Don McGlashan: Plank Reviewer Scores

*Don McGlashan* will likely never know of the merry dance he had behind the scenes here at Plank. No fewer than four different reviewers were assigned to this gig but all – for various reasons – had to pull out; the last for the most understandable reason that she’d been nominated for an award and the ceremony was the same night!

So, as the reviewer of last resort (and of course, because of my dedication to you, gentle reader) I braved the bus journey to Capilano College (which seems to have morphed into a University when no one was looking) where I met up with a friend who’d kindly agreed to join me on this journey into the unknown. Neither of us knew the first thing about "Don McGlashan":http://www.donmcglashan.com/ other than what was written up in the "PuSh guide":http://pushfestival.ca/index.php?mpage=shows&spage=main&id=74#show.

Boy, are we glad that we did. If only more of you had joined us.

As a reviewer of music, I am singularly ill-equipped. While I’ve been to plenty of concerts, I usually just surrender myself to the experience, sans critical faculty. On a technical level, I don’t really know what I’m listening to, so I respond as uncritically as any kid in the suburbs going to their local multiplex. It either rocks or sucks (if that’s what the kids say) and on this rating system, McGlashan rocks.

Alone on stage with his guitar, he’s an engaging performer, supremely at ease in front of an audience and largely unflapped by the few technical hitches that cropped up during the show. To those unfamiliar with him, McGlashan at first seems like a simple folk-singer but as the evening progresses there is much more of an edge to his performance and you can see how he must have spent years in a band (indeed he has as the front man for The Mutton Birds (who I have actually heard of)).

I’m not the best at picking up lyrics, but McGlashan seems a natural storyteller whose subjects range far and wide from Auckland’s Harbour Bridge, to a devastating fire at a toy-factory in Thailand to a song with the memorable line “the Queen’s English was good enough for Jesus Christ”, a direct quote from an American politician. The two sets he performed just flew by.

Initially, McGlashan seemed like an odd fit with the PuSh Festival. It wasn’t clear to me what the connection was between him and performers like Siren or Taylor Mac but as soon as McGlashan stepped out onto the stage it all fell into place. Norman Armour is clearly trying to build up a festival that contains different strands, that embraces “performance” in all its various permutations. Suddenly, I was excited by the potential of PuSh to bring in acts like McGlashan to Vancouver, to broaden the church further and allow us to make connections between different artists and art forms. This is indeed what major festivals seek to achieve. Let's hope it happens here. Besides, judging by what I can gleam of his past with projects such as Blam Blam Blam and The Front Lawn, McGlashan would have at one time been very at home in Club PuSh which starts this Tuesday.

I also have to say that I was also pleased to be introduced to the beautiful Capilano Arts Theatre (although signs from the bus loop would be helpful).

I had no idea who Don McGlashan was before Sunday night. I’m damned glad I do now. I’m also glad that Ingrid got nominated.

_Don McGlashan performed on January 25, 2009 as part of the PuSh Festival, presented with the Capilano Performing Arts Theatre._