Vancouver based punk/ klezmer accordionist Geoff Berner returns to Lethbridge to play the Slice, Feb. 5 And this time he’s bringing a band.
“It’s usually expensive to bring a band, but this time I‘m doing all right,” said Berner, who just released a new CD “ We Came To Breman to Be Musicians” on Rae Spoon’s record label Coax as well as overseas
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In addition to playing Europe, he winds up an Eastern Canadian tour before heading west to play Lethbridge.
He will be accompanied by pianist/ drummer Wayne Adams and violinist Diona Davies (aka DD)— two of the performers on the album.
“ A mix of people played on it,” he said.
The new Cd includes a lot of crowd favourites including a redone version of “When DD Gets Her Donkey, Everything Will Be All Right,” which he released as a seven inch single last year.
“It was more of an electronic driven version and I didn’t think it got it’s due, so I thought I’d bring it back to the basics,” Berner said.
Popular live numbers like “Condos” and “ Swing A Chicken Three Times Over Your Head” are included on the new CD.
The proudly Jewish Berner has a lot of Jewish related subject matter on the CD as well as political material served up with a large dose of humour.
“It’s definitely difficult to do. I don’t like it when people lecture you about their politics. So I serve it up with a spoon full of sugar and a lot of humour so it is entertaining,” he said.
“Response to it has been really good,” he said.
“I got a nice mission accomplished feeling after finishing it
Berner just returned from playing Bremen in Northern Germany, again.
“ It isn‘t really a homecoming, it’s the opposite. I met a lot of really nice people over there. But the people who go to folk shows over there are the same kind of people who go to folk shows in Vancouver, Lethbridge and Seattle— odd, bookish, intelligent people who want to have a party. Like me,” said Berner who released his debut novel last year and is working on his second.
“ I can’t tell you what it’s about though,” he said.
