Last night, Marcelle and I attended the 'Fiddler on the Rocks' concert presented by the Pacific Rim Arts Society at the Black Rock Resort. We had the great pleasure of listening to Wesley Hardisty, a young artist from the Dene First Nation, who lives on Salt Spring Island.
Hardisty, a mostly self-taught twenty-year-old, is a powerhouse musician whose debut CD won the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award, also played at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and performed for Royals Will and Kate on their honeymoon. He is described as "a fiddler / guitarist/ composer/ singer, whose unique blend of rock, folk, Celtic and Métis music is compelling and emotional", and this account is certainly true.
His performance last night for an intimate gathering at the Black Rock was mesmerizing. He has an easy stage presence, with an infectious smile and a self-effacing manner that simply disarms you. Soft spoken and clearly moved and appreciative of the audience's very positive reaction, he presented two sets of songs that ranged from lyrical and mournful slower tunes to fast-paced foot stompers, where his bow attacked the strings in intricate percussive motions that explored a palette of sonic nuances.
Traditional, contemporary and original compositions were offered in a masterful and passionate performance. His audience loved every minute and demanded an encore during which Hardisty sat to accompany the fiddle with an intricate two-footed tattoo beat out in time on the floor. The night closed with him beaming to a standing ovation.
Photographer's Notes: While the Wine Cellar Room at the Black Rock is a scenic venue, it is marred by the fact that the performer was placed against the window, and by the complete lack of adequate lighting. This meant that for the first set, Hardisty was virtually a silhouette to those of us in the audience. Even during the second set, when the outside ambient light had faded, the uselessly dim ceiling lights meant that being able to see the artist's expressive face was difficult to impossible.
Because I find flash to be very distracting for live performance capture, these images were very dark, and only because I shot RAW and exposed for the outside lighting was I able to post-process them to bring up the detail in the shadows in order to get something usable.
Technical issues aside, the evening was magical, and Wesley Hardisty is a spectacular talent, whose forte is not simply the mastery of his instrument, but being able to charm and relate to his audiences. Bravo!
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