BLUE BIRD SPECIAL: Live on Stage im Haus der Musik - Great Lake Swimmers supported by Portland

Main Act: Great Lake Swimmers

Capturing light is not easy: ask any outdoor photographer. In order to capture the perfect shot, one has to be ready for fragmentary shifts in illumination. In that spirit, Caught Light is Great Lake Swimmers’ ninth album, and perhaps their most nimble: be prepared, don’t overthink, act fast.

Founder Tony Dekker has always been akin to a wildlife photographer, often choosing to make records in unique surroundings with a connection to Ontario history. This time, he holed up in the Ganaraska Forest, between Peterborough and Port Hope, with producer Darcy Yates (Bahamas) and engineer Jimmy Bowskill (Blue Rodeo). Their goal was to tap the warmth of early ’70s folk/pop/rock, whether it be the cozy sonic sweater of Gordon Lightfoot’s classic work, or the gentleness of underrated American songwriter Dory Previn. Dekker made everyone listen to John Martyn’s 1971 album Bless the Weather before the session.

For the first time, Dekker ceded control to a producer, albeit one who had once been the bassist in Great Lake Swimmers (2007-08). Yates chose the studio and the backing band, which included veteran drummer Gary Craig (Bruce Cockburn, Jann Arden), who Dekker calls “the Jim Keltner of Canada.” Tracking was completed in three days, Nashville-style,with only two days of overdubs, including Colleen Brown’s backing vocals.Compare that with 2023’s Uncertain Country, which took three pandemic-stricken years to make.

Caught Light was captured in the shortest amount of time Dekker had ever spent making a record, and it’s likely to be the one with perhaps the longest impact.That’s because Caught Light is not just the most fully realized Great Lake Swimmers album in years, but it also leads off with two of Dekker’s strongest singles.

Support Act: Portland

Portland is the Belgian dreampop band led by Jente Pironet, known for their melancholic beauty and lush soundscapes. After breaking through with Your Colours Will Stain(2019) and Departures(2023) and playing the major Belgian festivals Rock Werchter and Pukkelpop, Jente Pironet faced a turbulent period marked by serious health challenges in 2023. Pironet faced a devastating diagnosis, leading to a period of intense cancer treatments. 2024 began with a renewed sense of hope, highlighted by a MIA (Music Industry Award) and a triumphant return to sold-out venues. The third album Champain(2025) signals a fresh start, blending past scars with an irrepressible zest for life.