Date of show: January 24, 2013
Written by: Chiara DiAngelo
Presented by JD Originals, the pairing of Lindi Ortega with Dustin Bentall & The Smøkes made for the exact kind of barn-burner you are meant to drink whiskey at.
Newcomers to Lindi Ortega may know her from her recent guest appearance on the TV show Nashville, but she was a well-kept secret in Toronto for years before she packed her bags and headed to that very city in 2011. Donning a little black dress and a veil and singing about broken hearts, new cities, and nights out, Ortega was less honky-tonk and more dark cabaret-inspired country. No Taylor Swift here, she was a reminder of what real country can be. A powerhouse of a soprano tinged with a southern drawl emerged from her slight figure, belting out down-and-dirty country. While not a Tennessee native, it was obvious there is the spirit of southern blood pulsing through her veins.
Ortega was backed by Dustin Bentall & The Smøkes, as well as her own guitarist. Just two shows into their five week cross-country tour, there was already a comfortable collaborative feel between Ortega and Bentall. She started her set with the first five songs off her latest record Cigarettes and Truckstops before switching gears and going into “Little Lie” from Little Red Boots. Besides the guitar, Ortega also pulled out what appeared to be a banjo, exclaiming that it was her “ganjo” as it was actually played just like a guitar. She was a true sweetheart, interacting with the audience and introducing each song with the story behind it. It was a homecoming show that was a long time coming, with her parents in attendance and so many people in the cramped quarters voicing their excitement to have her back.
During “Heaven Has No Vacancy,” Bentall cried out, having seen “a ghost” pass by backstage. I spent the last few songs of the set expecting a surprise guest to unexpectedly appear, but sadly to no avail. After the set closed, Ortega left the stage but for a minute before quickly returning for an encore. She first treated the audience to a solo performance of “Deliah,” which really showed off her voice before the rest of the band returned. Commenting that the audience must be fans of old-time country, they ended the night with a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.”
The band left the stage one last time, and the crowd again immediately erupted into cheers, hoping for a second encore. The venue kept their hopes alive as the lights remained dimmed for several minutes before the house music finally started up, the lights came back on and we were torn from the breathless spell Ortega held us under for that too-short hour.
Pulling double duty on this tour, Vancouver’s Dustin Bentall and his Smøkes were also the show’s opening act. Complete with a harmonica, fiddle and a braided leather strap on one of his guitars, Bentall oozed Americana roots-rock charisma and shared incredible penetrating chemistry with fiddle player Kendel Carson. Highlights of the set included “Emmy-Lou,” about the fallout of a night of drinking Jack Daniels, the soulful “Pontiac,” as well as the title track to 2009’s Six Shooter, that had the floor of the Rivoli positively shaking from all of the foot-stomping going on on the stage.
Sitting out the tour with a young child at home, the band welcomed regular bassist, Del Cowsill to the stage for “Crash Hard.” Cowsill stuck around for one more song, trading the bass for Bentall’s guitar, while Carson mesmerized the audience with her startling voice. Commenting that Toronto was starting to feel like more than just a second home, Bentall also called up his father Barney. Bentall Senior is a near legendary guitarist in his own right and has been performing since the late 1970’s. Three thousand miles from their BC home, the choice of “Three Thousand Miles” was fitting. It was immediately obvious that musical talent runs in the Bentall family, with his father indeed being “pretty hip for an old guy.”
Towards the end of their set, Bentall threw in a new song, “Shine,” off the band’s upcoming album. The mention of doing shots and getting drunk in the opening lines definitely caught our attention – that’s our kind of tune! He finished off his set with the explosively intense “Draft Dodger,” giving in to the crowd’s demands. Bentall’s previous efforts are available on Bandcamp as you eagerly await the release of his next record coming in March.
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