Hus concert a blue-collar geography lesson

Listening to a Tim Hus concert is like taking a geography tour of Canada from the blue-collar guy’s point of view.

When the Calgary-based country singer debuted his act at the St. Albert Community Hall on Thursday night, the 50-odd fans attending were treated to a coast-to-coast road trip that flipped from Prince Edward Island to the Kootenays, and from Rogers Pass to the wide expanse of the north.

Each traditional country tune was delivered with an ease and familiarity of a man that’s criss-crossed through all these communities and experienced the human conditions first-hand.

Like Ian Tyson and Stompin’ Tom Connors, the music speaks loudly of Hus’s affinity for the common man.

Sporting a voice that rumbles like deep, monotone diesel barrelling down the highway, Hus pumped out glimpses of the lives of regular dudes — everyone from cowboys, roughnecks and rumrunners to railway men, long haulers and even firefighters.

Wearing a cowboy hat and checkered shirt, Hus would often joke with the audience while lubricating his throat with a beer. Relaxed and raring to go, he delivered most of the songs with a rollicking, energetic rhythm, whether it was the ripping Canadian Pacific or the punchy Beer Hauler where, in machine-gun fashion, he fires off 63 kinds of Canadian brews.

But it was the slower-paced Huskies and Husqvarnas, a softer, poignant tune describing the lure of north that was a standout contrast to the more usual manly songs.

Some of Hus’s melodies had a similar vibe. But as a lyricist, he is definitely a diamond in the rough, creating vivid, memorable portraits in just a few spare lines.

Much of the credit for Hus’s strong presentation goes to the three-piece band accompanying him, starting with champion fiddler Billy MacInnis, the entertaining Riley Tubbs on upright bass, and the anchor, drummer Pat Phillips.

For openers, the St. Albert duo of Leah Durelle and Tyler Dianocky hit their best stride with a lively acoustic guitar show.

Durelle, a local music presence since she reached the double digits, has a trademark robust voice that scales several octaves with buttery ease.

But in the last few years, she has greatly expanded her emotional range, and it was particularly evident in two female empowerment choices, Terri Clark’s Better Things to Do and Miranda Lambert’s Gun Powder and Lead.

Dianocky, an original member of the nationally acclaimed rock band Tupelo Honey, took on a more understated, mellow role accompanying Durelle. But in Dwight Yoakam’s Guitars and Cadillacs, Dianocky took charge and delivered a memorable solo.

The duo brought the house down with their closer, 1930’s Cowboy Yodel, a galloping tune where Dianocky raced to keep up with Durelle’s energetic yodelling.

As of late, Nashville has been criticized for watering down the human condition for commercial gain. But this concert showed that spirited Canadian songs and stories are at the heart of country music, and they are alive and kicking.