Show Review: Roberts Hall @ Railway Club

It was by pleasant surprise that I saw Roberts Hall play the Railway Club on April 4th. They were admittedly not who I had come to see, but I was lured into the second room by their musical wiles and hooked as soon as I arrived by their physical ones. Ultimately their musical ones were what kept me for the whole set, but their physical ones (through watching their music video) spurred me to write this review. It doesn't matter.

Neither person nor place, Roberts Hall is a full-bodied two piece musical arrangement; Etienne McGuigan on vocals and guitar and Brendan Holm on drums, hailing from Nanaimo (City Folk: This is a city on Vancouver Island before it was a Skytrain station). Individually they are a beautiful sight and just loaded with chops (you won't know where to focus!).

Together they are a striking combination; a unique blend of ambient Cascadian and east coast folk (a reflection of their respective roots). Musically, these guys have it. Their sound was surprisingly rich for just two instruments, and tight as all hell. Their songs were unique but had a certain familiarity that makes you want to hear them again, possibly as music in an ambience-focused coffee-shop. But just as importantly, they had presence. They knew how to perform, something missing more often from live performers than you'd think. Banter was on point and not too much. Stories that don't give the song meaning away. They each had their role and they stuck to it. Their connection with each other was apparent, both musically and personally.

I was surprised to learn that this was the last stop of a 16-day tour through Cascadia (of course). Other than looking a little dirty (not a bad thing), one would never have known how exhausted they must have been. They didn't seem burnt out at all; their energy level increased as the show went on, into the gathering crowd. During one of the livelier parts of their varied set, most of the crowd was up and dancing with and among each other while the wallflowers appreciated the scene with big grins. A successful show if I ever saw one. I popped into the main room just to compare. Not as successful, just sayin'!

This reviewer greatly looks forward to more from Roberts Hall and are officially on her list of "Ones to Follow…and other things." If the Vancouver response was any indication, they are more than welcome here again, but I am more than willing to make the arduous trip to Nanaimo for the experience. They may be second room in the club, but they are second-to-none in my heart.