I had no plans leading up the Canada Day Long Weekend in Calgary until I got an e-mail from a friend of mine. That friend had an extra wristband to check out the 2010 Sled Island Festival. This festival can best be described as the South By South West of northwestern Canada and each year, a cavalcade of musicians pour into Calgary to captivate audiences at various venues across the city.

I linked up with some friends that were in town from Vancouver and we kicked things off at The Tavern on 17th Ave. First up was Hollerado. I had never seen this band before but had heard many rave reviews. Hollerado didn’t disappoint and had everyone in the bar bouncing to their most recognizable track: “Juliette.” The Weezer-influenced “Got To Lose” inspired a great sing-a-long. After a couple more tall cans of Pilsner beer, I decided to move on down the street to The Ship & Anchor to sit in on a couple of band interviews that Lifetime Clothing was conducting in conjunction with the festival. It was approaching 10:00pm, thus after the interviews were wrapped, we made our way over to Dicken’s Pub on the west side of downtown to check out the highly acclaimed indie-hip-hop act WHY? We arrived on the scene mid-set to a room full of hipsters and shoegazers bobbing their heads to the band’s unique sound. Although their records receive rave reviews, I really didn’t think their songs translated well in a live venue.

We ducked out of Dicken’s Pub by the end of Why’s set to get back over to The Ship & Anchor to check out East Vancouver’s Hard Drugs. Having gotten to know a little bit about this band from their interview earlier in the day, I was curious to check them out. Their folk-rock sound was a lot of fun to take in live. They were a stellar warm up for what was to come, as next on the stage was Bison BC. This band unleashed a full-metal-assault on the Ship & Anchor crowd. Beers and bodies were tossed throughout the crowd as a full-force mosh pit seemed to swallow the stage. Bouncers were diligent in pulling fallen bodies out of harm’s way and quickly showing them to the exit. It was chaos! The hard, crunchy metal riffs held the crowd in amazement. I left the bar soaked in beer and reeling from a fantastic festival opening day.

The majority of day two was spent at Olympic Plaza– an outdoor venue right in the heart of downtown Calgary. Olympic Plaza had fantastic sight-lines and featured a massive beer garden. After several tins of Pilsner, we went down to the floor to check out The Thermals. The performance from the Portland, Oregon trio was packed with energy. I have been a fan of this band for quite some time so to catch tracks like “Now We Can See” and “How We Know” played live was a real treat. Built To Spill was up next and as the rain began to fall, we took shelter in the beer garden and caught their set from higher ground. Although it was good, the lengthy, solemn tracks tended to take some energy out of the crowd built off of The Thermals’ set.

Bodies started to flood the floor post-BTS for Pittsburgh’s Girl Talk. I wasn’t really sure what to expect because I had heard mixed reviews about this Artist. What we got was a ruckus set packed with club anthems mashed up with classic rock gems. Fans crowded the stage as toilet paper was being shot from cannons into the crowd. It was fantastic!

From there, we hopped on the C-Train down to Dicken’s Pub to check out WhoMadeWho from Denmark. This trio hit the stage in suspenders, white-collared shirts and brown trousers, while drinking beer out of pitchers. Funky bass lines backed by rapid percussion had us all blown away. The Danes dropped a cover on us with their rendition of Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction.” Next up was New York City’s !!! (pronounced Chk-Chk-Chk). They almost tore the roof off of Dicken’s Pub — literally. Ceiling tiles and emergency lights were falling across the crowd as bodies were surfing every which way during funky tracks like “A New Name” and “Must be the Moon.” !!! was even cool enough to stick around after their set for a few words and to pose for pictures. They were just really rad dudes. If you’re looking for some new and exciting music, look no further than !!!.

We returned to Olympic Plaza for the third and final day of Sled Island Festival. The Black Lips were the first band of the afternoon, getting the 1:15pm start time. It certainly didn’t suit them, as they seemed slow to respond to the crowd. They couldn’t be faulted for that, given they are probably used to 1:15am start times. Regardless, they soldiered through a set of garage rock numbers including their biggest hit to date: “Cold Hands.”

The sun started to beat down as Los Angeles hardcore veterans The Bronx started throwing punk rock hay-makers at the crowd. High energy, fast-paced punk rock shook off the cobwebs from the night before and set us up for an onslaught of rock and roll that would carry us through until dusk. We were witnesses to an amazing set by The Melvins. After their show had finished, it was evident as to how much their music had influenced the early sounds of Nirvana. The band also featured two drummers decked out in viking gear, adding to their rock mystique as being the pioneers of grunge.

Watching post-hardcore staples Hot Water Music was like going back into a time warp. The year was 2000 and I was back at the Vans Warped Tour belting out the lyrics to “Rooftops” and “Free Radio Gainesville.” I was so happy to see them reunited and look forward to new material from them in the future. Indie rock legends Dinosaur Jr. closed out the evening at Olympic Plaza. They are not shy about excessive decibel levels so we decided to take in their set from the aforementioned beer garden. They didn’t miss any of the staple songs in their arsenal. Choosing to open with “Thumb” was probably my favourite moment, by far. Once the show had wrapped, we made a mad dash to The Legion to see probably one of the most anticipated shows of the festival.

The temperature began to rise with the crowd’s anticipation for headliner: The GZA. I’ve always respected Wu-Tang’s music for their sharp rhymes and revolutionary production — not failing to mention that GZA’s ‘Liquid Swords’ is one of my favourite hip-hop records of all time. It was almost 30 minutes past showtime before GZA made it to the stage. His DJ showed up “fashionably late” and had issues running both turntables. This didn’t phase the crowd one bit though; The GZA ripped through consecutive numbers from ‘Liquid Swords’ before diving into classic Wu-tracks as “Protect Ya Neck” and “Triumph.” As an homage to the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, GZA busted out “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and got the floorboards of the Legion shaking. Walking off the stage in a large white cowboy hat, The GZA left us blown away and cemented Calgary’s reputation of having high energy crowds.

Sled Island Festival 2010 was a weekend  that I will never forget. Calgary should be proud of the hard work and effort of the organizers, volunteers and bands that made this event such a success. I’m really looking forward to what next year’s lineup has in store.

SSPU, at The Sound Academy

For whatever reason, I had missed SSPU every single time they had come through the City of Toronto — which is strange, as their recorded material has continuously found its place is my musical landscape over the years. I finally decided to make it a mission to see this band live, and thus purchased tickets months in advance of the show. Their tour date was set to roll into The Sound Academy along with Against Me! and I would finally be able to put a face to the name (so to speak).

The day of the Sound Academy show, a friend that works at the band’s Canadian distributor — Fontana North — sent me an e-mail with details of a secret show taking place the following day at Tattoo Rock Parlour. I found it ironic that after all the shows I had missed, I would be logging two shows in as many days. The most interesting part is that I would be seeing the band in two very disparate atmospheres, as the first venue holds roughly ten times the audience capacity of the second. This was a treat!

I will remember both of these shows vividly for quite some time; I had a phenomenal experience finally seeing all of these songs put to life…and what life that was! This band did a great job of making both shows extremely fun and memorable. The performances were filled with positivity and excitement — not only from the crowds, but also the band. What struck me the most about SSPU was the subtle but endearing stage presence each of the band members brought to the show.

SSPU, at Tattoo

Nikki Monninger generally had an air of playful innocence about her as she went through each song on the bass. She would smile and jump up and down not unlike a child jumping on a bed for the first time. This all appears to still be new and fun to her. When the time came for her to sing a part in “Little Lover’s So Polite” the crowd rose up in applause, simply as a showing of support. Her smile widened. At one point, between songs, Nikki stepped up to the mic to say thanks to the fans; what followed was the most short and sweet “Thanks” you could imagine, before she stepped back away from the mic.

Brian Aubert, the lead vocalist and sole guitarist of the band, proved to be quite the front-man. The guitar riffs were delivered with exacting ease, and the guitar effects were added with masterful precision. He roamed the stage and played up his role to each side of the crowd. In between songs, he spoke honestly and lovingly to the audience, furthering our devotion to the band.

Christopher Guanlao…what can I say? This guy is an animal on the drum kit. His open-handed drumming style (with all cymbals pushed off to the side, except for one crash-cymbal raised as high as possible on the other) is a truly unique style. He was fun to watch.

Joe Lester is more reserved on stage, but it was nonetheless interesting to see how his efforts translated in a live setting. I actually had a good moment after the Tattoo Rock Parlour show to catch up with him. He was very welcoming. Actually, the entire band was! The hallway downstairs was filled with both Industry folk and everyday fans, and the band was very gracious. This all seems to be evident of a kid-in-a-candy-store mentality from the band. They’re just eating all of this up.

From 3000 fans one night to 300 the next, Silversun Pickups took it all in stride. This band is just getting started.

SSPU, welcoming fans at Tattoo

Seattle, Washington’s Minus The Bear is a band I have always admired and coveted. The first time I discovered them was at The Kathedral Room on Queen St. W. in Toronto. They were opening for Braid — a hardcore band from Chicago who was on their farewell tour. I remember pleading with security to let me into this must see, sold-out show. For 20 bucks I was able to slip in and catch an amazing set from Braid and discover Minus The Bear.

That was 2004. Fast Forward to 2010, and I found myself in Calgary reunited with Minus The Bear at The Republik on a hot summer evening. The Republik is a really cool venue — its multi-leveled house makes for opportune sight-lines. I arrived early enough to catch a new supergroup spearheaded by Fred Mascherino (Taking Back Sunday, The Color Fred). Terrible Things set it off with a set dripping in drop-D tuned goodness. Right from the get-go, songs such as “Revolution” and “Terrible Things” had a distinct Taking Back Sunday sound — a stark contrast to Mascherino’s work in The Color Fred. It was great to watch.

Headliners Minus The Bear hit the stage shortly after 11:00. It was a balanced set of new songs from their latest record ‘ONMI’ as well as some classics from the rest of their catalog. They sounded super-tight and the Calgary crowd gave them a ton of love. At one point several die-hards in the front row started a soccer chant of “MTB,” which became more annoying than flattering and frontman Jake Snider had to put a stop to it. The new songs sounded great, but, since it had been several years since I saw them last, it was nice to hear favourites “Knights” and “The Fix” played live. Calgary is notorious for their energetic crowds, but I didn’t expect to see crowd surfing to “Absinthe Party At The Fly Honey Warehouse.”

It was nice to get re-acquainted with Minus The Bear after so many years. I definitely noticed a progression in their music and ability to continue pushing boundaries, coming up with really catchy and dance-friendly tracks.

North By North East is always something to look forward to. Traditionally in the middle of June, the nearly week-long music festival in the City Of Toronto offers up the chance to take in copious amounts of sunshine and live music, all the while networking with Music Industry peers. It’s a fantastic event, for all of those reasons and more.

Over the years, I’ve seen the event take on numerous forms: it has, at times, been all about the bands (all the while racing from from venue to venue across the city), or it has been all about meet-and-greet socials and panels (mixed with a few bands in between). Either way, it has always been a marathon of music.

This year was different for me, as I decided to go with the flow as opposed to planning out specific showcases and industry functions. This year was more about the people I experienced the music with, and not just about the bands I saw. Truthfully, I missed some great bands; however, I did see some phenomenal performances and I had a complete blast doing so. Here are some of my photo-highlights:

• I always enjoy the chance to hang with the good people in Hollerado. Fun band!
• Young Galaxy are equally great people. I will always do my best to visit with Stephen & Catherine!
• Mudhoney was absolutely great to see live. I had never seen them before! Catching these Seattle “grunge” pioneers doing their thing was an complete pleasure. This band is truly a band onto themselves. Refreshing rock.
• Before I knew it, I was watching Sebastien Grainger (formerly of Death From Above 1979) in a buddy’s living room. His new project — Bad Tits — was groovy and cool. What a wild name! After the performance, Grainger jokingly suggested that I tell my Mother about it.
• Violent Soho, from Australia, was up next. This was LOUD. Hot as hell too — it was 30 degrees outside, the windows were shut inside with no air movement, and the room was packed with sweaty people. Rock’n'Roll! I will have the chance to catch this band at Lollapalooza in August, and for that reason the chance to see them in this setting was a lucky one.
• Mohawk Lodge’s backyard BBQ was a great time. There was a generous crowd of like-minded people, free burgers, cheap beer and good music. How can you lose with that!?
• K-os puts on a good show. I feel like he should be more popular; he *really does* have a lot of catchy tunes.
• We were on a patio above Dundas Square right before Iggy & The Stooges hit the stage. The size of the crowd was incredible (reports had the crowd at between 10000-12000 people). I hadn’t seen anything like that at Dundas Square before! The crowd was packed in tight, but everyone was having a phenomenal time. This was a ton of fun, and it went off without any violence or mischief. Kudos to Toronto and NXNE for throwing such a great party!

