PHOTOS : How could I forget? Arcade Fire at Pacific Coliseum

Montreal's Arcade Fire blew the ceiling off the Pacific Coliseum when they took The Suburbs to Vancouver on September 28, 2010. The show was at once inspiring, spiritually uplifting, cathartic and a fucking riot. Simply amazing. There's a whole lot more I could say about the show, but this review of their LA show by LA Times summarizes pretty much everything I can say very succinctly and beautifully.

Also, Will Butler/Richard Parry is the most engaging and entertaining duo in rock right now.

Without further ado, the photos:

RECAP : Live at Squamish Festival - Day 2

After a night of camping and air mattress-aided sleep, it's time for Day 2!
Read about Live at Squamish Day 1 here.

Brenda: We got to the festival grounds just as the first notes of You Say Party’s “There Is XXXX (Within My Heart)” sailed through the air. Although the sound set up was rocky in the beginning, the crowd soon could hear Becky Ninkovic’s warm, gritty voice alongside her bandmates’ accompaniment.

You Say Party (photo: Brenda Lee)

Alex: This was the start of what proved to be a triumphant return. They sounded great as they broke into old favourites and brought the first dance party of day two. Three new songs were played consecutively in the middle of the set. The one that really stood out to me was named “Flaming,” which had a really strong beat, fast pace and just made moving your feet irresistible.

Brenda: I really liked another one of the new tracks named “Enchantress of the Light.” Which aptly describes Becky Ninkovic’s stage persona; she’s enchanting. As a consummate frontwoman, it’s hard to take your eyes off of her.

Alex: She charmed the crowd as usual with many people shouting their love for her and the band. She came down to the front barricade meet with the crowd and finish their set on a more personal level. If the new songs are any indication I think we’re in store of a fantastic third album from You Say Party.

Brenda: After You Say Party wrapped up their set, I wasn’t paying much attention to the stage until Cape Town’s Civil Twilight stole my attention with their orchestral, operatic rock. Vocalist and pianist Steven McKellar had a phenomenal voice with impressive range (and falsetto). One friend commented that their sound is reminiscent of Radiohead, I said Muse, and another mentioned Massive Attack. Perhaps the latter comparison was the most apt, as Civil Twilight soon burst into a cover of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop.” If the increasingly larger apt crowd was any indication, I wasn’t the only new fan that Civil Twilight made that day.

Alex: Vancouver favourites Mother Mother then took the stage to a warmed up crowd, playing up their unique synchronized vocals. There was a stronger guitar presence than usual, with Ryan Guldemond featured prominently, especially in the new songs they played. These new tracks sound more straight-up rock than their previous releases.

Mother Mother (photo: Alex Cameron)

Brenda: Can’t forget about the ladies of Mother Mother though. Jasmin Parkin, the newest addition to the band on vocals and keys, has really stepped up to the plate vocally. Her belting voice is a nice complement to Molly Guldemond’s higher, more nasally voice.

Mother Mother’s set was nearly equally split between new material and tracks from their previous two albums Touch Up and O My Heart. A new album is surely not far from being released. For a sample of one of their new-ish songs “Simply Simple,” check out this video from the Olympics in February.

Alex: The crowd on the second day loved what the main stage was offering. It remained packed as Tokyo Police Club started into their set. These guys have gotten a pretty strong following especially after having opened for Weezer. The crowd exploded into cheers and adulations as they started off with single “Your English is Good.”

Kuba Oms with Velvet (photo: Alex Cameron)

Brenda: Over at the Serf stage, Kuba Oms & Velvet were playing a headlining set. We arrived just as fellow Peak Performance Project finalists Adaline and Kyprios were performing an improvisational piece alongside Oms and his very competent band.

Alex: Kuba Oms plays a type of funk-infused rock. Being unfamiliar with both his and Velvet’s music, I couldn’t tell how much of the influence was reciprocal. 


But enough of the laid back vibe. We headed to the clubZone stage to get our blood flowing again. Tom Middleton from the UK was spinning on stage, and although his music sounded a bit repetitive at times, it was still a really strong DJ set.

Brenda: The internationally adored DJ had a surprisingly strong stage presence, often punctuating his tracks with comments about the crowd. We got there just as he announced “random hour” and proceeded to sample “Insane in the Membrane” and Jackson 5, just to name a few.

The Decemberists (photo: Alex Cameron)

Alex: Live at Squamish Fest did a great job including not only the more alternative rock crowd but also the DJ beat-loving crowd. The Decemberists then finished off the night at the main stage after Bad Religion. To me, they sound a lot like a slightly more rocking Weakerthans.

Brenda: Either way, seeing people moshing and crowd surfing to The Decemberists was still a strange sight.

For more photos from Live at Squamish, check out my Flickr.

RECAP : Live at Squamish Festival - Day 1

Join us at our proverbial table as we discuss our highlights of this year's inaugural Live at Squamish music festival, which took place on September 4-5, 2010. Alex (of Anders) Cameron and myself, together with a couple of other friends, spent a lovely weekend up in Squamish, B.C., just half an hour outside of Whistler and an hour from downtown Vancouver.


Alex: After much anticipation, Labour Day weekend finally hit, meaning it was time to head up to Squamish for the inaugural year of Live at Squamish. What struck me first of all was the setting; Hendrickson Field and the Logger Sports Grounds are surrounded by forest on all side with the mountains across the background.

Brenda: The mountains truly were spectacular and added wonder to the enjoyment of musical acts. Almost all of the performers commented on what a pleasure it was to play at this little jewel of a festival, nestled in the outdoor sports capital of BC.

Alex: Boasting three stages, the festival grounds felt split into separate areas with one focal stage on Henderickson Field, a club stage in the middle of the logger grounds and another smaller performance stage, each with its own beer garden. Although a little spread out, the stage setup worked really well, leading to practically no amp battles between performances.

