DT Concert Series
The Arlington Hotel, Paris ON
By Kristin Archer
Photos by Lisa Vuyk
It was high time for a Detour! Detours, of course, are what I call it when we take a little road trip outside of Hamilton. Even just a short jaunt away from the Hammer in any which way, there’s tons to explore.
The Other Bird, the fabulous restaurant group behind The Mule, Burro, Rapscallion, Two Black Sheep, and Black Sheep Snack Bar, recently acquired The Arlington Hotel in Paris. Since then, I had been itching to get out there to see it.
The Arlington is picturesque, right across the river in quaint downtown Paris. It’s like a swanky castle! Right from our first steps inside, we saw some familiar friendly faces of The Other Bird team – Sue and Dave. It was like we never left Hamilton! The property includes 23 boutique rooms and a 150-person event venue. Lisa and I grabbed dinner and drinks inside The Library Bar. No surprise that food & drink are fantastic – it is The Other Bird, after all.
But the main event on this trip was the DT Concert Series, presented by The Other Bird and Noisemaker Management. The series began in November, runs until May, and features seven awesome shows from some big names in Canadian music. Listen to my interview with Tim Des Islets from Noisemaker last month on 93.3 CFMU to learn even more.
We knew we had to see our hometown gal Terra Lightfoot! Any chance to see Terra live, do it, because she is the absolute best. The event space was beautiful with hardwood floors, exposed brick, and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the river. The blue and purple lighting and pop of warmth from the unique light fixtures set the tone just right.
Terra opened solo with one of my very favourites off her spectacular album Every Time My Mind Runs Wild, “Emerald Eyes.” Joined by the band they continued with a fantastic set of songs off the album, a couple covers, and an older tune. We were even treated to a few new songs, one she was performing for the first time ever. As Terra joked, she is a genre-spanning artist, moving all over the map from “psych rock to country.” Front and centre, though, is that unreal voice.
DT Concert Series is a lovely evening out – you’ll want to grab tickets as the shows are selling quickly. The next installment is on Valentine’s Day with Rose Cousins. Check them out for the full lineup and ticket info.