I had a great deal of anticipation going into this show; it had been nearly two years since I had seen one of my favourite bands perform, and furthermore, that band — Thrice — had released one of my top records of 2009: ‘Beggars.’ To lend further credence to my declaration of anticipation, I had purchased these tickets months in advance. This show was to be one of the first highlights in the Summer concert season. As I approached The Phoenix Concert Theatre, I noticed the Scalpers first. This show had apparently sold out and the pleading kids, looking for cheap tickets, soon followed. I wasn’t the only one looking forward to this show!

The band hit the stage at the scheduled time, with the aid of a “Thrice Thrice Thrice” chant from the crowd. Barely a word was spoken by the band before driving home the first two tracks from the aforementioned ‘Beggars.’ Immediately, this show had a very different feel from the band’s last few Toronto shows; they seemed to carry with them more energy and positivity. Perhaps it was the crowd, the venue or all of the above, but all speculation aside, we knew this was going to be a great show. The crowd offered up their voices in conjunction with Dustin and Teppei, and tossed their bodies around in a sizable moshpit in a proud display of support. The level of passion in the venue was high.

Dustin Kensrue stopped once throughout the entire set — before “Circles”– to thank the crowd and give them props. It was all about the music for the band on this night, and the fans were more than content with that fact. Really, the band could have done no wrong, as this is a band that has loyal, adoring fans. To that effect, my friends and I speak of the Thrice’s records with the same lore as any storied artist or band that you can name, and Thrice’s records are diverse and intriguing enough to us to be spoken in the highest regard (often causing spirited debates). Thus, to be lucky enough to hear “Image Of The Invisible” live — which I have rarely seen the band play in the past – was a complete treat for a deserving crowd. I shouted the song’s title — a lyrical motif throughout the song — at the top of my lungs as I threw my fist up in the air with my fellow fans.

This was a phenomenal show. With every unique and boundary-pushing record that this band releases, I will continue to look forward to an equally-diverse live performance by the band. Until next time.

Setlist:
“All The World Is Mad”
“The Weight”
“The Artist In The Ambulance”
“Of Dust And Nations”
“The Earth Will Shake”
“Firebreather”
“The Messenger”
“Burn The Fleet”
“Circles”
“Doublespeak”
“Silhouette”
“Hold Fast Hope”
“Red Sky”
“In Exile”
“Image Of The Invisible”
“To Awake And Avenge The Dead”

Encore
“Stand And Feel Your Worth”
“Beggars”

May 9th was an important night in Cleveland, Ohio for two reasons: firstly, their NBA franchise — The Cleveland Cavaliers — were in a highly critical playoff game against The Boston Celtics, and second (and the same reason it was an important night for me) was that the 2010 Pearl Jam tour was rolling through town.

Every Pearl Jam show is a once in a life time experience, and this night was no different. The night kicked off with Band Of Horses, the alt-country indie band from Southern Carolina. Absent, however, was the Eddie Vedder solo performance that set up the opening act on previous tours. The band greeted the two thirds-empty arena by throwing salt in their wounds, asking the crowd if they had watched Cleveland’s loss just hours before, to which Band Of Horses received an appropriately-loud serenade of boos.

The room soon warmed up after the band played selected songs from each of their three full-length albums — including fan favourites “Is There A Ghost?” and “Funeral.” The band also showcased several songs from their upcoming record ‘Infinite Arms’, which definitely piqued my interest in giving the record some speaker time at home. The closer was a four minute foot stomper, repeating the question: “Am I a good man?” I think most in attendance were leaning more towards labeling the band “Cavs haters”, but the crowd did give it up for the band as they left the stage.

At exactly 8:55pm, the lights went down and the band that fuelled my ingrained love of music took the stage. It’s tough to articulate exactly what it is that makes Pearl Jam shows so addictive, but one constant throughout their best performances is the possibility of rare songs being sprinkled throughout the set. Thus, as the slow groove of the ‘Ten’ B-side “Wash” began, I knew we were in for a good night. 15,000 strong joined Eddie Vedder in starting the night as they sang along with the song’s climax: “Wash my love!”

With the mood properly set, “Hail Hail” off of ‘No Code’ kicked the energy up a few notches, before the band went full-bore into “Corduroy” from ‘Vitalogy’ and “Got Some” from ‘Backspacer.’

Clearly proud of the artwork provided by Tom Tomorrow for their newest ‘Backspacer’ record, Pearl Jam was flying the themed artwork high on a banner behind the stage – an entirely new concept for a Pearl Jam show (and more than a little pleasure to my eyes!).

It wasn’t until after the eighth song of the set that Eddie finally greeted the Cleveland arena. After a quick introduction we were up and running again, as the most badass bassline in the world came at us from the fingers of Pearl Jam’s bass player, Jeff Ament. That bassline was the opening notes of “Go.”

After “Even Flow”, Eddie introduced the next song as one written about the troops over seas, but really focuses on a wife and mother at home hoping to hear good news of their own soldier’s return. This queued up“Army Reserve” – the beautiful Jeff Ament-penned track from their self-titled record. The words to this song always hit home for me, but translated that much stronger in a live U.S. setting.

Incredibly, the biggest reception of the night came for“Unthought Known” from ‘Backspacer’ (obviously this is quickly becoming a fan favourite!). The song hit home with the power of a gospel song, as the crowd joined in singing the words “nothing left” as though it were their last chance to sing them.

The first set drew to a close with several well-known fan favourites, including “Do The Evolution,” “The Fixer,” and “Why Go.” Added to all of this, Eddie made good on the Band Of Horses blunder earlier in the evening; in reference to The Cavaliers loss, Eddie wished the local team well the following Tuesday, and preached that Cleveland “cannot let Jay-Z steal their star!”, adding “We’re from Seattle, they stole our whole team!”

The first encore marked my first chance to hear two personal PJ favourites – the first of which was “Just Breathe,” one of the most beautiful songs in the Pearl Jam catalog.

With another quick introduction (“This song is about the declaration of independence”) the band kicked into the song that I had always wanted to hear live, but never thought would happen: 1993’s “Leash.” After fifteen Pearl Jam shows, spanning 14 years and ten cities, I finally heard the most anthemic of Pearl Jam songs. The song sounded as good as I always had suspected it would, and the opening lyrics “Young souls unite, we’ve got ourselves tonight” have never rung more true to me.

With the mindset that you can never give your fans too many good songs at one show, the band brought the first encore to a rousing conclusion with “Porch.” The second encore was highlighted by another rarity, a cover of The Who’s “The Real Me” (with 15,000 singing along).

Serving as evidence to bring your homemade-sign requests to PJ shows, Eddie took a request for the ‘No Code’ track “Smile,” telling the sign-holder that she might as well walk right past security and watch the song up close – which I’m sure was an amazing moment for her!

The night was elegantly brought to a close with the low-key “Indifference,” with Eddie explaining “This has been a special night, so we’d like to end it a bit differently.”

In all the Pearl Jam shows I have attended, never have I walked away with anything even close to a bad experience, as each one is genuinely special in its own way. The uniting power of rare songs was the signature of this show — perfectly summarized by another line in “Leash”: “When I’m by your side, I am right by your side.”

Full set list:
“Wash”
“Hail Hail”
“Corduroy”
“Got Some”
“In Hiding”
“World Wide Suicide”
“Force Of Nature”
“Immortality”
“Go”
“Even Flow”
“Army Reserve”
“Unthought Known”
“Daughter/WMA”
“Sleight Of Hand”
“Johnny Guitar”
“Do The Evolution”
“The Fixer”
“Why Go”

1st Encore:
“Just Breathe”
“Given To Fly”
“Leash”
“Porch”

2nd Encore:
“Wasted Reprise”
“Life Wasted”
“Black”
“Smile”
“Alive”
“Indifference”

In January of 2005, my favourite heavy band of all time – Snapcase –  played their final show in Buffalo, NY, a mere two hour drive from Toronto. I bought my tickets to say goodbye to the band that I considered to be THE hardcore band, but it was not to be — as a typical January Canadian snow storm rolled in and shut down the 401 highway to Buffalo. I had pretended to make peace with missing this show over the years, but when I caught wind that Snapcase was doing a one-off show in Buffalo, the excitement (and resentment) of that final show came roaring back, and I was again Buffalo-bound. This time the band was joined by hardcore peers that lent a hand in the band finding their signature sound, and brought with them more than a little nostalgia.

Walter Schreifels

To start the night was none other than the highly-influential Walter Schreifels of Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand and Rival Schools fame (just to name a few). Walter took the stage armed with little more than an acoustic guitar, a beer, and a handful of amusing anecdotes — all of which added to the charm of the show. A friend perfectly summarized the show by saying: “Well that was nice.” Stories included a mention that Frank Sinatra had once played the Town Ballroom (“proven” to us by the fact that it was told to Walter by his cab driver on the way to the venue) as well as  a recollection of seeing Sick Of It All’s first show, to which he humourously added “Ya know, it was just their first one, whatever…no big deal.” Walter even poked fun at himself by pointing out the contradiction of talking about hardcore music while being “just a pussy with an acoustic guitar.”

Along the way Schreifels played roughly eight songs – including an acoustic version of the Quicksand classic “Thorn In My Side” — and several songs from his new solo record: ‘An Open Letter to the Scene’.

Cancer Bats

Cancer Bats picked up immediately after where Schreifels left off, playing their unique blend of Southern Rock Hardcore to the Buffalo crowd (who seemed largely unfamiliar with their music). After banging out a few fan favourites, the ‘Bats appeared to win over a few in attendance as the first mosh pit of the night broke out (despite Walter’s stated desire to achieve it). Frontman Liam Cormier expressed his admiration and love for all of the bands on the bill, before bringing the set home with their cover of Beastie Boys “Sabotage” and their own “Lucifer’s Rocking Chair”.

Sick Of It All

Next up were the highly influential 80’s and 90’s New York Hardcore scene heroes: Sick Of It All. To be honest, during my teen years I’d been highly-exposed to this band — I saw them live, heard their CDs, watched their videos — but never really “got them.” Funny then that the 31 year old me found myself relating to this rebellious hardcore band so much more than the 16 year old me ever did.

Sick Of It All were work-horses that night as they ran around the stage, worked the crowd between songs and gave as much energy between the four of them as the 500 in the audience gave back. The highlight of their set came during the last song, in which they staged a gladiator-esque battle that pitted one side of the room against the other. As the band built the intro of the set’s closer, they parted the seas of the crowd, created a gap of about 15 feet between the two sides and once the song kicked in, the battle commenced: each side of the room ran full bore into the other in a weird, angry, fist-throwing, teen angst love-in. It was just…beautiful!

Snapcase

Finally it was time for the men of the night: Snapcase. The band didn’t waste any time getting things going as they jumped into the first song off their last proper album: ‘Coagulate.’ The band let the crowd warm up their screaming voices to the anthemic line of “Who shot the shot to break the blood clot!” Frontman Daryl Taberski then thanked the crowd for coming and said it was good to be partying again, letting it sink in for about 30 seconds before adding: “I don’t even know what to say, it’s just good to be here.”

The band took us on a trip backwards through their catalog with “Bleeding Orange” and “Cognition” before two more from ‘End Transmission’: “Aperture” and “New Kata.” The band sounded like a band that had been touring for 10 years straight; as tight as any band out there; right on every point with each beat and accent. That said, the enthusiasm with which they played was a dead give away that it had been far too long away from the scene for the band members. Between the fist pumps in the air, the screams emitted from each and every player, the high fives with the crowd and the stage dives, it was evident that the band was back where they belong.

For me, each song brought back the feelings from the days when I wouldn’t go even a day without listening to a Snapcase song or record. From “Typecast Modulator” to “Ambition Now” and “Caboose”…every song was perfect. The nostalgia flowed from the stage with Daryl joking that with Sick Of It All and Walter from Quicksand opening, all they needed was Helmet to have played and Snapcase wouldn’t even have needed to be there!

Frontman Daryl went about his intense vocal delivery with his normal calm confidence – which lies somewhere between Tool’s Maynard James Keenan and Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell. It exists as a beautiful contradiction to the aggressive music that Snapcase plays.

The band brought Lou Koller from SOIA out for a guest appearance, to which he shared vocal duties on “Energy Dome” (from the band’s definitive ‘Designs For Automotion’ album). This song perfectly tied up the evening’s stream of influence.

