A cult legend of the Canadian folk scene, singer/songwriter Penny Lang earned a devoted fan following for her distinctive readings of folk, blues, country and gospel standards.
Lang plays Pender Harbour Saturday night at 8 p.m.
Born in east-end Montreal to a musical family, Lang learned the ropes in prisons, hospitals, churches and summer camps and on the stages of dusty old theatres. During the '60s and '70s she performed at major folk festivals, in folk clubs and in countless bars throughout North America. At one point, Warner Bros. expressed interest in offering her a contract, but upon learning she would be expected to record with an electric backing band, the staunchly acoustic Lang refused the offer. By the mid-'70s -burned out by the music business and battling alcoholism - she went into self-imposed exile, relocating to a rustic cabin in the remote wilderness region of Quebec. With the help of friends, she dealt with her demons, directed her energies into songwriting (a talent she had not explored in her earlier years as an entertainer) and in 1988 was welcomed back into the embrace of an enthusiastic public.
Lang re-emerged a stronger woman and a more powerful force. In 1991 she self-released her cassette-only comeback effort, Yes!!, followed in 1992 by Live. In the intervening years she has released seven CDs, most recently, Stone and Sand and Sea and Sky.
Lang has a voice that caresses, strong and true. Her songs are emotionally powerful observations of the human condition, sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous, always memorable. She is now a part of the Pender Harbour community, and this concert is a sort of debut, providing an opportunity to share her special brand of music with us right here at home.
Tickets for Saturday's concert are $20, available at John Henry's in Garden Bay, Harbour Insurance in Madeira Park, Sechelt Visitor Centre in Sechelt and Gaia's Fair Trade in Gibsons.
-Submitted
