Instant Rivalry at the Old Church Theatre
Brother and sister country duo Instant Rivalry sold out in just two days when it was announced they would be featured on Live is Where it Lives at the Old Church Theatre Feb. 11.
"It always surprises me, personally, when we sell out a show, or when people are actually wanting to buy our music...It’s just something we love doing so the fact that we can make a career out of it is awesome," said Megan Hutton, who sings and plays guitar in the band alongside brother Caleb Hutton, who does the same.
Coming to the Old Church Theatre was something the two said they had been planning to do, but kept putting off, so when well-known Quinte musician Joe Callahan asked them to do Live is Where it Lives, they finally committed.
“It’s essentially a live show with what I would consider to be professional and emerging artists from the region," said Callahan, who hosts and performs at the event.
'Live is where it lives' was a phrase that happened to slip out of Callahan's mouth while discussing ideas for the Old Church Theatre with its owners over two years ago.
Since then, Live is Where it Lives was born and Callahan said every show has been sold out in the intimate 55-seat venue. It even attracted CogecoTV, which now comes to record and then air the event on cable channel 4.
“It’s different than a pre-packaged television show where it’s very tightly scripted: It’s Live is Where it Lives. So what I always hope for is that there’s some musical collaboration, spontaneity, improvisation, audience participation – those are the things I look for at any live music event," said Callahan.
And that's exactly what people got at Saturday's show.
Joe Callahan started the night off with a handful of his songs and then introduced Instant Rivalry, who also played all originals.
“When you can play music that you have written and it touches (the audience), there’s nothing like that. It’s probably the biggest high I could ever imagine," said Megan.
“It’s the best drug out there," Caleb added.
After a short break, Callahan interviewed the featured artists. One of the questions he asked involved how their duo started.
“Dad was the one that kind of gave us the idea, as two teenagers, to stop standing in two different bedrooms doing the same thing, and then get into one room and do the same thing together. And then our Mom provided us with the financial backing at first to actually make some music," Megan answered.
In an interview prior to the event, the two told Expression about their relationship working together.
“Overall, we’re family and we get along to do this," Caleb said. "We sometimes have to be together for long periods of time and both of us are still alive and I think that’s the main thing – "
“– We love each other, that’s what he’s trying to say," Megan jumped in. "We grew up in a really tight-knit family so… I wouldn’t really want to work with anybody else."
Instant Rivalry joined Callahan for a final few songs and then finished off the night with a song the audience could – and did – sing along to: The Weight.
The next Live is Where it Lives will take place on March 11 and will feature Rett Wills. The show starts at 7 p.m. at the Old Church Theatre. There's no admission fee, but a hat will be passed for donations, which are given to the musicians.
To watch the Feb 11 Live is Where it Lives, see CogecoTV's schedule here.
In the meantime, Instant Rivalry said they will continue working on their next album and playing gigs around the Quinte region.
For performances from the event see below: