On Friday evening we hit the Dakota Tavern to catch country up-and-comer Shae Dupuy - and we don't regret it for a minute.
We've had the chance to hang out with Shae, hear her sing, learn a little more about her and her music, but on Friday we finally got to see her stand up on stage and give us an hour of her songs and the songs she loves from others all in one tight little set.
With her band of three merry men behind her, Shae gave a stripped down feeling with her songs - using a wooden box instead of drums, and rolling with acoustic strings in the homey, friendly atmosphere.
We talked to Shae briefly before her set and she told us that she was excited to finally get up on the Dakota stage after all of the planning and rehearsing with the band. She loved the look already and the sound that Before The Flood was bringing as the evening's opening act. And when she got on stage it was clear to see that she was ready to go, and ready to bring her own sound to the stage and to the fans gathered in the room.
Note: We need to give a shout out to Before The Flood who did a great job opening the show. The 4 pieces (usually a 5) action on stage was tight and fun, playing well together and sounding great as they did it. They fit the room and the stage well, and we would gladly see them play again at the Dakota or around a campfire, whichever comes first.
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Shae's set on Friday included a selection of her own songs (check out her 2016 EP, Brave) and some of her favourites from artists we know and love. On all of them she brought her own voice, soft and sweet when called for, and plenty of power when she reached for it. It was great to hear Tin Man, Liar, Drink About It, Grandpa's Truck, No Worries, and Good For Me mixed with her covers of We Were Us (K. Urban/M. Lambert), Mean (T. Swift), Boondocks (Little Big Town), Fire Away (C. Stapleton), and more. And hearing all of them showed us that Shae Dupuy has the ability to sing whatever kind of country music she wants to when the stage is hers.
Note: The Dakota Tavern truly is one of my favourite venues in the city. If you've been, you know why. And if you haven't, I highly recommend that you check out a performance, any performance, on the white lit, low ceiling stage. The sound sticks with you, the music is happening right in front of you, and the feeling is perfectly intimate. Plus, they have Molson Stock Ale.
Shae Dupuy has her entire career ahead of her, and if shows like Friday evening at the Dakota Tavern are an indication of how it's going to go, we can tell you that it will be fun. She'll have fun on stage, fans will have fun in the crowd, and we'll have fun watching it all happen.
Keep an eye on Shae!
