Hawksley Workman

Hawksley Workman is a raconteur, a showman, a shaman. His voice stretches and reaches places opera singers find comfortable. He is known to throw in the odd yodel and racy purr of a kitten. His songs are sensuous, edgy, seductive. He is sex and rock 'n' roll in a fedora and bandana, big hoop earring, small jacket, striped pants, wide striped lime tie and dusty shoes. Tom Waits meets Charlie Chaplin. The audience is totally taken with him. It's Sunday night in a grand old church now music conservatory.

Hawksley is raving about the venue and his eight minute trip over here by plane. He said he could have walked it was so fast. He said Victoria is lovely but has no irons and his dry cleaned outfit was a rolled ball in the suitcase by the time he had arrived. The big trip from Toronto had been the same day. Anyway, to us he looked dapper and quirky and we liked what we saw.

He sat on a stool and beside him was a suited spectacled pianist named Mister Lonely. This duo would mesh magically tonight. Hawksley played guitar and closed his eyes while delivering the songs passionately. He also hit a tiny glockenspiel for occasional notes. He played banjo twice during the evening. He had a megaphone and shouted words into it once and a tiny harmonica's music the next time.

After a few sit-down numbers, he stood with his guitar and rocked out. Back to ballads, he remained standing. Mister Lonely was constantly switching between a grand piano and a harmonium. Swirling melodies, unchained symphonies.

Hawksley is funny man with shrewd insight into things. He made us laugh a lot.

He alluded a half dozen times to music abjudicators and how they would rate his night's performance by taking notes like "he made two mistakes in that song" and "he talks too much." He was feeling really good and playful and was appreciative of the evening. We couldn't help but agree. Hawksley was "on" tonight and we were the JOYful recipients.

Highlights were Goodbye To Radio, Claire Fontaine, Anger As Beauty, Smoke Baby, Jealous of Your Cigarette and a kinky Tarantula.

We got an encore of a couple of songs and Hawksley and Mister Lonely received standing ovations. Some of us lingered for a chance to see him after the show but to no avail. Merch table did well tonight and I discovered three discs I did not have, rare beauties, a compilation and early work. I can't wait to give them a spin.

Allison