Ken Presse + Celina Wolfe @ Le Ministère

On Friday, January 17th, Ken Presse launched the release of his new album Someday with a very warm and intimate show at Le Ministère.

I got there early because I was looking forward to seeing Celina Wolfe, who was opening. Ken produced her self-titled EP in 2023, and I had the pleasure of speaking with her in 2022. (I can’t believe it’s been three years.) Before I had ever heard her sing, I asked her to compare herself to another artist, and she said Adele. And she wasn’t wrong.

Her set was short, but she managed to deeply move the audience with her powerful and emotional voice. A voice that needs to be heard in a stadium. Accompanied by only a keyboard, she delivered some heavy ballads: Counterfeit Love, Like a Crime, Birthday Candles, and my favourite, Coming Right Back.

And yet, she was giddy and vivacious when addressing the crowd, with humour and humility. Celina is the whole package: a powerhouse voice with incredible range, a sensitive, intelligent songwriter, great stage presence and personality—and she’s gorgeous. Even Ken humbly stated that one day he will be opening up for her.

I’m not as familiar with Ken’s music as I am with Celina’s, but I did see him perform at her Verre Bouteille show last year. So I was excited to hear his new album. And I definitely was not the only one.

Before the show, I had noticed two young women at the bar who seemed extremely delighted about something. I wasn’t eavesdropping, I swear, I was ordering a beer, but I couldn’t help overhearing. They had just bumped into Ken downstairs and were huge fans. How huge? One of them had his autograph tattooed on her upper arm. I didn’t get their names, but I did get a photo, so if you recognize yourself, please let me know, and I’ll tag you.

By 9 o’clock, the venue was packed, and Ken and the band casually hit the stage. He addressed the crowd as though every single person was a close friend or relative. Soft-spoken, self-deprecating, and quite humorous, he mused about attempting standup comedy. There were many shoutouts to fellow musicians, and although I didn’t know many people there, I felt a strong sense of community and affection. Which reminded me of the old adage: Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.

I was expecting him to only play songs from the new album, but he seemed to stray from the setlist, creating a truly natural and spontaneous vibe. It felt as though we were just hanging out, watching friends jam. There were a lot of backstories, in English and French. Ken treated us to a song that sounded like an ‘80s tune with some funky trumpet that wasn’t even on the album (Demons). He had a lot of musician friends that were invited on stage, including songwriter/guitarist Jordano Battista, and did a lovely acoustic Je Suis Perdu with Annie Thériault.

My favourite song off the new album is the title track, Someday, which sounded great live. The contrast of Ken’s gentle vocals with the mournful trumpet as he laments the passing of time really hits home:

If only we had known that this is as slow as time could go, might’ve seen a few more sunsets…

The highlight of the evening was when the band left the stage and gathered in the centre of the crowd to play a heartfelt cover of the old country/folk song Can The Circle Be Unbroken. Ken took a 100-year-old song and performed it like he had just written it himself. As though he was living the lyrics and, in that moment, connecting a crowd of strangers through the power of song.

And that’s what great artists do. They tell us stories, they share their feelings, and they make us feel a little less alone.