The native from Montreal who became a New-Yorker, Rufus Wainwright had a funny role to fill in the programming of Sunday August 2nd at Osheaga.
Between the show of Vampire Weekend and The Decemberists (although the crowd had not yet forgotten the spectacle of energetic Ting Tings), Rufus was alone at the piano and guitar for an intimate concert.
In this context, the bilingual singer has set his own game by offering a outstanding one man show and also by being a leader for the public, with a few surprises on the menu.
Rufus didn’t waste any time. After moving to the piano without the fanfare, he began the presentation with his hit Going To a Town and then continued with La Complainte de la butte, written by Jean Renoir.
Mother & son duo
Shortly after Rufus left the black and white keys to grab an acoustic guitar. After two songs in this same formula (Sansoucis and I'm Not Ready To Love), the first surprise was revealed to us: the mother of Rufus Wainwright, the famous Kate McGarrigle, who have long sung a hushed folk with her sister Anna, joined her son on stage for two very moving duets.
The mother-son pair first sang an almost improvised version of the Entre La Jeunesse et La Sagesse, one of the songs of the highlights career of the McGarrigle sisters. The grapsy voice of Mrs. McGarrigle harmonized perfectly with her golden boy.
Rufus Wainwright was then offered a gift. Always with his mother on piano, the singer, known for his admiration for Judy Garland, has embarked on a dazzling version of Over the Rainbow.
"Now that she left, we could return to 'rock'," he said as a joke after Kate McGarrigle had left the scene after a well deserved standing ovation.
California and 11:11 followed before Rufus returned to the piano for his interpretation of loved Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.
A touch of opera
Another surprise awaited us. Without hiding the fact that he reached out to the Montreal Opera , Rufus Wainwright decided to submit the final fall of his opera Prima Donna French, made in Manchester this summer, and in Toronto in 2010. Entitled "The Fireworks are calling you", this epic and slow piece wetted our appetite for the whole opera.
Having completed his performance too early, Rufus was back on stage to sing Poses, title song of his second album, in encore, finding a luminous presence that would have been even better in the dining room. Soon, perhaps?
