LAC LA BICHE - The second concert of the 2024 Music in the Forest Series will feature a performance by the folk-rock outfit Reuben and the Dark.
The show takes place on March 28 at the community facility in Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park at 7:30 p.m.
The group is fronted by singer-songwriter Reuben Bullock, originally based out of Calgary, but who now calls Joshua Tree, California, home. The March 28 show marks Bullock’s first time performing in Lac La Biche.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” he told Lakeland This Week.
To date, Bullock has released two solo albums, along with four Reuben and the Dark albums, and is currently working on a fifth one. While Bullock does have a home studio, the band which bears his namesake tends to record a good portion of its songs in a proper studio.
“It’s always a combination of home and studio recording that makes it onto a finished album,” he stated.
The group’s latest album, "In lieu of Light" was released in late 2022 via the Toronto-based independent record label Arts and Crafts. According to Bullock, production of “In lieu of Light” was started at his home in Joshua Tree and finished at OCL Studios in Calgary.
“I love this record,” he said, adding that the tracks ‘Timelapse Clouds’, ‘Coming Like a Storm’, and ‘YES’, are his favourites. Timelapse Clouds featured The Bullhorn Singers, a Blackfoot Powwow singing and drumming group from Kainai Bloodtribe.
Fans of such popular TV shows as ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ and ‘The Highwaymen’ may have already heard some of the music of Reuben and the Dark.
Their own song ‘Black Water’ appeared in ‘Breaking Bad’ while The Highwaymen show featured their version of the iconic ‘Hallelujah.’
“It’s always surreal to hear my music alongside film and TV,” Bullock stated.
A name such as Reuben and the Dark may conjure images of songs with dark, painful lyrics and very deep meanings. Bullock says while the group’s lyrics and content do touch on a lot of suffering, there is joy and optimism throughout.
“Overall, I think there is a message of hope that finds its way across the songs,” he stated. “I find myself often traveling to the darker and more mysterious parts of myself to pull inspiration. So the name really felt like it captured that in a simple way.”
The day after Reuben and the Dark performs in Lac La Biche, the group will be heading to Yellowknife to perform from a stage built into a giant ice castle. According to Bullock, while the band is keeping its summer festival tour plans secret for now, an announcement will be made shortly.
As for who the other members of Reuben and the Dark are, as Bullock puts it, the cast alternates often. For the March 28 performance, he said, the group will be playing a more stripped back show, one that will be more acoustic and intimate.
“I’ll be joined by Sam Harrison and Ben Longman,” Bullock stated. “Maybe more…”
Doors open for the Churchill Park show at 6:30 p.m. Music starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information about purchasing tickets, please contact Jaclyn at 780-623-7189 or to go to the Alberta Parks website.
