Natalie MacMaster, the renowned Nova Scotian fiddler and step dancer, performed with her band of five on Friday night at the Lied Center. Her band consisted of a pianist, a pubescent cellist, a Nashville drummer, a bassist and a bagpipe/whistle player.
MacMaster came on stage and began playing immediately, stopping only after a few songs to ask the audience to kick off their shoes and dance in the aisles - literally. Before the end of the first half of the show, she showcased her step dancing, sans fiddle, as she mimicked and complemented drum beats.
After intermission, she shared her philosophy of surrounding herself with musicians better than herself because, as she said, they make her look good. She introduced each of the members of her band and they each got opportunities to show off; the bassist sang a solo, the pianist step danced a jig and everyone got a solo in one of the final pieces, “Madness.”
MacMaster’s music literally made toes tap and heads bob, and while no one took up her offer to dance in the aisles, she had everyone standing - and a few dancing and wiggling in place - during the encore performance.
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