by 
Boris Paillard, a.k.a. The Keys a French singer-songwriter now living in Toronto, Canada playing Edgy Pop & Folk’n’Roll music is coming to perform live in Seattle at Slim’s Last Chance on Tuesday, July 1st as well as three other shows in the northwest. The show at Slim’s will kick off his first U.S.A. West Coast tour since 2010!
The Keys’ music is a curious blend of Pop, World & Traditional music and Rock ‘n’ Roll. But while the musicality is spiced and broad with epic song structures and surprising arrangements, the focus is just as much on the lyrical impact with a cutting sense of humor, a hint of cynicism, and songs that span the gulf between the heartbreak and the heartfelt.
Drawing from the rich well of the troubadour tradition, Paillard’s capacity to weave experiences and characters stems from a keen understanding of narrative, phrasing and metaphor, which get tied together by Paillard’s energetic guitar work, catchy melodies and intoxicating personality. Paillard’s presence on stage is electric, wandering seamlessly from song into story, painting diverse personal scenes of home-hunting, bond-making and anger-brooding.
Northwest tour stops:
Tuesday, July 1st – Seattle, Slim’s Last Chance
Wednesday, July 2nd – Leavenworth, Der Hinterhof
Thursday, July 3rd – Olympia, Northern
Saturday, July 5th – Portland, Mock Crest Tavern
“Boris’s slightly raspy voice and mixed American and French accent could not leave the public indifferent. What impressed many was his almost symbiotic relation with his guitar. His way of playing was so natural that it seemed like the guitar was part of his body.
The Keys’ musicality is clearly inspired by his travels as his folk melodies are tinged with American blues and French West Indies rhythmic. Even if the public was very small, Boris gave all that he had and created a relation of complicity with the public by sharing a bit of his life and song stories.”
Monica Kendrick, The Chicago Reader
