Canadian spirit was on display, as was the undeniable uniqueness of Canadian music at the Watson Legion Hall on Saturday March 22nd. Headliner Mike Plume brought his road-tested songs and gritty head on vocals to Watson, along with some great musical support from Moose Jaw’s Joel Stewart and Watson's own Bob and Margaret Henderson of The Horse's Mouth fame.
With the Canadian and Royal Canadian legion flags draped in the background, Bob and Margaret performed classic Irish tunes with a belated Saint Patrick's Day feel, a tribute to Irish immigrants and many other nationalities that populated the prairies as settlers. The prairies have grown on the backs of labour provided by people from eastern Canada, chronicled in the Stan Rogers classic “Idiot.”
A welcome surprise guest for the evening was Joel Stewart, a marvellous storyteller and gifted vocalist. His compositions are etched with people in his memory and places that seem both exotic and familiar, with a voice that was clear and haunting. Simply strummed melodies and vibrant lyrics created evocative pictures of summer baseball in Saskatchewan and of people who left and people who stayed in his hometown.
in fact, Stewart is a fixture in Moose Jaw's music production scene and one of the forces behind the Homestand concerts held for the last few summers at Moose Jaw’s Ross Wells Field. This year’s event is slated for September 6 at the ballpark.
“We are going into year five,” Stewart said when we caught up with him after his set. “We haven’t announced our initial lineup yet – that's coming in April with our headliner announcement coming in July. Musically, it has something for everyone. We’re all volunteers and all the proceeds from the event go to youth mental health initiatives in southern Saskatchewan schools.”
Stewart released his third and fourth albums on streaming services a month ago. One is a 2002 effort with the Future Hall of Famers called “20th Nervous Breakdown.” The second is 2008’s “Manufactured Pop Star.”
Mike Plume took the stage with all the family familiarity of the rowdy uncle who drops by to entertain the kids. Plume’s raw vocal power and command of the house is evident from the first chord. Songs like “My Old Friend” and “Daddy’s Little Angel” are sonic comfort food. His inspirations are as wide ranging as a prairie sky – “Dance Ruby Dance” for his daughter to an homage to his guitar with “Best Job I’ve Ever Had.”
As it is with many of Plume’s fans, Mike is an avid admirer of Stompin’ Tom Connors as a uniquely Canadian icon, and Plume retold the tale of his invitation to perform at the legend's funeral. The song he’d written as a tribute caught fire on social media and earned him a spot in Tom’s circle following his passing.
There was nothing but sheer poetic beauty on display as Plume sang his veteran’s tribute “On Remembrance Day” in front of the aforementioned flags.
The evening built to an emotional rendition of “8:30 Newfoundland,” as touching a tribute to Canada as has ever been penned, and the audience’s immediate and visceral sing along response to its chorus, “This is our home”
However unintentional, the concert served as a reflection of the pride of community and of country with no whisper of politics involved. It’s living proof once again that music can celebrate who we are and where we come from if it’s sincere, heartfelt and homegrown.