"RUN!" I said. Not out of nefarious intent, but to put the fire under a lagging friend. Cowboy Junkies' Brisbane headline set was scheduled to commence at the unheard of time of 7:30pm.
As a frequent gig attendee, 7:30pm is when the crowd would normally be pondering the L or the XL at the merch stand or cementing a favourite vantage point. Running was top priority right now.
The Fortitude Music Hall was a landscape of seat rows and calm patrons. This was a different crowd. Respectful. The mood was stoic in anticipation as they murmured and caught up with friends old and new.
Although they've frequented our shores multiple times, Cowboy Junkies are still a bit of an enigma to most. Hailing from Toronto, Canada, they have an affinity with their fans that is a perfect personality match – a vibrant exterior cloaking a simmering pursuit for life and meaning.
Thankfully, all parties have run fast enough and arrive in time to welcome the band onstage. Appearing at the stroke of 7:30pm, they're perfectly on time, setting the tone for the music and cadence of the night.
Image © Chris Searles
Singer, Margo Timmins, is wonderfully relaxed as she takes a seat at the microphone. Her signature large bouquet of flowers are vased on a side table close by. Tonight they're red and white roses, a perfect encapsulation of the themes through their majestic catalogue – love and mortality.
The lonesome burr of a harmonica signals the opening of 'Misguided Angel' from their breakthrough 1988 album, 'The Trinity Session'. It's a magic chord progression that does it to this reviewer, every time. Mike Timmons strums his Telecaster calmly while Alan Anton rolls a lush bassline into it.
The moment Margo sings the first word, two things happen; a spell is cast over the crowd, and the vocal gods nod at each other with congratulatory smiles. It's as if a velvet parcel filled with honey took a bath in. . . velvet and honey. It's gorgeous to the point of being overwhelming.
Next is 'A Common Disaster' from 1996's 'Lay It Down'. It's a rolling alt. country hustle that introduces an unexpected hero of the night – Jeff Bird's mandolin and his effects bank. It suddenly becomes a grunting blues guitar for Bird to ooze dirty riffs that shouldn't be possible on a mandolin. It's enthralling and wonderful to watch.
Image © Chris Searles
At song's end, Margo welcomes the crowd with a smile and story. She tells stories throughout the night and it's all the better for it. Storytelling lyrics deserve stories behind them, coupled with anecdotes and playful deprecation.
She tells of her aging parents, recent family loss and how she and her brothers (guitarist and lyricist Mark, and drummer Pete) navigated these times. This is reflected in the audience who are obviously in a similar chapter of life. It's a lovely moment and creates a deeper connection with those who have been fans since they, and the band, were youthfully nimble and challenging the world.
A three-song run from their most recent album, the excellent 'Such Ferocious Beauty' (2023) is welcomed. Timmins warns the crowd that "new songs" will be played and jokingly remarks there'll be an intermission to recover from them.
Of course, they're welcomed with open arms. 'What I Lost', 'Hard To Build. Easy To Break' and 'Circe And Penelope' are wonderful in their story and soul. They explore the aforementioned family loss, Greek mythology and lost love.
Image © Chris Searles
"We're not known for happy songs," Timmons jokes, attracting a laugh from the crowd, "so, here's another one about death." The band do not pretend to be an energetic, 'jump around' band. They pride themselves as pure storytellers and musicians.
Bird's multi-instrument talent is excellent; mandolin, dobro, harmonica, percussion and lead guitar – sometimes all within the same song. Pete Timmins isn't just a drummer – he tells tales. He holds hands with the lyrics, providing tension and release with precision.
Set one rounds out with a cover of Lightnin' Hopkins' 1947 track, 'Shinin' Moon'. A sensual, gritty track about sneaking around after dark for love. A Cajun flame is cast across Hopkins' original Texan blues, and it's a wonderful thing. It's a perfect way to release into intermission.
Set two begins with the ghostly 'All That Reckoning (Part 1)' from the 2018 album of the same name. A line of lyric, 'You took my heart and softly asked for more', is one of most underrated heartbreak expressions in song. Backed with a simple bassline, this is a perfect example of the 'quiet' of Cowboy Junkies.
They didn't set out to play 'quiet music'. It came from necessity in their early years as they practised in an un-soundproofed garage, attracting fury from neighbours. Forced to turn it down, they found a sonic space in which the music spoke louder in quieter tones. This railed against the raucous '80s music at the time and attracted those seeking a quieter meaning through music.
Image © Chris Searles
This led to the creation of the next track and garnered global attention. Timmins tells a story of a recent trip to Africa and a safari with a good friend. It just so happened they met an Australian couple on this same safari tour.
Upon learning their nationality, the Australians mentioned they were fans of Cowboy Junkies. Margo's friend was bursting to tell them who they were sitting in front of, but had long been instructed to keep shtum, at all costs.
One thing led to another and the couple mentioned their favourite song and ultimately discovered Margo's identity. So, without hesitating, she dedicated 'Sweet Jane' to Stella and Cameron, asking them to stand to a feverish applause. This is once-in-a-lifetime stuff.
A Velvet Underground cover, 'Sweet Jane' remains a fan favourite to this day and has been a live show staple since its release. The band must have played it a gazillion times, but it still has resonance. Adjusted elements within the song may have distracted the purists, but it's still a piece of art. It's the 'if I never see a band again, at least I saw this' moment.
Image © Chris Searles
It was at this point my colleague realised there was no back-up singing, just Margo. The breathiness and body of her voice is so strangely beautiful that it seems to harmonise with itself.
Alt. country, twang and blues continue the set as the beautiful 'River Waltz' whisks the crowd away. Timmins dedicates 'A Horse In The Country' to all the ladies "who have gone 60 or more". "Getting older works for me. I like it!" she exclaims. It's refreshing to watch an artist embrace life and its inevitable changes.
She tells of her father's decline into dementia and his favourite leather chair. It seems many of the audience relates to these stories and share their compassion as they slide into 'Shadows 2' from 'Such Ferocious Beauty', a track written about the (now) empty room their father loved.
'State Trooper', a cover of Bruce Springsteen's 'Nebraska' track, is haunting with its rolling low-edge bass and scattered riffs. It's another track from their underrated debut 1986 album, 'Whites Off Earth Now!!'. The crowd loves their famous Elvis tribute, 'Blue Moon'. It leads to an encore of 'Dreaming My Dreams With You' and 'Walking After Midnight' from 'The Trinity Session'.
Image © Chris Searles
Cowboy Junkies are more than 'a band'. They're a shelf of poetry. A scribed parchment found in an 1800s Mississippi shack. They're a runaway train that has to be ridden and still somehow stops at all stations.
They're a smiling friend who has an answer, but won't share until you prove you're willing to listen. They tell us about ourselves. About love, death, futility and fertility. The Cowboy Junkies are us.
More photos from the concert.
