Country living

Having seen Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba I ping-ponged back to the Hard Rock Stage to see The Rural Alberta Advantage. I've seen them before, but it's been a while - more than two years - since the last time at Zaphod Beeblebrox. Since then the trio of Paul Banwatt, Amy Cole and Nils Edenloff have generated a fair number of plaudits and have signed to Saddle Creek.

First, stage supremo Steve Lund tosses out the traditional Mardi Gras beads.



Amy and Nils get ready to roll.



Paul Banwatt hits. He was pulling a festival doubleheader, also appearing as 50% of Wood Hands the following day.



Vibraphonic action!



Percussion takes teamwork!



Nils sings, Amy and Paul hit stuff.



Paul gets into it.



Nils takes a solo turn.



The whole lot!



Amy sings!



Paul counts in.



Inexplicable black and white action!



The crowd goes wild!



They're currently touring out West before heading to Europe. They'll be back in time for a few December shows in Canada, including their last of 2010 in Toronto Dec. 16. They've also finally got around to recording album No. 2.

• Show reminder: It's a busy Saturday, with DOA, The Action and It's Asshole Time rocking Mavericks; Quest For Fire and Huron are upstairs at Cafe Dekcuf; Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, Boats! and Otouto perform at Raw Sugar Cafe; Bad Doctor, Ace Kinkaid and Jean-Paul De Roover get electronic at Babylon; Nadia Von Hahn brings some piano pop to Zaphod Beeblebrox; The Hammerheads get funky at The Elmdale; Bad Weather, Chloe Charles and Katie Sevigny are at the Avant-Garde.