Brenda: I’m not one to worry about the presence of beer gardens, especially with the usual over-inflated festival pricing. However, the various bazaars and art displays in between the stages meant you can always give your ears a rest and treat your eyes instead.

Alex: Kostaman and the Good Vibrations was the first band we caught at the main stage, a reggae band from Whistler, BC.

Said the Whale (Photo: Alex Cameron)

Brenda: They got many locals to get up and shake their thing, so we knew we had to represent “our scene” once Vancouver locals Said the Whale took to the stage right after.

Alex: These guys just get better all the time. They brought plenty of people up to the front of the stage (without our help) and got this festival to start moving. It’s always fun to see a crowd cheer that little bit harder when they start up "Camillo (the Magician)."

After moving stages to catch Kelowna’s We Are the City, we ended up listening to the end of Michael Bernard Fitzgerald’s set. Fitzgerald is a singer-songwriter from Calgary and his music is infectious, I wish I could have caught more of his set. There was an amazing and hilarious mash-up of covers from Sir Mix-A-Lot to TLC to Black Eyed Peas… and even a little Justin Bieber. He finished up his set with “Brand New Spaces,” a song of his I’m familiar with, and it was definitely a strong finish. A really talented musician and I can’t wait to see more from him.

(L-R) Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, David Vertesi and Zach Gray (photo: Brenda Lee)

Brenda: As a testament to the rapport between musicians, he had Zachary Gray from The Zolas and David Vertesi of Hey Ocean! on stage to act as lovely back-up dancers.

Now onto We Are the City, one of my favourite young bands. Their growth astounds me and every time I catch them live, they manage to improve upon their last performance. As their prog-rock styling is already so well-developed and they’re so attuned to one another on stage, it’s hard to imagine what the band will be like once guitarist David Menzel leaves the band. David revealed to me that the band’s intense touring schedule post their 2009 Peak Performance Project win is not sustainable for him in the long run, and expressed a desire to start a guitar company.

We Are the City (photo: Alex Cameron)

Alex: We Are the City really owns the stage when they start pumping out the rock; every note is played with such enthusiasm and enjoyment that you can feel they’re loving every second of playing. After such an amazing year for them, I’m surprised to hear that David is leaving the band.

Hollerado (photo: Alex Cameron)

Brenda: After that set, we caught a couple of songs by Calgary's The Dudes who were playing on the main stage. Although enticed by the party atmosphere as evident in the amount of crowd surfers and one guy holding a sign saying “fun patrol,” I had to catch Ottawa’s Hollerado’s headlining set to close out the Serf stage. (They also have the best website ever.)

Alex: The Dudes are awesome but play somewhat mellow compared to Hollerado’s set… and that says something!

Steve Smith of Dirty Vegas (photo: Leigh Elridge)

Brenda: They put on what was easily one of the best (and most enjoyable!) performances of the entire weekend. Not only did they play hits such as “Juliette,” they rocked some awesome covers as well. If you haven’t seen Hollerado live yet, do yourself a favour and remedy that soon. By the end of that set, our feet were in a shuffling and dancing mood. I was itching to dance!




Alex: Matthew Good then took to the main stage, but it was just a little too mellow at that point. So we headed over to the clubZone stage for London house artist Dirty Vegas' live set; they really had the crowd pumped up and it was one of the best DJ sets I’ve seen!

Devo (photo: Leigh Elridge)

Brenda: Hits such as “Days Go By” had the crowd throbbing and kept us warm as the sun went down and the chill set in at dusk. This indie rock kid relearned what it’s like to dance; thanks Dirty Vegas!

Alex: Finally it was time for Devo, whom played a hilarious set of ironic synth pop in their classic 80’s style. Couple this with strange costumes and mostly hilarious visuals on the backing screen, it felt almost like memes waiting to happen.

Brenda: They had more energy than I would have expected. Unfortunately, their set went on for about 5 songs too long. As the rain started drizzling and the strobe lights spazzed on, it was hard to keep the crowd engaged. Oh, but the wonders of seeing “Whip It” live… that’s one check mark on my bucket list!


And next, stay tuned for our thoughts on Day 2 of Live at Squamish featuring You Say Party, Mother Mother and many more!

SHOW REVIEW : Jamie Lidell, June 14 2010 at Venue (panties were thrown!)

UK neo-soul artist Jamie Lidell made the Monday night crowd at Vancouver's Venue Nightclub throb and bounce with his soulful wails and throbbing beats. And it's just as well that I wasn't able to capture any shots of the man and band, because he was so energetic, running from one side of stage to next, that I'm not sure my point-and-shoot could've handled it.

Lisa Christiansen of CBC Radio 3 recently released a podcast in her Extended Play series posing the question, "what happened to rock's front man?". Although Lidell's realm is slightly removed from rock, no one at Venue would question that he was the consummate showman, fully in control of the audience's experience. He enthralled the surprisingly large weeknight crowd from the second the silver backdrop of the high stage was hit with the spotlight, to the glowing embers of red lights as he exited stage left. Sporting a Joseph-esque multi-coloured striped coat over top of a plain white T and a pair of jeans, Lidell cast a spell over the room, inducing not one, but two women to throw their panties on stage at the undeniably sexy performer.

Listens through Lidell's latest album Compass had prepared me for a performance that would channel pop greats such as Michael Jackson, with a healthy dash of John Legend-esque R&B. Consider me surprised when Lidell bade his (excellent) band goodbye for half of the set to turn Venue from a underwear-tossing soul haven to a fog of electronic psychedelia. The crowd transitioned from ecstatic and frisky to fixated, and waved and bobbed to the sound of Lidell's modulated voice and beats. Although the strongest parts of his set involved his chemistry with his band as opposed to facing side stage, head down at his keyboard, it's to Lidell's credit that the energy of the room did not just drop right off.

