Rankin Family Reunion Tour Feels Like a Coronation - By Holly Harris - Whats On Winnipeg
Four stars out of five
Attendance: 2,002
It may have been billed as a reunion tour to promote The Rankin Family's new CD Reunion, but in many ways it also felt like a coronation.
The popular contemporary Celtic band — which includes siblings Heather, Jimmy, Raylene and Cookie Rankin — also included young Molly Rankin, daughter of older brother John, who died tragically seven years ago. The 19-year-old stole the show whenever she came onstage in what seemed like an inter-generational passing of the crown, proving her father's musical legacy is being kept alive and very well.
The band is currently on a 22-stop Canadian tour — their first since 1999 — bringing the remaining four siblings together again for their first Manitoba show in more than 15 years.
The 100-minute set included their greatest hits and songs from their new album.
The wildly gifted Molly — introduced as the "pride of Mabou (Cape Breton)" — seemed to do it all, from singing, songwriting, fiddling, guitar-strumming to some terrific high-step jigging. Her doting aunts couldn't seem to take their eyes off her as she performed. Her original song Sunset was a lovely highlight of the show.
Given the hard times this family has faced over the years — including the sudden death of elder sister Geraldine this month — they may be forgiven for a relatively subdued set. However, the Rankins — backed by a five-piece band — showed they can still rock the house on their new single Sunday Morning and a hard-driving Movin' On.
The stirring anthem Rise Again — with Raylene belting out the lyrics "we rise again in the voices of our song" — may very well be the perfect theme song for a unique family that keeps reinventing itself.
Gaelic love song Ho Ro Mo Nighean Donn Bhoidheach (Nut Brown Maiden), performed as a dark a cappella number by the trio of sisters, sent chills down the spine.
No Celtic show worth its salt would be complete without some old-time Cape Breton fiddling, and on Tuesday night Molly showed off her chops on a frenzied twin fiddling reel performed with band member Howie MacDonald.
The most poignant moment of the evening came with the piano solo Bishop, dedicated to the memory of John and Geraldine. MacMorran’s sensitive playing got to the heart of the piece without overstating its intention.
Singer-songwriter Dawn Langstroth, daughter of Anne Murray, warmed up the audience with folksy charm, performing a short set of cover tunes as well as her own original material with guitarist Jeremy Kelly.
The party was just heating up when it was time to leave. But three encores, including some killer step-dancing and a quieter, appropriately titled Departing Song helped ease the crowd back into the cold prairie night.
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