Tonight singer-songwriter, Craig Cardiff, comes to play at KIAC. A tall-bearded man from Ontario, Craig has been traveling across Canada for more than a decade gaining a reputation for connecting even a room of strangers. I once saw him perform in a university bar and when the power went out the audience silenced the bar chatter so he could continue to perform, acoustically by candlelight. He led the room in song, unknowingly offering a group of friends (getting ready to part after four years) a fitting send-off. I know I wouldn’t be alone in saying that Cardiff knows how to make the room feel like you’ve never left home.
His lyrics are distilled stories of what he has lived and those he has gained from others. On his last tour he travelled with a notebook where audience members could write thoughts they had never told anyone. It’s been said his current album, LOVE IS LOUDER (than all the noise), is a response to these notes, as people wrote about those they loved, those parts of themselves they feared, and the ideas they have for their lives. His lyrics, which call attention to how life “is no dress rehearsal”, are always accompanied by his gentle and humorous performance style. I once saw him serenade a mannequin while two men were asked to interpretively act out his lyrics. It’s a sight to see, and I’ve never left a Cardiff show without feeling lighter than when I first came in.
While most locations throughout Canada have to contend with near thirty-dollar tickets to see his shows, tonight at KIAC you can see him for $5. Openers will be local performers, Jonathan Howe and Susu Robin. The show starts at 7:30 pm and tickets will be sold at the door. Don’t miss this (or the free song-writing circle at 5:30 pm for those looking to learn from his musical wisdom).