One More Pill

Summer may be over and school may be back in, but Chris Parson’s Standing Ovation Productions is proving for a second year that these tiny details don’t have to mean the end of the outdoor music festival. Friday, September 8th marked the kick-off of this year’s series of concerts, and I’d have to say Friday’s lineup kicked it off right.

After finally finding my way through the labyrinth of barricades set up around the actual concert site, I parked my car and prepared to embark on an evening that I believed could bring anything. (From what I’ve seen of them in TV interviews, there really is no way of knowing what Hedley will get up to when holding a mic or in front of a camera.) I trekked through the bumpy field, realizing I probably should have made a better footwear choice than the little flats I’d mindlessly slipped on, and was drawn in through the gates by the comforting, radio familiarity of Stabilo.

It was just after 5 p.m. and already the fenced off ’alcohol permitted’ section was lined with a healthy number of happy Ovation patrons. Indeed, it was still early, but a decent crowd showed up to support the Vancouver-based Stabilo, whom you may think you’ve never heard of, but I can almost guarantee that hearing their single from a couple years back, “Everybody”, would more than jog your mind. The sun was beating down on this gathering in the middle of a field in Stratford, Ontario—Stabilo’s earthy rock laying down the perfect soundtrack for this afternoon.

Their set was disappointingly short, but they managed to fit in a great mix of songs new and old: “One More Pill“ from their 2001 album, Stabilo Boss; the title track from their latest release Happiness & Disaster (April/06); and of course, “Everybody”-which has appeared on their last three albums, including a new version on Happiness. All four members of Stabilo—Jesse, Christopher, Karl and Nathan—emanated a quietness through their obviously loud music, a humbleness that’s too largely lost these days. They manage to project a down-to-earth quality while rocking out, which seems a paradox, but I guess that’s just part of the Stabilo appeal. Either way, these guys made me glad I was covering Friday.