by Malcolm Petch
At long last,
Ari Neufeld has recorded a live album, and he’ll be releasing it during a showcase performance at the Streaming Café on July 16.
At long last? Yes, at long last. Anyone who has followed the music and musings of the immensely talented Ari will know that his live performances are stunning, both in their energy level and in their depth of impact. Ari has done a good deal of recording before now, and the recordings are worthy archives of the songs – but his music absolutely comes to life in the live environment, where his guitar playing and vocals and ability to perform percussion with his feet and legs all come together in an amazingly energetic and mesmerizing mix. Ari calls it Full Contact Folk.
And his songwriting is superb. There is a range to Ari’s songwriting that goes well outside the bounds of the ordinary. These aren’t pop songs with quirky hooks that listeners remember for a week and which are then discarded on the ash-heap of mediocrity and past popularity (wow – I like that line; I’m gonna have to write it down). No, these are superbly crafted life packages, with beautiful, memorable melodies and distinctive and original rhythms. And the lyrics are remarkable and full-bodied; they reveal a depth of soul and character which a man as young as Ari is not supposed to possess.
Okay, I realize the previous two paragraphs may sound pompous and presumptuous. And, personally, I usually dislike that type of embellished and embroidered fluff. But I have been a fan of Ari’s since he was in his teens, and those previous paragraphs are actually not exaggeration. I mean, check out this lyric: “You arch your back against the mast of this steeple – I’m picking glances off you like burrs from a thistle; the people all whistle at you…”. Have you ever seen writing like that? Kind of Cockburnesque, but it’s still in its own league. That’s the kind of lyric writing I aspire to. Maybe when I grow up…
"One of the most artistically developed artists I've ever met. I was riveted for two and a half hours as Ari played," says Jim Cressman, President of Cressman-Sakomoto Agency, who handles artists such as Terri Clarke, Charlie Major, Emerson Drive, and Johnny Reid.
That’s why it’s “at long last” that Ari has recorded a live album. This man was built to perform live, and his fans will be glad to hear there is finally a live version of his music capture for posterity.
Entitled “Ari Neufeld Live at the Dream Café”, the album will be released in July, and Ari will be at our Café (the Streaming Café, not the Dream Café) to celebrate on July 16 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at Streaming Café for this performance and album release; $20 gets you admittance and a copy of the CD.
If you’ve heard Ari before, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, there are videos of some of his previous performances on YouTube or his own website (http://arineufeld.com/media.cfm), including this one of “Heart Like a Jar Full of Fireflies”, the song I quoted from earlier.
Come check out Ari on July 16. If you know his music, you’ll be glad to know he’s returning to SC. If you’ve never heard Ari before now, then you’re in for a true pleasure. In-person at 7:00 p.m., and live online at
www.streamingcafe.net
We’re used to having bands from within BC or Canada as the show-pieces at our venue. Every once in a while we get a treat from outside our borders, and the July 23 appearance of Australia-based The Little Stevies looks like it’s going to be a wonderful performance.
Their performance at Streaming Café will be part of The Little Stevies’ third trip to our continent. This time around The Little Stevies are here – exclusively in Canada this time – for a total of seven weeks, playing about 35 times at four festivals and 25 other locations, and putting in at least 3,000 km of on-the-ground driving distance. 
At long last, Ari Neufeld has recorded a live album, and he’ll be releasing it during a showcase performance at the Streaming Café on July 16.