After a short break, the band came back to do two more songs as they closed the show with the amazing “Lookingglasself.” More importantly, for me, the band provided me with the Snapcase-closure I pretended I didn’t need for the previous five years. Any Snapcase shows from this point on are just icing on the cake.

My alarm went off around 8:00am – which was 4 hours too early by my count, as we had just experienced a long night of drinking and celebrating an epic Kansas City Pearl Jam show the night before. The reality was that we needed to hit the I-70 Eastbound to St. Louis for a second serving of Pearl Jam. We got into St. Louis shortly after 12:30pm, which gave us some time to get our bearings and see some sights. We decided to walk down to Busch Stadium (the home of the St. Louis Cardinals) and take a tour up to the top of the famous St. Louis Arch. By the 3:00pm hour we were ready to head to the box office of the Scottrade Center to pick up our Ten Club tickets. Still reeling from front row seats the night before, I anticipated that lightening doesn’t strike twice and we would either be in the third or fourth row, based on our seniority in the Ten Club. Section A, Row 3 is where we landed be for this particular evening’s show. They ended up being great seats on Mike McCready’s side of the stage.

We decided to pass the hours prior to show time by meeting up with other Ten Club fans at the Pre-Show Party just a few blocks from the venue. Once it rolled around closer to 6:00pm, we made our way over to Scottrade Center to wait for the doors to open. Once again, we made a mad dash to the merch table to grab a concert poster. Thankfully we got there early because those that missed out shelled out hundreds of dollars to get their hands on one after the show.

I wanted to head down to the seats and check out Band of Horses again. I really appreciate this band’s energy and they played the lights out for all who showed up early. The set-list slightly deviated from the one the night before, but it was nice to get a second go-around from songs such as “The Great Salt Lake,” “No One’s Gonna Love You,” and their newest single “NW Apt.”

Between sets we made small talk with a few fans in our row to pass the time until Pearl Jam emerged from stage right. I had anticipated a very different set tonight as the energy of the crowd in Kansas City was going to be tough to top; but I knew if any one man could rise to the challenge, it would be frontman Eddie Vedder.

The band kicked off their set with “Sometimes” — which I really hoped they would. It reminded me of the first time I saw Pearl Jam back in 2000 at the Air Canada Centre.The 2010 version of this song seemed to be played with a little more grit and umph than the previous one. Eddie was looking to set the tone early and reinforced that by saying: “In the words of Marvin Gaye, let’s get it on!” Following that, the band quickly switched gears and played “Corduroy.”I was enthralled in watching Mike McCready do his thing with his guitar. He’s a bonafide showman, always looking to get a reaction out of the crowd. Between his laps around the monitors and patented scissor-kick jumps, Mike was leaning his guitar out into the crowd and pointing in every which direction and drawing energy from his fans. When he wasn’t doing any of those things, he was making it rain guitar picks on the fans.

Our jaws collectively hit the floor when the band broke into “All Night.” The bar was definitely being raised in St. Louis, and for good reason: this was the band’s first time back in the city since 2003. This set took on a more aggressive look and feel as the band dusted off more gems such as “Why Go,” “Glorified G,” “Pilate,”and “In Hiding.” We were truly witnessing a remarkable set-list. Even Stone Gossard seemed more into the show as he spent more time at the front of the stage, often cracking smiles during the set.

Eddie was on his game too. But tonight, he seemed REALLY on. He was sweating right from the get-go and during “Do The Evolution,”he leaned hard on his mic stand between swigs of wine. His trademark snarl was more visible on this evening, expending all his energy to make sure that the crowd was engaged (despite the building only being 80% full). There wasn’t any banter or storytelling like that of the night before; this night was all about the music.

“Let’s Fix Something!” Eddie shouted as the band kicked into “The Fixer” before the 1st encore break. By now, Pearl Jam definitely has their fantastic new material down-pat live. It was one of the best versions of this song I’ve heard and a perfect set-closer. The band returned to the stage to play “Inside Job” while Eddie laid out a St. Louis Blues jersey in front of Matt Cameron’s drum kit, complete with “Pearl Jam” and the number “10” embossed on the back. It was awesome watching Mike McCready operate his double-neck guitar on this track. After slowing down the pace with “Just Breathe,” Pearl Jam shocked us all with an intense rendition of “Jeremy.” This song has been put on the shelf for quite some time so it was nice to be reunited with the song that got me listening to Pearl Jam in the first place. From Jeff Ament’s opening bass riff, the crowd went into a frenzy and sang along to every word. It was amazing! “Rearviewmirror” was an epic 1st encore closer, as it was played with such ferociousness and intensity that kept the energy levels at a high-point in the building.

The band returned once again to the stage and surprised us all by opening their 2nd encore with “Garden.” Masterfully played, Pearl Jam pulled out another track from ‘Ten’ and dedicated “Alive” to hometown Fox Sports broadcaster Joe Buck, who was apparently in the building to take the show in. Eddie made his way over to our section as the song was winding down with McCready wailing away on his Fender guitar. Eddie reached out into the crowd almost like he was anticipating going for a surf! It was a trip to be that close to a musician I have idolized for so many years. The house lights came back up and Pearl Jam once again stunned us with another song that hasn’t been their set-list for quite some time: The Who’s “Baba O’Reily” — the result of which had the entire floor section jumping up and down. Thinking this would be their eventual set closer, Pearl Jam went another step further and rocked us with “Yellow Ledbetter,” complete with an incredible tag of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing”by Mike McCready at the end (all the while with Mike perched right on top of the speakers in front of us!).

As the crowd began to file out of Scottrade Center, the search began for any stray guitar pics that might have been thrown our way. I was able to spot a Jeff Ament pic under my seat and quickly snatched it up!

Pearl Jam in St. Louis slides into the top three sets I’veever seen the bandplay – behind London, Ontario in 2005 and Boston, Massachusetts on the ‘Vote For Change’ Tour in 2004. I’m always amazed by the band’s element of surprise night in and night out. I guess that’s why I continue with these annual PJ pilgrimages each year. For all the money spent on tickets, hotels and tour posters, that night in St. Louis was affirmation that it is all completely worth it.

Setlist
“Sometimes”
“Corduroy”
“All Night”
“Do the Evolution”
“Why Go”
“Small Town”
“In Hiding”
“Even Flow”
“Unthought Known”
“Save You”
“Down”
“Pilate”
“Severed Hand”
“Not For You”
“Glorified G”
“1/2 Full”
“Daughter”
“The Fixer”

1st Encore
“Inside Job”
“Just Breathe”
“Jeremy”
“Got Some”
“Rearviewmirror”

2nd Encore
“Garden”
“Alive”
“Baba O’Riley” (The Who)
“Yellow Ledbetter/Little Wing” (Jimi Hendrix)

Front row!

Only a few months had passed from a sensational 4-date West Coast ‘Backspacer’ swing when another on-sale notification came through my inbox announcing more Pearl Jam U.S. tour dates. After trading a few e-mails with a friend, we decided to embark on two Midwestern dates. Not only would this be a chance to be reunited with my favourite band on the planet, but it would be a chance to check out America’s heartland and see some cities I couldn’t point out on a map.

Pearl Jam was set to kick off the second leg of their ‘Backspacer’ Tour in Kansas City, Missouri. We decided it would be best to fly in the night before and get acquainted in our new surroundings. We couldn’t have asked for better weather; an outstanding lightning storm had begun to subside upon our arrival in Kansas City. After checking into our hotel we decided to embark on the Power and Light District and were greeted by some incredibly friendly locals, comfort food, and extremely cheap draught beer.

We passed the time doing some shopping and sniffing out of the city’s best barbecue spot. K.C. is famous for their barbecue and I would highly recommend a stop at Arthur Bryant’s for a taste of what this city has to offer. At 3:00pm, we set out under the hot Midwestern sun to greet the other Ten Club members at the Sprint Center box office to pick up our tickets. This part of the day is always an anxious one since, as members of the Ten Club, we don’t find out our seating arrangements until we pick up our tickets. There was also the off-chance that we might get lucky and end up in the randomly selected first two rows!

The rock-gods were obviously shining down on us on this day as we scored Section FLR2 Row 1 Seats 2 and 3! My initial reaction was complete shock as I always dreamed of being front row at a Pearl Jam concert. I couldn’t believe that this day had finally come after 13 shows! Needless to say, I was stoked!

We hit the Sprint Center as soon as the doors opened in order to beat the rush for the limited edition tour posters. After that, we filed down to our seats for the show openers: Band Of Horses.

I was excited to see that Pearl Jam slotted Band Of Horses to tag along on this tour. Having been a fan of theirs for quite a few years, I knew this opportunity would expose them to a broader audience and in that vein, the band took full advantage on this night to unleash their crunchy, re-fried rock on those fortunate enough to show up to the venue in time. Band Of Horses treated us with a 30-minute set that blended a collection of their more “popular” songs as well as previews of new songs from their upcoming record entitled ‘Infinite Arms.’ The crowd seemed to respond well to tracks such as “Is There A Ghost?” and their most moving song in the catalog “The Funeral.” Band Of Horses is a fun band to watch as they really get into their music. You could tell they were excited to be part of this tour and thrilled to be playing much larger rooms.

There was roughly a 45-minute break between bands and as the clock wound down to Pearl Jam hitting the stage, I became more and more  anxious. The prospect of trading looks with Eddie Vedder and Stone Gossard all night seemed intimidating, as hard as that is to believe. But as soon as the band hit the stage, all nervousness was washed away as we were whisked into a cavalcade of hits that spanned nearly 2.5 hours.

It’s always tough to guess what Pearl Jam is going to open their set with and this always makes for great conversation amongst us in the “Jam-ily.” On this night, the band decided to go with the Gossard-penned “Of The Girl” from ‘Binaural.’ Pearl Jam quickly picked up the pace of the set, banging out “Animal” and “World Wide Suicide” before breaking into one of my favourite ‘Backspacer’ tracks: “Unthought Known.” It’s hard to put into words how amazing it felt to be watching Pearl Jam in the front row. I found it really tough to focus on one specific member so my eyes would shift between Eddie and Stone and then dart across to watch Jeff Ament and Mike McCready collaborate stage-left. Stone tends to play “shy” with the front of the stage, not offering up much emotion; that said, you definitely can’t underestimate his talents — he’s an extremely clean and sharp guitar player. His sound was so crisp coming from the monitors in front of me. Not to be outdone was Eddie’s vocals, which seemed to carry all the way up to the rafters. The sound was a bit loud, but I think it comes with the territory of being so close to the stage. There were moments in the set where McCready (the more charismatic of the two guitarists) would show some love for our side of the stage and crush a ripping guitar solo right in front of us.

The other great thing about being front row is that there are no obstructed views. You see everything: the big moments and the small, more subtle intricacies. You really feel like you’re part of the show. You also get a feel for the band’s chemistry; there was a moment during “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town” when Eddie carried into a note that threw Mike and Jeff for a loop. The two players exchanged puzzled looks with each other, which were eventually shrugged off with a laugh or two. “Even Flow” was introduced by Eddie as a “Mixed Metaphor.”

As the night marched on, the crowd seemed to become louder and louder. This seemed to help the band settle in and become more relaxed. Eddie would preface “God’s Dice” as a great song Jeff brought to the group with the title “God’s Balls” — which had all of us in the front row in stitches.

Some of the bigger more noticeable moments in the set came after the 1st encore break when Eddie came out to the stage wearing a #6-Willie Wilson-Kansas City Royals jersey. Eddie noted that it wasn’t just any particular jersey; he had became good friends with Willie over the years – which was met with a “Wil-lie! Wil-lie!” chant from the crowd. The band closed off the 1st encore with an absolutely ripping version of “Porch” that was arguably one of the best versions of the song I’ve heard live. This song jacked up the crowd’s energy, queuing us up for the band’s return to the stage for a 2nd encore (and a few more surprises).

As the lights came back up, Eddie introduced “No More” — a song he penned for the 2007 documentary entitled ‘Body Of War’ — alongside the main subject of the film. This brave soul’s name is Tomas Young and he was greeted to a roar of applause from the hometown crowd. Young is a resident of Kansas City who fought to defend his country and returned home with major injuries leaving him bound to a wheelchair, and thus this was a moment that pulled on my heart strings and showed firsthand the painful and harsh realities of war. “No More” is a brilliantly-written and emotionally-charged song; but not only that, this was a statement by Pearl Jam in the pro-war, conservative state of Missouri that challenged those ideals and mentalities and I think it even made an impact (despite a few jeers) on the non-believers that we must pull troops out of the fire in the Middle East.

