Le Ren and Farser at Belong

Jul 24, 2024

The second concert presented by the Frontenac Folk Club, which is a project of Jonas Bonnetta and his Port William Sound studio in Mountain Grove. It featured a performance by BC born, Montreal based, country-folk singer-songwriter Lauren Spears, who performs as Le Ren.

There was a buzz throughout the supper hour at Belong Sharbot Lake, partly because it was a summer evening and there was a mix of dinner guests who were there for dinner and show and others who were just eating. As the show hour approached, show ticket holders arrived and Belong staff set out chairs around a makeshift stage by the window to the restaurant patio.

It took a bit longer than planned to get the show underway, but nobody seemed to mind. It is July, after all.

Farser, which is the stage name of Fez Gielen, was the opening act. Accompanying himself on guitar, he played a selection of contemplative original tunes, punctuated by one cover tune from Utah Phillips. Although country based, Farser’s songs were more meditative and less about the story telling of traditional country ballads. Loren Spears joined Farser for the last few songs, adding depth with her harmonies.

After intermission, the Le Ren show started with a George Jones tune, with both Fez Gielen and Loren Spears on guitar, and Spears on lead vocals. Most of the set was taken up with her original tunes, exploring the classical themes of love and loss. Her voice, plaintive for the most part, searing at others, was like a kind of dance around the lyrics. Le Ren’s sound has an Americana feel, and some of her lyrics are pure country.

One line, from the song Willow, could be from Hank Williams himself:

“Don’t make me weep like a willow/Oh I’ve been blue far too long/ Don’t make me cry, I’m through with sorrow/ Don’t make me weep like a willow.” 

The Frontenac Folk Club has received a grant from Frontenac Business Services, helping cover musician fees and the cost of a new sound system. There will be four more concerts at Belong in the coming months, the next one some time in September.