David Francey - Worth the Wait!
Updated: Nov 14, 2024
Review by: Brian Adolph
Photo credits: Derrek Owen
Long-awaited and highly anticipated, David Francey took the stage to a full house of enthusiastic fans and soon-to-be fans for an evening of stories and song. With themes that alternated between love and loss, the four-time Juno Award winner welcomed the audience into his world, sharing how his life experiences, often recounted in humorous ways, inspired his music.
Francey, whose career as a folk musician has only slightly outlasted his time as a construction worker, is a keen observer and (self-admitted) hopeless romantic. Songs like the plaintive Lonely Road and the gritty Cheap Motel painted vivid scenes of life as a traveling musician. Come Rain or Come Shine and I Called It Love stood out as playful love songs, dedicated to his wife Beth and his many elementary school crushes respectively. Francey didn’t shy away from serious topics either, singing about the tragic loss of a fishing boat (Just Before Christmas), John Prine’s passing (This Morning), and the timely and politically charged Time for the Wicked to Rest.
The evening was as much about storytelling as it was about music, and Francey’s anecdotes had a whimsical, meandering quality, drawing the audience down unexpected paths. His stories about the songs often outlasted his typically brief, under-three-minute compositions.
Francey was joined by Meghan Balogh on fiddle and Chris Murphy on guitar and bouzouki. Murphy—a well-known East Coast musician—is the latest in a line of masterful guitarists Francey has partnered with across his 13 album releases. With Balogh’s smooth countermelodies, the two musicians created lush musical backdrops for Francey’s songs. Their harmonies shone, especially in the a cappella rendition of Torn Screen Door.
Francey’s relaxed, hands-in-pockets delivery was a joy to watch, and he engaged from the first moment. He is a true Canadian folk icon.
EMCA's next concert is Red Moon Road, bringing their holiday special to Pinawa with Simple Kind of Christmas on Friday, November 29.
