Live, In Review: The Garrys & Wolf Willow
Live, In Review: The Garrys & Wolf Willow
The Bassment, Saskatoon, SK
November 6, 2021
By: Greg Torwalt
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On Saturday evening, The Garrys and Wolf Willow took the stage at The Bassment for the second of two back-to-back sold out shows celebrating their new albums. Both Wolf Willow’s Old Guitars & Shooting Stars (Oct 15/21) and The Garrys’ Get Thee To A Nunnery (Sept 24/21) were named Picks of the Weeks by Cups N Cakes and are bound to appear on many “Best of 2021” lists.
Saskatoon is quite familiar with The Garrys, yet Wolf Willow may be a newer act to those who attended these Saskatoon shows. Coming from Darston, SK, and often performing just down the highway in Regina, Wolf Willow is making their presence known in the prairies. Wolf Willow is led by the charismatic Misty Mueller, and Saturday’s stacked lineup consisted of numerous familiar faces in the SK music scene, including members of Bears in Hazenmore, Megan Nash’s band The Best of Intentions, as well as three members of the eight-person orchestra that perform on Wolf Willow’s newest album.
Photo by - Kristen Boyé
As the room lights dimmed and the stage began to fill with more than ten sharply dressed musicians packed tightly together, the buzz of anticipation could be felt and witnessed on everyone’s faces. Suddenly, The Garrys also made their way to the stage in their matching old-school “school” jackets, embroidered with a capital G. Those with a keen ear (or those who read album credits and/or browse social media) will have recognized the sisterly harmonies on Wolf Willow’s album, so it makes sense for these two acts to be coming together for these album release shows. The crowd was in for a special treat as The Garrys joined Wolf Willow to add backing vocals to the first few songs. While this was an early highlight of the night, both acts continued to deliver memorable moments throughout their hour-long sets.
Wolf Willow is a striking band - their countrypolitan tongue-in-cheek performance style brought joy and excitement to the audience. Filled with well-timed guitar solos, incredible musicality, jubilant horns, steel guitar, and thoughtful strings, the music captivated the audience from start to end. The rhythmic set was grounded by double percussion: led by rambunctious drummer Ian Cameron at the kit, plus additional percussion by Tanner Wilhelm Hale on the cowbell, vibraphone, and congas. Throughout the show, lead singer Misty Mueller would gracefully enter and leave the stage - providing space for a bandmate to take the lead on a song, or to place the spotlight on the rest of the band as they tore through a fiery instrumental track. But when she’s at centre stage, Misty’s clear and pure high tone shines through the enormous wall of sound. One can’t help but also notice the mesmerizing sparkle in her eye as she performs, and looks around at the audience & her bandmates. It was clear that Wolf Willow was having as much fun as the audience.
Misty noted that this was only the second time that the band was performing these songs for an audience, but there was no hint of hesitation or timidness. Opening and closing the show with high-energy honky-tonk songs, the band played many moving, contemplative pieces throughout their set - focusing heavily on their new album. Highlights included the romantic “In A World of Our Own”, “Love Letters Left Unsent”, “Well Have You Heard”, as well as the humorous “Honk If You Like Herefords”. Another highlight was the guitar by Stoneface Stanley (Andy Beisel), who knew exactly when to cut into a ferocious solo, or when to surprise the audience with subtle, soft, and selective sounds. And while the music of Wolf Willow may take the audience back to yester-year, this is a band that is moving forward with great momentum. Their lyrics and musical arrangements are innovative and beautiful, and the band’s energy will keep audiences coming back for more.
It was clear from the get-go that harmonies would be a focal point throughout the evening. During Wolf Willow’s set, voices harmonized with strings and horns, creating a symphonic sound that soothed the souls of those who have returned to watching live music. The harmonies continued to be a focal point of The Garrys’ hypnotizing set that celebrated the release of their new album Get Thee To A Nunnery.
After a short change-over, The Garrys took the stage - but not in the regular three sister set-up that they are known for. Instead, there were four people huddled around the drum kit at precisely 9:20PM, engaging in what seemed like a pre-show pep talk. For these special album release shows, the sisters had their brother Matthew join on guitar and keys. As he was introduced to the audience, drummer Lenore Maier charmingly chimed in: “Where are our other siblings, they are supposed to be here too?” It was a pleasure to watch The Garrys perform together with their brother, and he brought an extra amount of depth to the songs on the new album, especially evident during moments like the opening organ swells of the “Get Thee To A Nunnery”.
Kicking off the set with “Burger Buoy” from the album Surf Manitou, the three guitarists synched up the movement of their guitar necks to match the rhythm at the opening of the song. This playful moment drew the audience in, and let everyone know that they’re in for another polished performance.
Photo by - Kristen Boyé
The Garrys consist of Erica Maier on vocals and lead guitar, Julie Maier on bass and vocals, and Lenore Maier on drums and vocals. They are known for their 60’s California-styled tunes, three-part harmonies, and doom-pop dreamscapes. This was my first time watching The Garrys in a seated venue where all eyes were focused on the stage and music. I enjoyed paying closer attention to who was taking the lead on vocals, and how they built their harmonies. I was pleasantly surprised by how often drummer Lenore sang lead in addition to Erica, something I hadn’t noticed as much when I previously watched them perform from the busyness of a packed dance-floor. The higher harmonies on “Ambrosia Salad” were mind-blowing to experience in person.
The set was mainly focused on the new album and the show really began to pick up about halfway through. When introducing new song “Hwy 11 Tumbleweed”, there were shouts of excitement coming from the audience. This moment seemed to relax the band as they dug further into their new material. Title track “Get Thee To A Nunnery” was a highlight, as was the 90’s grunge inspired “R.M. of Wolverine” that followed it - a head banger that grew bigger towards its end. This heavy moment was noted by Lenore: “That’s about as heavy as we get, then we take a hard right to… I dunno... something else”.
The show’s closing song was the smartly selected new single: “It’s Over”. The Ronette’s influenced track nods to the 60’s doo-wop sound that The Garrys often draw on, leaving the audience basking in the harmonies that they sing so well. Returning to the stage for an encore after a well-deserved lengthy applause, The Garrys closed the night with two selections from their back catalogue: “Take You To The Drive In”, and “Danceland (Come With Me)”.
The Garrys’ new album Get Thee To A Nunnery is receiving ample radio play across the country, coming in at #6 last week on the national Earshot chart. The celebration continues this weekend in Regina as The Garrys and Wolf Willow share the stage again for two more back-to-back shows. Saturday night is already sold out, and there may still be a few tickets left for Friday night, but chances are you will need to pull some strings to find your way into one of these shows!
- Greg Torwalt