Over a long weekend in November, I went to beaver hall on Salt Springs Island to attend the Pharis and Jason Romero concert with my dad.  My expectations going into the concert weren’t sky high, this had a lot to do with the fact that I’d never listened to them beforehand, this was an intentional choice for I wanted to preserve the element of surprise for my concert response. I also have strong feelings about country-influenced music and tend to be very particular about this genre, so in hearing this I decided I wanted to see how this kind of live music would impact me first and foremost without preconceptions. Upon arriving at the seemingly very old hall it instantly had a very welcoming and communal energy and seemed as though there were many locals there. Before the music began there was a catering company which made delicious food, and everyone sat at long tables together. Once everyone took their seats for the show the announcer stated that the tickets could have sold the venue out three times over which build anticipation well.  Once the couple Pharis and Jason came on stage, I remember thinking they looked like a 70s throwbacks which I adored, especially the singer Pharis who reminded me of a young Joni Mitchell.  From the first note, I knew I loved this band as cliché as that seems. They had such a unique sound, that incorporated early American folk country, and blues influences. At the beginning of their set, it was just pharis and Romero, who sang beautiful harmonies together. Pharis was on guitar and her husband on banjo, which she later mentioned he made himself. The banjos he switched between during the set each had so much character and it was obvious the attention to detail he put into them. Each banjo had its own distinct look and tone some tangier sounding and some with warmer and cooler tones. After a few intro songs with just the two of them, the rest of the band joined them on stage, bringing completely new and unexpected elements. There were three other bandmates, a stand-up bass, a fiddler, and a pedal steel slide guitar player. One of the most memorable parts of the night was hearing a pedal steel slide guitar player for the first time. Up until this point, I had only ever heard them before in recordings, I could have never imagined how peculiar they looked and sounded in person.  It added a lot of ambiance and created the backbone of the essence of their music. Sometimes I found I couldn’t hear the pedal slide guitar and other times it would jump out amongst the other more melodic instruments, blending in and out of the background and creating a fuller sound. The Pedal steel guitar did get his own solo a few times as well, which was very amusing and made me think of a lone ranger or cowboy on a bizarre journey of some sort through the desert. Unfortunately, the pedal steel guitar player is not a regular with the band and cannot be found on the albums.  The fiddle player also brought a jig-like element to the music, he was so in tune with the rest of the musicians whilst still taking his own moments to swerve in and out of the spotlight in a subtle and impactful manner The stand-up bassist role seemed to be to ground the other instruments, he also brought a hint of the blues into the music as well. I noticed my mood changed throughout the night in relation to their different songs, although some of the lyrics had a more melancholic associations the music overall had a very uplifting and hopeful effect. I found it also brought me back to a simpler time in life when I was a kid growing up on Bowen Island always outside, this is likely due to many of the lyrics revolving around themes of family, storytelling and an off-grid lifestyle associated with this type of music.  During their set in the middle of a song suddenly one of Jason’s banjo strings broke, Jason then asked Pharis if she wanted to tell a story in the meantime. While he went backstage to fix his banjo string, I found myself getting stressed for her and expecting second-hand embarrassment. Instead, she used this moment to create something memorable. When she started her story, about a quarter way through she said how about I just sing it to you. She began to sing about all the travelling challenges they’d faced on their way to get to salt spring, missing ferries trains and dealing with sick kids, the stand-up bass player then joined in to create a sombre accompaniment in the background which was quite comedic.  It allowed the audience to relax when they know they can rely on performers to keep their calm and use their improve skills.  One song I especially enjoyed was Right in the Garden, the warm acoustic guitar and Pharis’s voice seemed to match and complement each other so naturally, this song especially reminded me of one of my favourite folk artist Vashti Bunyan. I also recall when they played, I’m lonesome and I’m going back home everyone in the room was right there with them. Throughout the slow build and sway of the song, the band was so in sync and the harmonies in this track were a definite highlight. Overall, I didn’t expect to enjoy this genre so much since I’d never been exposed to American folk music live before. I left wanting to discover more music like this and maybe even pick up the banjo someday.