Cardiffed!

On Saturday, I had the privilege of attending the most intimate concert of my LIFE! Yes, it was super cozy, and the sixty odd people who showed up all felt like family. The venue was downtown in a third floor photography studio of a warehouse. As we (Cam and I, though Sung was there as well) walked up the creaking wooden stairs, we entered a bare dark room that consisted of several wooden columns of ceiling support. We eventually made our way up a small wooden ramp and emerged into a room of quiet chatter in which the concert was situated. It was dimly lit, vibes of folk essence and relaxation immediately invaded the senses upon entering. Littered around the room were lawn chairs, padded benches, and a few 19th century sofas. The stage was a large, white, square platform, not even a foot off the ground. It was the perfect venue.

The show, which was more like a living room, fire-side sing along, featured various artists from Ontario. Headlining was Craig Cardiff (a true troubadour), who is known for his soft, charming melodies and his thoughtful looping of his voice and music. The audience that night also found out that he develops a unique relationship with them, as he exclaims what he thinks and feels, interweaving stories in between and within his songs. As a result, he more often than not gets a chuckle or two out of his listeners. Opening was Sean Pinchin, whose slide guitar made everyone in the room gasp with awe. Following his short and sweet performance was Robyn Dell'Unto, whose comedic interludes kept the good times rolling; she gave the experience an extra element for the listener, one which could be seen as a fun tucking-in of the audience before the soft, relaxing lullabies of Mr. Cardiff. After a short intermission it was Craig's turn, and he did not disappoint. He began by calling the audience forward to gather around him, on and by the platform. The theme of the night was love, as Craig again and again spoke of it's wonder, joy, and sometimes puzzling complexity. The latter was touched on in an explanation (of a friend's love interest dilemma) for his recently written and unrecorded song, "Italian Boys". Midway through his set, he called up the fourth artist of the evening to accompany him on the ever beautiful "Smallest Wingless" from his Goodnight (Go Home) album. Sheena Grobb then basked in the spotlight alone for a few of her heart-felt ballads. Craig finally took hold of the reins once again, performing his lovely Dan Ber cover "God Said No". He eventually laid the night to rest with a couple more of his intriguing tunes. What an excellent night. I am sure that the majority of the audience went home inspired, picked up an acoustic guitar, stroke a harmonious chord, and reminisced on what was heard just hours before.
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It's hard to fully transfer my thoughts and emotions of my experience to you, the reader... but I can definitely show you some of it! Cam managed to capture most of the night on film with his shiny new HD camcorder (it's NICE... get it??... Check his Vimeo for that one). We also had the opportunity to chat with Craig Cardiff after the show! The first video here includes a couple songs of Craig's and a good chunk of our interview with him! The second video features Sean Pinchin and his amazing slide style on the guitar. Check it out!


Craig Cardiff (The Warehouse in Winnipeg) from Cam F. on Vimeo.

Sean Pinchin - Spreading My Education (The Warehouse in Winnipeg) from Cam F. on Vimeo.

Here is one of Robyn's songs from here Acoustic/Comedic routine!

Robyn Dell'Unto - Just a Bird (The Warehouse in Winnipeg) from Cam F. on Vimeo.

And here is Sheena Grobb! So chill.

Sheena Grobb - Getting Warmer (The Warehouse in Winnipeg) from Cam F. on Vimeo.

Okay!!!! This is my last off-project post, I promise! I didn't lie though, because I said that my Olympic coverage would be rolling in for the beginning of my next century of posts... it's still the beginning. Maybe I didn't say that, I'm too lazy to check.