Ruby Waters Brings Her 'What's the Point?' Tour to Winnipeg

Ruby Waters brought out folk-pop rock in Winnipeg on 9 October 2024 at Burton Cummings Theatre. The night started with the great debut of Australian punk and his guitar act, Slim Krusty. The tone on that guitar! That was just different from the usual what Winnipeg used to hear. He played songs from his new album Ending on High which is pretty much a straight fifty-fifty split down the middle of the album with half the songs being introspective/heartbroken about grief, loss, and heartbreak, and the other half being sweary up-tempo bruisers. Krusty has range, and I think a lot of people in this sub would appreciate this album.

Even though Winnipeg was his last stop with Ruby Waters, Slim didn’t hold back from keeping the energy high with songs like "Mystery Bag," "Touching Off," and "Messy Pinkman." Trust me, nothing feels greater than the audience singing back your whole song with you. And honestly, every time he threw out the word “cunt,” it was just hilarious. The crowd loved it.

The sub-headliner for the night was Tia Wood, an Indigenous singer from Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Alberta. She brought her culture and heritage to the stage through her songs. She dedicated "Dirt Roads" to the people from her reservation, and it clearly meant a lot to her. 

Her album, Pretty Red Bird, proves she’s a Native American R&B Princess, no doubt. When the crowd cheered her on, yelling, “We’re proud of you!” it was a wholesome, heartfelt moment. She only sang for about 30 minutes which I was not expecting. If the crowd had pushed her, one more song would’ve really taken it up to a different level of experience. Her voice is so calming and has a signature quality that everyone would have wanted to listen one more time.

The headliner, JUNO Award-nominated, alternative artist Ruby Waters is truly one of the rising stars in the Canadian music industry. Her songs like "Supernatural” and “Blow” are listed in the Top 5 on the Canadian Alternative and Rock Radio charts. What's the point?, Ruby Waters' new album, made a blast in Winnipeg. The album gives highs and lows of life and both vulnerability and strength lyrics. Her voice is super powerful and connects with you. As soon as she stepped on the stage, she brought the whole crowd to the pit. Some standing up, some moving forward to the stage leaving no space to walk around. She started the set with songs like Rabbit Hole, and Flash Flood. When she finally played "Breathe"—“I am not holding my breath // I just simply can’t breathe”—the whole crowd was singing and dancing. Songs like "Numbers" and "Adult Swim" stood out as fan favorites. 

But the real unexpected moment came midway through her set when Slim Krusty jumped back on stage wearing shorts. They poured beer into their shoes and drank from them—total Aussie vibes! I thought I’d have to go to Australia to witness that, but here it was, happening in Winnipeg. Ruby Waters, Tia Wood, and Slim Krusty made Wednesday night a lot better for Winnipeggers.