Dry River Caravan

If you’ve never had the opportunity to catch a show at the Black Sheep Inn, you should plan a trip to Wakefield, Quebec in the very near future. The small town surroundings, friendly people, fantastic food, and local brews make the perfect backdrop for many a quietly rambunctious musical experience. The Black Sheep is known for hosting bands as varied in home towns as they are in musical styles, and they always knock it out of the park. Last week the staged was graced by local Ottawa outfit Dry River Caravan supported by The Opposite of Everything out of Toronto.

I should preface this review by saying that the last show I saw at The Black Sheep was an unqualified success with Montreal’s Lake of Stew warming up the crowd for banjoman extraordinaire Old Man Luedecke, and reciving the only opening-band-encore I have ever experienced. Needless to say the bar was set rather high… Had I not had this in the back of my mind the Opposite of Everything may have impressed me more, but alas it was not the case.

All the pieces were certainly there- the eclectic mix of klesmer and bluegrass combined with Indian and African rhythms provided an interesting base, but the songs just didn’t seem to come together. The individual members of the band were fantastic musicians (Particularly John Williams on clarinet and harmonica)- and each looked as if they were having a great time up on stage- but again the pieces didn’t really seem to come together. Lead singer Jaron Freeman-Fox and accordion/keys player Johnny Spence even physically collided with each other on several occasions (and not in that we’re-so-excited-we-bash-into-each-other-on-purpose kind of excellent way, more in a hey-I-didn’t-see you-there-cuz-I’m-off-in-my-own-world kind of a way…). The overall performance, while clearly showing immense amounts of promise, seemed in need of a healthy dose of practice and significantly more direction. From reading other reviews of their live show I am inclined to think they were just having a bit of an off night, so I would certainly give them another chance, but this was far from the best performance I’ve ever seen…

In striking contrast were headliners Dry River Caravan. I first came across this local group at one of Ottawa’s gigantic neighborhood street sales and instantly fell in love with their music. An interesting mix of several folky styles, my enjoyment of the music was helped along by their engaging smiles and never-ending enthusiasm- not many people can play an eight-hour garage sale and still be smiling by the end of it! This was my first opportunity to see them playing in a more traditional indoor-setting.

The very definition of a group, the members of Dry River Caravan fed off of each other in every aspect of their performance. Robin Meyer-MacLeod did not seem to be able to wipe the smile off of his face through singing, clarinet playing and happy-dancing, and bouzouki player Matt Smith is quite possibly one of the most entertainingly into-it performers I have ever seen, even looking like he was going to openly weep during several melodramatic moments. John Cockburn’s beautifully charismatic voice and energetic acordioning provided the anchor lacking in the opener’s performance, and Daniel Grewal on upright bass, Liam Smith on drums , and the guest trumepteer beautifully rounded out the group. after getting off to a slow start, they soon won the crowd over and had several members of the audience making up impromptu dance routines and cheers. Mixing klezmer, bluegrass, and folk with sweeping narratives and an energetic performance, there could not have been a more perfect compliment to the swirling snow outside, the cold beers, and the friendly crowd.

I will certainly be keeping an eye out for future shows by both bands- a sure-thing from Dry River Caravan, and a second look at The Opposite of Everything. - Grayowl Point

Wake Up (Dry River Caravan):
Dry River Caravan brings an indie-rock sensibility to songs brimming with Eastern European folk traditions. John Aaron Cockburn handles most of the singing and songwriting duties, and plays accordion, guitar and piano, while Matt Smith contributes bouzouki, mandolin and guitar. The band also includes Robin Meyer-MacLeod on clarinet and saxophone, Karolyne La fortune on violin, Daniel Grewal on upright bass and Liam Smith on drums and percussion. - Ottawa Citizen

Some music fans define folk music as anything that can be played on acoustic guitar around a campfire. The members of Dry River Caravan would not disagree, although they would expand the instrumentation to include accordion, clarinet, flute, violin, bouzouki and double bass, and prefer a repertoire that includes Russian folk songs.

