Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't (Year-End Album Review)

A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.

Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't

Jens Lekman isn't about to take my advice. He doesn't want feedback and why should he? He has proven his musical acumen over the years and on I Know What Love Isn't he makes a case for musical genius. From the opening piano number that seems to set the scene but then doesn't, as the album quickly changes up. It goes on to include an air of adult contemporary with the sax - though he doesn't go full Kenny G on us like Destroyer did on last year's Kaputt. Amidst the varied and lovely instrumentation, keying on piano but also featuring violin and brushed percussion, he has no problem dropping lines without hesitation like "it's just some dirt on your shoulder" and "someone should make a pamphlet called 'So You Think You're in Love with Jennifer'". He even has the nerve to bookend it by titling both the opening and the closing tracks the exact same thing. You'd think the title track would be a morose, downbeat affair that tugs at the heartstrings but it rolls out with a surprising spring in its step, a tambourine and a xylophone. Apparently I am the one who doesn't know what music is, or is supposed to be. While bucking conventions Jens has included a number of faux pas and yet has still crafted a wonderfully textured record that takes a sly, offbeat approach to heartbreak that completely works. Kudos.

Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.

Evening Hymns - Spectral Dusk (Year-End Album Review)

A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.

Evening Hymns - Spectral Dusk

Its use of sound, and even lack of sound, is majestic. It calmly draws you in, firmly plants you in place and in the most devastating, yet achingly lovely way carries you through its spectrum of music and emotion. Jonas Bonetta lays bare his innermost thoughts through his emotive lyrics, conveyed by his equally suggestive voice. Revolving around this one man's songwriting it's as if the expectations are for a bare, acoustic record but in reality it is quietly lush, as the production magnificently accomplishes a full sound even in the most somber and hushed moments. Powerful in the way that it can hold without needing to grab, and haunting how first the notes hang, and then the raw spirit behind it all lingers. Even the use of field recordings, as also heard on his previous album Spirit Guides, fits the intended aesthetic of the record beautifully. Gorgeous front to back, it does not rush and it seems only to improve upon repeated listening. 

Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.

Jeremy Fisher & Kalle Mattson: Canadian Songbook | Rivoli Nov 14/12

Kalle Mattson

Three minutes past the hour and the Rivoli was already seated in darkness, being entertained by the young musician on stage. Kalle (like the trendy chips) Mattson is definitely both of those things; a talented guitarist who writes vivid,  literal lyrics sung in his youthful voice with even some harmonica overlaid for good measure. On one song he began playing with his fingertips and then partway through plucked a pick from his guitar's neck to bring it home with some steady strumming. He indirectly revealed his age but everybody picked up on it and it helped to explain the somewhat limited vocals, especially when compared to his practiced songwriting. Even his calm demeanour worked well comically between songs in the attentive and quiet room. Without his normal backing band the spotlight was appropriately on the songwriting and his multitude of acoustic guitars. Already with some excellent work to his credit, including the standout In the Morning Light, one can't help but relish the potential seen here and eagerly await his more mature output.

Jeremy Fisher

If Kalle is the fresh face then he has Jeremy Fisher, with a number of albums and many more road kilometers under his belt, as a mentor. In fact, they have already collaborated on a song and here they were bringing a special show to Toronto together. Perhaps not a household name, Jeremy is still a seasoned veteran who knows how to handle a room, a battered old acoustic guitar, as well as a hook. 

Breezing through all sorts of songs, despite his minor ailments, Jeremy was a true entertainer judging by the overall engagement with the audience throughout, something that can be difficult for a solo guitarist on a stage. However he brought the stories of the songs home through charm and candor-laced banter that came before, after and even sometimes in the middle of the tunes. He has etched out his own folk-based sound but can also let loose on his strumming as displayed during On My Mind. When he started into Left Behind with its slow guitar picking it could have been mistaken as a tribute to Bob Dylan, who was playing that same evening up the street. Actually he did play a couple of the cover songs featured on his most recent Mint Julep effort, including the French-featuring I Lost My Baby. Another notable inclusion was the seamless descent from Scar that Never Heals into Paul Simon's Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard complete with harmonica and whistling features. This was a presentation of the Canadian Songbook after all and the choice of performer was justified on The Bride is Dead, a song that is at times touchy, yet hilarious and even in some bizarre way, heartwarming. On a more wholesome and down-to-earth song he captures the allure of grandma's cold cellar with the literal and lovely Canned Goods.

