Something in the water

Back to the Bluesfest and a stirring set by mournful popsters Great Lake Swimmers. Some folks said they seemed a little bushed, but I didn't hear it myself. I thought their bucolic sound was a fine accompaniment to mainman Tony Dekker's voice, which put me in mind of Shearwater's Jonathan Melburg and The Antlers' Peter Silberman.

Tony  and violinist Miranda Mulholland.



Banjoman Erik Arnesen is Dekker's right hand man.



Greg Millson keeps the beat.



Miranda is very colour-coordinated. She's also very busy, with the Swimmers, her own Roaring Girl Cabaret, plus performing with The Mahones and The Peelers, The Paperboys, The Glengarry Bhoys, Luther Wright and the Wrongs, Jim Cuddy, John Borra and Justin Rutledge.

More Erik, plus bassist Bret Higgins.



Bonus Miranda!



Tony strums!



Swimming action!



Big finish!



They have a trio of upcoming shows, the closest being in St. Catharines Sept. 17.

• Show reminder: Iszoloscope, Antigen Shift and Adversary show there's still some life in Zaphod's; Kid Koala gets all heavy with The Slew at Babylon (Rise Ashen opens).