An evening with Last Birds at Cafe No9

Event information

With haunting harmonies and intricate guitar work, Last Birds’ music is steeped in early country folk yet reflective of modern life. Using their small Canadian prairie town as a backdrop, Mike Davis and Lindsay Arnold weave together rural legends and current day experiences to form a modern prairie gothic. Their songs veer away from overly romanticized views of small town life to peer into the dark corners of the local bar, peek in the windows of the abandoned house down the street and pine for something or someone beyond the veil. Their two voices, two guitars approach to live performances creates a storytelling experience sure to silence the room.

Mike and Lindsay released their first full length album, Endless Turn of Day into Night, in October of 2023. The recordings are simple and direct, featuring the couple’s close vocal harmonies. Despite its humble roots, the self-produced album received international attention and praise. Paul Russel of Americana UK wrote: “This is a great album – it has strong songwriting, gorgeous harmonies, incredible guitar playing and a feeling this duo worked really hard to get it to sound so intimate and immersive that in the end you want to snuggle up to it.” The album was featured on several “Best of” lists including Americana Highways' Best Albums of 2023. The album won Alternative Country Album of the Year at the 2024 Saskatchewan Country Music Awards.

The duo was nominated for multiple awards in 2021 and 2022, including a Saskatchewan Music Award for Roots/Folk Artist of the year as well as Saskatchewan Country Music Association’s Group and Alternative Country Album of the Year. Their debut EP, released in April 2021, was well received and reached #1 on Kansas Public Radio while spending several weeks on the Roots Music Report charts for Top Folk Album and Top Canadian Folk Album.

Last Birds live in the tiny village of North Portal, Saskatchewan with their young daughter in a house they built with their own hands.

Mike and Lindsay acknowledge that their home in Saskatchewan is on Treaty 2 land, which is the traditional territory of the Nakota, Nehiyaw/Cree, Nahkawe/Saulteaux,Dakota and the traditional homeland of the Métis.

“Their vocal harmonies are tight and true throughout, and the production is wonderfully understated” - George Graham — The Graham Album Review

“Mike Davis and Lindsay Arnold, aka Last Birds, have proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they can compose and perform folk music of the highest order. ” - Scott Roos — North Sask Music Zine

“This is a great album – it has strong songwriting, gorgeous harmonies, incredible guitar playing and a feeling this duo worked really hard to get it to sound so intimate and immersive that in the end you want to snuggle up to it.” - Paul Russell — Americana UK

“The dynamic couple has produced a beautifully crafted, dusky album that illuminates the shadows that lurk in a small community. ” - Ashton Istace — North Sask Music Zine

“There’s an intimacy in the recording and an expressiveness in the acoustic guitar that works really well. In fact, they’re kind of a combination of the Civil Wars and a lot of the haunting chord work that makes the Milk Carton Kids so popular. This is an incredible band with an intriguing, intimate recording style.” - Greg Jones — Ear To The Ground

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Please note this ticket price DOES include a BYOB fee should you wish to bring alcohol to the venue.

All additional purchases of drinks and sweet treats from the cafe counter are always very much appreciated.