Brooklyn has 'Hometown' feel for Canucks

By Meredith Deliso

While on their month-long tour a couple weeks ago, Rural Alberta Advantage were heading to their next stop in Denver. They were feeling pretty good, because they had heard good things about the venue. Most times, they see what they’re in store for when they show up at the door with equipment in hand.

“We never know with shows,” said Nils Edenloff, lead singer of the Canadian indie rock band. “We don’t know if a place is going to be a dive or pretty awesome.”

Edenloff is too worried about their upcoming stop in Brooklyn, August 4 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg.“I’ve never been to the Music Hall but I know it by name,” said Edenloff. “Every time we come through, somebody super incredibly awesome is playing there.”

The band has been through quite a few times, playing the New York area more than they’ve played their home base of Toronto in the past year at places like The Bell House and Union Hall.

As the name suggests, RAA was born out of Alberta, Edenloff’s hometown. When the songwriter moved to Toronto in 2005, his homesickness led him to write about his hometown and summers spent in the Rockies and winters on the farm. The end result was the band’s debut LP “Hometowns,” a yearning, oftentimes beautiful collection of songs dominated by Edenloff’s emotive, raw voice.

After blog buzz, stellar live shows, and spots on several “Best of 2008” lists, the album was picked up by Saddle Creek and released earlier this month on the indie label.Their Brooklyn gig will be heavy on “Hometown,” as the band has slowly been working towards polishing new material, and are starting to feel the pressure of scrutiny that good buzz and a label deal can bring.

“Before, we had the ability to do that slowly and in front of nobody, in a way,” said Edenloff. “[Our music’s] gotten a lot of attention, which is great. But it’s a little stressful. We want people to be happy with everything we put out.”

Brooklyn marks the last stop on RAA’s national tour, and while they’re looking forward to returning to Canada, the makers of “Hometown” are excited to make a stop where they feel right at home.

“We’ve gone to New York and the Brooklyn area and it feels every time we play there super warm and welcoming,” says Edenloff. “It feels like a second home.”

Rural Alberta Advantage play the Music Hall of Williamsburg (66 North 6th St.) August 4 at 9 p.m. (doors at 8 p.m.) with Hollerado. The show is free, and is 18+. For more information, go to or call 718-486-5400.