Nathan Lawr / The Two-Minute Miracles / Jim Guthrie

Certain music just suits specific seasons. Songs that hearken back to memories of hot summer winds are better appreciated when the weather reflects just that. While the majority of the country was enjoying hot, sunny weather the day of this concert, the Prairies were battling blizzard weather reminiscent of mid-January conditions. The easy, pretty music that was being played by Lawr, the Miracles and to some extent, Guthrie would have been better received if the conditions had not been so blustery. The handsome Lawr was the first to play to the small, cold crowd. Sporting a Garden City cap (a nod to the suburb of the same name in Winnipeg), the man from Royal City played his sweet rolling songs, making the atmosphere a little bit cosier. London, ON's the Two-Minute Miracles took the pace up to a much poppier level when they hit the stage. Playing songs reminiscent of Granddaddy, the Miracles swooned about love, coffee and ladies. The sets would have been absolutely perfect had the boys brought some of the Ontario heat to the Prairies when they strolled into town. But as a result, the music was less than exciting. Starting the set off with PlayStation-driven beats, Guthrie brought a strange feel and sound to the rest of the evening. Although Guthrie tried unsuccessfully to crack jokes with the silent crowd in between songs, his wonderful quirky pop songs made the hushed room a little more involved in the show. Beautifully complemented by the bass playing of Mike Olson, Guthrie's set of dark involved lyrics demonstrated exactly why he is hailed by many as one of Canada's best musicians.