Pleasant.
If there's one word that sums up the Wilkinsons, that would be it.
The talented singing clan from Ontario never quite dazzle, although they are competent and confident performers.
Powered by 19-year-old Amanda Wilkinson's soulful roof-rattling vocals, the trio treated a crowd of about 2,000 to more than an hour of pop/rock fuelled country at the Coca-Cola stage last night. The band -- which also features Amanda's 17-year-old brother Tyler and their father Steve -- showed why they are multiple CCMA-award winners and ACMA nominees. But their live show also reveals why they haven't sold more records.
Unlike many other country acts -- and teenage pop stars -- the Wilkinsons refrain from over-the-top stage antics and slick performance gimmicks.
Most importantly, Amanda hasn't been gussied up and undressed as a cheap marketing ploy. (Tyler, however, will probably be used in the future as a chick magnet.)
Instead the Wilkinsons worked the crowd with their finely tuned harmonies and catchy well-written songs like Fly (The Angel Song), Nobody Died Of A Broken Heart and their biggest hit to date, 26 Cents.
While Pa Wilkinson didn't say much -- acting more as an anchor for his energetic offspring -- he did comment on Calgary's roasting weather. "I thought this was Calgary, but it feels more like Arizona."