eBar and the Royal City Music Series presented Jessy Bell-Smith, Matt Monoogian, and Lowlands on Friday, Nov. 8.
Jessy Bell-Smith and Matt Monoogian both warmed up the stage and crowd for Guelph’s favourite folk rock band, Lowlands. Each act complimented the next perfectly and with warm regards for each other. Monoogian, a member of Lowlands, was accompanied with a full band to play a heartfelt set of originals in celebration of his album release Hide. With warm applause—and a double encore—he stepped off the stage with his band, and got right back up with Lowlands. Monoogian showed his versatility as a musician and showman by dropping his guitar and microphone to sit with his pedal steel guitar; which proved to be a quintessential dynamic to the Lowlands’ sound.Lowlands mounted the stage with a compelling swagger. Anyone who has not witnessed the spectacle that Lowlands presents was smitten by either sheer enjoyment or too much drink. They have a sound that screams Canadiana, and their lyrics are able to remind us of many of the classic Canadian subjects from our past—The Band, Farley Mowat, canoe trips, climbing mountains, ice-fishing, the great Canadian beasts, and so much more. Lowlands reminds us what it means to be in The True North, strong and free.
Gordon Auld seemed to hold the reins with a calm cool as the lead vocalist and guitar player. It is rumoured that frontman Auld was raised in the wilderness by a pack of wolves, and that is how he learned to howl. In the song “Dog’s Bite,” he suggests, “If the dog bites me I’m gonna bite him back.” Auld howls, weeps, and is able to paint a picture with his lyrics.
Bass player and vocalist, Joseph Gallo Jr. held his own during their entire performance. He delivered so much energy into his bass and into his audience that he became a show within the show. There is no bass player that could fill Gallo’s shoes in Lowlands. The other members consist of Abrahm Del Bel Belluz on guitar and vocals, Matt Monoogian on pedal steel, and Micheal De Paulo on drums. All of the members of Lowlands showed their unity when they sang and played together. Each band member shone at different times and in different songs, and each member was able to demonstrate just exactly what it means to be in Lowlands. They kept their audience captivated for their entire set, and left them begging for more. They finished their last song ‘In The Cold’ with lights flashing on the band and screams, howls, whistles, and claps emanating from their audience.
The house screamed for an encore, and after the encore, another one! They just couldn’t come down from their high. Lowlands ended on a mellower note, and still a member of the horde yelled “Ten More!”, but that was it. It was time to wrap the show up and call it a night. I kept asking myself “Why wouldn’t they end on that high note two songs ago?” but I already knew the answer. Lowlands got their crowd too high. Wanting more, craving more, begging for more—and they wouldn’t take no for an answer.