Review – Oh My Darling at the West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg, April 16 2010

– review by Eugene Osudar

April 16
at the WECC
in Winnipeg
Oh My Darling
celebrated the release
of their new CD,
with 350 family,
friends,
music lovers/

meanwhile.

in Vancouver.
later that night.
Devon Clifford
collapsed on stage
and passed away.
he was the beat keeper
for YSPWSD.

every
time
you write a word
you speak
every time
you take the stage
and perform
a song
play a part
in a band, in a play,
every time
you
dance a little
in the audience

play it
feel it
speak it
dance it

as if it could be

(it could be)

your last
word
(e)motion
dance
song
lyric
solo

your farewell
kiss

your lasting
forever
embrace

your final bow

your very last smile.

your mysterious some,
how,

miracles happen.
we’re born
we watch the sun rise
we see the moon
we love
and are loved
we shine
like the stars
and planets
we climb mountains
we dance
we sing
we swim
oceans
lakes
rivers
we receive
and yes, my sweet,
we’re givers

we watch
four beautiful darlings

Oh My Darling
s. at the WECC
on a Friday night.
plus 20. gorgeous
outside
more beautiful inside,

perform
their songs
with love and passion
and hope and dreams
and smiles
and tears

these are our years.
months.
days.
minutes.
glorious seconds
splendid
Nows!

when the children danced
some were angry
i pity the angry ones

you’ve forgotten what it is
to be young
and hopeful
and intense
and ferocious
and exploring
to be
playful.
to be exploding
with giggles.

i just laughed and smiled
and danced as best i could
with these little dancing
darlings.

meanwhile,

Oh My Darling
on stage.

sang and played
with ferocity
generosity

ah, nervous energy
amazing adrenaline
feeling the love
and channeling it back
to us
and Love, dear Reader,
rebounds.

give and you’ll
receive. more
and more.

we grinned
and moved
our souls
in the dance
of the beautiful
moment/

this is
our very last moment

could be.

play in the fire.

swing
on the crescent
of the moon.

run madly
up
up
Up!
the rainbow
and slide down!

www.myspace.com/ohmydarlingmusic

90 minutes

Roustabout
Suzy
Caught You Looking
Stolen Key
Shoes
Calico
Sail Away
a la Claire
John Brown
Love Me Not
Pixou
$$$
Flannery
Song After Song
Don’t Come Round Here
Old Joe

encore,

Da Di Da
What’s Love Got To Do With It

Vanessa Kuzina, guitar and lead vocals
Rosalyn Dennett, fiddle and vocals
MJ Dandeneau, bass and vocals
Allison de Groot, banjo and vocals

my Sunday plans.

to write something
beautiful for a beautiful
group,

Oh My Darling.

thanking them

(always)

for the gift
they share every time they go on stage,
and Yes!
for a perfect Friday night.

to walk in the sun.
to shop with my beautiful
mother.
to massage my sore
dancing muscles.
to love myself
more than dearly,
for i am,
So Very
Beautiful.
to work out.
to breathe.
to listen to wonderful
music.
to be
alive and a(lovely)
me.

my plans
were interrupted,
by the stunning news
of Devon’s collapsing/
on stage.

and his passing…

in the moment
he loved more
than dearly
than truly.

this is about beautiful hearts.

every time
Oh My Darling
takes the stage,
they take our hearts

and we sail away with them,

these beautiful
Darlings.

so, last night,
before the amazing
Linda McRae
(please, Please! go see her!)
concert at The Folk Exchange.

Mitch Podolak
joined me outside
for some cooling,
fresh air.
he introduced himself.
he didn’t have to.

i thanked him.

for beginning The Winnipeg Folk Festival!
the West End Cultural Center!
and now The Home Routes concerts!
house concerts
across this vast country.

because
he is beautiful.

i thanked him.

he’s passionate.
he’s alive.
he’s fire.
and in his sixties,
he’s forever young!

i see the twinkle
in his eyes.
they’re stars!

just like Devon’s twinkle.

we talked about
Oh My Darling,
and he gushed
and glowed
and mentioned
Allison de Groot
and Rosalyn Dennett,
her incredible fiddle playing,
are now part of his Home Routes concerts.

i mentioned Del Barber
and he gushed
in hushed voice
with obvious
magnificent excitement
he said,

Del has Woody’s (Guthrie)
wanderlust.

and Yes. Del Barber has that
Beauty. that Passion.
he is
our
Woody Guthrie.

take that, world!

now, Reader,
discover
Del Barber.

we gushed
about the beauties
the darlings
the children
about Nathan and Leonard
Stan’s (Rogers)
boy and Mitch’s boy
playing together in a new
band
called Trad/

everywhere
i turn in this
My Winnipeg
i am stunned
and astonished,

always,

our talent and beauty
fills me and thrills me
and sends me
soaring
in The Dance
in The Moment.

i mentioned another band,
Bog River.
Ah!
this one, Mitch hasn’t heard.
but he wants to.

i Love that about Mitch Podolak.
he Loves music.
and musicians.
me too!

every
time
Reader,

Musician,

Music Lover,

we
wake up,
we
breathe,

this is
our moment
now,

L Cohen.
knows it.

you know it!

feel it.

celebrate it.

celebrate these
wonderful musicians,

these beautiful hearts,

Oh My Darling.
YSPWSD.
Devon Clifford(!)
Linda McRae.
Del Barber.
Dave Lang.
Ridley Bent.
Scott Nolan.
Taylor Ashton.
Bog River.
Nathan Rogers.
The Duhks.
Trad.

thank you.
musicians.
artists.
darlings.
beat keepers.
dancers.
music lovers.
and always,
the young at heart,
like Mitch Podolak.

Oh My Darling.
April 16.
WECC.
sold out.