Eileen and the In Betweens provided a taste of Albuquerque folk rock and activism at the Owl Acoustic lounge, Wednesday, July 5 for a fundraiser for FLIP Fest.
FLIP fest is Lethbridge’s first femme-oriented music festival supporting a more inclusive music community showcasing female talent from Lethbridge and Southern Alberta, to be taking place Aug. 18-20.
I caught the end of an opening set from local musician Tyra Whitson, who reminded me a little bit of Megan Nash, especially with her closing song “She.”
Eileen and the In betweens, started their set by lecturing an appreciative crowd about Standing rock and “Acknowledging we are all living on stolen land ” before turning to the music.
The quartet began their set with a ukulele powered, reggae jam. Lead singer Eileen Shaughnessy alternated between ukulele , banjo and guitar in addition to singing lead vocals.
All of the band members switched instruments and sang subtle harmonies which gave them an Indigo Girls feel. n addition to Shaughnessy herself, their keyboardist also doubled on bass and guitar.
In between discussions about First Nations, environmental and LGBQT issues, they played a variety of laid back music from their three albums, with plenty of reggae inflections, quite a bit of pop and indie rock as well.
Their music also had a strong social justice theme. One highlight about water usage, called Keep it In The ground was a highlight which had an toe tapping shuffle feel.“ Everything Is alive,” was another highlight.
