Family ties and tight musicianship will be on display at two different venues in November, as the musical duo of Mac Walter and John Cronin will be joined by Cronin’s son Sean for a pair of shows at Pynelogs and Bud’s Bar and Lounge, respectively.
“We’re looking forward to the two venue thing, because each night will be really different unto itself,” Cronin said. “Usually we play acoustic music, but we might bring out some electrical ammunition for Bud’s.”
All three members of the trio are no strangers to the musical spotlight, as Cronin and Walter specifically have two albums already under their belts that are likely already familiar to valley residents, in “Cousins” and “Second Cousins,” with the latter being released some four years ago. Sean is also a respected jazz bass player in his own right, and on the odd occasion that they manage to play together (Cronin lives in Invermere, Walter in Baltimore and Sean in New York City) Cronin said they always mesh their musical styes very easily.
“(Sean) fits in really well, he’s just a great musician and he really knows our material quite well,” Cronin said. “(Playing with family) it’s the best thing, it really is. (Sean) is my favourite musician — well, they’re both my favourite musicians, but Sean especially.”
When it comes to the style of music they’ll be performing, Cronin said they were a little hard to pin down to just one genre. He described it as a mix of folk, jazz and blues influences, and said he was interested to see how it would play with the younger crowd that usually inhabits Bud’s on any given night. For the show at Pynelogs, Cronin suspects it will much more resemble the majority of their performances, with a relaxed attitude and atmosphere being the goal.
“I love playing in Invermere,” Cronin said. “Its interesting playing for a home crowd, where you look up and you recognize most of the audience. It’s kind of good, and kind of in a way difficult, they’ve heard you before and they know you, so there’s a challenge to it, but it’s also a pretty warm feeling to play to a hometown crowd.”
Cronin said one of their biggest appeals was likely the overall skill of three musicians involved. Cronin and Walter are both well known for their guitar playing skills, and with Sean making a living for himself in New York City as a musician, one would assume he also has the necessary chops to invigorate an audience. Cronin said the music really speaks for itself when they take the stage, and beyond a brief introduction there really is very little talking involved.
“There are these moments where everything is just clicking musically, and you really feel an energy transfer between you and the audience,” Cronin said. “Everything seems to come in closer and get magnified, and there are moments that are just magical that way.”
The trio will play first at Bud’s on November 1 at 8:30 p.m., before they play at Pynelogs the next night, November 2, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Both shows are $20 at the door and $18 in advance, and tickets may be purchased at the Book Bar in Invermere or by calling Pynelogs at 250 342 4423. To sample their music beforehand, visit their website at www.cousinsmusic.com.