You could see the surprise in the eyes of the audience.
When Lewis Kane was introduced under the bright lights of Talent Time at the Biltmore, no one expected a 65 Scotsman in a kilt and undershirt to step up to the microphone with his accordion, smile sweetly and begin singing a softly lilting cover of "Wagon Wheel" by Bob Dylan and Old Crow Medicine Show.
Rock me mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama anyway you feel, heyyyy, mama rock me.
As the North American folk anthem limbicly landed, hardened East Van hearts visibly swooned.
The only person who knew this goodbomb was about to go off would be Paul Anthony, Talent Time host and scout, who discovered Kane performing at the West End Farmers Market earlier this summer.
Kane, a 22-year-old architecture graduate from Scotland, has lived in Vancouver for just over a year, and in his West End bachelor apartment since the start of June.
Its my own little sanctuary. People have time to talk to each other in this neighbourhood. People live here because it is a community and you can stop and talk to your neighbours, pet their dog. Its a great cross section of society.
The West End has a history of attracting newcomers. For Kane, its become an integral part of his dream to establish himself in Vancouver.
I could not wait to get here. Then when I was here, it was, he pauses, before sighing, better than I imagined. Walking out of the airport, just being hit with the scent of the air and how fresh it was. And Vancouver was all glass and space-aged in my eyes.
Ill always remember being on Cypress Mountain, the first time I went skiing here. When darkness fell and those flood lights came on, I was like, This is where Vancouvers night life is, he says, his unruly hair nodding in agreement.
Kane has had music to help him along, but his assimilation strategy included joining in with as many different groups as he could.
I row at Vancouver Rowing Club. Im always quite conscious to not put myself in a box or limit myself to certain types of people and the rowing club is great for that. Theres people from all walks, all professions, all ages. And Im gay as well, so its this common thread. Its not, like, the Tall Gay Club I dont want to be casting aspersions, he smiles. But the rowing club is a really special spot for me.
The Perthshire lad, who, like his two brothers, is proficient in multiple instruments (be it piano, violin or bagpipes), fondly recalls his parents taking him to see legends like Jock the Box and Full Steam Ahead in Killin village bars well before he was of age. But its a long gangly leap from instrumental traditionals and back up bands to making Bob Dylan standards sound sexy.
I never sang before I left Scotland. I took myself out of the scene that I grew up in for 21 years, a music scene that was very connected to each other. It was a big kick up the backside.
And for someone who moved here hoping to find work in architecture, its telling that he isnt looking all that hard anymore.
Ive had good culture shocks. People here are very expressive about spirituality and how theyre feeling in their soul. Where I come from, theres a lot of subtleties involved with interactions. A nod and grimace will speak volumes. Ive gotten much more in touch with that side of me since Ive been here; you cant write a song with a nod and a grimace.
Just prior to sitting down with WE at Cardero Bottega, Kane had been in Nelson performing on Kootenay Co-op Radio. He had also just taken part in the Lab Art Show. Between gigs, he is known to drop in to Spartacus Books for their monthly Squeeze Box Circles (the next one is Dec. 5) and represented at their annual niche night Accordion Noir his pure voice floating like sea foam over the surface of bar chatter and genre stereotypes.
Its an underdog instrument and the butt of a lot of jokes. Its definitely more popular in Scotland, but still, its not as cool as guitar when youre in high school, so I was constantly trying to make this instrument more cool. Its been, like, my lifes work, he says with an understated chuckle. I get a lot of people saying, Ive never heard an accordion played that way; thats so different. But no matter how you play it, it has that sound to it, which is nostalgic for a lot of people. There are so many cultures across the world where accordion is deeply rooted.
While many fellow squeeze box geeks obsess over their instruments, he pragmatically turned in his old accordion for this 
travel-sized one in Nottingham, just prior to boarding a plane to Vancouver. He needed something small enough to fit in carry-on.
Equally practical, the West End is also walking distance from his office after quitting his job at a property company, Kane spent his entire summer busking on the beaches of English Bay.
When I play there, no one is paying me to turn up, but I put everything into that performance. My entire set is built around what would be nice to hear at sunset on English Bay. It might not be Queen Elizabeth Theatre, but I think its pretty good stage, with a pretty good backdrop.
Lewis Kane is now traveling down the West Coast to South America. Im currently on board a train bound for what Im expecting to be the biggest adventure of my life so far. My accordion is by my side; my bicycle, Fergie is a few carriages behind, and were about to take to the open road, he writes on his blog. Keep up with his adventures and new music at LewisKane.com. Hell be back in Vancouver and taking to (very tall) microphones in May.
Rob Newell photos
