Doiron shares simple, subtle music from 10-year career

Julie Doiron, the Canadian indie singer-songwriter who wore a cherubic, diminutive, black electric guitar and a long, red sundress flowing down to her knees, joked in between songs about how she felt indecent about wearing such a short dress.
She exemplified the night: a light-hearted indie musical jaunt.

On Tuesday at Bear’s Place, Doiron performed a two-hour set with her backup band.

Currently, Doiron is touring in support of her latest album, “I Can Wonder What You Did with Your Day,” which was released on March 10 by Jagjaguwar, a Bloomington-based indie record label.

After three opening bands performed for an hour and a half, Doiron took to the stage and started off her set with a rollicking, rhythmic ballad at 11 p.m.  

When the lights dimmed and the rapt audience hushed, everyone’s gaze fell on Doiron, who began her performance abruptly without an introduction.

Because of the seamless harmony between the band members, the concert felt and sounded like an entire band rather than a solo artist.

Doiron’s drummer hammered out simple, functional beats, one after another. Each beat kept the band anchored and drove them forward to each new note. Doiron’s bassist presented a similar performance: simple, but adequate.

Most notably, Doiron and guitarist Fred Squire played off each other like the great musical duos of the past: The Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel and John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Although the band performed precisely, the biggest draw of the night was the most bittersweet aspect of the night’s concert: Doiron’s airy vocals and heavy-hearted lyrics.

With melancholy lyrical narratives about home and hearth, Doiron spoke directly into the heart of each audience member, who listened intently.

Yet, because Bear’s Place’s trashy sound system garbled up songs and tossed the levels willy-nilly, listeners were left trying to delineate Doiron’s voice.

But their straining was rewarded. Doiron’s flawless voice recounted her stories of heartache and insecurity.

Doiron strummed simply as she sang the majority of “I Can Wonder What You Did with Your Day.” She also included a few songs from earlier in her career, spanning more than 10 years and a dozen albums.  

When Doiron sang “I open my eyes in horror / To see what I’ve done / It was the wrong guy / He was the wrong guy” from her 2007 album, “Woke Myself Up,” audience members literally leaned forward to catch each and every word.

Despite the serious subject matter of her songs, Doiron kept the mood light, with quips and anecdotes between sets throughout the night.

Overall, her set sounded mature, with even her earlier songs sounding as developed as her latest.

After forgiving Dorion for the shabby sound system, the night did not disappoint.

When the night ended in uproarious applause, Doiron and her band deserved every clap and display of adoration.