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A stunning night with Whitehorse (15 photos)

Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet breathe new life into what can be an overdone and repetitive genre

Not many bands can claim a venue was created specifically for them.

But when Goshen, Indiana promoter Steve Martin was unable to find an appropriately-sized venue to host a performance by Whitehorse, he created Ignition Garage, a former auto repair shop turned record store and music venue.

It has since become a favourite tour stop for the husband and wife duo of Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet, SooToday was told prior to Whitehorse’s Friday evening Algoma Fall Festival performance at the Machine Shop.

“Maybe we’re taking too much credit for its creation, but it’s such a cool venue. They host a lot of great Canadian bands there,” McClelland said.

While Ignition Garage showcases primarily Americana artists, and the music of Whitehorse is definitely rooted under that vast umbrella, the pair manages to breathe new life into what can be an overdone and repetitive genre.

McClelland credits the sheer volume of readily accessible music of all types for the creative outpouring throughout the last decade, something she says drastically blurs the lines between genres.

“With Luke and myself, we’ve brought all these little pieces of a puzzle that somehow fit together. And that result is, I don’t know how to put into words,” she said.

Their individual careers as solo artists prior to the formation of Whitehorse also contributes to the band’s fresh sound.

“We played in each other’s bands and toured separately, but we spent a long time developing that relationship preparing for Whitehorse not know we were going in that direction,” McClelland told us. “When it actually happened, it felt like the most natural progression. As soon as we wrapped our heads around not being solo artists, it just took off creatively.”

“The creative spark was there immediately,” she continued, “but I think all that work leading up to it was necessary. Just learning how to work together without killing each other – being on the road together, being on a stage together, working on music together and not becoming too attached to our own ideas – all of that took time to really understand how to make that work.”

It definitely works for McClelland and Doucet as evidenced by their stunning performance Friday night at the Machine Shop – a performance that was mostly likely a Fall Festival highlight for a large majority of attendees.

The 44th annual Algoma Fall Festival continues with A Necessary Discussion featuring Soulpepper Theatre Company Artistic Director Albert Schultz and Algoma University Chancellor Shirley Horn on Oct. 21; The Novel Dinner featuring Jesse Brown, Will Ferguson, Dr. Vincent Lam, and Miriam Toews on Oct. 22; Coig on Oct. 28; and Next Generation Leahy on Oct. 29.

For tickets and information, visit www.algomafallfestival.com


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Donna Hopper

About the Author: Donna Hopper

Donna Hopper has been a photojournalist with SooToday since 2007, and her passion for music motivates her to focus on area arts, entertainment and community events.
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