Jonathan Becker & The North Fields tour kickoff w/ Elsa

by Eric Scharf

04/19/2016

1531

Jonathan Becker and the North Fields kicked off their cross-Canada tour at Live on Elgin with some help from Elsa.

I was running around between a couple of shows on Friday and missed out the very talented Sarah Bradley and Bitterly Healed. However, I did make it in time to be impressed by Elsa. This was the first time I saw them perform, having only previously listened to some track on bandcamp. The set was beautiful and moving, and I can not say enough about the wonderful sound of the soft guitar picking. The song that really captured me was “Denton, TX,” the song is just very real and honest while broaching the subject of longing for a friend and a romance that will never be. Do yourself a favour and go see Elsa perform live, they’re making waves in the music scene for good reason. Seeing the songs performed live and with a band gave was even more punchy than listening to the recorded versions, and they are certainly worth the time to go check out.

Elsa performing at LIVE on Elgin in Ottawa, On.

Friday night marked the first show of a 14 stop tour for Jonathan Becker and the North Fields that will take them as far west as Vancouver, BC. The crowd at Live on Elgin! were ready and excited to help send them off and make the night one to remember. The venue itself even created a special shot of liquor in honour of the event – Gin Becker – which of course I had to try. Opening their set with “Been Gone” off of their latest EP Cigarettes, Strings, and Other Breakables, the band showed us that they will make Ottawa proud as they cross the country playing their gritty alt-country songs led by Becker’s rasp and supported by the North Fields musical stylings.

<a href="http://jonathanbecker.bandcamp.com/album/cigarettes-strings-and-other-breakables">Cigarettes, Strings, and Other Breakables by Jonathan Becker</a>The band played a great new song, “New Blood,” which I had never heard before. Becker introduced it as such: “this songs is about meeting new people on your life and to keep going forward.” The one that always gets me is “Tiger Lillies” off of Cigarettes, Strings, and Other Breakables. The combination of Becker’s voice perfectly timed with Laura Sinclair’s delicate keys and Luke’s guitar quickly made it my personal favourite. As the night turned to morning, Jonathan Becker and the North Fields capped off their set with “Southern Child,” one of their most rocking tunes and a great way to finish the night and kick off an adventure out West.