Jamie Lidell played a set split equally between older hits and tracks off his latest. Here's a highlight of his set, "Your Sweet Boom," which if I remember correctly, he dedicated to his girlfriend's bum.

PHOTO SET : Mumford & Sons outside Capones Restaurant

A secret show hosted by The Peak featuring UK folk rockers Mumford & Sons packed Hamilton street with hundreds to thousands of eager fans who couldn't get tickets to their sold-out show at 560 Club. At 2:00 pm in the afternoon on Sunday May 30, 2010, the quartet - freshly in town from their gig at Sasquatch Festival - stepped out onto the patio of Capones Restaurant in Yaletown to thunderous applause. They were dumbfounded by the sheer enormity of the spontaneous crowd and singer Marcus Mumford humbly remarked, "Sasquatch was beautiful, but this is beautiful in a completely different way" and promised to be back in Vancouver in the fall.

It's easy to see why such a large, rapturous crowd gathered for Mumford & Sons after only one song, and they played 4. Their tunes, steeped heavily with the best elements of folk, bluegrass and alt-country, were paired with soulful, melancholy and romantic lyrics. Mumford especially stood out with his rich and gravelly voice, his impassioned guitar strumming which saw him break 3 guitar strings on 2 separate guitars, and his simultaneous kick-drumming. Mumford & Sons is a band to see live, and I really envy the people who got tickets in the mere minutes before the Sunday night show sold out.

Check out the complete photo set on my Flickr.

Below is a video by The Peak which demonstrates the size of the impromptu crowd:

SHOW REVIEW : Hannah Georgas album release for This Is Good at Venue

After playing a packed hometown show in Vancouver last night, Hannah Georgas is wrapping up her album release tour for This Is Good in Victoria tonight. With her undeniably catchy pop tunes, Hannah excited and energized a crowd filled with friends and family, including more fellow musicians than you can count with all your fingers and toes. And that certainly was a good indicator of the quality of Georgas' musicianship. Although she started the night on a slightly nervous note, which is understandable given that this is the hometown show of her first headlining tour, she soon loosened up after a few songs bolstered by the audience's affection of the fiery haired singer.

Hannah Georgas blasted through the majority of the material off of her The Beat Stuff EP and her recently released first full-length, This Is Good. Venue nightclub had emblazoned her name in lights as her and the band entered the stage, which was definitely a nice touch. Opening with the ukelele-led closer of her album "Something for You," she immediately transitioned into her single "Bang Bang You're Dead!" sans the help of the kids at her daycare, whom she got to sing the backup vocals (it was past bedtime, probably). This worked to her favour, as some of us that grew up in the era of scary movies narrated with children's voices might find it hard to take kids' voices in songs seriously. Other highlights of the set included the always, always awesome track off of her EP "Mama's Boy," which opener Colleen Brown earlier aptly defined as a "ball buster" of a track. This fierce yet totally relatable kiss-off song had, I'm sure, many girls mentally high-fiving Georgas.

After a short pause after her proper set, Hannah came back on stage for a three song encore. Fans were delighted by the more than night club friendly track "Dancefloor." In a move that somehow works due to Georgas' immense likeability, she slowed things right down with a new song "Ode to Mom," a more sombre ballad which she dedicated to her father's memory. The end of the song had Georgas singing the words, "if there's magic on this earth, it's in the water... if there's magic on this earth, it's in my blood." This vulnerable and contemplative theme carried over into the last track of the night, "Shine," which saw Georgas on the keys and probing, "is there a place for me in your eyes?" to which the crowd emphatically responded, yes, with their glowing smiles and loud applause.

Hannah Georgas was backed by David Vertesi on guitar/bass, who also acted as her first opener of the night. Better known as local favourites Hey Ocean!'s bassist, Vertesi has recently started churning out material of his own. And boy, did he look all alone on the wide stage of Venue nightclub. The lighting technician didn't entirely help matters either, often turning off the spotlight after a song, making it appear as if the set had ended. He played short set of about 5-6 songs characterized by quiet guitar strums and a deep baritone voice, which included a Hey Ocean! song "My Friends" which he dedicated to the following two acts, Colleen Brown and Hannah Georgas.

In between sets, the audience was treated to CBC Radio 3 trivia questions and swag giveaways by co-emcees Tariq Hussain and Chris Kelly. Chris in particular seemed very amped up and was hilarious on stage. If you need someone to introduce you for anything, I'd give him a call!

Colleen Brown is an artist that has dwelt somewhat under the radar since she started writing her own music in 2001. A damn shame, I say, because after seeing her open for Georgas, I wholeheartedly agreed with emcee Chris Kelly's advice, to go and thank Hannah Georgas for introducing us to this amazing singer-writer. As someone who grew up listening to rhythm and blues and musical theatre during high school, I'd always lamented the indie scene's relative lack of vocalists. If you're like me, take a listen to Brown, who slides in between octaves seamlessly, whose joy in using her voice permeates throughout her songs, which she admitted, were all "sappy love songs." But you won't find only ballads on her recently re-released album Foot in Heart if her live show is any indication; her playful and warm voice is punctuated by punchy keys that encourage dancing and swaying. Her set brought increasingly louder applause until the crowd was clapping and whooping when she left the stage.

For the complete photo set of Hannah's show, check out my Flickr.

