Categories : Folk + Roots, Music Reviews.
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When Serena Ryder hopped onto the stage at the Knox United Church, she instantly had the crowd in the palm of her hands. Though not a sold-out show, those in attendance where certainly Ryder loyalists, acknowledging the first few chords of every song with applause and singing along politely when asked.
As a venue, Knox Church provides some problems for performers. It’s an imposing place, and the audience was seated quietly throughout most of the show until Ryder sweetly hinted that they could stand and dance if they so desired. About half of the crowd chose to do so.
The evening had two distinct highlights. First, Ryder’s between-song banter is second-to-none. Her slightly left-of-centre sense of humour is worth seeing alone, as she began several stories only to trail off, get embarrassed, and start the next song with little in the way of a segue. The second highlight was her cover of Band of Horses’ “Funeral,†a haunting track that she performed under appropriately moody lighting. When the song ended, there was an eerie quiet until someone from the balcony chimed in, “… that was awesome.â€
