It was a sweltering summer night in Burnstown as Wintersleep played their second sold-out show at the always wonderful and intimate venue, Neat Coffee Shop.
Wintersleep has been a big part of my life’s musical soundtrack for the last 20+ years and for my daughter as well. We actually got our first tattoos together a few months ago—a simple but meaningful nod to the album cover for their third album, 2007’s Welcome to the Night Sky, one that holds great personal significance for both of us.
So Thursday night’s outing was a family event, with my wife and daughter in tow as we went just outside of Ottawa, to the quaint town of Burnstown for dinner and a show at Neat. We had some yummy wood-fired pizzas and drinks before the show from the Neat kitchen and then made our way to the main room to find our ideal spot for the show. This was Wintersleep show #1 for my wife, a new fan, and one of many for my daughter and me.
Originally from Nova Scotia, the Wintersleep members (Paul Murphy, Tim D’Eon, Loel Campbell, Jon Samuel, and Mike Bigelow) have been at it since 2001 with several albums and accolades under their belts, including a 2008 Juno for New Group of The Year, opening for Paul McCartney, playing on David Letterman, and a MuchMusic VideoFACT award for their breakout hit, “Weighty Ghost.”
The band played 21 songs, split into two sets with a brief intermission in between. Neat was jam-packed with fans eagerly singing along as the band played songs from all seven of their albums, with both radio singles and deep-cut fan favourites, like “Calibre” and the always epic, “Miasmal Smoke & the Yellow Bellied Freaks,” which was shouted out as a request from someone in the crowd.
Singer Paul Murphy and the band were clearly having a good time as they interacted on stage, sharing a few laughs along the way, and playing with a tightness that only comes from years of experience playing together on the road. Murphy noted that the band is currently working on a new album, their first since 2019’s In The Land Of.
The last song of the night is a favourite of mine—“Nerves Normal, Breath Normal” from their 2005 Untitled album. If you want to encapsulate the essence of what Wintersleep has to offer live, this is the song. At over seven minutes long, it started quietly with sparse guitars and hi-hat, rising and falling throughout, before culminating in a massive outro with drummer Loel Campbell leading the band through a frenzied final three minutes of the song to a triumphant finish.
Another great show at the little gem of a venue, Neat Coffee. Check out their website for upcoming live music or comedy shows, food/drinks and more!
Wintersleep albums are available wherever you stream/buy music.
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