A bespectacled preacher’s son from British Columbia, Jon-Rae Fletcher may look like a mild-mannered fellow, but he sure knows how to inspire a congregation. Fletcher and his six-member band—formed not long after he moved to Toronto in 2003—close out a banner year with a plum New Year’s Eve spot on the stage at Lee’s Palace. They’ll be performing songs from Jon-Rae and the River’s recently released second album, Knows What You Need (2006), a buoyant collection of spirited (if not necessarily spiritual) songs that mix up country, gospel and raunchy rock ’n’ roll. Fletcher’s also grown fond of investing the Cars’ “Just What You Needed” with the righteous fervour the song’s always deserved. A performance by Fletcher and his Tijuana-bible camp is one sure way of ending the year on a high note.—Jason Anderson