Zeus, Two Hours Traffic, The Elwins (Phoenix, June 9/12)

The Elwins

This hard working, fun band out of Keswick did a fine job winning over the fast-filling Phoenix prior to Two Hours Traffic and Zeus. The four piece, with drummer playing side stage and Feurd - mustache and all - opposite, played their brand of poppy indie rock that is quickly catching on. The single rang out early, as we entered, and from there they continued on - all upbeat and smiles. Their finale is a bit cutesy and has the potential to fall flat but the crowd was into it and we played along happily to the fox motions and dances, singing and closing out the set with fun.

Two Hours Traffic

About three years since Two Hours Traffic put out any new music and their absence has been felt. The CMW preview was enough to whet my appetite and this gig affirmed that they're still alive and kicking despite Alec's departure. It is still going to be a little while before we get the new album as this was their final show before entering the studio the very next day. This resulted in a sprinkling of new songs - couple off the top,  the one with the French lyric and a couple more - but the old stuff still holds strong from both albums. Liam is a funny sight in his cowboy boots drinking a Labatt 50 but looks aside songs like Daffodils, Sure Can Start, Heroes of the Sidewalk, Weightless One, and Jezabel all still hit their mark. Can't wait until the new stuff drops and they come play it again.

Zeus
People were excited for Zeus on this evening as they headlined a hometown show. Having sat in Jason Collett's shadow for years they are finally recognized for the musicians that they are in their own right. Really good instrumentation and lots of gear swapping made for an engaging set. Personally their music doesn't fully grab me so it wasn't amazing but it was far from agony. They did Kindergarten with an acoustic which I enjoyed, and I Know and Anything You Want with nifty drumming were solid too. They brought out some backing females for a few songs that seemed suspiciously like their girlfriends - no issue there. On another they encircled their drummer while rocking out. My preference was for the songs the spectacled fellow played and sang lead on. They closed out with Are You Gonna Waste My Time but then returned with a somewhat drawn out encore. An acoustic number to open followed by another Zeus tune and finishing off with their cover from the Sounds like Zeus EP of That's All.