[center][img width=244]//7ca49eb9f67ba1319ef136f9d52cd8b8.cdn.bubble.io/f1751594570072x621180437471271500/richtext_content.jpeg[/img][/center] NATIONAL DUST One local rock critic, in a burst of enthusiasm over National Dust, once gushed that Lorrie Matheson, frontman and songwriter for National Dust, was Calgary's Bob Dylan. That may be overshooting the mark a bit but it's indicative of Matheson's standing in this city, where he has gathered a cult following for nearly a decade, first with the Anxious Poets and later with the popular Fire Engine Red. National Dust has been embraced by a wide range of audiences, from rockers to alt-country fans and the folk festival crowd. "We just sing good songs that people can relate to," Matheson says. Songs like Sadie Hawkins, with it's jingle-jangly guitars and catchy refrain, "She keeps trying to give me a reason to live," is inspired by girlfriend troubles; Eanie Meanie is about cutting loose an ex-friend; One Time Lucky looks at being poor; and Beehives on the Moon is about a misguided marriage. "We don't write metaphysical Aldous Huxley/Jim Morrison wannabe stuff. We tell stories in our songs, but no epics. No American Pies." Modern, down-to-earth folk songs, in other words, in the tradition of Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello, or bands like the Lowest of the Low, The Replacements and Wilco. This has helped make the band a big attraction in venues like the Night Gallery, the Ship and Anchor and the Republik, where they'll be opening for Neko Case March 30. National Dust band members.
