Initially it seemed like the July 6th Serena Ryder show was going to be a let down. For some reason, it was scheduled at 3pm on a Monday, not exactly an ideal time. Add to that the fact that the Stampede grounds were literally saturated amidst a downpour, and it did not look promising. As the band did sound check in the rain and staff pushed water off the Coca Cola stage and laid down towels, a small, loyal, and very wet group of fans awaited one of the top up-and-coming artists in Canada to take the stage.
It seemed like Ryder was the magic key; not only did she glimmer on stage, but as she made her entrance the rain tapered off to a trickle, and then stopped completely. While the sun didn't shine, Ryder certainly did, from the opening chords of
Is It O.K. off of her current album of the same name. The set featured mostly tracks from that album, with a few from past work sprinkled in, including a cover of Leonard Cohen's
Sister's of Mercy.
I am noticing a trend amongst Canadian musicians - not only do we have some incredible singers, but a lot of them are really, really funny. Artists like Jann Arden, Dallas Green, k.d. lang, Bryan Adams and many others are incredibly charming, and Ryder's between song banter added her to that category.
"It's funny how at rock concerts the response is
whoo. Could you imagine if that happened on the street?
Hey! How are you?! Whooooo!!! It would be strange, but for some reason it seems natural on stage."
Despite battling a cold, Ryder's voice was in fine form through songs like
Sweeping The Ashes and
Hiding Place. She expressed concern on hitting the high notes on some songs, but the fans were happy to jump in. There really is something incredible about singing the lyrics back to an artist, and when fans happily complied with the chorus to her hit song
Little Bit of Red, it was magical. The set ending
Weak in the Knees was also quite a big sing along.
As incredible as Serena Ryder is in her recordings, seeing her live makes you really appreciate how special she is. Her voice is unbelievable, even with the cold, and she has so much energy on stage that you can't take your eyes off of her. The huge grin on her face for the entire performance showed that she was having as much fun playing for us as we were watching and listening to her. This girl is going places. Someday that group of fans who braved the rain will be able to say "remember that time we saw Serena Ryder in a storm at the Stampede? Look at her now!" It is the first of what will surely be many career highlights.
The next time Serena Ryder is in town, do yourself a favor and buy a ticket. You will become a fan.
