CHRISTOPHER OWENS at the Garrison, Wednesday, June 24. Rating: NNNN
It seems like every time Christopher Owens has played Toronto since his old band, Girls, broke up, he’s attracted smaller crowds and played smaller rooms. That’s somewhat understandable – he’s never been a particularly extroverted or engaging performer. But it’s also a shame, since these days he looks like he’s actually having fun onstage, turning his introversion into something genuinely endearing. Though the Garrison was just over half full, the connection between Owens and the fans was more tangibly powerful than ever before.
He’s touring with a much smaller band than he had for his previous album, the gospel-country A New Testament, and much of the set was culled from his recently released surprise album, Chrissybaby Forever, which is more like early Girls than anything he’s done solo. It’s some of his strongest material yet, and even the older songs sounded much better when performed with this lineup. Fickle former fans may have moved on, but those who’ve stuck around are finally getting to see Owens live up the the hype.
music@nowtoronto.com | @benjaminboles