The evening would end on a positive note as the band celebrated the birthday of their tour manager for 19 years: Mark “Smitty” Smith. The band serenaded him with “Happy Birthday” and served up a few pounds of cake to the face! McCready soon kicked off the opening riff to “Alive” while Eddie began tossing handfuls of cake to us in the front row. Wiping the cake from his face, Vedder belted out the lyrics to “Alive” while moving from stage right to left, making eye contact with everyone in the building. “Rockin’ In The Free World” was a pleasant surprise in the set as well as an indication that the night was coming to a close. But little did we know that the band had another special guest in store. Eddie told us a story about how a member of the gold medal-winning Men’s 4-Man Bobsled team used Pearl Jam’s music as motivation to win before each run. Turns out Curt Tomasevicz– a member of that team — was also a Kansas City native andthe band asked him to play bass guitar on “Yellow Ledbetter.” The crowd erupted when Curt placed his gold medal around Eddie’s neck. Curt kept time with the rest of the band as Jeff added an additional guitar to the mix. The song came to a close in fitting form as Mike ripped a blazing rendition of Hendrix’s version of  “The Star Spangled Banner.”

 
All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye I saw a white object being thrown in my direction. It was tossed a little high so I reached back and pulled it down from mid-air with my left hand. Not even knowing what it was, I reached down andunclenched my fist to find Matt Cameron’s signature wristband in my hand! After receiving high fives from those around me, I quickly stuffed and secured the wristband in my pocket until we got back to the hotel so I could put it somewhere safe.

The Kansas City show was much more about the music. The band played a great show, but it was definitely a “safe” set. For me, this show was more about the experience. Pearl Jam shared with us some heart-warming local stories of perseverance, passion and pain — certainly emotions Pearl Jam has gone through during their storied career. There were not many surprises in the set-list, but the energy and drive to put on a good show for the mighty K.C. was there. Regardless, if the show in Kansas City was any indication of what the next night could bring, the fans waiting in St. Louis would certainly have their work cut out for them.

Setlist
“Of The Girl”
“Animal”
“World Wide Suicide”
“Got Some”
“Unthought Known”
“Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town”
“MFC”
“Johnny Guitar”
“Amongst The Waves”
“Even Flow”
“God’s Dice”
“Present Tense”
“Daughter”
“Wishlist”
“Insignificance”
“Do The Evolution”

1st Encore
“Off He Goes”
“Just Breathe”
“Given To Fly”
“The Fixer”
“Life Wasted”
“Porch”

2nd Encore
“No More” (w/guest Tomas Young)
“Black”
“Better Man”
“Happy Birthday” (w/Mark “Smitty” Smith)
“Alive”
“Rockin’ In The Free World” (by Neil Young)
“Yellow Ledbetter/Star Spangled Banner” (w/Curt Tomasevicz)

It was on The Zane Lowe show on BBC Radio 1 that I first heard The Middle East. The track was “Blood” and its Broken Social Scene, multi-instrument, indie feel lured me in immediately. A visit to the band’s MySpace page revealed the aforementioned song as well as one other. All disappointment in the lack of sample material aside, my attention was piqued. It wasn’t until I was perusing the local Toronto concert listings a few weeks ago that I gave the band proper focus; the Australian act was set to The Horseshoe Tavern, and I was not to miss it.

I had had a rather strenuous start to the week in the days leading up to the show: I had taken part in a marathon of a charity event, and my girlfriend and I had parted ways. Added to this, my job was proving to be quite busy. I really needed a way to clear my head, and this show was the perfect solution.

It had been raining most of the day before the show — but not in a stormy fashion (it was a rather calm day with huge clouds and big drops of rain). When it came time to leave for the venue, the dusk-lit sky had completely mellowed to a fog, and the warm air was welcomed as I slowly made my down Queen Street West. The hip hotspot was a bustle with people and activity, as the various bars along the way were teeming with boisterous patrons. Added to this, the streets were lined with cars and limos — which is a sight more suited for a Friday or Saturday night, as opposed to a Wednesday. This was to be a night shared with others.

To my surprise, The Horseshoe was quite full for what I had thought was an unknown Australian band. I would say that at least 200 people were in attendance, but it doesn’t really matter (for me at least!). I settled in for the show and waited for the band to arrive on the stage. Of course, I loaded up Foursquare on my phone and let my own little world know where I was and who I was about to see. It was the least I could do!

The first thing I noticed was that there are 7 members in this band. On top of this, each member is extremely versatile in their musical ability; it was not uncommon for any one member to pick up a second, or even third instrument. I think the best example is Mike Haydon on the drums: at one point, the drum sticks were set down in exchange for an accordion — backing up a mellow acoustic song. The quote found on their Wikipedia page sums the band’s aural acumen up nicely:

“The genre of the band themselves is difficult to specify. Whilst their MySpace profile lists the band as “indie”, elements of folk, pop, post rock, country and ambience can be found throughout their music. Instruments used include guitar – both electric and acoustic, drums, hand percussion, piano, glockenspiel and trumpet. Another distinguishing feature of the band’s music is the use of vocal harmony – in particular close harmony performed at times by several members.”

There were many points in the show where the sounds meeting my ears were simply put: sonically beautiful. I leaned up against the wall stage-left and soaked in the musical textures of the band. There were also moments where the band geared up and kicked the performance into overdrive — with drums crashing along with an array of instruments and layered vocals. Percussion combined with three vocal parts (two male, one female), electric and acoustic guitars, bass, synthesizer, glock, and even a shaker paired with some sort of wooden-staff adorned with noisy bits. It was intense!

Brothers Jordan and Joseph Ireland intermittently addressed the crowd, but did so very much in a subtle manner (they are very humble and soft spoken). At one point, the band’s hometown of Townsville (in Queensland, Australia) was identified by the band — to which a rousing cheer came from the crowd. The band was surprised, to say the least, to learn that fellow Aussies were in attendance. It was a warm welcome for the band, so far away from home.

The first set was closed out with “Blood” to hearty applause. This was clearly the song that drew in the crowd. The tune went over so well that the collective was called back out for an encore. What more could an upstart band have asked for, performing on another continent!? That sentiment aside, I got exactly what I needed on this particular night.

I still remember the first time I heard The Whigs: A member of their Canadian distribution company literally handed me a pair of headphones, over a round of beers, and said “You *have* to hear this band.” The track was “Already Young” and I liked what I heard. Queue a new record and a stop through Toronto — it was time to see what the band was all about.

I had given ‘In The Dark’ a few healthy spins since it’s 03/16/10 release (even listening to it 3 times in a row, all the way through one day), so, I was familiar with the new tunes. It’s a *great* record. That said, I was more interested in the band’s sonic history and their ability to show it off.

The venue on this particular night was The Mod Club. This is a notoriously hard venue for bands to dominate; shows can go off the hook, but they can also bomb spectacularly. The venue has a great lighting system, but the sound can be off from night to night. Further to this, the club is nestled right in Little Italy and has terrible parking — thus affecting the crowds that attend. In this vein, The Whigs’ show started out slow (no doubt added to by the crowd’s unfamiliarity with the band).

The unsureness of the crowd quickly succumbed to the powerful showcase that this band put on. The sheer energy that was delivered to the audience from atop the stage was undeniable. Julian Dorio was the star of the show. This guy is a phenomenal drummer…truly. Comparisons to John Bonham, Nick Mason and even Dave Grohl were made and were completely justified — Julian just hits so hard, with amazing precision. His style definitely brought every song up a notch.

Slowly, the crowd began to move and react. Hollers were thrown out to the band after songs ended, and then after an apex or soulful breakdown of a tune. Clearly, the crowd was starting to be won over by the band. It was great to see. Acknowledgement of how amazing Julian was on the kit began to spread beyond my friend and I, reaching first to a fellow on-looker next to us, and then to a fellow fan behind us. This was a fun show for all.

The chemistry — not only between guitar and bass, but also between lead and background vocals — of bassist Tim Deaux and frontman Parker Gispert were electrified by Dorio. These two musicians fed off of the backbeat, without a doubt. Parker would break off the mic and face the drumkit, kick one foot up in the air and proceed to bring the headstock of his guitar down on each downbeat, as if he was literally swinging an axe.

This was a loud, raucous show. I had convinced a friend of mine to come with me to the show because I *knew* he would like it. Hell, I hadn’t even seen the band live at that point and I knew it would be a great show — the band’s tunes demand a live performance that follows suit. My friend was blown away, as was The Mod Club that night. Check out this band! If you’re a fan of Neil Young and/or Kings Of Leon, do yourself a favour.

For a taste of what I saw, give this performance a look:

It was a cold and dreary Tuesday night when I decided to set out on foot to a sold out Commodore Ballroom to check out The xx. This is a band that has received a ton of accolades after releasing their self-titled debut record in 2009. This record had a profound impact on me and as a result ranked fairly high in my Top 10 Records of 2009. I felt the songs were beautifully-penned and completely relatable. I felt that it was fitting that my last show as a Vancouver resident was to be The xx. The tone of their music really seemed to evoke the mood and the emotions I was going through leaving a city I absolutely adored and enjoyed for the past 2.5 years.

As I had my ticket scanned at the door, I slowly made my way up the staircase to the club. Wafting in the familiar smells of spilt beer and recycled marijuana, I knew I was home. My night was coming full circle. The first show I caught in Vancouver was at The Commodore. It was Jimmy Eat World on Thanksgiving weekend in 2007.

I went to the back bar as I always have done and grabbed a Corona, and then posted up right in the mix with the rest of the crowd. As the stage crew hustled to set up the band’s instruments, there was a large white sheet that draped across the entire stage. I’ve known the Foo Fighters to do this in the past, and it seems like The xx was following suit. The lights went down and the crowd roared as the first few chords of “Intro” were struck. Flashes of light revealed the shadows of guitarist Romy Medley Croft and bassist Oliver Sims featuring Jamie Smith on percussion and synths. The sheet soon dropped as the band wrapped up their opener and kicked into “Crystalised.” Smoke was starting to billow over the crowd like a morning mist. It seemed that The xx wasn’t clicking from the start of the show; their timing of note striking was slightly off. Perhaps it was just the initial jitters that can be attributed to playing a new room. They soon bucked this trend and took the crowd through an extremely abstract and tight-sounding set.

Croft and Sims traded verses on vocals throughout the set, which really added to the mystery of whether or not they are in fact a couple, and, working out all their issues through song  (despite claiming in interviews that they are “just friends”). “Fantasy” was probably my favourite song of the evening; it’s an extremely psychedelic and dark number that features heavy drum machine beats, all delivered as Croft softly plucked her guitar. The soft-spoken Sims addressed the crowd, thanking them for their enthusiasm while the rest of the band rolled on with the set in order of record.

The xx closed with the incredibly somber “Stars” to a star-filled backdrop. Smith played keys on this song while Croft and Sims traded lyrics and finished each other’s sentences, adding to the previously-mentioned relationship allure. The band quietly left the stage as the house lights turned up to a roar of applause. It was then that I came to the realization that I had seen my last show at The Commodore. I swiftly grabbed a copy of The xx on vinyl and made my way out of The Commodore. I’m not sure how many great bands will make their way to my new home of Calgary, but having said that, I will definitely revel in the fact that I was fortunate enough to have seen a lot of great bands grace the stage of The Commodore.

It has been almost a FULL four months since I’ve been to a show! This drought usually happens for me around the Wintertime. The change in seasons signals that I should be spending more time on the north shore mountains doing powder runs and park laps. The beginning of 2010 also brought the world to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympic games. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to check out some events such as Men’s and Women’s Halfpipe and even the Gold Medal Hockey game that ROCKED our great nation. What I failed to take advantage of were all the live shows happening around the city. It seemed like every night there was a band playing at either a club or one of the Live-City venues as part of the Cultural Olympiad.

So, after shaking off a month-long Olympic hangover, I began jonesing to go see a show. This landed me at The Commodore Ballroom for Passion Pit with support from Mayer Hawthorne. I was really excited about the prospect of seeing Passion Pit’s tracks from their debut record ‘Manners’ come alive on stage. I had heard mixed reviews about their live show, so I thought now was a good time as any to check them out to make my own opinions.

I entered The Commodore just after 10:00 to the soulful sounds of the opener: Los Angeles-based Mayer Hawthorne. I quickly checked his MySpace page before leaving the house to get a flavour for his sound. Mayer Hawthorne and his backing band The Countrywarmed up the stirring crowd nicely before Passion Pit hit the stage. I was really impressed with their sound, which hearkens back to Curtis Mayfield or Issac Hayes. Hawthorne didn’t even hesitate to introduce “Shiny & New” as “real baby makin’ music,” which got a rise out of the crowd. My favourite song in the set was his latest single from the 2009 release ‘A Strange Arrangement’ entitled “Maybe So, Maybe No.” Mayer Hawthorne and The Country closed their set with “The Ills” — an upbeat song which had the crowd swaying to the beat. This was Mayer Hawthorne’s first trip to Vancouver and given the adoration and energy from the crowd, I’m certain it won’t be his last. I definitely urge you to check him out.

