Concert: Abigail Lapell

We’re excited to be bringing back another season of evenings filled with some exceptional classical, traditional, folk, roots, world music, and acoustic blues talents as we welcome performers in the heritage gardens near our 1877 waterwheel-powered flour mill. We’re only a half hour drive from Penticton, OK Falls, Oliver or Osoyoos–come visit one of the most charming little concert venues in the South Okanagan and Similkameen!

ARTIST INFO

Call it prairie noir or Canadiana desert rock: Abigail Lapell sings haunting, gorgeous modern folk songs. The Toronto songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has won two Canadian Folk Music Awards and reached over 20 million Spotify streams. Her evocative new album, Stolen Time, was released April 2022 on Outside Music. Produced by Howard Bilerman at Montreal’s Hotel2Tango, Stolen Time feels unhurried, psychedelic and otherworldly in the vein of Gillian Welch or Karen Dalton. A theme of recovery runs through the album, with songs about becoming sober, or a partner’s sudden illness, exploring the cycle of rehabilitation and relapse. The title comes from tempo rubato, a music term referring to the loose push and pull of expressive phrasing—a fitting metaphor for the shifting rhythm of uncertain times. An eclectic cast of musicians underscores the power of Lapell’s vocals on live-off-the-floor, 70s folk rock arrangements featuring bass, drums, horns, strings and steel. But many of Stolen Time’s standout tracks are solo guitar or piano songs, backed by little more than ghostly accordion or harmonica. The result is Lapell’s most ambitious and confident album to date.

“A disc of pure, impalpable beauty, weightless notes and melodies that pierce our hearts…. And the young woman, prey to a vagueness in the soul that she sublimates in a handful of magical songs, to offer us a twilight album, somewhere between Gillian Welch and Laura Veir.” – Rolling Stone

“Abigail writes songs that stop you right in your tracks.” — Brooklyn Vegan

“Lapell mines traditional approaches while drawing discerningly from the contemporary folk, rock, and country playbooks.” — No Depression

“Lapell’s latest is the new generation’s heart-rending answer to Tapestry’s call.” – Exclaim!

KEY CONCERT SERIES INFO

Through the summer of 2023, we will be hosting a variety of exceptional artists May through September for an evening concert series in our picturesque Historic Site. Unless otherwise noted, doors open at 6:00PM and concerts start at 7:00PM.

You are encouraged to bring your own blankets and low-rise lawn chairs; taller chairs are also welcome, but you may be asked to sit in the back to avoid obstructing the view of others. You’re welcome to bring your own water bottles (reusable or factory-sealed) but outside food or drinks are prohibited on site. The Grist Mill & Gardens will be operating a concession at each show.

You can purchase tickets on this page now or at our front desk beginning on June 1st, 2023.  Some tickets may also be available at the door on the night of the event, depending on availability, but a small additional surcharge will apply. Grist Mill 2023 Site Season Pass holders get a 10% discount on any tickets they purchase.