I’ve interviewed Lacombe based country star Gord Bamford many times, but always seem to miss his shows.
While he barely cracked a smile throughout his hit heavy set, Nov. 6 at Average Joes his band mates beamed as if they were in a blissful place especially bassist Lisa Dodd, who grinned, laid down some sick country bass licks, sang stunning lead vocals on a couple of songs and even better, sported a T-shirt from one of my favourite bands Nashville Pussy, which I wasn’t expecting to see at a country show.
His hot band dialed right in supplying hot guitar and an unstoppable groove.
As a pleasant surprise, instead of having special guests Jo Jo Mason and young up and comer Jade Eagleson open the show like most bands would, Bamford himself opened at 7:30 sharp with a couple of his bigger hits “Heard it In a song” and “Stayed ’til Two.” He worked though catchy boot stompers and sad ballads, peaking with “Red Dress,” before making way for Jo Jo Mason to sing an all too brief four song set of some of his hits including “ It’s All Good,” “Good Kind of love and, and “Something to Wrap My heart around as Bamford rejoined him to sing “Groovin’ with you” Mason was a breath of fresh air, as much as I hate pop country, because he looked as happy as a pig in parliament just to be on stage, playing with Bamford’s band who never missed a beat. Mason even rapped a little bit, which i could have done without.
As Mason beamed and left the stage, Bamford resumed his hit filled set with “Drinkin’ Buddy.” to which he got the close to sold out Tuesday night crowd to sing along with.
He looked happier as he picked up an acoustic guitar and told a story about working with Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy on ‘Ain’t it Grand.” Lisa Dodd sang the duet with him.
After playing his big hit “Ain’t It Friday yet,” he once again made way for Jade Eagleson, calling him the future of country music and noting he liked him because he was country, growing up on an Ontario farm.
“ He’s on his first tour and he’s trying to keep up,” Bamford said.
Eagleson sang in a vibrant, youthful baritone. He sang his big hit “ Got Your Name On it,” and played a couple others before Bamford returned to sing Johnny Cash]s “Folsom prison Blues.”
Bamford returned for more hits, ending with “Where a Farm Used to be,” and was called back for an encore of “Breakfast Beer.”
As a special treat, he ended the show, but unleashing the band for a blistering version of “the Devil Went Down To Georgia,” featuring and medley of a variety of classic rock hits including ‘Another Brick in the Wall Part 2 and “Eye of the Tiger,” featuring Lisa Dodd on vocals again and the two guitarists tearing up the fiddle solos on guitar.