Show Review - The Wood Brothers 11/20/24 Toronto, ON

What Genre Is This?

Photo by Mitchell Brooks

Genre-defying trio The Wood Brothers stopped in Toronto as part of their fall tour last night, performing an intimate two-hour set at The Concert Hall. I was blown away from beginning to end at the talent displayed on stage and eagerly await the opportunity to see them again.

My familiarity with the band extends as far as the few songs I’ve heard Goose cover from their repertoire, word of mouth praise, and of course bassist Chris Wood’s involvement in the legendary Medeski, Martin, and Wood. I had some initial apprehension due to hearing their leanings toward a bluegrass/country vibe at times – decidedly not my thing – but the elements of experimental psychedelia and jazz were more than enough to thrill me throughout the show.

Opening act Lindsay Lou performed a solo acoustic set, keeping the audience’s attention with her incredible voice and accompaniment, interspersing the 40-minute performance with anecdotes and stories about being on tour. Once again, bluegrass is not usually my thing, but I felt that Lou’s songs were not in the traditional twangy zone, and I especially loved her cover of “Nobody’s Fault But Mine.”

The Wood Brothers took the stage and kicked things off acoustic with “Smoke Ring Halo,” immediately flipping the vibe on its head with the slinky “Alabaster.” Guitarist Oliver Wood switched to electric for the second song as he crooned the lyrics, but the immediate thing that stuck out to me was multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix’s doubling of drums and keys.

I’ve only seen this done once before in a live setting, and Rix absolutely blew my mind with his dexterity in the hypnotic keyboard lines while keeping a steady pocket on the kit. As a bonus – it might be the most perfect Rhodes tone I’ve ever heard, with just the perfect amount of grit and overdrive to elevate it beyond the normally-soft tones of the instrument.

Chris’ stage presence through the show was also amazing to watch, as he’d periodically put down his bass and dance back and forth across the stage, only to pick the upright back up and unleash a series of dizzying riffs and melodies on the low end. He made the switch to electric for “Little Bit Sweet” before taking lead vocals on “Jitterbug Love,” which also incorporated slide bass into the mix.

Getting into more of an Americana rock vibe with the uptempo “Happiness Jones,” I immediately had a new favourite Wood Brothers song. Its catchy chorus and inventive hooks immediately got stuck in my head, plus the trio’s vocal harmonies were absolutely on point in every song through the night.

For “I Got Loaded,” Rix emerged from his rear stage setup to play percussion on an acoustic guitar (yes, exactly how it sounds) as the trio egged the crowd along into some singing in the tune and the ensuing “Last Night.”

Chris played a solo bass-and-harmonica intro to “Shoo Fly,” kicking off the next uptempo segment of the show that concluded with the first song I knew, “Atlas.”

From there, Oliver introduced us to his friend “mic,” a single old-time radio-style microphone that the trio stood in a semicircle around (Rix on melodica this time) for a gorgeous rendition of the traditional “Angel Band” after letting the audience know that this setup would work a lot better if we remained quiet – and lo and behold, it did.

The Wood Brothers brought Lou back out to sing a rousing “Rock Island” before returning to their normal setup to finish out the show. Oliver remarked ahead of “Postcards From Hell” how much they loved the Toronto crowd and that it felt like a home away from home for the band.

The encore consisted of a really cool slow and psychedelic rendition of “Midnight Rider” before a fast-paced “One More Day” brought things to a close with a rousing finish.

The Wood Brothers tour finishes up tomorrow and Saturday in Cincinnati and Detroit before resuming with a swing through the south in December. Whether you’ve only heard the name Wood from MMW, haven’t heard of them at all, or are a big fan, this should be a concert on your can’t-miss list. They don’t fit in one genre, and their blend of psychedelic-Americana-jazz-rock-fusion is one of the coolest blends I’ve heard and I can’t wait until I have the opportunity to see them again.