Some live footage of Hannah Georgas at the Communitea Cafe in Canmore:
"Let's Talk"


"Dancefloor"

SHOW REVIEW : David Gray & Royal Wood at Queen Elizabeth Theatre

British singer-songwriter David Gray played to a sold-out show last Friday, the second of two shows at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. If someone walked in to the show mid-way, they could be forgiven for thinking that it was a revival, not a concert, judging by the amount of arms waving in the air. He played a long set and encore filled with hits spanning his 17-year career, blasting off his set appearing from behind a white screen for crowd favourite "Babylon." The audience, filled to equal measure with screaming men and women, clapped, sang and screamed shrilly whenever the opportunity arose. In fact, the numerous standing ovations that the crowd lavished upon Gray, interspersed with male audience members yelling "I LOVE YOU!" and "HAVE MY BABIES!" made the singer smile and pause several times during his set. And the love was mutual; during his few pauses for banter, Gray thanked the crowd numerous times, and attributed his supposed moodiness to the lack of whales he saw during his tour on a whale-watching expedition earlier in the day.

David Gray and his band demonstrated considerable presence in order to fill the large venue in which they played. Gray in particular swayed from side to side, and swaggered like nobody's business. The crowd reciprocated, and by the time he strapped on the electric guitar for "The One I Love," the aisles of the classy theatre filled with middle aged men and women, swaying, dancing and waving their arms. To add to the comparisons to a spiritual revival, Gray barked "you may rise!" for one particular upbeat song in the encore, bringing scores of audience members to their feet. I had the novel experience of witnessing the (slightly) older generation losing their shit as I grinned in my seat, bemused.

Some other highlights of the set included the slow, burning build up of "The Other Side" in the beginning of the set. "Nemesis," which Gray saved for the second song of the encore, saw the band jamming in an extended mix while he improvised with the lyrics.

Toronto's Royal Wood opened the show with a short 30-minute set, with an even split of older material and new songs off of his yet-to-be-released latest album The Waiting. The people I chatted to during intermission around where I sat, which included two women who had seen the show 3 times and a few people from Seattle, had nothing but glowing reviews for Wood. "Charming," "funny" and "beautiful voice" were words they used, with one of the women enthusiastically retelling the joke that Royal told in order to encourage audience participation in his last song "Lady in White" - sing, for it shows your sexual confidence! A perfect lead-up to the singing, dancing crowd of Gray's set.

David Gray and Royal Wood will be continuing on tour throughout Canada, keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming contest involving Royal Wood! Below are the remainder of the tour dates:

17 May 2010 20:00
Jack Singer Concert Hall Calgary, Alberta , CA
18 May 2010 20:00
TCU Place Saskatoon, Saskatchew, CA
19 May 2010 20:00
Centennial Concert Hall Winnipeg, Manitoba , CA
20 May 2010 20:00
Foster’s Inn Stratford, Ontario , CA
22 May 2010 20:00
Hamilton Place Theatre Hamilton, CA
23 May 2010 20:00
National Arts Centre - Southam Hall Ottawa, Ontario , CA
25 May 2010 20:00
Centre In The Square Kitchener, Ontario , CA
26 May 2010 20:00
St. Denis Theatre Montreal, Quebec , CA
28 May 2010 20:00
Halifax Metro Centre Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA
2 Jul 2010 20:00
Stan Rogers Folk Festival Canso, Nova Scotia, CA
14 Aug 2010 20:00
Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Fest Salmon Arm, BC, CA

(Photos by Nicole Gibbs)

Library Voices announce tours, including stops in libraries

Although you probably won't find them in the silent reading section, Regina octet Library Voices are taking their brand of intelligent yet danceable, well-composed yet chaotic pop to libraries across Saskatchewan before setting off on a tour through Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. Library Voices will also be making an appearance at the S.C.E.N.E. Music Festival in St. Catharines. This is LV's second consecutive tour since the release of their debut full-length Denim on Denim, which is chock full of infectious party music, which, upon closer listens, reveal lyrical gems by keyboardist Michael Dawson.

Here's what the band had to say about the inspiration for this tour:

It’s hard to believe that an entire generation has never had to hike down to the library to do research for school reports on tigers or the Canadian Shield. They’ve never had to plagiarize a 1976 Encyclopedia Britannica as if it were the ‘be-all-end-all’ on any subject. Search engines computing algorithms have replaced the card catalogue. Tiny dancing pixels at 72dpi have replaced the tactile experience of sifting through pages. The txt message has even replaced the love letter. The Wiki-generation may single handily be responsible for the extinction of the public library. This concert series is Library Voices modest attempt from keeping their favourite social institution from going the way of the woolly mammoth, the honeybee, and Star Trek TNG. It is our hope that, if even for just one night, communities with gather somewhere besides their local watering hole – that they will converse face to face, that they will share in experiences, and if all goes well maybe even sign out a book or two. Library Voices would also like to take this opportunity to publicly vow that you won’t find us performing in internet cafes a few years down the road...

Whether you share their sentiment regarding good ol' analog books, you should still catch them as Library Voices put on a heck of a show. When they last played in Vancouver on April 10, 2010 opening for We Are the City, they ended up on stage with sparklers and sweat was dripping everywhere - on stage and in the audience. Needless to say, any show with LV will be a great time!

Here are the complete dates:

LIBRARY TOUR DATES – MAY 2010
Saturday May 1 – Weyburn Public Library (2:30pm) – Weyburn, Saskatchewan
Saturday May 1 – Moose Jaw Library Theatre (7:00pm) – Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Saturday May 15 – Estevan Public Library (6:00pm) – Estevan, Saskatchewan


LIBRARY VOICES – DENIM ON DENIM TOUR – JUNE 2010
Friday June 11 – Winnipeg, MB – Royal Albert Arms
Saturday June 12 – Thunder Bay, ON – Crocks
Sunday June 13 – Sault Ste Marie, ON – Lop Lops
Wednesday June 16 – Montreal, QC – Il Motore w/ The Grates
Thursday June 17 – Ottawa, ON – Maverick w/ The Grates & Pack AD
Friday June 18 – Guelph, ON – Ebar w/ Besnard Lakes & Young Galaxy
Saturday June 19 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern (NXNE)
Monday June 21– Peterborough, ON – Red Dog
Thursday June 24 – London, ON – Call The Office
Friday June 25 – Waterloo, ON – Maxwell's w/ Off Victoria
Saturday June 26 – Windsor, ON – Phog Lounge
Sunday June 27 – St Catharines, ON – S.C.E.N.E. Music Festival (feat. Shad, Lights, & more)

(Photos courtesy of Michelle Edwards)

SHOW REVIEW : The Bonfire Ball ft. Jason Collett, Zeus & Bahamas x2

"yes, it was good... but was it Bonfire Ball good?"

