Basia Bulat & Jeanne Truax: Two Roads, One Stage, and Zero Apologies

Thursday, August 14 • 7:00 PM
The Historic Market Hall 

In one corner, you’ve got Basia Bulat—a Montreal-based musical shapeshifter with a voice that hits like a gospel sunrise and a songbook that refuses to sit still. Folk? Sure. Soul? Absolutely. R&B, classical, orchestral reinterpretations? Check, check, and cue the string section. Bulat doesn’t just write songs—she builds them, brick by brick, with electric guitars, autoharps, ukuleles, and even the charango (Google it).

She’s graced stages alongside Sufjan Stevens, Nick Cave and The National, paid tribute to Cohen and Lanois, and still finds time to headline with the kind of humility you only get from playing your guts out in half-lit clubs before you ever see the glow of NPR’s Tiny Desk. Five JUNO nods, three Polaris Prize finals, and a resume that reads like a tour poster for the coolest festival never thrown—Basia is the real thing, genre be damned.

And then there’s Jeanne Truax, the wild card.

Fresh on the scene but moving like she’s been here before, Jeanne’s a heatwave in cat-eye shades—channelling Wanda Jackson swagger with a rockabilly pulse and just enough Beatles-drenched harmony to leave your heart full and your foot twitching. She’s spent the last year turning heads and tuning amps, polishing a live show that hits like a shot of espresso with a punchline chaser. Don’t let the newcomer label fool you—this one’s got tricks, teeth, and a roadmap to somewhere loud.

Together? They’re not just a bill. They’re a generational handshake. A masterclass in artistry, legacy, and pure, uncut performance. Come for the polish. Stay for the fire. And if you walk away without goosebumps, you might want to check your pulse.