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Montreal’s Théâtre Beanfield became a floral Honkytonk this past Thursday. A trio of country music’s hottest young voices took over the historic venue and gave it an unforgettable Ladies Night. Willow Avalon was in town as part of her “Pink Pocket Pistol Tour.” She brought along Macy Todd and Tiffany Stringer to partake in the party.
Supported only by a spotlight and a guitar, Macy Todd was the first to take the stage. It is strange how much we can feel from odd things. She carried her setlist to the stage on a torn piece of paper. Looking like it had been torn out of her notebook mere seconds before. This simple act told me we were about to witness something wholesome and special.
I wasn’t wrong. From the opening notes of “Mean,” she captured my attention and that of the fans. Between songs, she spoke about life as a young musician, missing her family while she was on the road and how much she loved this particular venue. The Beanfield is a special place, and the fans immediately took to her heartfelt messages and songs. She ended her set with “Luckiest Girl Alive.” It was coupled with a few verses of “Lucky” by Britney Spears. The sing-along was instantaneous. She then invited the fans to meet her later by the merch stand between sets. She definitely made several new friends on this evening.
Up next was Tiffany Stringer. She hit the stage like a firecracker of energy bathed in red stage lights. The Lone Starlet, better remember that, from the Lone Star State is definitely out to be noticed. She rocks that fine line between pop and country, effectively straddling the two genres. She is more than just a pretty face. She strummed a few tunes on the guitar as well. However, she did leave the heavy lifting in the more than able hands of her guitarist, Danny.
She also has the gift of gab. Chatting between songs several times, she demonstrated her gift of gab. A lucky fan who was paying attention earlier won a free T-shirt for remembering the name of her most recent EP, The Lone Starlet. A story about modern internet dating introduced “You Might Kill Me,” and a cover of Trace Adkins’ “Honkytonk Badonkadonk” got the place rocking. Renamed in honour of the host city, “Texas Primadonna” became “Montreal Primadonna.” Others, like “Damn Good Actress” and “Supernova,” had the crowd dancing. It was certainly a memorable performance.
After a short break, it was time for Willow Avalon’s arrival. Decorated like a cross between a flower shop and my grandmother’s living room, the stage was unique. Flowers, antiques, and an interestingly placed deer head filled the stage. Willow responded to the wild welcome from the crowd with a smile brighter than the lights that lit the stage. The smile never left for the rest of the night.
Willow and her band emphatically kicked things off with “Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell” and very rarely took their feet off the pedal. “Hickest Woman” followed and “Work To Do” continued the party. Both tracks come from Willow’s most recent album, Pink Pocket Pistol, which she released earlier this summer. The title track from that album was undoubtedly my favourite of the night. It played like it would fit perfectly in the soundtrack of a Billy Wilder film noir picture.
It was unquestionably a wonderful night of country music. Cowboy hats, denim jeans and vests were the fashion du jour. Hearts were broken, love was lost, and fortunately, nobody’s dog died, or their house caught fire.
Willow Avalon was indeed great with her fans. In return, they filled the building with love. They sang along to their favourite songs and cheered after every song. On stage, it may have been Ladies Night, but everyone in town was invited to the party. What a fun party it was.
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