Though she’s collaborated with a wide variety of artists across different genres, running the gamut from Lana Del Rey to Spiritualized to QOTSA frontman Josh Homme (who produced her most recent album, Denim & Diamonds), at her core, Nikki Lane is pure country.
With a sound inspired by old school honky-tonk and outlaw country sounds with a bit of a rock ‘n roll edge, Lane definitely grabbed the attention of the packed crowd at the Horseshoe on Tuesday, including in particular a group of “rowdy girls” up front that Lane singled out for praise at one point early on in her set.
And while the crowd was definitely into it, it was clear that the feeling was mutual, with Lane not only praising the crowd in general, but the venue specifically for being her kind of room, adding that while she may someday get big enough that she won’t be playing rooms like this anymore, playing to tightly packed crowds like the one at the ‘Shoe were the reason she wanted to play music in the first place. That and maybe the opportunity to receive beautifully rolled joints that also look like candy canes, as she did from some kind patrons at the show on this occasion.
Lane put on a stellar show that featured several highlights including newer songs like “First High”, ‘Good Enough” and “Denim & Diamonds” alongside older favourites like “Highway Queen” and Right Time” and a few well-chosen covers like Jessi Colter’s “Why You Been Gone So Long” and Lucinda Williams’ “Drunken Angel.”
As she closed out the show with “Jackpot”, Lane again showed her appreciation for the Toronto crowd, thanking us all for coming out and adding, “You don’t know how good it feels to see this many people out on a Tuesday night.”