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• Great Lake Swimmers brings humble message to Courtyard Cafe

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Great Lake Swimmers

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First to grace the stage on Saturday, October 24 were The Wooden Birds, an indie band from Austin, Texas. They were endearing and sweet with neatly arranged eclectic tracks. Lead singer Andrew Kenny made jokes daring people to throw undergarments on stage. Many may recognize the front man from American Analog Set. They played songs from Magnolia, their newest record that came out in the spring. The Wooden Birds set the audience in the perfect mood for Great Lake Swimmers.

The Canadian folk band is composed of five musicians with instruments ranging from an electric guitar to a harmonium. Lead singer Tony Dekker crooned the audience with his serene, soft vocals. Their sound is the love child of folk and pop, a delightful combination that tugs at the strings of the soul. Their honest and emotional lyrics provide a deep insight to the fragility and heartbreak that is the human experience.

The band kicked off the show with “Everything is Moving so Fast.” The crowd quickly relocated to sit on the floor directly in front of the Courtyard stage for a more personal concert experience. Their unique instrumentation instantly resonated with the mood of tranquility and beauty that was present in the Courtyard Cafe. The band is collectively musically potent in their presence on stage, as the outcome was a rich performance.

Great Lake Swimmers pleased fans with songs from their newest album, Lost Channels, which dropped on March 31, 2009. Many songs were introduced with short stories about their creations. Lead singer Tony Dekker donned both a harmonica while playing an acoustic guitar and singing on “Let's Trade Skins.” The banjo showcased its strength throughout this song, reminding people of the pleasing character that is folk music. “There is a Light in You” gave the audience a sense of comfort, delivering a message about war with lyrics like “If this is what we call a war, I won't have it anymore, Stop, listen, feel.” Tony Dekker played solo for “Concrete Heart” which really soothed the atmosphere. Immediately afterwards, he covered Joni Mitchell's, “A Case of You,” adding his own unique style to the classic 70's tune. “Your Rocky Spine” and “Pulling on a Line” generated a lot of crowd participation as they were both popular singles from past albums. The night ended with “I am Part of a Large Family” and Tony Dekker's humble thank-you's.