NXNE 2013: Willie Stratton & The Boarding Party @ Handlebar by Laurie McGregor

WEDNESDAY — After getting stood up by Vagina Panther, who were a no-show at Hard Luck Bar, we were looking for something close by to cheer us up. Knowing that East Coast music usually does the trick, we headed to Handlebar to catch some of the Halifax Pop Explosion showcase.

Not knowing what to expect, but hoping for some banjoes and fiddles and footstomping, we arrived just as Willie Stratton & The Boarding Party started their set. Crammed onto the teeny tiny stage, they whirled into their too-short set, treating us to my favourite kind of folk show: full of loud, howling harmonies, perfect banjo picking, foot stomping, hand clapping fiddle dancing good times. They were glowingly happy to be playing in Toronto and screamed about how much they loved the city, something that's always nice to hear in a time when most everyone is feeling like things are going to shit.

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Find all of our coverage of NXNE here.

Photos by Adam Bunch.

Laurie McGregor is a Toronto-based dilettante. She likes books, music, soft things, baking, unicorns, robots and has an unnatural love of vending machines. You can find all her posts here and email her at laurie@littleredumbrella.com.