Tucked just to the side of central downtown St. Catharines is St. Andrew’s Church, where Donovan Woods brought his Cold in April Tour last week (April 25th 2026) as part of Cicada’s Spotlight Concert Series. Donovan Woods is a Juno Award-winning folk/country singer-songwriter from Sarnia, Ontario. This was the third installation of the four part showcase which aims to elevate Canadian artists and showcase locally owned space leading up to Cicada Festival in October. At a time where music venues are constantly facing the threat of closure with rising rent and changing industry which leans on digital media – it’s refreshing to see how artists can transform any space into a gathering for community and a celebration of Canadian music.
The evening opened with Canadian Comic and 2026 Juno award winner Adam Christe. He started the evening off navigating his winning set in the presence of a nine-year-old and the weight of crosses staring him down in every corner. His final joke hit all the notes of melancholy that started to tie a knot of understanding through the audience. Rooted in a sense of comfort, reality and laughter from Christie’s set, Woods took the reins.
Woods paid a beautiful tribute to Abe Stoklasa, a good friend and collaborator. Sharing stories of the two of them, he softly launched into the first song they ever wrote, “Portland, Maine”. Woods shared memories of the two of them through songs they had written and new tracks off his tribute EP, Squander Your Gifts. Reflecting, he shared, “Every night I get to sing the songs we made up”. He noted it’s the luckiest thing, making up songs with your friends as you get to then think about them all the time. These renditions were sung with such unwavering vocal strength and control that was perfectly balanced with his expert fingerstyle on his acoustic guitar.
As the night unfolded, so did the back and forth between the audience and Woods. We heard stories of loved ones, unbridled Ontario trivia, and ragged on ex-boyfriends. We heard tunes like “I Talk About You” and “Do It Right” from Squander Your Gifts, along with older songs like “Petrolia”, “Grew Apart”, “Man Made Lake”, and “Another Way”. Although the event was almost three hours away from Sarnia, it truly felt like a homecoming for the artist. There wasn’t a face in the audience that wasn’t touched by a ghost of a smile. It seemed as if every audience member were old friends, rather than strangers, reconnecting and sharing memories.