As the previous comment suggests, the Bonfire Ball tour featuring Toronto artists Jason Collett, Zeus and Bahamas holds as the golden standard for live shows from this point on. Where do I even begin to recount the camaraderie and phenomenal musicianship that I witnessed? It would be helpful to mention that I had the pleasure of attending the show twice, first in Vancouver at the Biltmore Cabaret on March 26, 2010, and then in Victoria at Sugar Night Club on March 27. So this review will be an amalgamation of both of these nights.

Firstly, a difference between the two nights. The Vancouver show was oversold-- I was told that 500 tickets were sold for the Biltmore, with a capacity of 380. Needless to say, the place was packed half an hour before the sets began, which is when I arrived decked out in a gown as promised to Grant Lawrence of CBC Radio 3, who had challenged attendees of the Bonfire Ball to dress with the "Ball" part in mind. The bands looked visibly surprised to see a crowd of about 10 extremely well-dressed indie kids at stage right, and commented as such when I chatted with members of Zeus post-show.

The low stage and wideness of the Biltmore contributed to being much closer to the band. On the other hand, the Victoria show was considerably more sparse, and the high stage, combined with a well-placed disco ball and other effective lighting, made the show at Sugar resemble prom night in the '70s. I even was asked spontaneously to slow dance during a Bahamas number, which was very fitting. Also, by the time of the Victoria show, which was the tour's second night back in Canada after weeks of touring down south, Collett and co. had caught wind of the challenge to dress up and spoke warmly of CBC Radio 3 during the show. In what was their longest stretch of banter, Jason Collett remarked to an audience member, asking him why he wasn't listening to "the most important radio station in Canada," chiding him for losing his Canadian spirit so soon after the Olympics had left.

Onto the music! Like I had alluded to in a previous post, the shows featured Bahamas, Zeus and Collett in 3 hours of collaborative play, as opposed to 3 distinct sets. This allowed the studio recordings to really come alive with full instrumentation which so often doesn't happen with touring bands. And from the moment Jason Collett steps onto the stage alone, seemingly to tune his guitar but actually starting the show with an acoustic number, the audience's expectations about show sequences are turned upside down.

Never again will you witness so much harmonizing and guitar duets in a single show. Nor like Jen Polk noted for Sticky Magazine, so much testosterone-- i.e. sex, oozing out of fingers and voices. Although appearances did come into play, the appeal of the Bonfire Ball which drove the audience into frenzies were Bahamas' sly, dirty charm, Zeus' tireless enthusiasm and Jason Collett's commanding sway. It's hard to say which was the most popular act of the night, as excited expressions were made anytime the acts were shuffled up. However, when Bahamas was on, you could expect a sexy, bluesy number with smirks and jesting with audience members. When Zeus took the stage, you knew minutes of pure groovy pop bliss were soon to follow... but never knew who was going to play what. And when headliner Jason Collett headed the band, you were taken by his soulful drawl to an era of rock-and-roll that frankly, I wasn't even around to be nostalgic for.

And when the show resumed for the encores, the audiences were treated to an entire set of inventive and totally danceable covers. The Vancouver night saw Neil Quin of Zeus cover R. Kelly's "Ignition" without a hint of irony, and Bahamas' rendition of "I've Never Found A Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do)" pretty much left no females with a libido standing. For the Victoria show, the 3 bands came together and covered Kylie Minogue's "I Just Can't Get You Out of My Head." Both nights also had the (better than Genesis themselves) amazing Zeus cover of "That's All," which is on their EP Sounds Like Zeus.

Do me a favour; see the Bonfire Ball if you haven't. And if you have, see them again. You won't regret it!

For another more thorough write-up, check out 3amrevelations by my good friend Kirk.
Below are the set lists from the Vancouver and Victoria Bonfire Ball shows:

Vancouver (1&2), Victoria (3):

More upcoming Bonfire Ball dates:

31 Mar 2010 20:00
Pawn Shop, Edmonton, Alberta
1 Apr 2010 20:00
The Legion, Calgary, Alberta
2 Apr 2010 20:00
The Exchange, Regina, Saskatchewan
3 Apr 2010 20:00
West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
4 Apr 2010 20:00
7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, Minnesota
6 Apr 2010 20:00
Majestic Theatre, Madison, Wisconsin
7 Apr 2010 20:00
Schuba’s, Chicago, Illinois
12 Apr 2010 20:00
Casbah, Hamilton, Ontario
13 Apr 2010 20:00
Starlight, Waterloo, Ontario
14 Apr 2010 20:00
Zaphods, Ottawa, Ontario
15 Apr 2010 20:00
Petit Campus, Montreal, Quebec
20 Apr 2010 20:00World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
21 Apr 2010 20:00
The Iron Horse, Northampton, Massachusetts
24 Apr 2010 20:00
Union Hall, Brooklyn, New York

SHOW REVIEW : Postdata and Julie Fader

I tend to judge the quality of a show at the Media Club by my ability to hear the performers. The shape of the venue, with the bar near the back of the rectangular room and the washrooms right beside the stage, ensures that your concert going experience is highly dependent upon the mood of the crowd. Using that criterion alone, Postdata (Paul Murphy of Wintersleep) and Julie Fader put on highly successful sets on March 20, 2010 in Vancouver.

