When the diminutive Aly Spaltro, then dubbed ‘Lady Lamb The Beekeeper’, first visited Vancouver two years ago, there was a certain mystery to the musician and her lengthy moniker. Fast-forward to today, and Spaltro has slimmed down to simply ‘Lady Lamb’, which is a fitting title for the oftentimes soft and gentle musician. Tuesday night at the Electric Owl, Lady Lamb won over a warm mid-week crowd thanks to her growing collection of intimate, fun, and heartfelt material.
Rather than emerge alone from the shadows, Lady Lamb began Tuesday’s set flanked by a drummer and a bass player, two luxuries the artist could not afford as an under-card. However, last night belonged to Lady Lamb, and from the moment she opened with the raw riff of “You Are The Apple” she had the modest mob in attendance swaying along to the music, with many singing in unison with those onstage.
While Lady Lamb opened with a favourite from her 2013 debut Ripely Pine, the majority of the evening’s music came via After, the musician’s second album, released earlier this year. Just as the opener was plucked from Lady Lamb’s first record, the climax of the evening came during the final moments of ‘Bird Balloons’, which for my money is the hardest rocking song in her repertoire. ‘Millions Of Eyes’, ‘Arkansas Daughter’ and ‘Milk Duds’ were all well-received, but it became clear which track the crowd favoured when Spaltro attempted to introduce her bandmates after the big finish, only to be drowned out by an applause with staying power.
Having already witnessed Lady Lamb The Beekeeper hold her own two years ago at The Media Club, it was rewarding to hear how her sophomore sound translated with a pair of musicians behind her. Similarly, Spaltro’s set-list has developed over time, and now offers more dynamic pacing while pulling from two well-crafted albums. The result is an overall improvement in the show’s quality and entertainment value, as was indicated by the smiles and swaying hips of spectators.
After emerging from the shadows as a solo performer, Lady Lamb has now moved to the forefront, demanding attention from those in attendance as her music channels through her. The Beekeeper may be gone, but as was evident last night, the charisma and energy that initially carried Lady Lamb’s live show remains.
She’s singin’ songs, and she ain’t stoppin’.
