Lucky were the folks who headed out to The Rainbow on Tuesday night to catch another instalment of the 2024 Ottawa Ice Dragon Boat Festival concert series, because both acts were amazing. Opening act Nick Posthumus and The Soft Maybes made their Ottawa debut, and their set was an outstanding blend of finely crafted songs, tight harmonies, and self-deprecating witty banter.
Brother Elsey, the headliners for the night, were also relatively new to the city, having played here on one previous occasion. They, too, delivered an incredible set of music, which I can only describe as a mix of roots rock and indie alternative, like Kings of Leon meets Mumford and Sons, yet something all their own at the same time. Their songs were catchy, heartfelt and meaningful, and songs like “Babylon” and “Oh My Brother” are instantly likeable.
The highlight of their set for me was their newest track, “Passing Through”, which is set to be featured in an upcoming film at SXSW festival, about the life of a traveling musician. Lead vocalist Brady Stabelin said of the song that being a musician on the road has two sides to the coin—one is the troubadour’s dream, the other is playing to four people. Delivered against a backdrop of acoustic guitar and gorgeous vocal harmonies, the lyrics have an immediate emotional impact. I’m already looking forward to the next time this band of brothers passes through Ottawa.