Like a polished politician Jeremy treated this audience as if we were the most important thing to him and as a touring Canadian musician this is likely true and why it seemed so genuine. We ate from his hand as we sang along "this is freedom" and then heartily encouraged an encore which he seemed more than happy to provide. The loud, as well as the quiet, audience members all seemed satisfied with a dynamic final set of three songs. Jolene exhibited his quick fingers, while Lemon Meringue Pie strummed through with an honest and hooky chorus, while the Tetris Song worked an odd context in a lighthearted and revealing way, as only a skilled songwriter can. The encore, as with the entire evening, displayed Jeremy's dynamic approach to songs and songwriting - really making for an entertaining performance and one swell night.

Also played:
Cigarette
Let It Shine
High School
Built to Last

Upcoming in the Canadian Songbook Series

Belle Starr - Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Mo Kenney - Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Tanika Charles - Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Royal Wood presents Glory in the Garden (Winter Garden Theatre, Nov 10/12)

The gorgeous Winter Garden Theatre, with its leaved ceiling and storied history, makes seeing just about anything (soft core) a special experience. Taking in a performance by one of Canada's premier crooners pulling from his entire catalogue with a full band is something else altogether - extra special. Royal Wood has a voice that is rich like Romney, smooth like sailing and so perfectly controlled that each live song could have taken hundreds of studio takes from any lesser singer.

In various degrees of formal wear, from the Save Ferris tee/jeans/sneakers/sports coat of the bassist right on up to Royal's vest and tie, the five entertainers for the night took their positions on stage. This bass player lives his life shoulder width apart, entertainingly rocking a power stance at almost all times. The guitarist got his licks in and the keyboard player also added flourishes from his xylophone, trumpet and horn while the drummer played his part well - especially with the quick clicks of his towel-covered drum on I'll Be Gone. But the price of admission was paid to watch Royal do his thing, or more accurately 'things', as he seems nearly as proficient with an acoustic guitar as he is seated at the piano. As it is the We Were Born To Glory tour this well-received album was naturally strongly represented in the set list (including I Want Your Love, The Thick of It, great Not Giving Up) and met with audience approval. However Royal knows his audience and understands that they crave cuts from his previous releases also. Much-clamoured-for I'm So Glad was featured in a special arrangement with Royal up front on acoustic while the keyboardist took over light piano duties and the other three surrounded a communal microphone for backing vocals. Alongside this was a solid list of others like Juliet and go-to Lady in White.

Mr. Wood commands attention by his sheer presence and was engaging with his banter though relied on goading us into interaction by comparing us to other cities, however he later gave us the line that we were a tour highlight. It was a rather subdued crowd that wasn't for lack of appreciation but rather rapt, respective attention in the beautiful settings of this concert hall. The latest album does have a fair amount of upbeat numbers that rock more than previous releases, especially when brought to life with a full band, so there were a few clap alongs as they amped it up.

Nearing the end of the evening Royal introduced the rumoured special guest as the only person he could hear singing with him as he brought out his lovely wife, Sarah Slean, to use her operatic voice in album-closer The Glory. Shortly thereafter, having concluded A Mirror Without the entire band left the stage as a slight surprise due to this somewhat unexpected set closer. Naturally it wouldn't be the final note to send us off with as a partial standing ovation had them return. Absolute highlight of the night was Royal's piano brooding on Acting Crazy (It's a Breakdown) that opened the encore and was simply stunning. Tough to follow he did valiantly with The Waiting's Do You Recall from which they collectively took their bow to a higher buy-in standing O. Leaving the nature versus nurture debate aside, the We Were Born To Glory tour was propelled to glorious heights for this charming concert.

Elisapie

The punctual in the audience were treated to an opening act worth arriving on time for as Elisapie Isaac performed with her two male backing francophone musicians. Her tassled high heels and rambling banter may not have been top notch but that's not too bad considering those are the only negatives to the set. Her voice is strong and she is self-assured singing both French and somewhat straightforward English lyrics, as her spoken accent all but disappears from her singing voice. Elisapie herself did not play an instrument, barring the melodica on one song, leaving that up to her comrades. They did a mighty fine job of keeping it interesting as in addition to their handheld instruments (guitar, drum) both used their feet for percussion including more than just a kick drum - tambo tapping, mic'ed guitar-case stomping as well. Considering they were only three musicians in a large, semi-filled room they nicely filled it with pleasing sound. Elisapie played her 'hit' Out of Desperation last which was a nice touch of familiarity that resounded within the Winter Garden.

