St. John’s

For centuries, Newfoundlanders gathered round kitchen wood stoves to sing a barrage of ballads, songs inspired by the fishermen’s daily struggles against the sea. Call it evolutionary adaptation, but it seems a “wood stove gene” exists in the blood of all Newfoundlanders, instinctually urging us toward song and dance in small, cozy spaces. Perhaps that’s why the intimate Ship Pub in St. John’s has continued to entice locals and CFAs (Come From Aways) for 28 years. Inside, an oddly placed black iron wood stove grips the wall along the stage. Nautical paraphernalia decorate the dark, hardwood interior, and only in the revealing rays of stage spotlights can you see the hazy smoke hovering like lingering ghosts of good times past. The atmosphere feels like the kind of hangover you don’t regret; you may have no clue what happened the night before, but your gut declares it was something great.

– Carolyn Stokes
– Photo by Greg Locke