Nathan

WHO: Nathan
WHEN: July 19/07
WHERE: House Concert

This post should probably be titled "how not to ruin a good experience by giving a band the fan-club treatment after they play."

The reason for this is that I saw Nathan play a particularly special and intimate show on the rooftop patio of a local singer-songwriter who holds house concerts in her home.

It was a magical experience — the band bantering back and forth, telling stories of how they met and smiling adoringly at each other. The chemistry between singer Keri Latimer and singer/banjo/accordion player Shelley Marshall is smoldering.













Apparently — so the story they told goes — the two met when they were both dating a trucker named Nathan. Who knows if it's true, but it's a good story all the same.

They rolled through songs from their past three albums (the band debuted their first album in 2001), trading instruments and bringing out the Wurlitzer.

With their aching alt-country sound I feel like the captured the loneliness of growing up in a small town and being a little bit different from anyone else. They even have a song called Trans Am.

Nathan could have done anything and I would have loved it, but unfortunately (fortunately for me, not for them) they chose to play the song Gasoline, which is one of my favourite songs right now. This choice resulted in my grinning maniacally at them from where I was standing and then mobbing them after the show so I could buy their new album and then get signatures. It was too much really.

However, whether or not they enjoyed the enthusiasm from someone who is usually more composed around music-people, they did create a life-long follower with this performance.

Dear Nathan: I will always love you. Signed: Superfan.