Strumbellas, Tom Fun Orchestra, Olenka (Horseshoe Nov 10/12)

The Strumbellas

The billing may not have had The Strumbellas headlining this evening but riding an ever-growing wave of appreciation they shone as beloved hometown favourites with their middle-of-three set. The joy that the six of them bring to playing their instruments is infectious and causes people not just to tap their foot along but to stomp it vigorously! Lead singer, Simon Ward, mentioned something about attracting the younger audience by dressing for them which seemed to have meant glasses with flippable lenses and after a song or two stripping down to just a small vest over his bare chest. This was just one of his many outlandish proclamations which were somewhat tempered by Isabel Ritchie's more humble remarks into the mic when she wasn't madly fiddling (she's the violinist). As in shows previous many of the members were barefoot on stage which seems to further enable the jovial dancing that they seem to partake in all over the stage. As mentioned, this extended into the audience in one of the better Horseshoe responses I have seen in quite some time. In fact the reaction was so strong that following their all-too-short set the persistence of the chanting despite the house music and lights prompted them to return for an unprecedented second-set encore. New material from them is an exciting prospect, especially based on the strength of the brand new song they debuted, Home Sweet Home. With more material they could have played their time over all again and there wouldn't have been a complaint from anybody.

Tom Fun Orchestra

It has been a long while since much word out of the Tom Fun camp but here the purveyors of kitchen party merriment were, in support of their to-be-released Earthworm Heart. Lead by the gruff voiced Ian MacDougall (hate to break it to you, but there is no such thing as Tom Fun) the seven of them packed the stage with accordion, trumpet, banjo, acoustic, electric, bass and drums. Naturally playing primarily new material, there was no Rum & Tequila, the reaction wasn't as immediate as it may have been with known older material but the band did their best to keep the energy levels high anyhow. One song had an instrumental breakdown through which the trumpet was dragged up and down the electric guitar's strings. Akin to the Strumbellas before them the members could be seen traipsing around the stage interacting with each other throughout, keeping it fresh. Another tune seemed to sample all sorts of things including Queen and even 'Ok, Blue Jays' - odd but fun nonetheless. It was altogether enjoyable and despite already playing a half-encore ("this is our last song", slight pause, "okay we'll play another") they too were cheered on to actually return to the stage for another number following an extended, music-on delay again. Worth it.

Olenka Krakus

It must be the off-season for Olenka Krakus' band, The Autumn Lovers, as she took to the stage with just her acoustic guitar as the first opener of the evening. Seeming quite collected to be so naked in a large and mostly empty room she engaged the audience with her well-spoken banter. This also translated to her songwriting. Not only were the words appreciated but her singing voice that carried them also had its strength. The character of the songs varied, as some had a noticeable twang to accompany that in the guitar and others had an indie folk feel (that may have been better fleshed out with the band) and even a couple quieter acoustic, singer-songwriter numbers. A wonderfully stripped down version of The Boss' I'm On Fire added to this variance, as did the harmonica accompaniment on Flash in the Pan. Olenka had done very well with her simple set in this large room and following the closing notes of Only Yours she thanked us again as we showed our appreciation for an effective opening set.

Sheezer Post-Halloween (Lee's Palace, Nov 2/12)

Unlike the Dwayne Gretzky halloween show this post-Halloween concert didn't have much buy-in on the costume front. Hard to do anything after the fact. However the bands did get in the spirit as the four members of Sheezer decked themselves in Kiss make-up and costume, with Laura Barrett even rocking some mechanical wings. I'm not sure if it's a testament to Weezer, who the band obviously covers, or people's taste as they only cover the Blue and Pink.. albums, or Toronto fans loving their own - regardless of the reason it was amazing to see Lee's Palace damn-near capacity, having sold out of pre-sale tickets for the gig. Opening with Tired of Sex and then blasting through a fine number of tracks from these beloved early albums it was a joyous atmosphere with much singing along as the ladies themselves played the music pretty accurately. Three of the four of them swapped out Rivers' vocals as well, not that it mattered as there were passionate singalongs to most of the tunes anyhow - especially Buddy Holly, El Scorcho, and Undone (The Sweater Song). 

