Jose Gonzalez Will Take Churches Over Festivals

03/13/08 3:00pm

by Cameron Gordon (CHARTattack)

Jose Gonzalez has reached a level of notoriety where he can now headline his own shows in churches and small theatres, which are perhaps the perfect venues for his shy, sincere folk stylings. That said, he's also been a regular on the festival circuit: With another busy summer of outdoor gigs in the works — including a slot at Tennessee's massive Bonnaroo Music Festival this June — Gonzalez says he'll need to try his best to once again translate the hush into a mass market environment.

"I like the club and theatre shows and it's true the festivals can be really tough," he says. "Just getting enough volume to be heard is a challenge. I'd estimate that one in 10 turns into a quality gig. But overall, it's the wrong combination of people who want to listen and people who just wander up to the stage."

The Swedish singer-songwriter has been on the road for close to half a year in support of In Our Nature, his sophomore full-length released in September 2007.

In an effort to keep things light and lively, Gonzalez, who often plays solo acoustic, has invited a pair of players from Swedish folk-rock outfit Little Dragon to play his musical foil on tour. The swollen ranks require a bit of adjustment, but certainly nothing he can't handle.

Expect Gonzalez to play a cover or three during his upcoming Canadian dates, with Massive Attack's "Teardrop," Kylie Minogue's "Hand On Your Heart" and The Knife's "Heartbeats" being staples of his recent setlists. He might now have a body of work from which to pull, but he still enjoys mining the archives now and then. Just don't expect him to mine too deeply.

"There were a ton of songs I used to play when I was younger that I'd never even consider playing now," he says. "Stuff like The Beatles' ‘Blackbird' and other classics. It's not that they're not great songs, but it's just I'm at the point where I've got my own catalogue of songs to pull from now, without losing interest."

Catch Jose Gonzalez keeping things on the down-low at the following dates:

March 14 Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Du Musee Juste Pour Rire
March 15 Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix
March 31 Vancouver, BC @ St. Andrew's Wesley United Church