A mellow Monday night in Eugene was complemented by the soft folk rock delivered by Toronto’s very own Great Lake Swimmers. The night kicked off with a solo performance by fellow Toronto musician Tamara Lindeman of The Weather Station. Her opening set was intimate and started what would remain a very relaxed evening.
Eugene on a Monday can be tranquil and this happened to be one of those nights. The streets, at times, looked deserted and all was quiet downtown. A smaller turnout allowed for an informal friendly atmosphere and an intimate performance by the Great Lake Swimmers. The set started off slow with warm vocalizing accompanied by intricate picking, and eventually the band took the energy higher with beautiful violin solos by Miranda Mulholland. Songwriter and lead man Tony Dekker was comfortable and relaxed while he directed his band through the night. The group’s performance was spirited and powerful and Tony’s guitar playing strong and emotional, while Erik Arnesen owned the night on Banjo and, at times, guitar. Miranda’s violin playing was a personal highlight, as she has a dynamic style and the band could be seen feeding off her energy. The electrifying rhythm section led by Joshua Van Tassel on drums and Bret Higgins on upright bass carried the low end well and rounded out a great group of musicians. The set was highlighted by performances of “Changes with the Wind,” “The Great Exhale,” and “I Must Have Someone Else’s Blues.” The audience sang along to “I Must Have Someone Else’s Blues” with Tony’s direction.
A mellow evening was quite nice after a hot day, the high 80’s being considered hot by Oregon standards, and all those present appreciated the relaxing night. Great Lake Swimmers made splashes with their recent LP A Forest Of Arms, the sixth album from Tony Dekker’s songwriting arsenal and the follow up to 2012’s New Wild Everywhere. The Monday night show at Cozmic Pizza in Eugene was uncharacteristically mellow, but a great performance made the night a hard one to forget.
