The Freewheelin’ Field Trip: School House returns home
Hot on the heels of their sophomore album Homeland, School House returned home to Ottawa, Ontario on their first-ever tour through the east of Canada. Halfway through the Freewheelin’ Field Trip, a sold-out home crowd welcomed them with excitement.
Ottawa band The Haylofters opened the night, later joined onstage by School House in a moment that set the tone for the evening: a gathering of friends doing what they love. When co-headliner Braden Lam took the stage, it became clear that tonight, the audience is part of this circle, too. Friends and family of the tour’s Ottawa acts perched at bar seats and crowded alongside eager attendees, swaying to Lam’s crooning voice as he performed selections from his 2025 release, The Cloudmaker’s Cry. The chattering crowd grew more attentive during “In The Narrows,” where Lam sings, “Nothing sweet is born from war / Than the smell of burning pines.”
With a signature Folk Fizz served at the bar, a stage decorated with lamps and a flickering vintage television at the merch table, School House’s presence turned Overflow Brewing into a cozy, lived-in home stage. The fans at the barricade winked and waved at my camera, singing along to setlist mainstays “Colours” and “Morning Light,” the latter dedicated to anyone in the crowd standing next to someone they love. As the band filmed the set, the crowd delivered just the right amount of energy for “Touch Down In Texas,” shouting “I’m headed out / To lose sight of this locality.” It feels like the perfect song for a tour that has brought School House away from home and back again, finally fulfilling a dream they’ve been long chasing.
After an impressive plea for an encore, the night closed with a cover of “The Weight” by The Band, where the stage was once again crowded with members of The Haylofters, Braden Lam, and his touring band. It seemed as if the entire audience knew the words, arms slung around each others’ shoulders as they sang along.
Even after the lights came up and the bar closed, a significant amount of the crowd lingered to buy merch and chat with the band, reluctant to let the night end. School House is beloved in their hometown, but it’s clear that their momentum stretches far beyond it. With another sold-out show awaiting them in Toronto just days later, their trajectory feels undeniable. Ottawa may be home, but the warmth and connection they create here is something they’re ready to carry wherever they go.
