Bellewoods

The collective experience of Toronto soul folk ensemble Bellewoods pretty much guaranteed an excellent set, but just to corroborate, the band, which includes former and current members of A Northern Chorus, Bruce Peninsula and the Coast, put on a tight and absorbing show at a busy Dakota Tavern. "We're gonna skip the slow ones. It's Saturday night," singer Christopher White affirmed, as the band swung through some of their more uptempo songs. Washes of reverb, slinky bass lines and White's brusque baritone all lent romance to Bellewoods' earthy tunes, while a two-piece horn section gave the few slower, waltzier numbers like "Marie de l'Incarnacion" bombast. Next year, expect a later set.