Wrestling with Demons Tour comes to Shelburne with 5-piece band and big sound
Ryan Cook describes himself as a hardcore troubadour and traveling songwriter, but he is so much more than that.
The charming and talented showman brings his "Wrestling with Demons" tour - including his big band - to the Sea Dog on Friday, April 5.
Cook grew up in a large dairy-farming family near Yarmouth and ran as fast as he could from the expected clichés of cowboy culture, singing for punk rock and death metal bands as a teenager, helping to shape a popular south shore music scene along with artists like Brian Borcherdt (Holy F*ck) and Paul Murphy (Wintersleep).
Blending the nostalgia of classic country music with modern satire, Ryan has developed a progressive style of country that is both traditional and innovative. Branching as far left as country jazz and as far right as three-quarter time bluegrass, there are few elements of the genre he hasn't touched since arriving on the scene in 2007.
In 2008, Ryan entered the studio and released his debut LP, Hot Times. The record was awarded Country Album of the Year at the Nova Scotia Music Awards, nominated at the East Coast Music Awards and named 8th best Canadian Country Album of 2008 by Country Music News.
He was invited to Nashville in 2009 to record his sophomore album with Music City Roots producer, John Walker. The result, Peaks and Valleys, featured a few of Nashville's more prolific players, past and present, including Lloyd Green, Andy Leftwich, and multiple Grammy-winning
artist Alison Brown.
The album was hailed by critics as one of the most refreshing Country/Western albums of 2010 and took home Country and Bluegrass Album of the Year from Music Nova Scotia while receiving top honours with Country Music News as the 2010 Album of the Year in Canada.
This year, Ryan Cook is back with his third release, Wrestling with Demons, which lands like a flying elbow smash in the face of mainstream music. Armed with east coast allies, J.P Cormier and John Campbelljohn, along with the last two living members of Hank Snow's band, Kayton Roberts and Roger Carroll, Ryan produces a hi-fi record that is refreshing and real.
With all the hype of a classic wrestling showdown, Wrestling with Demons is a battle royale of amped-up acoustic guitars, swinging mandolin chops and hot steel.
Maverick Magazine gave cook a 4-star review, saying, "From Cowboy songs and country swing with a dash of Bakersfield, Cook's feet seem firmly planted in real life. As a result, you'll find far more peaks than valleys here and the view looks truly promising."
Having performed over 700 shows since 2007, Cook has shared the stage with Dwight Yoakam, Rosanne Cash, Sammy Kershaw, Steve Poltz, Brandi Carlile, and Joel Plaskett. In 2011, Ryan toured with Travis Tritt as the opening act on his 2011 acoustic tour in Canada. He has showcased in Nashville at both Music City Roots and the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree and performed over 30 theatre shows - including at The Osprey - as Hank Williams in the Maynard Collins play, The Show He Never Gave.
The Sea Dog show with Ryan Cook and his band starts at 8:00pm, with $15 cover. Seating for this special show will be limited. For dinner reservations, call 875-2862.
