Opening last weekend for Parmalee at Thirsty Cowboy in Medina was up and coming Canadian artist Raquel Cole. Listed on Canada’s “top 25 artists under 25 to watch,” she lives up to the hype. She entered the stage looking like just another pretty young country singer, but proved to everyone looks are not everything! From the moment Cole started performing to the end of the show she captured the crowd.
She opened the show with her current single “It’s For Real This Time.” A catchy song about a girl who has finally had enough and breaks ties with that toxic ex we all have! Following this she played another original “No.” The song was one every girl can relate to, a song about that one guy who just thinks they are a gift to all and just doesn’t get why you aren’t interested. This one had everyone singing along with the chorus!
Cole played a few covers throughout the set too. Elle King’s “Ex’s and Oh’s” was extraordinary! She put her own country twist in the song to change it up and truly make it her own. Her rendition of “Stay a Little Longer” was bit more fast paced than the original, but her performance ability really showed through with this cover. She could go from being sweet and smooth to showing a little bit of sass and edge and then right back to sweet at the drop of a hat.
She played a few of the songs from her EP, The Mixtape including “Unsubscribe,” which is a fun song about the many wonders of modern technology in today’s world of dating and “Imogene” that was a slower song full of youthful innocence. It is a sweet song about imagining being someone else because you want their life to be yours. She also played other originals like “Jealous Girl,” an upbeat song about avoiding being that one girl that drives her man away because she is paranoid.
Closing her set was “Reckless,” which she co-wrote with Pete Stewart and Cindy Morgan. Cole channeled her inner Elle King and proved once again just how musically talented she is. Many female artists have a backup band, but she didn’t need one. She could hold the audience all on her own. Raquel Cole has a bit of Miranda, a splash of Shania, and a dash of Carrie making her a very talented artist and one that has a very bright career in front of her.