But of course, a cooperative crowd is not the only element needed for a great show. And these also came in spades. After an opening set by Clinton St. John, Julie Fader approached the stage, dressed casually and playing a set that can be best described as comfortable. She's touring to promote her solo album, Outside In, after long stretches of supporting large names in Canadian independent music such as Feist, Great Lake Swimmers and Chad Van Gaalen.

In the best sense of the word comfortable, Fader drew in the near-silent, appreciative crowd, with many sitting on the wooden floor surrounding the stage. She commented at one point that she was glad that she didn't have to give each member of the audience a $20 bill to keep quiet. Observing from the back of the room, I was also surprised by the attention of the people at the bar. Every once in a while, I would catch a glance out the doors at the performance on the giant jumbotron across the street at LiveCity Downtown, before returning my gaze to the warm glow emitted by the stage lights, and Julie, equipped with only her guitar and soft voice. Her set was akin to escaping from the city into the warmth of a campfire. It was surreal and a quiet pleasure.

Julie Fader's set was accompanied by both members of Postdata, Paul and Tim, and in return Julie made frequent appearances on stage with Postdata as well. It was clear from the get-go that although many may have been there due to the band being comprised of two members of the highly successful Wintersleep, this wasn't going to be a derivative project. Gritty, stripped down, Murphy's voice commanded an intimate attention. And although I wasn't very familiar with the recording beforehand, I couldn't help but leave feeling like Murphy had shared something profoundly personal with each individual in the room. This feeling was best captured by a specific scene I witnessed-- 2 tall, enthusiastic fans, who began singing along to one of the tunes, grinning ear to ear with pleasure, gradually fading to silence with their eyes softening attentively towards the stage.

As a side note, after chatting with Julie after the sets, she mentioned how uncommon it is for people to approach artists after shows, and how it can make an artist feel disconnected from her audience. So let this be a lesson to you, to go up to the merch table and shake the hand of the person who just poured out their talent for you. Maybe give them a hug too!

Download two of Postdata's songs "Tobias" and "In Chemicals" off their self-titled:

NEW PHOTOS : Constantines & Wintersleep at LiveCity Yaletown

The Constantines and Wintersleep both played sets spanning their entire discographies, pleasing fans and intriguing new listeners. Both sets saw the crowd singing along to choruses. The Cons had fans clapping in rhythm to the thumping bass while lead singer Bry Webb barked out the powerful pieces of lyricism that the Cons are known for-- whether it's "can I get a witness?" "love can be a shower of stones," or "you do what you can do with what you got," Webb's gravelly growl was forceful and commanding.

For the whole photo set, visit my Flickr.



Below are some live clips from the Constantines' set at LiveCity Yaletown on February 23, 2010 as part of the Cultural Olympiad in Vancouver.

"Hotline Operator"



"Nighttime/Anytime (It's Alright)"



The videos thanks to NxEW, courtesy of straight.com.

Live Blogging Olympic Music : Coeur de Pirate & Great Lake Swimmers

February 21, 2010

La Maison du Quebec and Ontario Pavilion sure have stellar musical line-ups despite their horrible lack of getting the word out. Quebec House featured acts such as Malajube, Les Trois Accords and last night's Coeur de Pirate, while Ontario Pavilion rivaled with acts such as the Arkells, Broken Social Scene, and last night's Great Lake Swimmers. It's clear that whomever the artistic coordinators are deserves great kudos. The vast talent of central Canada is further displayed via the Ontario House soundtrack, which featured the likes of Jill Barber and Jason Collett.

Where they differed, however, were the line-ups out the doors. Ontario Pavilion always had at least hour-long trails of people out its doors, as well as a separate line-up for its 4D theatre. Quebec House, in contrast, saw a steady flow of people in and out of its white cube, save for during performances. This meant some finessing when going from show to show; thankfully, they were within 2 minutes walk from one another within the larger Concord Pacific Place, which worked out very well when I went from Coeur de Pirate's set to that of Great Lake Swimmers'.

I try to keep commenting of artists' appearances to a minimum unless it adds in some way to the performance, but it's safe to say that Beatrice Martin, aka. Coeur de Pirate, is a very worthy winner of the CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award for Sexiest Musician. A petite blonde coming in at a similarly petite 20 years old, Montreal's CdP dazzled the forlorn Canadian hockey crowd after a 5-3 loss to the US hockey team.

It's tough coming on stage right after a deflating game, but the sweet piano melodies and charming voice of Martin soon had the audience rapt and grinning. She also encouraged spirits by bantering in both English and French, frequently commenting how she loved it when we clapped to her songs-- before, during and after. She wrapped up her lovely set with 3 gems-- a cover of fellow Montrealers Malajube, the big hit "Comme des enfants" and a cover of Rihanna's "Umbrella." Yes, you heard me right. The latter song got an energetic kick as a piano ballad, complete with an adorable french accent. Coeur de Pirate ended by informing us that she was doing another set at 8pm, which was a short 15 minutes later. Although I didn't stay for that set, I'm sure many others got to enjoy her once more.

A somewhat unrelated note: Martin seems to like writing in 3/4 time, which is good news for all you waltz dancers out there.

For the complete Coeur de Pirate photo set, visit my Flickr.

After waiting a short while in line for Ontario Pavilion, I was soon within its reddish-glow bounds waiting for Toronto's Great Lake Swimmers. The crowd was considerably more low key than for Broken Social Scene the night before. Unfortunately, I was standing in between two people who seemed to enjoy their self-proclaimed favourite band by talking loudly through the set. Of course, when security escorted them away from the front, there was a collective sigh of relief.

