iconLog In  |  Register

Whoops and stamps for Scotland’s Julie Fowlis

A $20 ticket was $20 well-earned Monday night by a skilled Scottish and Irish folk group led by Julie Fowlis.

The group, touring under Fowlis's name, played a polished, personable set, mixed with genial cross-isle jibes and elaborate song explanations which themselves were delivered with emotion and solid theatrical timing.

A lot has been written about Julie Fowlis's voice and appearance. Most of it drawn from "mystic isle" imagery and Tolkien. But is she really a pixie-sorceror whose voice shrouds the heart like a mournful hebrides fog?

Monday night, Fowlis's voice had a clear, versatile tone that moved comfortably between melancholic resignation and sprinting, percussive yips and whoops.

She sang both extremes with her eyes closed, right hand resting gently on the mic stand while her left rose and fell and trembled through songs. At times she'd sway gently or swipe her voice across mic for a doppler accent.

Fowlis sang a pleasing mix of stamped dances and mournful love songs in Scottish Gaelic. The sad ones were usually about a young man gone away never to return. The happier ones were about potatoes and women, or sailors barfing on the highseas.

Halfway through the show, Fowlis took a break and let the accomplished fiddler Jenna Reid hold the stage. Jenna's micro-set provided a welcome, mild contrast to Fowlis.

Backed only by guitar, Jenna's jaunty, looping hornpipes recalled grainy, black-and-white strolls down the boardwalk, puffed-cheek whistling, and caps doffed to songbirds and waffle vendors.

By the end of her set, glasses rattled across tables as members of the once-reticent audience pounded along with fist and foot.

Ms. Reid exemplified the workmanlike polish and independent talents of Fowlis's backing band, which included Tony Byrne (Dublin) on guitar and Eamon Doorley (Dublin) on what was likely a bouzouki or mandolin.

Doorley was comic relief for the evening, with ample jibes aimed at his Scottish bandmates. When Fowlis introduced one Scottish song in Gaelic, Doorley translated the title as "Hold the candlestick steady while I shave the chicken's upper lip."

Byrne spoke through his instrument, with rhythmic chording and bass note slides that mimicked the Irish bodhran drum. It was startling to realize that the sound was his doing.

By the end of the evening, the band's cordial stage presence and sheer virtuosity loosened up a quiet and intent audience. During Fowlis's last four tunes, which she described as the voice mimicking the sound of an instrument, people on all sides clapped in time and shook the floor with stomps.

The claps segued into outright and prolonged applause as the gracious band left the stage, only to return for an encore. I say gracious because the band remembered to thank the sound guy, which is a pretty classy move.

For the encore, Fowlis took the stage and pulled out an instrument, which given the energetic immensity of the moment, could only be described as "the mutha' fuckin' bagpipes."

The pipes were as much fun to watch as to hear, as Fowlis grappled with what appeared to be black velvet goose stuck with full-size spears. The pipes made for a loud closing that again had the audience pounding along.

As the pipes faded, a man in front stood, turned around and said to no one in particular, "That was good."

Others lined up for autographs and long chats with the performers. Standing near the merch table was like witnessing a friendliness competition between notoriously nice midwesterners and famously gregarious island folk.

Hopefully, on their next stop-through, more people will have the opportunity to chat with this well-rounded group of performers.

2 comments

username

Molly

#1

It was a fantastic show.  My hat especially went off to Julie when, after a full hour of singing, she had the breath and energy to get up and play the bagpipes for an encore.  I was sitting with a good view of Tony Byrne and his guitar and he and the other players were a real treat to watch and hear!

username

Bill Stuart

#2

We have Julie and her band playing at The SpeyFest soon and I know that Fochabers is for a real treat. look at www.speyfest.com

Our radio station www.elginradio.com is interviewing Julie before and after the show, which I am really forward too, last year we Interviewed Eddi Reader and all the other performers.

Yours
Bill


Add A Comment

A note about our commenting policy.


Comment
  1.  captcha arrow

Most Recent Music Comments

{username}

Thanks for the article, Ben.  I was not familiar with this band until now and even though I won’t be able to attend the show on Friday they are now on my radar.  A *good* jam band is hard to find, and these folks appear to fill…

{username}

Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…

Ben Valocchi avatar

good call on that Herring recording, Josh. Love that version of Exit Music….here’s a clip of the Cinco de Mayo show (from about six months prior). As I recall, this Shakedown went on for roughly a half hour, while getting into the Trampled Underfoot jam in the…

{username}

sux

{username}

whats a zmick?

