Led by the powerful voice of Meghan Parnell, seven-piece band Bywater Call brought its mix of southern soul, blues, roots and rock to the stage of the Old Town Hall in Newmarket last night.
The Oct. 13 concert was the second in the Canadian Concert Classics series sponsored by Mercedes Benz Newmarket that is bringing Juno award-winning artists to historic downtown Newmarket, along with fine wines, craft beer, appetizers, and local artist exhibits.
Parnell, who grew up in Newmarket until the age of 12, enthusiastically welcomed the return to Newmarket — Bywater Call last performed here in 2018 at the downtown jazz festival — after the pause on live performances during the pandemic lockdowns.
The performance featured songs both from the band's 2019 debut album and newest September release, recorded during the pandemic.
Parnell and slide guitar master Dave Barnes are the driving force behind Bywater Call, completed by Bruce McCarthy on drums, Mike Meusel on bass, Alan Zemaitis on keys, Stephen Dyte on trumpet and Julian Nalli on tenor sax.
While it's hard to take your eyes off the charismatic and soulful Parnell when she is belting out the tunes, she at times steps aside to allow the focus to move to the talented bandmates behind her for rousing extended solos and instrumentals.
The final concert in this edition of the series is on Saturday, Nov. 12, featuring two-time Juno award winner Donne Roberts and his six-piece band. Doors open at 6 p.m. with concerts performed from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. There are only 168 seats available per concert. Tickets, $60, can be purchased at newtix.ca.