Outside of some problems with feedback during opening track "She Comes to Me in Dreams," Great Lake Swimmers was as usual-- wonderful, incredibly tight, with Tony Dekker's voice soaring quietly above the beautiful instrumentation of his bandmates. Miranda Mulholland once again joined the Swimmers and, decked in an "I <3 Parkdale" shirt, proved to be a favourite with the audience. Not only that, judging by the time that the spotlight person and cameramen graced her with their attention, the technical crew saw a star in the redhead as well.

After a set representing their entire discography, Great Lake Swimmers were cheered back on stage for an encore, which was not even granted to the rowdy Broken Social Scene crowd of the night before. They obliged by covering Neil Young's "Harvest," and closing off the night with a lullaby "Concrete Heart."

All in all, a great concert, although lacking somewhat in the intimacy that made the show a month ago at the Vogue Theatre so unforgettable.

Here's the set list for the show:

For the complete Great Lake Swimmers photo set, visit my Flickr.

Live Blogging Olympic Music : Karkwa, Jill Barber & Hawksley Workman

I assure you the belatedness of this live blogging business is due to obligatory bodily demands such as sleep and food. I'll try to have a blog entry or Flickr photo set for every night that I attend shows for.

At this point, Canada was 4th place in terms of medal count. 90+% of Canadians had watched at least part of an Olympic sporting event on TV. And by Wednesday, February 17, 2010, the cultural component of the Olympics brought out the big guns with one of Canadian indie's hottest exports Feist and Chilly Gonzales playing a paid show at the Orpheum, and hurtin' Albertan Corb Lund playing LiveCity Yaletown. And of course, the shows below.

It's fair to say that I had no expectations whatsoever of Karkwa when I entered the Air Canada Stage at la Place de la Francophonie at an early 6pm. I had heard raving reviews of them from good friend Kirk at 3amrevelations and decided to venture out to Granville Island, on a sort of blind musical date. It's more than fair to say that Karkwa got a second date; they were a shock and a delight. Like fellow Francophone rockers Malajube, the members of Karkwa have a knack for knitting together elaborate, dazzling rock compositions that astound you with their beauty but knock you backwards with their force. And what a force! They had both percussionist Julien Sagot and drummer Stéphane Bergeron pounding on floor toms for many of the songs. Lead guitarist and vocalist Louis-Jean Cormier complemented the complex musical backdrop not by an overpowering voice, but by using his voice as another layer.

Next up, we have the lovely Jill Barber at the Richmond O Zone. After Karkwa, my company and I rushed from Granville Island to the nearby Vancouver suburb to catch Barber as she wraps up the first song in her set. With only a keyboardist and guitarist accompanying her, Jill Barber put on a stripped down show consisting equally of songs from older albums, as well as from her jazz-infused latest Chances. Her sultry presence and set full of romantic songs about love and loves lost had couples slow dancing in the audience, and the rest of us feeling kind of nostalgic.

After Jill left the stage, the crew hands set up the stage for the last anticipated act-- Hawksley Workman. Fronted by Ryan Corrigan (aka. Hawksley Workman) and backed by his companion Todd Lumley, aka. Mr. Lonely and full backing band, Hawksley put on not only a musically entertaining show, but showed his prowess as a performer with a hilarious and banterful stage presence. Always engaging, with stories that range from sexual dreams to moving to Amsterdam for a lover and so much more, Hawksley engaged us for the full hour and a bit that he was on stage. The set was heavy on new material off his newest Meat and Milk, with only the last three songs being older favourites-- "Smoke Baby," "Your Beauty Must Be Rubbing Off On Me," and "The City Is A Drag."

For live tweets from more Olympic shows, check out my Twitter.

Live Blogging Olympic Music : Jenn Grant & Kathleen Edwards

Since I'm writing this a day late, I can also add-- first female gold medal for Maelle Ricker of North Vancouver in snowboard cross! My mom and I were watching--no, wincing-- throughout the preliminary rounds because of the choppy snow and heavy fog that lingered, necessitating a second qualifying round. And it was in this second round that Ricker came in third, sending her to the race which saw her beat her competitors by a mile and garner the third medal on the troubled Cypress Mountains. Very well done, Maelle, and what a big, contagious grin she bared to the TV cameras!

In a lot of ways, Ricker echoed a lot of the energy that dedication that Jenn Grant and Kathleen Edwards (and bands) demonstrated the night before in their shows at the Richmond O Zone on February 15th. Although the weather had been nice or overcast the entire day, the rain trickled in and came to a downpour once Grant's set began at 8:30. It wasn't just the rain; winds pelted sideways, bringing piles of accumulated rain down from the tarps above the outdoor stage onto the heads of front row listeners. Throughout the sets, especially Edwards', the band had to warm up their hands in between songs, and occasionally in between striking chords. Jim Bryson of Kathleen Edwards' band seemed to wince because some of his riffs simply couldn't happen because of his rigid fingers. But, needless to say, both bands stuck it through the set, and so did the soaked and shivering audience. So whether you were the ski officials up in Cypress or the fans down in the Cultural Olympiad, weather was the foremost thing on your minds.

Jenn Grant opened the night with her quirky voice and light pop. The show in Richmond was the second last of her 14 date Cultural Olympiad tour. Hailing from Prince Edward Island, I previously knew of Grant superficially from a few singles and the glowing recommendations from artists such as Hey Rosetta!. Unfortunately, the weather did not work in her favour, and the intricate and pretty pop orchestrations were largely distracted by the elements and the sheer size of the O Zone compared to the relatively small crowd. I wouldn't write off the show however; the crowd was still very pleased with her music, as well as her jovial banter. I would love to see her again in a smaller, more intimate venue-- indoors.

