ride to be there,” said Cardiff. “My dad had just had had a stroke a few weeks before […] He was okay, he’s fine now […] The Junos are wonderful, and focus on Canadians in music, but for me it was being divided between being grateful that a family member was okay and just being excited to be part of the circus.”