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The third day of Block Heater Festival featured Alberta gems sparkling amongst international stars. Kicking off the evening on the free Festival Hall stage was local rapscallion Lorrie Matheson in his first live appearance in ages. Looking at times like the calmest mad professor ever seen, surrounded by guitars, keys and mixers, Matheson invited us into his warm looking, green studio which seemed like a hideaway where you'd wile away pleasant hours oblivious to the outside world.
He dedicated opening song Hand Me Down Town, to Calgary's undersung heroes the DOAP (Downtown Outreach Addictions Partnership) Team, playing extremely warbly keys sounding just as dystopian as the days we're living through.
Prefacing You Should Know By Now, the title track of his first solo album, the songwriter told a story about how the legendary Billy Cowsill, who died 15 years ago to the day of this concert, helped with the song. Cowsill came to see Matheson and friend Tim Leacock playing, pulled the songwriter aside, and gave sage advice: "You gotta learn some chords, man," and told him to put in a C minor. Matheson then delivered a low-key version, almost like a threat. The sunshine set on this song, and no moon rose to shed light.
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