Kathleen Edwards and band stepped onto the stage amidst roars and applause, which was somewhat more muted than expected due to frozen hands. Edwards was warmly dressed in a poncho-- Peruvian and from her mother, as we were informed in between songs. Guitarist/keyboardist Jim Bryson (and established singer-songwriter in his own right) sported a toque and according to my friend, somewhat resembled Seth Rogen. It's fair to say that no layers were shed in this show. What was frequently shed were guitars; Edwards must've had no less than 5-6 guitar changes. She and band amped up the energy for the show, proving  to be better suited for the venue than their opening act.

Edwards kicked off her hour-plus set with the hockey-inspired "I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory." The show was filled with hits spanning from Failer in 2003 up to her latest, and the few times she went slower tempo, it worked in her favour. "Asking For Flowers," the title track off her latest 2008 Polaris short-listed album, was dedicated to the tireless Olympic volunteers. "Goodnight California" showcased Edwards' formidable fiddle skills, which was demonstrated in this one song in the whole set. That's not to say the band didn't pull their weight comparatively; both Jim Bryson and Edwards' husband and lead guitarist Colin Cripps switched between killer guitar solos and riffs and rhythm guitar alternately. Bassist Kevin McCarragher and drummer Joel Anderson kept the rhythm strong and thumping, and bodies in the crowd if not dancing, then at least shuffling enthusiastically.

It's perhaps apt that Kathleen Edwards played the day after Valentine's Day, as her songs are often filled with anguished love stories and fun kiss-offs. It's safe to say that it's always satisfying to listen to Edwards, whether on your iPod or in concert. And I'm very glad to have caught her live in one of her few, sporadic shows.

And of course, it's always nice to get a customized thank-you tweet from the band. Come back anytime, y'all.

And here is the set list for Kathleen Edwards' show. As you can tell, there are 2 new songs, "Mint" and "Empty Threat."


For some free tracks off her older records Failer and Back To Me (2005), check out Edwards' website under the Music section.

For more photos of the sets, check out my Flickr!

Live Blogging Olympic Music : Mother Mother, Elliott BROOD and GOLD!!!

Gold!!! Alexandre Bilodeau got the first gold medal in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics in Men's moguls! 7.3 million people watched Bilodeau's winning run and approximately a third of the Canadian population watched the run at least in part. Wow. That's a good trivia fact to remember kids. February 14 --Valentine's Day -- first Canadian gold medal on Canadian soil ever.

I found out about this great piece of news through the mesh fences of LiveCity Yaletown, the venue which Vancouver's own Mother Mother was to be playing at 8:00. The lineup around the site exploded with cheering and spontaneous singing of O Canada and the excitement was contagious. A man walked through the streets with a full-sized Canadian flag perched on his back, flapping in the wind. What a sight; the uncharacteristic exuberance and patriotism I'll never forget.

 

Mother Mother was introduced to the stage by one of the Olympic emcees. Although generally cheesy, this one seemed to know and be quite enamoured by MM, declaring that the reason why the band sells out venues nationwide with lineups winding around street corners is because "they're fricking AWESOME!" It was a highlight for sure and got many yelps and cheers from the crowd.

And awesome, they were. Every time I see Mother Mother live, I'm reminded why they were the recipients of the 2009 CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award for Best Live Act. The inventive, unpredictable chord progressions and harmonies explode in real life, and the confidence and style which the band execute their hits bring me back time after time. Lead guitarist and singer Ryan Guldemond stirred the crowd into an insane frenzy with wiry solos and his characteristic falsetto. Jasmin Parkin got some unintentional solos in the first part of the show due to some poor sound mixing; Molly was inaudible for a good bit and the typical three-part harmonies weren't restored until about 4-5 songs in. But there's no use dwelling on a short part of what was otherwise a killer set. The crowd was jumping and flinging about in no time, and of course a couple of crowd surfers graced us with their presence as well.

Seeing as it was Valentine's Day, the choice of "Arms Tonite" for the opening track of the set was very suitable. Mother Mother then blitzed through, hit after hit, their two albums Touch Up and O My Heart. Overheard in the crowd: "if they don't play 'Hayloft' I'm going to cry." Well, there was no need to fret, as MM saved the best for last and had the whole crowd go bananas with their latest single.

Much like the set by fellow Vancouverites Hey Ocean!, Mother Mother's set was sprinkled with new songs. Two, "Simply Simple" and "Eureka," were played previously in their live shows. Another new song, which started as a normal love ballad, got MM'ed rather quickly and turned into a rock out dance-fest a verse in. Can't wait for the new album, whenever that's slated to be out.

Toronto's Elliott BROOD played in LiveCity Downtown shortly after at 9:30; this LiveCity had a fraction of the capacity compared to LiveCity Yaletown. This resulted in two separate lineups- one to get into the plaza, and another hour long line within the plaza to get into the venue where the BROOD boys were playing. Lame, I know. Most of the set was spent outside watching the boys on a large screen, hearing the enthusiastic crowd banging their wooden spoons and cookie sheets to hits such as "The Valley Town" and "Write It All Down For You" from EB's latest Mountain Meadows. Not to be outdone, the 20-30ish people watching the screen outside, as well as some in the lineup, danced, jigged, and swung about to the music filtering out from the venue and the large TV outside, yours truly included. And boy, was it good dancing music. My legs were jelly by the end of the night.

For the very last song of their set, Elliott BROOD dedicated "Miss You Now" to their good friend Dan Mangan of Vancouver, saying  that they hope to see him soon. Dan, of course, returned the love via Twitter. By last half of the song, the lineup had disappeared, and I was able to run in quickly and snap the photo you see above of the dancing, enthusiastic, noisy crowd.

What a night; running from the show of the winner of Best Live Act to one of the finalists. Maybe next time I'll catch EB in real life real life, as opposed to on a screen, separated by glass and a lineup.