Whether they're at a campfire or on stage, the six-piece Ottawa band demonstrates an energetic take on what's basically gypsy music, boosting it with top-notch musicianship and a fun-loving approach to shows. The band was first formed about five years ago by singer-songwriter John Aaron Cockburn and his friend, Matt Smith, after they realized they both liked the same style of music.

"It's not so much gypsy music as it is music from the Balkans," says Cockburn, explaining the sound they're drawn to. "It's more about the folk traditions from those parts of the world. Gypsies take on whatever culture they happen to be a part of, and add their own flavour to it."

Dry River Caravan adopted a similar approach to the music on their new first album, Wake Up, bringing an indie-rock sensibility to songs brimming with Eastern European folk traditions. Cockburn handles most of the singing and songwriting duties, and plays accordion, guitar and piano, while Smith contributes bouzouki, mandolin and guitar. The band also includes Robin Meyer-MacLeod on clarinet and saxophone, Karolyne Lafortune on violin, Daniel Grewal on upright bass and Liam Smith on drums and percussion.

Recorded and co-produced with Ottawa engineer Dean Watson at Gallery Studios, the disc marks the recording debut of the band in its current configuration. There were attempts at recording earlier versions of the band, but Cockburn says they didn't get serious about their demos until the lineup solidified last year.

"We tried recording before and the band kinda fizzled out after it," says Cockburn. "So we were hesitant to do it again, but we had enough material. This is the time to do it. We just want to really get things off the ground."

It seems like a good time for a folk-influenced band like DRC to emerge. Thanks in large part to Mumford and Sons, folk music is experiencing a resurgence on the worldwide music scene.

"It always goes back and forth between folk music and electronic music and right now we're departing from the indie electro-pop, even though it's still kind of everywhere, and there's more of a resurgence of neo folk," says Cockburn, pointing to the popularity of acts like Mumfords and Fleet Foxes. Not that they sound much like either of those bands, he adds, apart from some of the instruments.

Speaking of folk music, there's a strong connection in Cockburn's family. His uncle is the renowned Canadian singer-songwriter, Bruce Cockburn. Although John has listened to lots of Bruce's music and considers him an influence on his guitar playing, Cockburn family gatherings have always involved more socializing than playing music.

Playing ability, by the way, is one thing that separates Dry River Caravan from bands that try to incorporate a fiddle or banjo just because it looks cool. Cockburn took violin, piano and guitar lessons at various times in his youth, and his bandmates also know their instruments.

"A lot of times, I get the sense that people go to the traditional instruments and don't really know how to play them," he says. "I'm not saying we're virtuoso musicians or anything like that, but I feel like we take the time to learn how to play."

Dry River Caravan

The CD release: With André Bluteau. 9 p.m. Saturday, Irene's Pub, 885 Bank St.

Tickets are $10 at the door. Have a listen: Watch a video clip of Dry River Caravan by looking for this story at ottawacitizen.com/arts.

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/Accordion+around+campfire/4612411/story.html#ixzz1Lyj3lF7O
- Ottawa Citizen

by Allan Wigney

John Aaron Cockburn admits he is the only member of the local sextet Dry River Caravan whose heritage speaks to the Balkan and Eastern European influences at the heart of his band’s original music. And even that connection, he adds, is somewhat distant.

“My grandmother was Russian and my grandfather on my mom’s side was Lithuanian Jewish,” he reports. “So it comes from that side of the family. I do remember the occasional dinner party where one of our friends would pull out a balalaika and start singing Russian songs, but I was really young. It’s more like it’s kind of seeped into my consciousness.”

Cockburn’s efforts to nurture that innate influence inspired the guitarist/accordionist/vocalist to form Dry River Caravan five years ago. And, during a hiatus that followed the loss of two original members to higher education elsewhere, to join clarinetist Robin Meyer-MacLeod on something of a pilgrimage to the source of their musical fascination. Alas, the pair’s trip overseas provided a different sort of higher education.

“There was not as much as we thought,” Cockburn says of his quest for old-time music and musicians. “We found it just as hard to find people who really like traditional folk music there as it is here — people really like techno club music and stuff like that.”