Shortly after 11:00, Boston, Massachusetts’ Passion Pit hit the stage to a roar of applause and opened with “Make Light”. Right from the get-go it seemed Passion Pit was excited to be reunited with the Vancouver crowd, as they fed off the crowd’s energy throughout the entire set. My favorite Passion Pit track “The Reeling”made an early appearance in the set, bringing with it a myriad of synthesizers and keyboards as well as the distinct high pitched vocals of frontman Michael Angelakos. I was focusing hard to find flaws in the band’s sound, but they seemed really on point on this evening. Their sound was crisp and vocals were clear. Perhaps Passion Pit was a band made for venues like The Commodore.

The band continued to charge through more tracks from ‘Manners’ before closing their set with “Little Secrets” — of which the crowd sang along to every word of the chorus. During the encore break, the crowd broke into chant requesting the media-exposed “Sleepyhead.”This song was just awesome live! I even caught myself bouncing along to the heavy bass drum that accompanies the eclectic harp samples and synths. This was the perfect song to close a remarkably fun and energetic set.

This concert was just the cure to kick me out of my drought. Passion Pit along with Mayer Hawthorne And The Country put together two fantastic sets and really helped get me get back into the spirit of going to see live music again.

I can’t describe my excitement on the night of Thursday, February 18th. Having played a sold out show two nights before in Christchurch, Faith No More were in Auckland on their reunion tour — their first tour in more than a decade. Unfortunately I got there too late to catch the opening act — Eagles Of Death Metal — but I only cared about one thing that night, so nothing could faze me.

As the lights were lowered I couldn’t contain myself any longer; I ditched my friends without saying a word, and ran to the front. Out came Mike Patton, dressed head to toe in red, hair slicked back, sunglasses on, with all his usual attitude and swagger.

They started with cover “Reunited” — a jazzy tongue-in-cheek celebration of their disbelief at the huge hype surrounding their reunion and subsequent sold out world tour. What followed was a greatest hits setlist, featuring songs from every album and a couple of surprise gems: Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface” expertly melded onto the start of “Chinese Arithmetic” and the ridiculously heavy “Cuckoo For Caca” (proving that Patton definitely still has his screaming pipes intact).

As the concert went on, the vibe from the crowd wasn’t as good as it could have been, and I realised that the band was picking up on it. This culminated with Patton threatening someone in the crowd, calling him a “f**ken skinhead.” The frustration between the band and the audience continued when they played one verse of the Crowded House song “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, left the stage… then returned to the stage for the encore, only to play it twice more!

Even after a supremely amazing final performance with “Digging The Grave”, I walked away feeling strangely unsatisfied. It seemed the quality of their performance really depended on the quality of the crowd. I felt ashamed of Auckland for not giving them that.

Luckily, Melbourne shat all over Auckland.

I arrived in Melbourne 7 days later, on Thursday February 25th. That night Faith No More were playing another sold out show at Festival Hall. I was expecting to hear a few different songs and have a completely different experience – as we were seated in the bleachers. Right from the get-go I knew this show was going to be amazing; the excitement in the air was palpable.

We got there in time to catch Eagles Of Death Metal — and what a great warm up! This band is about nothing but fun, with lyrics like “Shit, goddamn! I’m a man!” Jesse Hughes, with his huge handlebar moustache, skin tight jeans and aviators, strutted across the stage with such charisma…I was instantly smitten. Unfortunately Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age, who usually plays drums, was absent as he is currently touring with Them Crooked Vultures.

After a strange interlude where a very annoying “comedian” told crappy jokes to rile the crowd up, Faith No More took to the stage, suavely-dressed in smart pastel suits and bathed in red lighting. When the first notes of “Midnight Cowboy” started, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.

From there, the night just got better and better. We were treated to such songs as an extended version of “The Real Thing”, “Ricochet”, and, after threatening to play some Jimmy Barnes, a sublime version of “A Small Victory” was delivered. Throughout, the band was so tight, with Patton acting like a conductor at times; his back to the audience, gesturing wildly first to drummer Puffy, then to Roddy Bottom on keyboards. His voice was as strong as ever, able to sustain the power needed to get through the crazy “Gentle Art Of Making Enemies”, then toning it down for the Commodores cover “Easy”.

The crowd went completely crazy during “Ashes To Ashes” — everyone in the stands were on their feet, and it was a truly amazing sight to look down on the insanity in the mosh pit. The band fed off this energy, and during “Just A Man” Patton suddenly somersaulted into the crowd, was lost underneath for a few seconds, then was heaved up above their heads and crowd-surfed back towards the stage, rolling and thrashing on a hundred hands — all the while singing every word.

Just when I thought the night couldn’t get any better, we were surprised with two encores. Patton forgot the words during the beautiful “Edge Of The World’, but the ecstatic audience was more than happy to help him out. After an… interesting… cover of a Siouxie And The Banshees song, I couldn’t believe my ears when the first subtle beats of “Stripsearch” chimed through the air. This was honestly an other-worldly experience — I closed my eyes, let the music fill my head and wash over me. It was easily one of the best concert experiences I have ever had.

The next day Faith No More headlined the Soundwave Festival at the Melbourne Showgrounds. This was a full day of metal and hard rock played in 35 degree heat. They tapped into chatroulette.com and had it playing on the big screen, with Patton sometimes trying to engage the watcher on the other end in conversation. It was weird, and half the time the audience was busy watching that instead of the band… I guess that was their intention… but why? I got to hear a few songs they didn’t play the other nights, including “Be Aggressive”, and “We Care A Lot” as the final encore. It was awesome to see them play a third time, but to be honest, nothing was going to top the night before.

Faith No More’s songs have stood the test of time, as have their fans. If they decide to record something new, I have doubts about whether it would work; but the chance to hear these brilliant songs live again was a dream come true, and they certainly are still passionate and energetic enough to do them justice.

Setlists:

Auckland
Reunited (Peaches & Herb cover)
From Out Of Nowhere
Land Of Sunshine
Caffeine
Evidence
The Gentle Art Of Making Enemies
Poker Face/Chinese Arithmetic
Last Cup Of Sorrow
Cuckoo For Caca
Easy
Ashes To Ashes
Midlife Crisis
Surprise! You’re Dead!
King For A Day
Epic
Just A Man

Encore:
Malpractice/Don’t Dream It’s Over (Crowded House cover)
Digging The Grave

Melbourne, Festival Hall
Midnight Cowboy
The Real Thing
Land Of Sunshine
Caffeine
Evidence
The Gentle Art Of Making Enemies
Last Cup Of Sorrow
Ricochet
Easy
Midlife Crisis
Epic
I Started A Joke
A Small Victory
Surprise! You’re Dead!
Ashes To Ashes
Just A Man

Encore 1:
Edge Of The World
Mark Bowen

Encore 2:
Switch (Siouxsie And The Banshees cover)
Stripsearch

Melbourne, Soundwave Festival
Don’t Dream It’s Over
From Out Of Nowhere
Land Of Sunshine
Be Aggressive
The Gentle Art Of Making Enemies
Pokerface/Chinese Arithmetic
Last Cup Of Sorrow
Cuckoo For Caca
Easy
Ashes To Ashes
Midlife Crisis
I Started A Joke
Digging The Grave
King For A Day
Epic
Just A Man

Encore:
This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us (Sparks cover)
We Care A Lot

The thawing of snow and the return of the sun means that Canadian Music Week is upon us in the great city of Toronto. Every March, just before South By South West commences, thousands of people and hundreds of bands flock to the city of Toronto for conferences and showcases. Timber Timbre and Postdata were must-sees for yours truly.

Aside from a few lead-up events on March 10th, the festival kicked off with the keynote and “State Of The Industry” addresses on March 11th. The Royal York Hotel was buzzing with kindred music industry spirits and CMW was underway.

The initial addresses were filled with more optimism this year. In past instances, everyone knew that revenues were down and that the new digital landscape was under-monetized. This year, I got the impression that the industry is gearing up to shift gears and truly make money off of the altered marketplace. VEVO (the joint music video service between 3 of the Major Record Labels) is of noteworthy mention. This is forward-thinking. It also appears that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are becoming a considerable target for revenue models (that is, even more-so than in the past). No longer are they going to exist as “dumb pipes” that blindly provide Internet service ( that can be used for illicit purposes); either they are going to start funneling portions of their revenue to creators of intellectual property, or they are going to become partners in unique methods for content discovery and consumption. The Ostrich’s head is no longer in the sand!

Slash (if you look really hard)

After CMW was officially launched, Slash was interviewed in the main ballroom. People lined up in snake-like fashion throughout the conference level of the hotel, waiting to get a seat. Although I immensely enjoyed listening to Slash — he is one of my rock idols — this was nothing more than a guest speaker to get butts in the seats and grab some admission cash. Let me just say that you had to be there

Later that evening I attended The Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards. I’ll spare you with those details, but definite congrats go to Dine Alone Records for winning the Best Independent Record Label category. Well deserved! I high-tailed it out of there late in the night and made my way to The Great Hall just in time to catch Timber Timbre. This show was not to be missed. It was difficult to get in, despite having an “Executive Delegate Pass” for the conference (which normally bypasses all lineups). This would end up being a trend for the conference.

Timber Timbre, dark and red the whole set

Taylor Kirk (aka Timber Timbre) released one of the best records of 2009, in my opinion; thus, it was slightly unreal finally seeing those songs performed live. Those songs truly are cinematic and spooky live, complete with an eerie reverb on the vocals and a haunting delivery. At times the show was slow, but the performance was mesmerizing. The audience was nothing short of captivated; often held in stasis while the powerful sounds rang throughout the venue. The audience was at attention. This was a remarkable experience.

I went to work on Friday (work still needed to get done!). A lot of my clients asked me what the hell I was doing there that day, and I assured them of the pressing need of my presence that day. I clocked out at the end of the business day and made my way back down to The Royal York to hit up the suite party for Maple Music. This is always a staple of the festival, and the free Steam Whistle beer and all the familiar faces were a welcomed sight.

Brian Borcherdt @ The Music Gallery

I busted out of there after 7pm and went to catch Brian Borcherdt (from the band Holy Fuck) and Postdata (Paul Murphy from the band Wintersleep) at The Music Gallery. This church-turned-venue in the backyard of The Art Gallery Of Ontario served as the perfect setting for this mellow acoustic showcase. The two sets were a nice respite from the craziness of the week thus far, and provided a couple hours of quiet refuge. These were two really great performances in that regard. It was a nice change of pace.

Hot Hot Heat @ The 'Shoe

I grabbed a warm beverage from a local eatery and hoofed it over to the El Mocambo in an attempt to see Parlovr and The Winter Gloves. I got quickly turned away — again, despite my expensive Delegate Pass — due to capacity. That was disappointing. I chatted with some industry folk outside the venue, who had also been turned away, before heading back down to Queen Street West. Hot Hot Heat was playing at The Horseshoe and it was worth a shot getting into the venue (getting into The ‘Shoe is always a tough call during CMW). With luck, I blew past the lineup outside and made my way inside. I had never seen Hot Hot Heat before, and much to my enjoyment, the band still carries a loyal following. The ‘Shoe was packed with an eager crowd that ate up the band’s set of new material and old buzz-worthy favourites.

Postdata, at The Rivoli

I took the chance to get some sleep and relax Saturday afternoon before meeting up with my girlfriend and heading over to The Rivoli for Music Nova Scotia’s night of showcases. We had a nice dinner in the front restaurant before making our way back to the venue part of the establishment. Postdata was playing once again. Yes, I managed to see Paul Murphy’s solo project twice in as many nights! It also served as a chance to check-in with the MNS guys and other industry friends in attendance. After a great showcase by Postdata, we popped over to The Horseshoe for the gaggle of bands taking the stage there. It was early in the night, but we were lucky that we decided to go over early — it was a TIGHT squeeze getting into the venue. Despite, again, having a Delegate’s Pass *and* being on The Junction’s guestlist, I was given a gigantic hassle by the Bouncer. We were forced to linger out in the cold rain despite our repeated pleas and assurances. Apparently this was a ticketed affair and the venue needed to keep ample space inside the venue. This made absolutely no sense to me and left me at a loss to understand CMW’s approach to filling some of the venues during the conference.

We eventually made it into the venue after good ‘ol Tyrone — one of the head Bouncers at The Horseshoe — vouched for our presence. Unbelievable. Next year I’ll make sure to get on every single guestlist for that venue on the final night of the festival. I just hope that the people stuck in line with festival wristbands made it in. It really was cold and wet out that night.

