Shannon Lyon @ the Rivoli

[M]

Last night I saw an incredible show... Shannon Lyon @ the Rivoli.

It had been a while since I'd seen him play... sometime in 2002 I think was the last... some of you folks might have seen him and his band open up for the Burt Neilson Band on occasion in Toronto or London.

Last night he was backed by his band " The World Record Players " which consisted of Jay Schneider on bass, Jeff Cowell on drums (both formerly Fat Cats members) as well as Bob Egan on steel lap guitar. You may recognize Egan's name from his ventures with Wilco , Billy Bragg and Blue Rodeo .

I was struck by the intensity of last night's show where Lyon showcased songs from his new album Wandered . Among the songs he played, I also recognized tunes from his stellar album Summer Blonde . Summer Blonde has been getting tons of play this season on my home stereo and at my desk while I work. It was a real treat to hear these songs - consisently on my mind as of late - come to life.

Shannon is quite the performer... one that doesn't just go through the motions, but seems to exude the music through every inch of his being: an alt-country exorcism, if you will.

It was one of those nights where I felt charged and rejuvinated from witnessing an inspiring, varied and near flawless performace. There was no way I was leaving the bar last night without purchasing his new album Wandered ... the roomies and I pooled together our funds and bought it.... can't wait to go home and give it a listen.

Some Summer Blonde samples for ya if you like:

Hobo song

Summer Blonde

If you can, try and catch him on some of his upcoming dates:

Friday July 25

The Still

Kitchener, Ontario

Canada

Set Time: 9:00-12:00

"SOLO"

Friday August 01

The Button Factory

25 Regina St. S

Waterloo, Ontario

Canada

doors:8pm

Saturday August 09

"Tatse Of The Danforth"

Toronto, Canada

Logan Main Stage

(Logan & Danforth)

Set Time: 3:00-3:45

"Shannon Lyon & The World

Record Players"

Sunday August 17

"Dog Day Afternoon Farm Party"

Guelph, ON, Canada

2.00pm to 10.00pm

7.00pm - Shannon Lyon

8.00pm - The Sadies

* more info soon

* Australian and Canadian Tour to be announced.

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Official Bio:

Shannon Lyon's life has been a series of journeys. By the age of fifteen he had moved in and out of ten different cities, changing schools, leaving friends and nurturing an ever-growing restless spirit.

Although the main extracurricular activity in his youth was hockey, Lyon grew up on a steady diet of Elvis Presley and Sunday morning Bible teachings. "I was raised in a Baptist family where I was told that the devil lurked in the corners of nightclubs and barrooms, where secular songs, dancing and drinking were sinful. It didn't take long for me to realize that this was just another scam."

After a decade of writing, touring and releasing records throughout North America and Europe, WANDERED, Lyon's latest work is his most fully realized collection of songs yet. Comprised of introspective ballads and rousing folk-rockers, the album's sometimes dark, sometimes cautiously jubilant tales are captured with heart and conviction.

Yet, aside from his road-seasoned husk and gutsy performances, what makes Lyon unique is his willingness to lay bare his life in his songs. The confessional lyrics found on WANDERED recount a two-year journey from the back roads of small-town Ontario to the hash houses of Amsterdam. "Could You Be My Light," "In All Honesty" and "Naive," to pick only three, can be traced to a personal experience, but are crafted with universal themes in the classic troubadour tradition.

A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Lyon started fronting bands in the early 1990s. In the spring of 2000, Lyon's had his first national release with the critically acclaimed Summer Blonde CD and went straight out on the road with Canadian country/rock legends Blue Rodeo. Performing in front of thousands of people nightly, Lyon quickly gained a loyal following within the Canadian roots scene.

In the fall of 2000, Lyon ventured into the USA with American songwriter Richard Buckner, performing to sold out audiences in Philadelphia, North Carolina and New York City.

As winter approached, Lyon decided to relocate to Holland on the advice of singer/songwriter and friend Rob Lamothe. "After six months on the road, I found myself in between apartments and living out of my van with all my possessions in storage," he says. "I realized that if I was going to survive playing music, I'd have to break out of Canada."

In March 2002, Dutch label Inbetweens Records released Dharma, another starkly beautiful acoustic album in the spirit of Summer Blonde with songs drawn from three previous Canadian recording sessions. The album generated enough interest to allow Lyon to tour Holland, Belgium and Germany for nine months.

Over the next year Lyon continued to tour and live in Europe, crafting the songs that would eventually make up WANDERED. "I'd spend my days writing and working on new songs and in the evenings I'd explore the terraces and pubs. The European culture and the people with their constant celebration of life - this was my new muse."

In August 2002 Lyon teamed up with Dutch producer B.J Baartmans for a recording session at a 16th Century converted farmhouse in Boekend, Holland, on the Dutch/German border. After two weeks Lyon emerged with a collection of songs largely drawn on classic themes of lost love and bottle-drowned hope. WANDERED unfurls with grace and fractured poeticism, highlighting the deeply bruised timbre that has become Lyon's hallmark.

Now, with the June 30 release of WANDERED on V2 Records, Lyon has embraced his homeland once again. Temporarily based in Toronto, Lyon will be touring for the better part of this coming year. Whether it's with his band or performing solo, his focus has always been about the songs and the songs will remain his lifeblood, just as they have for the late Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle and the select few who have chosen to walk that lost and lonely highway.

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[Esau]

Thats wicked, I remember seeing em a few times at La Luna's when it was the The Harvester's with Gatch from Fat Cats playin' banjo...

Sweet sweet music.