This past New Year's Eve, Winnipeg vocal powerhouse Alexa Dirks, better known as Begonia, hosted an online concert with video footage from her five sold-out 2020 hometown shows. Taking the fun a step further, she is now releasing the audio from the concert as a live album. Offering so much more than her studio recordings, the live version overflows with emotion from Dirks as well as the sold-out crowds. This release is Begonia in her rawest state, filled with human moments, funny banter and spunk.
The album includes nearly every song from her 2019 album Fear and 2017 EP Lady in Mind, making the album an ideal starting point for new fans. The album is impressive the first time through, but offers so much more with each listen, especially from her band. The instrumentals and the harmonies are showcased more in a live setting than in the studio, making it full, energetic and wildly colourful. As expected from a live album, Begonia's vocal imperfections come through, which often end up adding an emotional edge. She is known for her passionate voice and she brings it full force with this album, whether singing softly and sensitively or yelling her face off.
The most impressive tracks are "Two Beers In" and "Put It Away," which have Begonia's best vocals, awesome harmonies from her back-up singers, and instrumentals that have been amped up for the live performance. "Two Beers In" is particularly impactful due to its rhythmic complexity and Dirks' powerful range. These two tracks are not typically among her most popular, but that may very well change after this release — another example of how Dirks elevates her music for the live show.
With electrifying performances from Dirks and her band, The Fear Tour (Live) is Begonia at her best, and really makes you feel as if you're in the same room as her, experiencing one of her shows.
(Birthday Cake)The album includes nearly every song from her 2019 album Fear and 2017 EP Lady in Mind, making the album an ideal starting point for new fans. The album is impressive the first time through, but offers so much more with each listen, especially from her band. The instrumentals and the harmonies are showcased more in a live setting than in the studio, making it full, energetic and wildly colourful. As expected from a live album, Begonia's vocal imperfections come through, which often end up adding an emotional edge. She is known for her passionate voice and she brings it full force with this album, whether singing softly and sensitively or yelling her face off.
The most impressive tracks are "Two Beers In" and "Put It Away," which have Begonia's best vocals, awesome harmonies from her back-up singers, and instrumentals that have been amped up for the live performance. "Two Beers In" is particularly impactful due to its rhythmic complexity and Dirks' powerful range. These two tracks are not typically among her most popular, but that may very well change after this release — another example of how Dirks elevates her music for the live show.
With electrifying performances from Dirks and her band, The Fear Tour (Live) is Begonia at her best, and really makes you feel as if you're in the same room as her, experiencing one of her shows.