Toronto Fringe Review: TransCanada '69

By Sam Mooney

colin-godbout

TransCanada ’69, playing at Royal St George’s Auditorium, is billed as a celebration of ‘the 40th anniversary of the summer of ’69 with the songs of Neil Young, Joni MItchell, Gordon Lightfoot, … Leonard Cohen.”  Colin Godbout is an amazing guitarist.

I’ll qualify that and say he’s an amazing jazz guitarist with flamenco influences. Really fabulous.

But,,,it didn’t feel like the summer of ’69. (Yes, I remember the summer of ’69) and I was expecting something edgier. You know what it’s like when you’re expecting a filet mignon with bernaise sauce and dinner is poached salmon with dill butter? It doesn’t matter that it’s the best poached salmon with dill butter ever served, it just isn’t what you wanted. I wanted folksy rock and even though it was amazing jazz…

I could tell that I wasn’t engaged because I noticed that he controlled the lighting by pressing something with his foot.  And I was quibbling in my head about the songs he chose, most of them weren’t from ’69. I know this is me being petulant because it wasn’t what I expected – and wanted.

If you want to see an incredibly talented jazz guitarist go see TransCanada ’69.

Photo of Colin Godbout

Details:

presented by Attunement Productions from Victoria, BC
Audience: General Audience
60 min.

TransCanada ’69 is playing at Royal St George’s Auditorium (120 Howland Avenue)

Sat, July 4 7:30 PM
Sun, July 5 3:15 PM
Tue, July 7 3:00 PM
Wed, July 8 9:15 PM
Thu, July 9 12:15 PM
Sat, July 11 11:00 PM

– All individual Fringe tickets are $10 at the door (cash only), or with interac and credit at the advance ticket box office at the Fringe Club (292 Brunswick Ave)

– Advance tickets are available by phone (416-966-1062) or at http://www.fringetoronto.com/fringe09/advance_tickets.html , there is a $2 service charge for these

– Several money-saving passes are available if you plan to see at least 5 shows