{username}

Here is a link to download the aformentioned 2007 show at Red Herring, a true gem from the early Zmick archive, again recorded by Ben Valocchi: http://www.archive.org/details/zmick2007-11-02.logitech

{username}

My biggest concern is that the free Caribou show at the Krannert is now not at the Krannert and no longer free. But then, I guess if that’s my biggest concern, then I’m doing pretty well—at least I still have potable water! Still, I would prefer it…

{username}

Who’s got the crack?

JPSherrill avatar

Any band that makes the effort to pay homage to ! = Metallica @ = Beatles # = 2pac $ = Moldy Peaches % = Grateful Dead ^ = Dave Clark 5 All in one show!  (with Herb Alpert interpolations to boot) That’s what tasty jams is all about  

{username}

THE CAKE IS A LIE

Most Recent Comments

{username}

Illinois has simply had no luck at all in these Mizzou games. None. I think maybe we’re do for a couple of bounces to go our way. If we get one or two (or sever or eight) breaks, I think it’s a win. 

Dan Schreiber avatar

Jason, Savoy could easily join the CPL tax district, which is probably closer to most Savoy residents than the Tolono library is.  But my impression is that Savoy residents as a whole don’t want to pay the cost of the CPL (Tolono’s library taxes are cheaper), even…

{username}

Sorry, but I am lagging behind on updates to the map. Also, some construction projects were delayed from their original start date. On a more positive note, I am putting together a map of haunted houses in Central Illinois. I have a few plotted already, and I…

{username}

I’ve never gotten the privilege of all the services CPL cardholders get.  I just want to be able to go out of my way to drive to the CPL to check out books, pay fines, maybe buy some coffee, and enjoy the library.  None of those activities…

{username}

These days, there is more to using a library than checking out books. At one time, paying into the Lincoln Trails system probably would cover the expenses incurred by other libraries in the system. Now, with Internet, videos, coffee shops, wireless Internet hubs, etc., I suspect the…

{username}

(speaking as a Savoy resident)  By paying taxes to support a member of the LTLS, we are paying our “fair share” to use any LTLS library—Tolono, Champaign, Urbana, etc.  This is how library systems work.  The 6% of CPL’s circulation represented by Tolono users is NOT significant…

Rob McColley avatar

I read Timbo’s argument. I think the key word is “speculating.“

{username}

I would be interested to hear more about the “word on the street”—how are individual hauling companies fulfilling their promise to recycle?

{username}

Timbo makes a smart, sound argument. Reread it.

emma reaux avatar

I joined on 09-09-09 after living here over a year, and having to listen to my dad tell me how his best friend is, like, #27 or something crazy like that, and how said friend never lived further than 50 feet from the Illini Inn while going…

Dan Schreiber avatar

And, I might add, no one is being prevented from using the Champaign library. They are just being asked to pay their fair share if they are going to use it as their primary library.

Dan Schreiber avatar

The equation is pretty simple here. If you want social services, then pay the taxes required to run those social services. These things only work if everyone puts in their fair share. As a heavy user of the Champaign Library, I say bravo to this new policy.

Timbo avatar

Curtis Orchard is always good for an hour or three, especially if you have rugrats.

Timbo avatar

What is the increased marginal cost of serving a resident of Savoy or Mahomet? I suspect negligible. What is the increased revenue to be realized by this new policy? I suspect very little. Aside from these financial aspects, what are the most probable results from this new…

{username}

Looks like you are also all members of the killer sideburns club.

{username}

Thanks for the article, Ben.  I was not familiar with this band until now and even though I won’t be able to attend the show on Friday they are now on my radar.  A *good* jam band is hard to find, and these folks appear to fill…

{username}

Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…

Joel Gillespie avatar

@Annie: Yeah, my bad. That was the best part! Drinking + memory exercises = fun @Rob: According to Ask the English Teacher, “My dictionary says ‘drunk’ is an archaic past tense of ‘drink.‘“ We’re all about the new grammar around here.

Tracy Nectoux avatar

Katie, have the residents of Savoy and Tolono thought about having their taxes raised a little to help their public library expand? That’s a possibility for them. And then everybody wins.

Ben Valocchi avatar

good call on that Herring recording, Josh. Love that version of Exit Music….here’s a clip of the Cinco de Mayo show (from about six months prior). As I recall, this Shakedown went on for roughly a half hour, while getting into the Trampled Underfoot jam in the…

Log In



Auto-login on future visits

Forgot your password?