By Sally Warburton
It’s been 40 years! The Cowboy Junkies have been together 40 years! That’s an amazing amount of time for a band to be together and to have always stayed together. This was the celebration of the evening for the Cowboy Junkies concert at Koerner Hall, Toronto on Saturday, February 7th.
A full house – completely sold out concert. It was one of the most bitter cold winter evenings but the weather was not going to stop these fans from attending! The warmth of the band quickly made everyone forget the cold!
Who are the Cowboy Junkies? They’re an alternative country and folk rock band. Formed in Toronto in 1985, the members are Alan Anton(bass guitar), Michael Timmins (songwriter, guitarist), Peter Timmins (drummer) and Margo Timmins (vocalist) Jeff Bird (multi-instrumentalist – mandolin, harmonica & percussion). Michael, Peter and Margo are siblings. Anton worked with Michael Timmins during their first couple of bands. The band line-up has never changed, although they use several guest musicians on many of their studio albums, including multi-instrumentalist Jeff Bird who has performed on every album except the first.
The evening was divided into two parts of about an hour each with a 20 minute break in the middle. The tone of the music was quiet, beautiful and reflective. Their album The Trinity Sessionwas like a whisper that cut through the noise – and this was exactly how the atmosphere was set for this concert with the beautiful melodic voice of Margo Timmins. Their album from the mid 1980s stood out at that time against all the flash and bombast which defined that decade. The album sold more than a million copies. One of 29 albums!
The band’s chemistry on stage was that of appreciation of what each musician contributes. The Cowboy Junkies have been described as “One of the most unique and enduring bands in alternative rock.” Margo Timmins voice has been described as as melancholy and enchanting as ever. Her beautiful voice is said to be able to miraculously fit with all the pained lyrics written by her brother Michael Timmins. And the evening was one of listening to truly transformative music. Calmness and reflection were the words to describe the concert. The audience loved hearing this career- spanning show with songs from their albums The Trinity Session to their recent album, Such Ferocious Beauty. The fans also loved hearing “Sweet Jane”, one of The Cowboy Junkies’ most popular and beloved songs, originally written by Lou Reed and performed by his band, The Velvet Underground.
It was a lovely, tranquil evening of music. Wonderful to be with like-minded people who are big fans of The Cowboy Junkies. And who appreciate Toronto’s live music scene. The band received a standing ovation and the applause continued after they had left the stage.. so back they came for two more songs. Amazing.
Being at Koerner Hall is a huge bonus. Such a unique, comfortable venue. The foyer area has large glass windows overlooking Philosopher’s Walk. The view with the snow was stunning. A bar area with refreshments was available before, at the break and after. And very easy to get to by subway – St. George being the closest.
Following the concert was a postlude performance by Elisabeth Dorion in the Leslie & Anna Dan Galleria. Wonderful music. A lovely way to end this perfect evening of music.
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