A big surprise was The Balconies. They sounded great. I hadn’t heard too much of this band before last night, but many in attendance sure had. The Wooden Sky followed and they put forth a more-than-respectful effort in performing their well-crafted, melodic songs with heart and passion. It was a great lead-in for The Junction, who are always a great band to catch live. This wasn’t my first time seeing the band, but it was fun nonetheless. Alas, the night was growing late by that point and the week had taken its toll on me. We departed once again into the cold rain, hopped into a cab and went home.

Canadian Music Week is always an adventure and an escapade. 2010’s version managed to throw a few curveballs at me, but in the end I walked away with a lot of laughs and I took in some greats concerts. Mission accomplished. Until next year!

 
I’m a big Bedouin Soundclash fan. Thus, when I got a heads-up about the solo record and Toronto date by front-man Jay Malinowski, I gave both my full attention.

The night started out with an in-store performance by Arts & Crafts’ newly-crowned indie rock heroes Zeus at the famous Soundscapes record store. Although having nothing to do with Jay, a quick pop-over to Little Italy and, strangely enough, all-you-can-eat sushi at Sushi Island was a good way to start the night! As good as it sounded, I barely caught a glimpse of Zeus in the packed store…they’ll have to wait. The sushi was fantastic though

We left Little Italy and made our way down to Queen Street West. Jay was playing The Rivoli and the small venue would treat him well. Picture a small, quaint back room of a lounge/bar fit for roughly 200 people. It almost seems like a secret back there, but is definitely a great-sounding, classy place.

Jay wasted no time in delivering his lead single “Santa Monica”. Most don’t know it, but this is actually an old Bedouin Soundclash tune from their first record ‘Root Fire’. Added to that, BSC rarely played this song live, for reasons left untold. I’m not sure if everyone else in the venue appreciated hearing this song live as much as I did, but it was appreciated either way!

The set was a broken-down one, with musicians hopping on-stage to perform at various times throughout — the most memorable of which being the duet of “Into Fire” with Kenny Bridges of Moneen. The set was also closed out with Eon Sinclair of BSC, of which a new BSC song called “Let Me Let Love In Again” was debuted.

Malinowski seemed to be finding his live-legs as a solo artist. At times the spotlight appeared too bright (stopping one song mid-way to chastise an over-eager fan at the front of the stage) while at other times, it was more-than welcomed. This was understandable as the generous crowd in attendance was, after all, very supportive and were obvious fans of Jay’s work, both past and present.

I really enjoyed this show. Jay’s solo record ‘Bright Lights & Bruises’ was a big surprise for me. I had no preconception of what this record was going to sound like, but tracks like “Into Fire” definitely gave the record a singer-songwriter type of feel that works well for Malinowski. This was a fresh injection of great music in my life.

Outside the venue on a cold, crisp nite - all 4 bands' vans!

Aside from catching BEAST the other week, I haven’t been to a lot of shows thus far in 2010. The Stomp Records party at The Opera House on Friday February 12th was something to bank on, ever since I got the invite to the show. Stomp — if you don’t know of it — is one of the best punk/dub/ska record labels in North America. Definitely take a look into their roster. Aside from great releases by Bedouin Soundclash, Saint Alvia, Rentokill, Westbound Train and The Creepshow (who are *blowing up* right now), this particular concert was to showcase The Expos, Flatfoot 56, The Brains and The Planet Smashers. The final band is arguably the most popular band on the label, and, is that of Stomp’s owner: Matt Collyer. This was going to be a banger of a show.

The show was an all-ages show — which of course meant that I got carded on the way in. Age 30 and I’m still getting asked for identification…I can’t explain it. After getting patted-down in every conceivable manner, I was in the door and out from the frigid cold. I met up with my buddy Nick and we settled in at the back of the main floor area. We were close enough to the action, but far enough back from the mayhem that was sure to ensue at the big punk rock show.

The Expos

 
Up first on the bill were The Expos. I love this band. If you like dub/roots reggae, make sure to give this band’s tunes a spin. I stumbled upon The Expos through a conversation with Matt @ Stomp. He recommended the band and they instantly fit into mold of The Aggrolites and all of the old-school rock-steady and roots reggae I was (and still am) listening to at the time. Since that day, their first two records have become staples in my musical library.

The venue was a looking a little scarce as the band hit the stage. There were a few keen on-lookers paying attention, and more eventually gathered to check the band out. The Expos delivered a low-key set, coming across as more of a straight-up band as opposed to a reggae-band. That being said, it was a great set and the songs were still there. The applause was generous and appreciative. The band went the majority of their set without stating the name of the band — which I thought would have benefited them, based on the circumstances — but they performed well, thanked the crowd and made way for the second act of the night.

I wasn’t entirely sure who was up next, but as soon as the bagpipes made their presence known, I knew I was about to watch Flatfoot 56. This is one of the recent additions to Stomp — a Celtic-inspired “Oi!” punk band from Chicago. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one that was largely unfamiliar with the band’s tunes, but the crowd was filling up by this point and their participation grew. As soon as Flatfoot 56 revved up, the crowd began skanking to the beat and eventually formed a sizable circle-pit.

The set was up-beat and packed with good times. The songs were all positive and filled with a high level of intensity. Bagpipes were prominently featured, as was the mandolin. If you’re a fan of The Dropkick Murphys, I definitely suggest checking this band out. Hey – they closed the set with a punked-up version of “Amazing Grace”! These guys fit the bill. I didn’t get a good picture of the band, simply because I had to protect myself from the pit! The fans really went at this set with a lot of gusto. I braced myself and took it all in

The Brains

 
The third band of the night was The Brains. Their slot was a no-brainer, as we saw the prominent mohawks and facepaint of the Psychobilly-rockers floating around the crowd during the Flatfoot 56 set.

I had heard the band’s debut record and liked what I heard. I’m not the biggest fan of the genre, but it’s a clean recording. The band mentioned that they have been laying down some new recordings, so I will have to keep my eyes and ears ready for any new releases.

The Brains did a great job of getting the crowd involved. I had to hand it to them; their songs took the crowd out of mosh-mode, but all three members thoroughly engaged the crowd. When they weren’t amping up the crowd with sing-a-longs, they were simply speaking to everyone at every chance. This endeared the band to all and kept the crowd’s attention piqued, yet, I got a sense that all in attendance were getting itchy for the headliners.

The Mighty Planet Smashers

 
This was my first time seeing The Planets Smashers. I honestly was psyched to see them in action. I definitely wasn’t alone; the crowd swelled and poised itself for action. This was the band everyone had come to see. As soon as the first tune hit the back of the venue, everyone was in party-mode. Even my buddy Nick rolled up his sleeves and ventured into the pit. The positive vibes were just too hard to resist.

I found it difficult to get a pic of the band — they just didn’t stand still long enough! Eventually, I put the camera away and just took it all in. The ‘Smashers were getting a lot of support from the crowd. Many took the chance to get up on stage, party with the band for a few seconds then leap back on top of the crowd. The pit was full of guys and girls, all eating up the warm ska vibes, on such a cold night.

Good on Stomp Records. 15 years!!! This was a definite milestone, and I am glad that I was in attendance to support one of my favourite Canadian record labels. Do yourself a favour and check out these bands!

The much-anticipated St Jerome’s Laneway Festival finally crossed the ditch this year on February 1st, having been an annual event in four Australian cities for the past six years. A hand-picked line up with some of the most talked about bands of the moment meant that the festival sold of all of its 5000 tickets. Britomart was a strange venue — a carpark of sorts, surrounded by the old buildings of downtown Auckland. I could tell from the line at the beer tent that getting a drink would be a problem. Oh well, I wasn’t there to drink… much

I arrived early to catch The Naked And Famous – a young quintet from Auckland who always impress me with their smartly-crafted pop songs that are intermittently broken with jagged beats and distorted guitars. “Serenade” and “Bells” were special highlights, kicking off what was sure to be a fantastic day.

Family Cactus were up next. This is a band that I had been curious about for some time. Wow. This 7-piece from Wellington really lived up to their reputation of full, beautiful, melodramatic-indie. They took us along with them through their peaks, their troughs, and back up once again.

As the clouds strained to hold in the rain that threatened to fall on our humid heads, Bachelorette began (a last minute addition to the bill after Hockey pulled out). She certainly caught people’s attention with her whimsical one-woman act as she sculpted her electric moodscapes with a laptop and guitar. The visuals projected onto the movie screen behind her were lost in the afternoon glare, and two old computer monitors facing the crowd seemed to serve no purpose. I would be keen to see Bachelorette in a more intimate, darkened venue to really get the full effect.

After catching fleeting glimpses of Phoenix Foundation (catchy Kiwi pop-rock), and Sarah Blasko (a quirky, beautiful Australian singer/songwriter), it was the moment everyone had been waiting for. The xx took to the stage, clad head-to-toe in black and looking cool as cucumbers despite the heat. I was anxious to see how their sparse, simple beauty would translate to a live act; but I needn’t have worried. They held us in their palms from start to finish, completely spellbound by their sultry, sophisticated sound. Romy Madley-Croft’s effortlessly sexy vocals contrasted with Oliver Sims‘ striking voice. If there was a detractor, it was the fact that at times the bass was so ridiculous that I could feel it vibrating my insides. Rumbling bass aside, there were moments of pure magic and I walked away thinking that the day could end there and I would be happy.

Any festival is bound to have some teething problems in its first year, and this was apparent when the legendary Daniel Johnston (what an inspiration; watch documentary The Devil And Daniel Johnston to get an insight into his story) was rudely cut off — excuse the pun — by Auckland band Cut Off Your Hands. These talented Kiwis played an extremely tight, high energy set and their superb sing-along songs had everyone dancing.

Black Lips were on next. Their thrashy, trashy set created the biggest mosh pit of the day. The sheer number of ecstatic people that were jumping up and down and singing all the words showed that this band from Atlanta has a large following in New Zealand.

As the sun went down and the smoke machine was turned on, Echo And The Bunnymen swaggered on-stage. Their familiar, British New Wave sound swept over the transfixed crowd. Ian McCulloch was stand-offish and cool in his hood and dark glasses. Silhouetted against blue and green lights, the band looked and sounded amazing, treating us to hits such as “The Cutter”, “Seven Seas” and “The Killing Moon”. It was so nostalgic that I had to call my dad and hold up the phone for him to hear.

And then there was Florence.

Finally, to the sound of harps, Florence Welch of Florence And The Machine walked out on the stage. Tall, willowy and with a fire of red hair, her presence alone was enough to captivate her audience… and then she sang…and I got lost in the intensity and passion of her performance. She was all at once immensely feminine and delicate, then completely primal and violent; she sang with such emotion and then grabbed a drum stick and smashed the lone tom drum next to her at the front of the stage. In a word… exquisite. What an amazing end to a day of stellar music. Laneway Festival’s inaugural Auckland event was such a success, I am already marking the calendar in anticipation of next year.

 
I wasn’t sure what atmosphere I would be stepping into when I entered the hallowed halls of Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern on Tuesday night. On the bill (the *free* bill, mind you) was England’s Frank Turner. Going into the show, I unfortunately didn’t know too many people that considered themselves a fan – aside from myself and my friend Tonni, who holds down his record label operation here (Epitaph Records). Needlessly to say, I stepped out of the cold Canadian winter and was pleasantly surprised to see The ‘Shoe packed to the hilt inside — including  Frank himself, talking to fans out in the front-bar before the show. 

Turner @ The 'Shoe

After the opening band — The Cavaliers — departed the stage, no other equipment was left on-stage aside from an acoustic guitar. It was clear that the fantastic instrumentation found on Frank’s newest record — ‘Poetry Of The Deed’ — was being traded for a personal, true-to-form folk-punk experience. “Folk-punk”…this is exactly the word that fits Frank’s sound; as soon as you become comfortable with a particular Turner folk song, a defiant F-word (other than Frank) is shouted your way to make sure you’re still listening. 

On this particular night, everyone was all ears. Frank received a generous show of support from The ‘Shoe crowd. There were definite tried-and-tested fans up front, raising fists and shouting lyrics; while the more new-but-interested attendees stood nearby, taking it all in. Frank was very appreciative of the crowd as a whole, telling everyone how it took him 3 years to build a similar audience back in England, while he had just witnessed more than he expected in Toronto after a scant 3-day visit. Hey, that’s what building a fan-base is all about, right? 

Turner wore his heart on his sleeve. He told stories of love-lost in California and Paris; he told of his escapades on tour; he even shared his live experience on stage by requesting the help of a girl from the crowd on harmonica duty (she did well!). 

