It can take time for the Sappyfest crowd to warm up to a performer, as with the previous night's Snotty Nose Rez Kids performance, but Shotgun Jimmie had already put in the work during the decade he lived in Sackville — he was treated like a hometown hero from the moment he walked onstage.
Joined by his backing band as they celebrated the release of new record, Transistor Sister 2, Shotgun Jimmie's ebullient Sappyfest set was a celebration of his relationship with the town. It's tough to imagine Sappy-referencing tracks like "Bridge Street Stage" and "Sappy Slogans" hitting as hard anywhere else.
The new album is a sequel to his beloved 2011 LP Transistor Sister, so naturally the set list jammed up tracks from both albums, which showcased the power-pop threads that bind them. Kicking things off with OG Transistor Sister classic "King of Kreuzberg" and sequel single "I Wanna Be Cool," Jimmie and his band — By Divine Right's José Contreras, Do Make Say Think's Jay Baird and Ladyhawk's Ryan Peters — dove through a trove of riffs, licks and tight jams. Moments like a three-second cover of Nirvana's "Come As You Are" and an ode to drop D tuning were a reminder of the cheeky positivity that Jimmie's music and vibe exude, while tracks like "Suzy" and "Stereo and the Stove" featured tight arrangements that accentuated Jimmie's endearing songwriting.
For the encore, Jimmie welcomed fellow Sackville music legend (and Sappyfest co-founder) Julie Doiron onstage for an upbeat cover of "Clinically Dead" by their pal Chad VanGaalen (who appears on Transistor Sister 2), one last reminder of the joyous power of community. Shotgun Jimmie may have long left Sackville, but the town certainly hasn't had enough of him.
Joined by his backing band as they celebrated the release of new record, Transistor Sister 2, Shotgun Jimmie's ebullient Sappyfest set was a celebration of his relationship with the town. It's tough to imagine Sappy-referencing tracks like "Bridge Street Stage" and "Sappy Slogans" hitting as hard anywhere else.
The new album is a sequel to his beloved 2011 LP Transistor Sister, so naturally the set list jammed up tracks from both albums, which showcased the power-pop threads that bind them. Kicking things off with OG Transistor Sister classic "King of Kreuzberg" and sequel single "I Wanna Be Cool," Jimmie and his band — By Divine Right's José Contreras, Do Make Say Think's Jay Baird and Ladyhawk's Ryan Peters — dove through a trove of riffs, licks and tight jams. Moments like a three-second cover of Nirvana's "Come As You Are" and an ode to drop D tuning were a reminder of the cheeky positivity that Jimmie's music and vibe exude, while tracks like "Suzy" and "Stereo and the Stove" featured tight arrangements that accentuated Jimmie's endearing songwriting.
For the encore, Jimmie welcomed fellow Sackville music legend (and Sappyfest co-founder) Julie Doiron onstage for an upbeat cover of "Clinically Dead" by their pal Chad VanGaalen (who appears on Transistor Sister 2), one last reminder of the joyous power of community. Shotgun Jimmie may have long left Sackville, but the town certainly hasn't had enough of him.