Local Vibe

I don’t like leaving the Galt part of Cambridge.. For me to venture to Kitchener to watch a show is not something I do with any joy, but this was well worth the journey. I walked into Molly Blooms expecting the venom spitting vixen who, with her band The Stone Angels, opened at the Velvet Lounge for West Memphis Suicide. When I walked in there was a diminutive brunette, no more than 5 foot tall, all alone on stage, setting up with an acoustic guitar  that seemed bigger than her. Ball cap and long sleeved shirt, I thought I had the wrong place.

Mary 5e acoustic

I asked Rain McMillan, the bar manager, and she assured me it was Mary. Then I heard her voice. Bad Moon Rising by CCR. I’d heard the Angel’s songs on their MySpace often enough that there was no doubt it was her voice. Considering that I had been reading a vampire novel on the bus trip there, the song was perfect. I was certainly in the mood for a “Bad Moon Rising,” and it didn’t take long to convince me that I was in the right place.

I thought right away it should be interesting. It was one thing to get up and open when you have 3 other musicians on stage with you, 3 large, staid and stoic looking men with shaved heads, quite another to get up alone with just an acoustic guitar between her and the small but enthusiastic crowd. She didn’t need Robert Sex on Guitar, Glen Hughes on Bass or Fernando Monteiro beating the skins to carry her.

Her set was a good mix of covers and originals, her voice often conveying a country like twang that was completely different from her music with the Angels. A veritable chameleon, she sings like a demon when she’s with the Angels, and sings like an angel when she’s solo.

Mary 5e ( pic is linked to her site)

Alone or with the band, she sings effortlessly. Maybe it was my choice of reading material for the ride, or her choice of song, but  I acquainted her with a Vampire.  No blood drawn, but I witnessed her feeding off the crowd like a vampire, bleeding the energy from her audience. The louder the applause, the more she found her groove.

She breathed new life into Carly Simon’s chestnut “You’re so vain,’ and her heartfelt rendition of “She talks to angels” by the Black Crows was inspired. She puts new feeling into songs I forgot long ago, which just feeds her energy to play her own music. Her original, “Do you miss me when I’m gone?” left the audience in silence, and then the round of applause was as deafening as to be expected.

I had a chance to chat with her on the patio and I didn’t find the ego I expected, as too often is the case with many artists. Down to earth, and very real.

The venue was perfect. The stage can be easily seen from anywhere in the room, and the staff and patrons were very friendly.

The Stone Angels

If you have a chance to catch Mary 5e with or without the Stone Angels it is well worth the effort. I encourage you to do both, and catch the versatility.

You can vote for the Angels at Kool FM as the coolest artist, Mary 5e MySpace at Mary5e , and check out her rendition of “Stand by me” below, from the Burns Howf.