The Carleton Place Arena has become my go-to place to see a concert. Last year, a friend and I had a chance to see Corb Lund.
This year, my wife and I decided to check out the band East Coast Experience.
We arrived early, and there was already a lineup outside the door. Doors opened at 2:30 pm, and the concert was set to start at 3:00 pm.
One of the great things about seeing a concert at Carleton Place Arena is the Canadiana of it all.
The concert space is located just above the hockey arena. As concertgoers entered, parents were busy shuttling their kids to and from hockey games.
The concert’s start time was perfect for my wife and me, as we are both well into our fifties.
Even though it was only mid-afternoon, the band came out with full energy. They tore into a Maritimes fiddle tune and instantly, the crowd was clapping and dancing along.
The lead singer, originally from Newfoundland, had a laid-back energy and treated the audience like they were guests at a party.
East Coast Experience does not just play fiddle tunes; there is a good mix of Canadiana roots rock, and Maritime/Newfoundland themes are often a part of the lyrics.
The band played a couple of cover songs, including The Lumineers’ “Cleopatra” and Blue Rodeo’s “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet”a song that took on a political theme with its lyrics, ‘Down in the middle of Lake Ontario.” Considering that a certain person to the south recently renamed it Lake America, the crowd sang the lyrics enthusiastically, with special emphasis on Lake Ontario.
After a fifteen-minute break, the band delivered another great set of rousing tunes.
It was an amazing concert and finished close to 5 pm.
East Coast Experience is a part of the Festival of Small Halls concerts, a series that brings music to smaller venues located in rural Ontario. Their tagline is Big Music in a Little Place.
The series will go until December 5th.