Frank’s life on the road was presented as a very personal one, yet, at the same time was shown to be very up-close and public; his overall musical experience appeared to be very much a shared one — evidenced by all of the house parties he has chosen to play while on the road. To try to explain the motivation behind his actions, I borrow one of Frank’s own lines: “Yes I’m definitely going to hell/But I’ll have all the best stories to tell.” 

Frank Turner @ Gibson's

Could it be? A second Frank Turner set in as many days? Epitaph Records was kind enough to throw an intimate get-together with Frank at The Gibson Showroom the very next day. Steam Whistle beer and shots of Jagermeister were offered, and Frank made himself available for a handshake and a chat. 

Turner made a conscious effort to switch up his set from the night before. There were a couple of repeats, but this was more than okay as we all had a few laughs, clapped, stomped our feet and sang along to some more great songs. 

Turner, performing for a lucky few

The up-close-and-personal nature of this particular performance gave me a few more insights into Frank Turner — not only as an Artist, but also as a person. I got a sense that his music is undoubtedly a source of drive and inspiration, but that music is also a very real thing in his life; it seems almost as if his honest approach and upfront personal declarations take their toll on his body and mind. By his own admission, some element of the previous night’s show had hit him hard emotionally; but hey, in that same show, he also admitted that the cross-Atlantic jetlag had taken its toll on him. 

Whatever the case may have been, these two shows proved to be a phenomenal introduction to Frank Turner in a live setting. We have been promised, by Frank, that another trip to Toronto is a must. Based on these two shows, his return will be more than appreciated! Saving that, take a look at your local show listings — where Frank Turner will soon be on tour with Flogging Molly. It will definitely be worth joining him on the road. 

…Lastly, should you choose to catch Frank Turner live, it just might look a little like this…

Camera Obscura

On the very humid New Zealand evening of Monday, January 18, we were lucky enough to have Camera Obscura pass through Auckland. This stop was right in the middle of a mammoth world tour supporting their stunning new album: ‘My Maudlin Career.’ I was especially excited to see them — after this album landed in my top ten albums of 2009 list.

First up was Slow Club from Sheffield, England. This duo was a fantastic warm up for the crowd, with cute and quirky Rebecca Taylor thrashing her little drum kit beside Charles Watson on his distorted guitar. Their high-energy, folk-rocky, super-fun songs (with names like “It Doesn’t Have To Be Beautiful, Unless It’s Beautiful” and “There Is No Good Way To Say I’m Leaving You”) had us in raptures, and their quirky English banter in-between songs had us in stitches. Their first full length album ‘Yeah So’ came out last year and based on the release, this will definitely be a band to watch.

By the time Camera Obscura took the stage, the Montecristo Room was crammed, steamy and ready to dance. The band, however, looked cool, collected and decidedly twee while they proceeded to take us through over an hour of beautiful, romantic songs. TracyAnne Campbell’s soft-yet-strong vocals told tales of infatuation and frustration; the mood switched between 1950s swing, up-beat and soulful, and delicately melancholic.

Highlights included “French Navy” (the exquisite trumpet solo at the end sent shivers down my sweaty spine); the heart-breaking ballad “James” (where Campbell lamented “Oh James, you broke me, I thought I knew you well”); “Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken” (an adorably-delirious love song); and my personal favourite – “Swans” – with its bouncy, catchy riff and sweetly-sarcastic lyrics. The encore “Razzle Dazzle Rose” built up to a violent crescendo, with Carey Lander giving her keyboard a beating while a trumpet blared in the background.

‘My Maudlin Career’ is Camera Obscura’s fourth full-length album and their most mature, well-crafted effort to date. With numerous North American dates ahead of them on their tour — including Coachella in April — they are bound to leave a trail of devoted new fans behind them. They certainly left a lot in Auckland after this show.

  
I was cruising Toronto’s show listings early in 2010 and I noticed that The Cribs were playing The Phoenix mid-month. I jumped at the chance to catch the show. Above is the best example I could find to give you a sense of the show I ended up witnessing.

I first got into the band when I worked at their Record Label around the time their last record ‘Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever’ dropped. Now, the band has since added Johnny Marr (known from his days in The Smiths) and loaded up a new record by the name of ‘Ignore The Ignorant.’

The week before the show I decided to get my hands on the new record. I was immediately blown away — the effect of the textural guitar work of Johnny Marr was obvious; the famous axeman had definitely left his mark on the band. The new songs were more upbeat and catchy. This was going to be a great show.

We arrived just in time to grab a beer before the band hit the stage to roaring applause. The Phoenix was noticably packed — which surprised me, as barely anyone I know has even heard of this band (speaking ever more to the fragmented musical marketplace we currently find ourselves in).

  
The Cribs launched into three great tracks to kick off the show: “We Were Aborted” (the new lead single), “Hey Scenesters” and “I’m A Realist.” The three well-known songs set the tone for the show.

One great aspect of seeing this band live for the first time was cluing into how the duel-vocal approach of Gary and Ryan Jarman actually plays out live. Also of note was watching Marr, calmly riffing out the tunes on his low-hanging Fender Jazzmaster (or Jaguar…it was tough to tell which guitar he had chosen). There were also two great moments of spontaneity when drummer Ross Jarman actually stood on top of his drumkit to perform a snare-roll during a couple songs. He definitely wasn’t glued to his seat for the whole performance!

One of the coolest moments of the show was when the band performed “Be Safe” — a track that features a voice-over by Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth. The band launched in the half-instrumental track along with a giant backdrop behind the band, featuring a video of Lee performing his guest-vocal. The video was great to watch, showing Lee doing all kinds of crazy things with various props. I apologize for not having video from this particular show, but this will have to do (thanks to YouTube!):

  
The biggest thing I took away from this particular night was that this show, and the new record as a whole, has given me a new sense of appreciation for Johnny Marr. I will fully admit that I’m not the biggest ‘Smiths fan in the world, but after listening to this new record I can now get a feel for the unique guitar-style of Mr. Marr. I hear the transition the band has made and it makes a world of difference to my ears.

As previously mentioned, I was surprised at just how full The Phoenix was on this night, but hopefully next Cribs show will be sold out completely! Happy listening.

Yacht, in Jägervision

On Friday, December 18th I went to Cassette Number Nine in Auckland to catch YACHT – a two-piece from Portland, Oregon. Musician and multimedia artist Jona Bechtolt formed YACHT in 2003 and has released numerous albums and EPs under the pseudonym. Claire L. Evans joined YACHT in 2008 and their joint effort ‘See Mystery Lights’ was released earlier this year.

I had never heard of them before — they were recommended by a friend — but my curiosity grew after reading their MySpace page. Amidst glowing reviews from a lot of famous people and magazines (highly entertaining, and a bit weird) I found an interesting description of the band: YACHT is a Band, Belief System and Business, anyone can become a member, and that they are NOT A CULT. Furthermore, YACHT stands for “Young Americans Challenging High Technology”, and, Wikipedia lists their genres as indie rock, disco, grunge, electropop, and glitch. I knew I was in for a treat.

Cassette was busy when we arrived; apparently YACHT has a large fan base in NZ (which was awesome to see). Unfortunately the line was so long we missed the opening act — Auckland indie band The Sneaks. When we finally got inside we saw a screen set up above the stage (YACHT are known for their intricate PowerPoint presentations). The anticipation was palpable as people jostled for a good spot in the narrow venue.

After making us wait for what seemed like an eternity, YACHT burst on stage with the opening track of their new album: “Ring The Bell.” This is a chanty, futuristic song where Bechtolt asks: “Will we go to heaven/or will we go to hell? It’s my understanding/that neither are real.”

With Bechtolt’s shock of black hair and smart white suit contrasted against Evans’ cropped bleached hair and tight black dress, the pair looked like yin and yang. Added to this, they broke straight into a choreographed dance routine, throwing themselves around the tiny, low stage in perfect unison. I was in love from the get-go.

For a brief moment the music stopped while we were given an informative, impressive PowerPoint presentation about where Portland is situated in relation to Auckland. What followed from there was an hour and a bit of pure, unadulterated fun.

Every song was catchier than the last. YACHT fed off the crowd, becoming more passionate and energetic as their set went on. They were a joy to watch; Evans contorted her long limbs into strange shapes and jumped into the crowd; Bechtolt bounced around like a man possessed. Their songs have a happy, melodic, child-like freedom about them, broken every now and again by a brutal, heavy dance beat that you can’t help but move to.

They finished with the fantastic, addictive track “Psychic City (Voodoo City)” – a sunny, pretty pop song with just the right amount of *strange* to make it uniquely YACHT. This will be on repeat in my soundtrack of the Summer.

My last words on YACHT: go see this band.

What a whirlwind: three shows in three nights featuring five phenomenal acts. The weather took a considerable turn this past week in the City Of Toronto and to say that the temperature dropped nearly 20 degrees, is being conservative. Thus, it goes without saying that hauling myself out of the house required some great push-factors. I found them in the form of Sights & Sounds, Moneen, John K. Samson, Constantines and Patrick Watson.

Sights & Sounds @ The Mod Club

Thursday was the first of the aforementioned nights. I made my way over to The Mod Club to catch Sights & Sounds and Moneen. I entered the venue just in time to catch S&S on-stage, tweaking their gear and working with the Sound Guy to run up tones. Something was immediately disturbing while watching this process: those tones were settled on awfully fast and in my opinion, seemed half-finished. Still, I eagerly anticipated the show. To no surprise, as soon as the band started playing, the bass guitar and floor-tom on the drums were overwhelming in both volume and EQ. “What is the Sound Guy thinking? Can he not hear that!?” I thought to myself.  I did my best to hear through the booming bass and take the band in.

This was my second time seeing the band — the first being in an opening slot for Propagandhi at The Phoenix Concert Theatre earlier this year (link). I was interested to see the band in a different dynamic and lo and behold, the band came across in a very different light.  The energy of the band was high and every member of the band brought their best. The guitar tones bludgeoned, the snare sounded like a gunshot, and the bass…well, at least the playing was spot-on.

The majority of the songs on the band’s debut CD ‘Monolith’ were put on display. I came into the show quite familiar with the record, but it seemed that many in attendance were taking it all in for the first time. I’ve mentioned in the past that whenever Moneen plays, it’s their show. That being said, I feel that more than a few watching Sights & Sounds for the first time were won-over. Although I didn’t get to witness the song “Pillars” (I love this song!), I thoroughly enjoyed the set.

Moneen, always great live

What more can I say about Moneen!? I’ve posted on the band several times (search them out from the right-hand-side menu of this site). The band comes jacked up for every show and puts their bodies into their delivery, and this performance was no exception. Moneen definitely suffered from the same sound ailments as Sights & Sounds did, but the fans soldiered on with the band and the mix of old favourites and new classics was a complete blast.

Cons 10th Anniversary!

Friday night was a special night. This would be the first of three shows in support of Constantines‘ 10th Anniversary as a band. Lee’s Palace was packed to the brim with Cons faithful. There was no doubt that this would be a fantastic show.

Up first was John K. Samson, lead-man of The Weakerthans. I wasn’t entirely certain what kind of show we would get from Samson, as all that were present for us to watch were John, his guitar and a microphone at the front of the stage. I was pleasantly surprised, however, by the honest delivery of some really genuine songs. The set was full of humour and heart, making for a great overall performance. Honestly, I’m not the world’s biggest Weakerthans fan but Samson’s solo effort was both surprising and enjoyable. “Heart Of The Continent” and “Left And Leaving” went over quite well, as did his songs about his cats! I had to thank the man himself afterwards for such a great show.

The Cons were up next and we got down close to the stage. Crowd participation was going to be required! The backdrop on the stage featured 10 tally-marks — driving home the band’s reign as Indie-Rock heroes — and the crowd was prepared to enjoy the celebration with the band. The Cons hit the stage (including Dallas Wehrle in a hilarious white balaclava) and the wheels started spinning.

“Young Lions” started the whole thing off on a strong foot forward. This classic Cons track was one we all wanted to hear, and its choice to kick it all off was a smart one.

A Cons concert wouldn’t be a Cons concert without some of the classic staples we have enjoyed over the years, mixed in with some rare or lesser-played gems. Songs like “Soon Enough,” “Shine A Light” and “Young Offenders” provided the former, while “On To You,” Long Distance Four” and “Hotline Operator” rounded out the latter of the two designations. The set was mellowed out with slower numbers like “New King” and “Saint You” while it was jacked up to full with songs like “Nighttime/Anytime (It’s Alright).” This is a constant crowd pleaser, and the band no doubt loves playing it as well. In place of the concerted full-band foot-stomp during the breakdown of this particular song, lead-man Bry Webb called on the crowd to give the song the treatment it got at Lee’s back in the early days. One half of the crowd hollered “Nighttime/Anytime/It’s Alright!” while the other half responded with a rousing “Turn It Up!” It was electric for us, and I’m sure I saw a few members of the band smirk based on the showing of participation and appreciation.

