Saturday Sounds - David Essig

Thursday night, Nancy and I braved the pouring rain and the Don Valley Parkway to see David Essig at Hugh's Room in Toronto. I first saw David perform at the Knight II coffee house in Hamilton in the 1970s and then many times since and have been fortunate to meet him in person a few times. He lives on an island in BC now, so getting to see him perform here is a rare and special treat. 

David Essig at Hugh's Room

This performance was something of a career and life retrospective with songs about his childhood, the death of his father, and selections from his albums spanning more than 50 years as well as a few new songs. His singing is still forceful and he's still a facile and delicate guitarist. It was a real pleasure seeing him again and getting to talk with him briefly after the show.

He'll be performing around southern Ontario over the next week and if you can get to see him, it will be money (not a lot) and time well spent.

• Sat, May 3 - Oddfellows Hall, Dundas
• Sun, May 4 - Cuckoo’s Nest, London
• Tues, May 6 - Old Church, Port Ryerse
• Sat, May 10 - House Concert, Kitchener/Waterloo

David is something of a polymath. As well as being one of Canada's best singer/songwriters and an amazing guitarist, he has two volumes of short stories based on his songs, is an accomplished cook and baker, and publishes an online newsletter. In a previous life, he attained a Ph. D in economics and was a Congressional aid before moving to Canada to become a folksinger. 

He's rereleased his first two albums, Redbird Country & High Ground together on a CD and i highly recommend them and his other recordings.