Canadian acid-folk group and alter-ego of Tom Wilson playing PEI Friday and Saturday, Halifax next

Tom Wilson alter-ego of Lee Harvey Osmond

Lee Harvey Osmond is in the midst of it’s Canadian tour with a swing through the Maritimes this week and next. The four performances will be the some of the best nights’ entertainment this winter.

Mike Campbell says “these shows will make the Top Ten Shows in 2011 list of anyone who’s smart enough to be there” about the two shows at The Carlton in Halifax.

Friday night they play the popular The Dunk on Dixon Road, Breadalbane, PEI. Saturday is Hunter’s in Charlottetown.  Sunday and Monday they play The Carleton in Halifax.

People have tried describing Lee Harvey Osmond as “acid-folk”. Formed in a musical partnership with Tom Wilson, The Cowboy Junkies and ex-Junkhouse members, the band is running hard on the energy of folk/roots artist Tom Wilson.  

Wilson is a large man of even larger talent, energy and humor.  He also has the deepest voice since Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Tom Wilson can sing with the sweet Margo Timmins and belt it out with raunchy vigor. He may be laid back but there is always the edge of danger.

Wilson is a man who thrives on creating – art, music, photography, videography – and using social media like Facebook to spread his art around.

Fredericton.. It's Worse Than It Looks.. (click for larger image - Hipstamatic photo Tom Wilson)

Tom told me Tuesday night in Sackville not to put any patter between songs on YouTube. I’m not sure if that is to keep the music front and center or to avoid offending some who might take his humor the wrong way. Wilson had the Sackville crowd in the palm of his hands.

I’ve never seen Lee Harvey Osmond but I’ve seen Wilson live twice.

I’ve heard the CD  A Quiet Evil which gets inside your head. That’s probably a combination of Wilson and Margo Timmins from Cowboy Junkies.

I can’t confirm who will be playing with Wilson on PEI and in Halifax. Tom Wilson is always in a state of flux. Back in December it included “Aaron Goldstein on pedal steel, former Junkhouse drummer Ray Farrugia, and Wilson’s son Thompson—member of the up-and-coming Steeltown folk-roots act Harlan Pepper—on bass.” Strait.com. Drummer Ray Farrugia alone would be worth driving through a winter snow storm to see.

The band flies in on Friday afternoon. Tom Wilson has been in the Maritimes since Monday with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. See Stephen’s most excellent adventure in Sackville

I can confirm one thing – those nights in Breadalbane, Charlottetown, and Halifax will be some of the best entertainment this winter.

If my stamina holds up, I should be able to take in two of the four.

As a footnote, they say talent is genetic. Tom’s son is a member of the awesome young band Harlan Pepper.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIXkfl-ZjVw&feature=related’]