It was a very subdued, and dare I say it, adult audience that greeted the Great Lake Swimmers in their hometown concert at Trinity St. Paul's Centre Saturday night. The old church venue lent an additional air of gravitas to the performance, which definitely added to the overwhelmingly mellow atmosphere of the show.
This was definitely a case where a band matching almost perfectly with their setting. The laid back arrangements blended into their surroundings, while vocal harmonies were restrained. Nobody on stage, other than Tony Dekker (who took the spotlight for a handful of solo songs), dominated the sound. The result was confident, cohesive music and the hallmark of a band hitting its stride.
At times the music may have even been a little too egalitarian though. The acoustics from the balcony definitely warranted Dekker's vocals being higher in the mix. On most of the songs, "Pulling On a Line" being an exception, the lyrics were muffled and indistinct.
The stage show will never be described as dynamic, but lead Swimmer Dekker did just about the right amount of bantering with the audience. He was amusing and told good stories behind the songs, even if he wasn't audible the entire time.
The songs and atmosphere were lovely. However, the acoustics prevent this show from getting the full marks the performers on stage earned.
Great Lake Swimmers play Toronto again for Canadian Music Week March 13th.
Great Lake Swimmers' Myspace
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