Music is food for the soul, so Lunch at Allen’s is planning on giving Lethbridge audiences a veritable feast of hits and harmonies, when they return to Lethbridge, June 26, as they wind down their summer tour.
“If I don’t get my studio together, I’m going to lose my mind, ” said Marc Jordan in the middle of downsizing now that his musically inclined children have moved away.
He has two children with his wife Amy Sky— Zoe Sky Jordan and Ezra Jordan who have embarked on music careers of their own in Hollywood and Nashville respectively.
“So we’re downsizing. We had a big house with a studio in the basement. I usually play until 4 in the morning,” he said, noting he is excited to take a break from moving to tour with Lunch at Allen’s
Marc Jordan is one fourth of Canadian supergroup Lunch at Allen’s which includes Ian Thomas, Murray McLauchlan and Cindy Church plus a crack backing band.
The quartet all have multiple solo hits and hits they have written for other musicians. Jordan is known for ‘Marina Del Ray’ and ‘Rhythm of my Heart.’ and has written songs for artists including Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Cher, Bette midler and Chicago and Josh Groban to name a few.
Jordan is looking forward to hitting the road with his compatriots, who have been playing together as Lunch at Allens for almost 20 years, releasing their first album together in 2004.
All four musicians already had established solo careers, Murray McLauchlan had a number of country hits including “Farmers Song” and “Down By The Henry Moore.” Ian Thomas has had several solo hits with “ Painted Ladies” and “Levity” and has had a number of songs recorded by bands like Santana, Chicago and Manfred Mann’s the Earth Band.
Nova Scotia born Cindy Church has been a well known staple of the country music scene since 1987 solo and with bands like Quartette and the Great Western Orchestra. So they have a lot of songs to choose from.
“We each play four songs, but we perform them as a band. It’s not like a songwriters in the round. We play on each other’s songs and sing harmonies,” Jordan said.
We‘re such good friends,” he said, adding they love performing together, especially singing harmonies.
“ We love bands like the Eagles and Mama Cass from the Mamas and Papas.
It’s special when Ian, Murray and I sing together, but when Cindy sings, she adds these ghost harmonies. She’s a really wonderful singer,” he said.
Lunch At Allens last visited Lethbridge in 2016.
“We’ve been out on tour since then, but then Covid happened and messed up everything. We just started touring again. It’s been tough with theatres closing,” Jordan said.
“It’s wonderful to be back. We appreciate it more after it was taken away from us. We appreciate it’s a two way connection, not only between us, but between us and the fans. And we don’t take that for granted,” he said.
They rehearse a lot for the tour, especially as they’re breaking into a new bassist.
“We want to make sure we’re playing the best concert that we can every night,” Jordan said.
Ian Thomas lives in Hamilton, while Jordan and Jordan both live in downtown Toronto, while Church comes in from the east coast, where she lives.
“ She’ll be staying with Sylvia Tyson while she’ s here,” he said.
They start their Western Canadian tour in Moose Jaw on June 16 and play Lethbridge, June 26 before finishing the tour in Regina.
“ It’s pretty much the same show throughout the tour. There’s a couple songs fans expect us to play. So I always play ‘Marina Del Ray’ and Rhythm of the Heart,’ no matter if I’m playing solo, with my band or Lunch at Allens. Though it is different if we‘re playing for a holiday like Christmas,” he said, adding they focus on songs from the their albums “ Lunch at Allen’s (2004),” “ Catch the Moon (2007)”, More Lunch at Allens (2010) and their Christmas album. Zuzu’s Petals : A Lunch at Allens Christmas ( 2012).
He noted this show will include ‘Marina Del Ray,’ ‘Painted Ladies,’ ‘Whispering Rain,’ Never Been kissed’ and ‘Rhythm of Your Heart.’ They’ve been ending the show with ‘Farmers Song.’ and usually end with a cover of the Everly Brothers “All I have to Do is Dream.”
But with Canadian legends Ian Tyson and Gordon Passing on in the past year, they may be a tribute to them in the show.
“I was playing some Gordon Lightfoot with my solo band and I was getting teary. Murray and Gordon were close friends and Cindy used to play with Ian Tyson a lot when she was out west,” she said adding he hopes fans will enjoy Lunch at Allen’s as much as the band do.
“The band is very wonderful. I think people will enjoy harmonies. We sound good together,” Jordan said.
Lunch at Allen’s play the Yates Theatre, Monday, June 26. The show begins at 7 p.m. tickets are $72.
— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
