Fort Frances- Club Garabaldi, November 2, 2013

It's pretty clear when you see people doing something they love.  This was evident when the trio of Fort Frances took the stage at Club Garibaldi to a crowd of roughly 50 or so people.  The crowd could have been 20 people or 200 people, and I think the band would have had just as much fun.  Fort Frances exceeded expectations for their live performance, putting together a solid set of folk-inspired indie pop-rock, from three very talented musicians who clearly enjoy playing their music with each other and for others.  

The opening tune of the set, "How to Turn Back Again," off of this year's Harbour EP set the stage with a jammed intro.  From there, the band launched into "Truths I Used to Know," also from Harbour.   A new track, "Habits," from the band's just-released Breaking Room EP followed next, which was more of a lamenting number about choices.  This track, along with others showcased McMillan's strong narrative songwriting style.  When talking with McMillan before his performance, we discussed similarities between some of the Fort Frances' material and Counting Crowes' Recovering the Satellites album. Songs like "Cities in Dust" and set closer, "If The Ocean Runs Dry" definitely showcase this influence in a good way.  

An interesting inclusion to the set was a cover of Prince/Sinead O'Connor's tune "Nothing Compares to You," where the band held true to the original, yet putting their own delivery on it.  While some in the audience, including your's truly, were hoping for the popular cover of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's "Summertime," to be included, the song, as described by drummer Aaron Kiser is "not in season," and, also quoting Kiser, "Hey, it'll make you come back and hear us some more."

After hearing Fort Frances live, Kiser is quite correct.  This is a great band on the rise that myself and others would love to see again and soon.  With the right exposure and right tour partner, I could see this band gaining some real buzz in the music scene. They already are well on their way with being featured on the Outlaw Road Show at SXSW.  Whether or national buzz happens or not, one thing's for certain, Fort Frances is enjoying themselves, making good music. and having a blast in the process.

This show was as much fun as any show I've seen in a small venue like Club Garibaldi.  While it's easy for me to be biased(after all, Jeff Piper is my cousin), getting texts the morning after seeing the band about folks downloading their material speaks volumes... it isn't just me, these guys are GOOD.

From left to right: McMillan, Kiser, Piper

Fort Frances opens their show

Jeff Piper busts out the drums during the set