The band left the stage for one of the shortest encore breaks I’ve seen in some time, only to return for a few more songs (this time, Dallas was without the balaclava). With arguably their biggest songs already in the bag, the Cons played out a few rare tunes before finally calling it a night. The packed house slowly filed out, having witnessed a phenomenal show from the beloved Indie-Rock heroes.

Constantines’ Setlist
“Young Lions”
“Some Party”
“Hard Feelings”
“Our Age”
“On To You”
“Love In Fear”
“Scoundrel Babes”
“Little Instruments”
“New King”
“Trans Canada”
“Shower Of Stones”
“Hotline Operator”
“I Will Not Sing A Hateful Song”
“Nighttime/Anytime (It’s Alright)”
“The Long Distance Four”
“Soon Enough”
“Steal This Sound”
“Shine A Light”
“Young Offenders”
“Draw Us Lines”

Encore
“Saint You”
“Poison”

Patrick Watson. Great set design.

I have decided that I will take any chance I can get to see Patrick Watson live. Their live show is *that* incredible. Such a chance arose this past Saturday night at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre. This relatively-new venue down by the Toronto waterfront would prove to be uncharted territory, but the band’s performance therein would be set completely apart; based on previous performances witnessed, PW is completely in another dimension.

The venue itself is quite a nice venue. It has a large foyer that welcomes you before heading over to the classy bar off to the side. We settled in for a drink before taking our seats to take in the show. The auditorium resembled a cross between a recital hall and a 1980s movie theatre. Our seats were great and our anticipation was mounting.

Soon enough, a white drape was lowered in front of the stage and a capped fellow approached the microphone. Patrick Watson proceeded to play “Fireweed” while the video for the very same song played out in large fashion on the drape in front of the band. It was very Nine Inch Nails (think of the video for “Hurt”). The motif of fire found in the opening video was continued once the drape was raised, as the fantastic lighting rig at the venue was put on display. A lush atmosphere was created to accompany the music, leading to a wonderful overall experience.

Watson himself seemed giddy on-stage, often giggling to himself in-between and mid-song. It was almost if he could sense the interest of the crowd — which was represented by a full house of over 1200 people (according to the venue’s specs). This was fun for both the band and the audience.

The band delivered an expected setlist full of staples from their first and second records; yet, as ordinary as that may sound, nothing was ordinary about the aural soundscapes presented by those songs. The sound of the band and the venue were beyond expectation. Every time Patrick sent his voice soaring over the audience, chills were felt and jaws were dropped. There were several moments where the performance was overwhelmingly good. The concert was a cross between seeing an amazing live show from a band, while at the same time being a participant in a live movie-score. The textures woven by the band were intricate and plush, yet the connection with the performers was intense and powerful.

PW, trouncing through the audience

The band finished their initial set and departed the stage. The crowd quickly rose to their feet and demanded the return of the band. They obliged, but instead of resuming their past posts on-stage, they chose to romp through the crowd with instruments in tow (and with Patrick having strapped a giant lighting rig to his back). The crowd remained on their feet.

The band went up, down and around the aisles of the decently-sized venue. The crowd sang along, eventually raising their collective singing voice above that of the lead singer. As the band approached the stage once again, I noticed that the string section was still at the back of the venue, playing along. This was a wild effect! It was like listening to a live show, in 5.1 surround sound.

As the entire group reconvened on-stage, the crowd slowly began to sit back down. They were then thanked by band for such a great night, but, the band *still* found it difficult to call it a night based on the love they were getting. Two final songs were performed. The final song was a new one called “Under The Morning Sheets” and it was absolutely unreal. This minor-key feel was a departure, giving it an almost Nine-Inch-Nails-type sound (there you go, a second NIN reference!). It was truly haunting and beautiful. You can find a video of this song below, and although it’s not from this particular evening, you will get a sense of what we took in on this particular night.

We were astounded by Patrick Watson, once again. You *must* see this band live!

I woke up pretty excited on the morning of November 27th. Pearl Jam was in town, and this was the first time they had been to New Zealand in 11 years.

A cool vibe surrounds Auckland on big concert days. New Zealand is fairly small and expensive to get to, so big international gigs like this (while they are getting a bit more frequent) only happen a couple of times a year. This means that every single one of your friends, friends of friends, workmates, workmate’s friends, and friend’s workmates will be going to any given show, and everyone will be psyched about it.

What was even cooler about this show was that Liam Finn and Ben Harper were the opening acts. I loved that they were all playing together, given the connections they have with each other and New Zealand: first, Eddie Vedder has been down here collaborating with Finn’s dad (most notably on 7 Worlds Collide), and Finn opened for Vedder on his solo tour last year; secondly, Harper is absolutely covered in Maori tattoos, and he gets more every time he comes here. Added to all of this, you just know there will be duets left, right and centre.

With the November afternoon sun shining, we crammed on to the train with everyone heading to Mount Smart Stadium wearing the holey, faded merch they bought in 1998 — the last time Pearl Jam played here. We arrived early enough to catch some of Finn’s act. He blows me away every time with his insatiable energy and the way he layers his sound thicker and thicker, then jumps on the drums to thrash out the ending. He went crazy on the theremin at the end, while his partner in crime Eliza Jane tried to keep up with percussion and backing vocals. I see a bright future for that boy.

To be honest, I didn’t pay too much attention to Ben Harper — I was too busy trying to start a Mexican wave (EPIC FAIL). I like some of his songs, but more as background music. I definitely sang along when he busted out great tunes like “Faded“ and “Fight For Your Mind” (love that slide guitar). We got a sneak preview of Vedder when he came on to help out with a cover of Queen’s “Under Pressure.”

The sun was just starting to go down when the first chords of “Daughter” chimed through the air. The crowd went nuts — to start the set with such a sing-along song was magic, and really set the tone for the rest of the evening.

Vedder, thankfully recovered from the cold that had cut the band’s Sydney concert short a few days before, made a promise to the crowd, telling us: “Don’t worry, we’ll play at least till dark.” They then proceeded to play for well over two hours, covering their whole catalogue and giving us two encores.

Pearl Jam were in fine form and ready to give us what we wanted to hear. From the complete mayhem of “Even Flow” we were taken straight to the catchy riffs of new tune “Johnny Guitar.” Five songs from the latest album – ‘Backspacer’ – were included, which stood up really well against their older material. Most notable for me was the U2-esque “Unthought Unknown,” an emotional, piano-driven power ballad that translated beautifully live.

With my throat already raw from screaming every word of “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town” and “Black,” the ecstatic crowd was left to sing the first half of “Better Man.” We were then treated to an acoustic version of “Just Breathe” to start the first encore — a song Vedder says is as close to a love song as they’re ever written.

Auckland was in love with Vedder that night. “It won’t be 11 years till the next time we come,” he promised. “Maybe we’ll come stay for 11 years.”

After more blasts from the past with “Why Go” and “Porch,” Neil and Liam Finn joined Pearl Jam on stage for the start of the second encore. They chose to play a song that is close to every Kiwi’s heart: “Not Given Lightly” by New Zealand musician Chris Knox. Followed up by the excellent new single, “The Fixer” and the obligatory Neil Young cover “Rockin’ In The Free World,” the night was beautifully ended with “Yellow Ledbetter”, Mike McCready’s soulful solo bringing us slowly back down to earth.

It doesn’t matter how long you’re gone, Pearl Jam. When you come back it feels like home.

Set List:
“Daughter”
“Severed Hand”
“Corduroy
“Hail Hail
“Faithfull”
“Hold On”
“Even Flow”
“Johnny Guitar”
“Unthought Known”
“Unemployable”
“Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town”
“Black”
“Given To Fly”
“Amongst The Waves”
“Got Some”
“Grievance”
“Wasted Reprise”
“Better Man”

Encore One:
“Just Breathe”
“Red Mosquito” (with Ben Harper)
“Love, Reign O’er Me” (The Who cover)
“Do The Evolution”
“Why Go”
“Porch”

Encore Two:
“Not Given Lightly” (Chris Knox cover with Neil & Liam Finn)
“The Fixer”
“Rockin’ in the Free World” (Neil Young cover)
“Yellow Ledbetter”

Phoenix, not at The Phoenix Concert Theatre this time

Quietly sitting at home on Saturday, out of nowhere I suddenly found myself on route to Them Sound Academy to catch Phoenix. All but a moment’s hesitation passed through my head before jumping at the chance. This is a huge buzz-band right now and it seemed like I was the last to see them live.

We arrived at the venue, popped upstairs and caught the end of Holy Fuck’s performance. This was an unfortunate turn of events — showing up late for HF — but I have luckily seen the band numerous times (search them out on this site). We rocked out to a couple final tunes and then awaited the headliners.

A considerable amount of time seemed to elapse between the two bands’ sets. However long it actually was, I had a great chance to catch up with some friends that just so happened to be at the show. That’s Toronto for you! It’s tough to *not* bump into someone at a show these days!

Soon enough, the lights dropped and the crowd below got whipped into a frenzy. The Sound Academy was packed; the reasons why would soon become evident.

The band kicked the show off on a most-recognizable foot with “Lisztomania” — the bomb-drop of a single from earlier this year. The ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’ track went down like a Led Zeppelin (if you’ll allow the reference!). The crowd was completely amped up now.

I’ll be completely honest: I didn’t really know the band going into the show. The extent of which I knew them was from what I had heard on The BBC, the band’s MySpace page and the Cadillac television commercial that features “1901.” It’s rare that I end up being “that guy” — the one who only knows the big singles — but I was a full realization of my concert-going antithesis on this particular evening. All designations and labels aside, I would have been foolish to miss the show; I was surrounded by “hardcores” that helped me break down the setlist and properly discover this band.

I quickly learned the names of many Phoenix songs played that night – many of which appear across all 4 of the band’s albums. I had no idea that their catalog is already this deep. This is today’s musical landscape: you could catch wind of a show featuring what you thought was a new band, only to arrive and see thousands of people celebrating a rich, established catalog of songs. The term ”mainstream” may not apply any longer, but the point on this night was that a wealth of people gathered without caring about what “mainstream” even means anymore.

Standout tracks:

“Funky Squaredance” (off the band’s first record: ‘United’) carried a great, edgey dance-rock vibe that featured Thomas Mars‘ vocals shuffled through a heavy vocoder effect. The crunching, progressive riffs in this tune completely caught my attention. Here’s a vid to give you an idea!

Watching this video again reminds of just how awesome Thomas Hedlund is on the drumkit. The guy hits HARD. I mean, he would often stand up between hits just so he could come down harder on the skins. It was impressive. That being said, he apparently isn’t a proper member of the band…???

“Too Young” (again, off ‘United’) had a few of my friends rockin’ in the aisles. Great tune! Again, it is off their first record and my friends were eating it up!

 
The band obviously got called out for an encore. They returned and proceeded to play a really fantastic mellow, guitar/vox tune called “Everything Is Everything” to start off that encore. It’s really amazing: when you listen to this track, to think that this band is from Versailles, France is quite staggering. The vocals makes one think that this band is English, through and through. Well, they counted several songs in via the French “Un, Deux, Trois, Quatre!”…so, this is a moot point!

The band shut the show down with “1901.” This was an obvious choice and to not do so would have been a tremendous error! Mars announced that the song would be the last of the night and when it appeared to come to an eventual close — with the crowd being thanked — the track got extended. The “Fallin’ Fallinnnn’…” became a motif shouted from the crow that resounded throughout the venue. The band jammed the track out. Mars called for the lighting crew to bring the house lights up and proceeded to say “Thank you thank you thank you” to the crowd, now in full sight. The crowd kept repeating “Fallin’ Fallin’” while Mars announced: “This stage is yours! Let the people on stage security!” From there, a slew of people from the crowd slowly filled the stage to rock out the closing finale of the song, with the band. It was quite the moment to witness live.

It was a party!

Overall, this show was an eye-opener. Despite the occasional off-key guitar note, the show was incredible. Between the great songs, inspired lighting and crowd involvement, I was given a fantastic, proper introduction to this band. There were moments of outright rock and there were moments of lush atmosphere. To further the latter of the two descriptions , there was one point where we looked around on stage and caught Mars laying down with his head against his vocal monitor — taking in the textures being created by his band around him. Hey, if he was *that* into what he was hearing, so was the crowd