Rural Alberta Advances! (Hillside '09)

I came into the Rural Alberta Advantage's set expecting a fairly standard acoustic rock set- and in essence that's what was delivered, but there were intangibles that pushed this performance far past expectations making it one of my Hillside Sunday highlights. Having seen all three performers in some form already this weekend it was finally time for them to play their own material.. rooted in the province of Alberta (though actually a Toronto band with youth ties to Alberta). Therefore along with the performance we also received some simple history lessons regarding this prairie which (boring as it sounds) may have been one of those bonus elements. The male lead singer, Nils Edenloff, taught the lessons as intros to song with an acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder thanks to some thin yellow rope. He belted out Don't Haunt This Place which got things really going on the Lake Stage. During In the Summertime (as well as other tracks) Amy Cole sang her part wonderfully and also banged a drum that had a tambourine sitting on top of it - making a great racket! On songs such as Deathbridge in Lethbridge the drummer, Paul Banwatt, who had tore things up the night before as half of Woodhands again held things down behind the kit. To add to the percussion Nils would at times pound on his acoustic while holding down chords making a neat reverberating sound. A solo-acoustic cover of Eye of the Tiger from Nils was a humourous choice but it came across well. Altogether the band earned respect and adoration especially with the overall excellent song Four Night Rider.

Even upon review I can't tell what it was that made me enjoy this set so very much - perhaps it was simply the mug of beer I'd had during it - but it was simple yet awesome. The RAA have definitely upped their status in my eyes and I hope to catch them again next time we're both in the same province - whichever that may be.