Photo courtesy of blurasis on Flickr.
I had so many of my friends rave about Rich Aucoin that I was convinced that I wouldn’t like him. I reasoned, “Come on, nobody is that good. Besides, I’m into bands right now, not folky singer-songwriters.” Well, as it turns out, I was dead wrong on all counts: He was that good, I did like him, a lot, and he was definitely not a folk singer. The truth is, Rich Aucoin is a one-man dance party.
As irresistible as post-Valentine’s Day bargain price chocolate, as infectious as this winter’s flu, it’s impossible to hold on to your seasonal affective disorder when you’re listening to tracks like Brian Wilson Is A.L.I.V.E. Your feet just have to move.
Perhaps the music’s irresistible qualities come from the spectacular effort put into making Rich Aucoin’s album Public Publications, which is a bit of a love song for Canada, featuring over 300 musicians from Victoria to Dawson City to St. John’s. “I invited as many friends and friends-of-friends to record as possible,” explained Rich. “We recorded in studios, in jam spaces, in bedrooms, and churches, and some weird locations too, like the basement of some office buildings because that was the only space we had there.” With that much talent compiled into one EP, the feel good times are almost inevitable. His live performances are also more than just a man and his instrument as well; for starters, he hands out 3D glasses to audience members so they can enjoy the projected 3D visuals, to which the music is synced.
Rich, who biked across the entire country on his last tour, is based in Halifax, which despite being a small city seems to churn out fantastic new bands virtually every month. “It’s always had a reputation for really great music,” he commented. “Like in the nineties, the whole indie rock scene coming out, like the Inbreds, and now there’s tons of great bands, all doing good stuff…I guess everyone is in this really supportive community, and everyone gets to see projects on the go with each other.”
Rich looks forward to partying with Ottawa natives once again when he returns on Friday at Cafe Dekcuf. When asked about his last show in Ottawa a few weeks ago, Rich responds enthusiastically. “It was awesome! It was a really great crowd. This one was really good, a really fun dance party. All the other shows I was playing that week were weekday shows, so this time I was like, All right, it’s Friday night!”
The Rich Aucoin & Friends Residency Tour (night 2) will be happening at Cafe Dekcuf on Friday, February 18, along with Ennuie, Life in 2D, and Pete Samples.
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