As part of an extensive cross-Canada tour, Peterborough’s Chris Culgin will be making a stop in Thunder Bay on Friday, July 10 to play The Foundry (242 Red River Road). Opening the show will be TBay acoustic/pop act, Tiina Flank.
Culgin is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His influences are steeped and rolled in the roots-country traditions that are prevalent in the musically rich environment of this small city surrounded by farmland, forests and lakes. His new album, It’s Only Time, exhibits his ability to paint a picture with his lyrics and offers the listener a glimpse into the life and times of a genuine country boy.
Having grown up on a farm on the outskirts of Peterborough, Culgin is the real deal and his rural roots naturally shine through in his music. He writes from the heart and has the innate ability to create great hooks. With the one-of-a-kind timbre in his voice, he tells real life stories that range from “Car Crash,” which explores the darkness of losing a friend in a tragic accident, to the whimsical song “Ex,” which humorously details the strife of small town romantic predicaments.
Culgin’s strength as a songwriter allows him to make what some people may consider mundane subject matter spring to life with soaring melodies, lavish arrangements and foot tapping tempos, such is the case with “Clutter” in which he sings “Life is full of clutter, like the clothes on our floor/Sometimes doing nothing are the times I remember more.”
Although he graduated university with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree majoring in jazz music, Culgin says he “learned way more busking on the streets and being a subway performer” in downtown Toronto. That raw talent and ability to connect with a listener is on full display with It’s Only Time, featuring some of Peterborough’s finest talent: Rob Foreman (bass), Matt Greco (drums), Sean Conway (electric guitar), Grainne Ryan (harmonies), Shai Peer (piano and organ), Sam Weber (electric guitar on track 1). He also drew talent from Toronto, such as Pat Phillips (drums on track 1), Kelly LeFaive (violin and fiddle), Aaron Goldstein (pedal steel), James Bunton (Synths, harmonies on track 12) to help him round out the album. Culgin himself played various instruments, such as acoustic guitar, piano and banjo and John Dinsmore (Luke Doucet, NQ Arbunkle, The Wooden Sky, etc.) was able to tie it all together as engineer at the Lincoln County Social Club in Toronto.
Doors at 10pm, show at 11pm. Cover is $5. Age of majority required. For more information, visit TBshows.com.