In the interest of furthering the cause Cockburn and Meyer-MacLeod returned to revive Dry River Caravan with founding member Matt Smith (bouzouki), plus new recruits Daniel Grewal (bass), Karolyne LaFortune (violin) and Liam Smith (percussion). The results can be heard on Wake Up, a lively set of original songs that journey far beyond the Balkans, enthusiastically guiding the listener from pre-rock through to post-rock. It’s an exhilarating, original experience steeped in tradition.

“Music from Eastern Europe and the Balkans has been the crossroad for East and West for thousands of years,” Cockburn asserts. “It’s such a rich cultural tradition. On one hand it’s foreign because it has these eastern elements to it; on the other hand it has familiarity because of the proximity to Western Europe. It just has such a cool mashup of all these different styles, which makes it fun and engaging for me.”

Fun and engaging. And, significantly, never less than respectful. To North American bands, Eastern European music is all too often a source for gimmickry, if not outright mockery. Not so, Dry River Caravan.

“There’s been the occasional joke about doing a Michael Jackson song klezmer style,” Cockburn says. “But I want to take it more seriously than that. In some ways, I want the genre associations to be more of an afterthought. Like, first you hear the music and you hear the melodies and you hear the lyrics and the meaning behind the song, and then it’s like, OK, where are they getting their influences from. We’re not first generation immigrants or anything. We are playing Canadian music, really; it’s just influenced by — and this is going to sound cheesy — how diverse Canada is. So, for me, there’s no temptation to do that kind of thing. I want to take it seriously.” - The Wig

Shuffling around last Saturday at Springboard -- the folk festival's early-season event to get people thinking about the August music long-weekend -- the six members of Dry River Caravan look bemused and slightly afraid as the Grasshoppa dance group takes over.

Amid the festival diehards and planners milling about Library and Archives Canada, the dancers are slinking and fluttering to the beat of hand drums in an act of spontaneous vibe-making that has the young musicians distracted. It's a good inoculation since in a few months, the band-scene newbies could be sharing a patch of grass with the dancers should they ace the folk fest's competition for the next rising act.

This weekend, seven acts will compete in two categories to earn a spot at the festival. Dry River Caravan is in the youth category (under 25) with Charlotte Cornfield and James Farr. The band's members range in age from 18 to 22. In the open category, Margaret Feuerstack & David Johnstone square off against Derek Roche, Ellen MacIsaac and Hobson's Choice. The Black Sheep Inn's Paul Symes, Galaxie music network's Roch Parisien and Broadcast Hall of Famer Harvey Glatt are judging.

Audience hoo-haw plays a factor in the decision, too, and people are welcome to check out the show Saturday afternoon. Before this competition, each band had to make it through a preliminary at Rasputin's. Folk fest artistic director Chris White was one judge at that event and said the band's gusto was an easy sell.

"They almost have two styles -- like something you might hear from Eastern Europe and something that sounds more like Fred Eaglesmith," he says. "Everyone liked the fact that they were delving into traditional music and doing it in a heartfelt way with lots of energy and interest. They show a total commitment to the material -- no one's holding back."

The Ottawa band's sound is steeped in homespun earnestness. The charm lies in not knowing any genre particularly well and thus skimming off the top a fragment of style and sound. Being somewhat new to some of their instruments hasn't hurt them either.

"The more I learn how to play the fiddle, the better it sounds," says Mike Mezzatesta. "There are a lot of rights and wrongs with fiddle more than anything because there's such a tradition. When you don't really play by those rights and wrongs and you get some notes out of tune, I think it eases some tension for the audience because it doesn't have the same texture you always hear. A bit of grit works."

They'll carry that grit to Dave Draves' Little Bullhorn studio in May to lay down a debut. They are the only full band in their category at this week's competition, which gives them an edge, though the members of Dry River Caravan acknowledge James Farr as a challenger because of his strong set and great tone.

For his part, Chelsea's Farr says he truly loves folk music. "I always hope that audiences will be able to perceive that when they watch me play."

The folk fest finals take place Saturday at the NAC Fourth Stage, 2 p.m., $10. - Ottawa Citizen