Monday marked Phildel’s second appearance in Vancouver this year, as she played the Vancouver Folk Festival back in July. It was clear that those in attendance at the festival had been enchanted by her music, as the room at Studio 700 at CBC Vancouver was full of fans eager to hear Phildel’s music. It was also endearing to see younger fans in attendance and knowing all of the words to her songs.
Opening the show was Jasper Sloan Yip, joined by Alex Hauka on cello and Stephanie Chatman on violin and accompanying vocals. Pulling songs from his sophomore release Everyday and All At Once and his latest album Foxtrot, Jasper warmed up the crowd at Studio 700 and noticeably gained some new fans by the end of his set.
A highlight for me was hearing a stripped down version of “Parallel Lines”, one of my favourite songs off Foxtrot. Jasper’s opening slot for Phildel was likely the last live show of the year, as he will be working on new material.
Traveling from a show in Toronto just the night before, Phildel arrived in Vancouver just hours before the show at Studio 700, and was running on three hours of sleep. The lack of sleep wasn’t evident, as Phildel spoke vividly to the crowd throughout the evening and shared stories of her past and the present. Leading into the third song of the night, “Mistake”, Phildel engaged the room with a humorous story of mistaken identity for a fellow passenger on a flight from Las Vegas.
Performing songs from her debut album The Disappearance of The Girl and from her upcoming The Glass Ghost EP, Phildel’s ethereal vocals were as captivating as they are presented on her album. The audience gave her a standing ovation following “The Glass Ghost”, and Phildel was visibly touched by the gesture, and ended the night with the chilling and soothing, “Comfort Me”.
I was fortunate enough to chat with Phildel following the Vancouver show, and will have the interview up within the next week. Be sure to check it out!
