Fairy Tales.

Having recently done the mother of all groceries, I invited a few friends over for a lovely backyard BBQ, which we ate on my living room coffee table in the jungle that has become my backyard. While bbby kmbrly provided the hamburgers, I made a pretty badass pasta salad (opinion not shared by M.A., who has a debilitating fear of cold cheese but who politely ate most of it whilst hiding the remnants underneath his cob of corn).

This meal was followed by a trek to Rancho for Shameless Thursday’s first performance in the new venue. Walking up the stairs to the venue was eerie because a) Rancho Relaxo gets to feel like a pizza oven when it’s packed and b) people were sitting in front of the stage, cross-legged on the floor. I must say that sitting at a concert is a strange concept to me, and until now, only two factors have lead me to do so: exhaustion and Conor Oberst. To add to this list: Ghost Bees.

Tiny twin sisters from Halifax, Ghost Bees took the stage with a mandolin and painted faces. Their whimsical lyrics, tiny voices and delicate sound made them seem like some kind of forest elves, and their songs were inspired by folk tales and past eras. While the cutesy twin banter led to an inevitable Tegan and Sara comparison, I would say the sound was similar to a Joanna Newsom and Marissa Nadler hybrid. Regardless of comparison, their set was completely entrancing: the audience sat there, enchanted and open-mouthed, like kids at a kindergarten storytime.

Ghost Bees were followed by Laura Barrett, who is a classically trained musician from Toronto. Adorable and quirky, she took the stage accompanied by a bassoon player dressed like a pirate and a shaggy banjo player. She's very interesting to watch in action - she plays the Kalimba, which basically looks like a giant Gameboy from the audience's point of view. I can’t say I stayed for her whole set, because it was getting late and I am lame, but I would definitely recommend seeing her live if you get the chance.

Happy Friday!

xo.