As the heavy raindrops and winds battered down on the Garden City for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, something else returned: live music! Dozens of music fans hid from the downpour outside in the cozy, yet socially distanced, Victoria venue, Vinyl Envy. As coats and umbrellas hung off the back of chairs dripping on the floor, we all waited in anticipation for Sarah Osborne & The Magic Buttons.
Vinyl Envy, a live music venue and record store, has run on pure passion and for the love of music since it first opened. Over the years, it has quickly become a haven of many local and touring acts, with shows happening almost nightly at one point. It’s hard to believe their last concert was back in March 2020.
While our favourite record store rolled on through the pandemic over the past 554 days, the stage lights grew dim. Every Sunday trip to the record store would be filled with fond memories of shows past and speculation as to when we’d be back in the room to hear the familiar sounds of tuning guitars and the buzz of loose patch cables.
Clearing his throat inches from the microphone, David Chenery became the first person to perform in Vinyl Envy in a very long time.
David Chenery is primarily known for his work with Victoria-based death rock outfit The Hex, but takes a lighter approach with his solo project. Trading in heavy electric sounds for an acoustic guitar is about as light as it gets with Chenery though. His set was a mix of his dark, wry and sharp witted and songs filled with hauntingly dark stories of serial killers.
His set was speckled with several memorable covers, including “Six More Miles” from our lord and saviour Hank Williams, as well as the disturbing and unforgettable Leon Payne-penned single “Psycho,” written from the perspective of a murderer as he slowly confesses to his crimes.
While the subject matter of David Chenery’s set was often dark, the mood in the room was quite different as he shared stories about his writing process and the hilarious adventures he’s had with his young son. As his set wound down, he invited Sarah Osborne to the stage for a rousing duet of “My Rifle, My Pony & Me” from the film Rio Bravo.
Between sets, we were treated to the debut screening of Sarah Osborne’s latest music video, “Autumn Sun,” due out October 1st and later in the fall with the the second instalment of her Seasons project.
Almost poetically, it seemed that the rain gods had finally listened to Sarah’s cries to “Let it Rain” over this hot and dry summer. Months worth of rain splashed hard against the record store windows as Sarah Osborne & The Magic Buttons took the stage.
Between songs, Sarah giddily shared stories of creating her impressive Seasons project with the band and producer Neil James Cooke at Burning Rainbow Studios. Creating four EPs in a year and as many music videos is something to be understandably excited about.
With the release of The Heat, in the midst of a pandemic, most of the audience hadn’t had chance to hear those songs outside of their headphones. When Sarah played “Fire Moon,” “Let it Rain,” and “Riverkeeper,” there was an extra spark of electricity in the room.
Throughout Osborne’s set, it was hard to tell what was lighting the room more: the sparkly clothing of her and the band . . . or their beaming smiles. Clearly, they were relishing every single moment in front of this captivated and excited crowd.
Vinyl Envy shifted from a record store to an old country & western bar before our eyes as Sarah and guitarist Chris Lloyd began their lovelorn duet, “Cutting the Cords,” from Seasons Volume 2: The Wind, due out later this fall. The only thing missing was the chicken wire and the smashing of beer bottles.
Sarah Osborne & The Magic Buttons’ true gift is to sonically transport you elsewhere with their music. Sarah’s series of Train Songs are arguably her most visual as she tells the tale of her train breaking down in Winnipeg in a winter storm. The quintet of songs breathe life into the room as drummer Michael Wilford and pedal steel player Tyler Lieb create a cacophony of ambience. You can feel that train engine struggling to start on those frozen tracks while bassist T-Rav and guitarist Chris Lloyd fill the moments in between.
As the night wound down, Sarah dismissed her band for a solo and acoustic song with the audience. Holding back tears she shared the some of her struggles from the pandemic; that feeling of crashing onto the rocks and that emotional rock bottom. It’s rare to get such a heartfelt and emotionally honest moment from an artist, and this will stick with us for a long time.
Without a fraction of a doubt, Sarah Osborne is one of the proficient singer-songwriters right now. She pairs bold thoughtful lyrics and strong musicianship with an energetic and entertaining live show. Backed with her band of heavy-hitters in The Magic Buttons she is unstoppable, and act you won’t want to miss.
With the first night of live music back in Vinyl Envy in over a year under their belts a rousing success, we anticipate a hell of a lot more shows there soon. We cannot wait!
