The night was lively and full of mullets and mustaches at The Wicket Hall – an omen of things to come. Manitoba’s own Boy Golden hit up Victoria on the Out On The Weekend Tour in support of his latest EP, 2023’s For Jimmy. The tour is meandering around North America as I write this and I’d recommend checking it out for a fun evening!
The night opened with Fontine, a queer singer-songwriter who also plays with Boy Golden. Her voice has a warmth and edge to it, reminiscent of Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes, and her lyrics are reflective of her experiences. Her EP, Yarrow Lover, is intimate and full of great songs that show heart and depth, like Homemaker and This Mess. And not only is Fontine crafty with her words, she hand-dyed and embroidered band shirts with her partner (they were very cute and reasonably-priced for how much work went into them!). I’ll definitely be keeping up with her releases on Spotify.
The Founder and Minister of the Church of Better Daze, Boy Golden (aka Liam Duncan), took the stage with his signature mullet, stache, and cowboy hat. His music is genre bending, blending psych folk, bluegrass, and classic country, but one thing remains constant: it’s all about having a good time! First impressions are always important, and his exceeded mine in every way. The band seems to have matching tattoos on their biceps, they were all smiling wide, and were swigging cheap beer during the set. These are my kind of people.
The band played songs from the 2021’s Church of Better Daze and For Jimmy. During Aging Mr. Riley, Golden sings “I shot for his heart but I hit him in the shoulder” and mimes this while being shot by a banana gun that Fontine wields. The band swapped instruments out for different songs and made lighthearted banter with the crowd. Before launching into KD and Lunch Meat, Golden introduced it by saying “this song is about the meaning of life.” In this economy? Hell yes, that IS the meaning of life. This man can weave stories into his songs effortlessly and his charm will continue to emanate through his lyrics.
All in all – it was a great evening to drink beer, hear some great tunes, and admire some mullets in our beautiful capital city.