To commend those who did bother to dress up they were invited onstage to give the opening conversation of Undone and this quickly spiralled into a fan-stage party which was fun to see also. In the end they may have given away the hits a little early during the main set leaving a couple B-sides (Susanne included) and Only In Dreams for the end of the night but regardless of ending on slightly less than a high, it was a super fun night.

On a personal note Undone was the song that won me access to the gig as I wrote in to declare it as my favourite:
"Undone (the sweater song) because I discovered it WAY back when on some Spin magazine giveaway mix CD and loved how unique it felt, from the intro conversations through to the music as well as the semi silly, yet easy to envision lyrics. Still a Weezer classic and a fan favourite!" Thanks Exclaim!

Planet Creature opened in matching blonde wigs - though I'm not sure exactly who they were going for. It was pretty basic punk influenced rock that truthfully wasn't very good.

Dwayne Gretzky's Halloween Party (Horseshoe, Oct 31/12)

Dwayne Gretzky threw a helluva costume party on Halloween night in Toronto. The vast majority of concert-goers were decked out from giraffes to zombie doctors to Cats in Hats and oh-so-much more. Regardless of dress people danced hard (and seemingly, to sober me anyhow, drank hard too) to Dwayne's beloved mix of oldies and semi-oldies covered live. Included in the oldies were Chain Gang (Sam Cooke), Let Me Roll It (Wings), Be My Baby (Ronettes) and personal favourite Pump It Up (Costello), while relatively more recent releases were Just a Girl (No Doubt) and No Diggity (Blackstreet). The beauty of the band is that they cover a wide variety and have a lot of fun with it while maintaining the songs' integrity. Further diversifying the set were some themed songs including Psycho Killer (Talking Heads) and Thriller (MJ) to bookend the first set, and the inescapable Monster Mash (by whoever.. one of the dumbest songs ever recorded according to Elvis). With about seven on-stage members and a handful of guest vocalists they went all-out and partied all night long.

Nicholas Double You and the B Squad got to open the Halloween festivities. A fairly run-of-the-mill 5-piece indie rock band with a seemingly blindfolded female drummer they went through the motions of doing everything right but just couldn't translate. Even their guest female singer didn't pick it up much. At one point the crowd, who were there for a fun time, played along by all going down to a knee as requested, but there was no Pop to bring us up. The Halloween balloons popped some entertainment into the crowd momentarily too but overall they couldn't quite get it going.

Hillside Saturday Day - ALX, Imaginary Cities + (July 28/12)

Birds of Chicago/Open Hearts Society workshop
Birds of Chicago were already back to warm more hearts. Technically a Chicago band they have Canadian roots that brought them to Hillside. First though were the Open Hearts Society and their female vocalist plus a new guy on electric guitar. The lady bird was flashy in her orange dress and large hair while her male counterpart played an acoustic. As a throwback to their roots in the 90's alternative band they pulled out a countrified version of.. no not their hit Two Princes but another gem in Little Miss Can't Be Wrong. Fun thing to do in a workshop and a fun thing to see for nostalgia sake.

Deep Dark Woods/Wooden Sky workshop
Forest in the Sky was not only made for the fantastic mash-up title but also because the two bands paired quite well. Both the Deep Dark Woods (forest) and The Wooden Sky (sky) were hairy creatures who combined on a Willie Nelson tune, complete with banjo and a country feel despite the keys. I'd skipped DDW the previous night in favour of the Arkells and considering I didn't really recognize or get that into any of the songs, I stand by my decision.

Arkells/Bright Light Social Hour workshop
Since Deep Dark Woods weren't quite doing it and the Arkells had the night before I went over to give them another try. Again Aaron Goldstein (who they introduced as a member of City and Colour as well as the Cowboy Junkies) joined them and again they did the Dylan with The Band cover "because it was so much fun last night!" The vocalists swapped from verse to verse which kept it fresh. All together they performed a Neil Young song and then I Need Your Love, another cover and why not? It is a workshop after all.

Hillside Sunday Afternoon - Badbadnotgood, Strumbellas+ (July 29/12)

Ah, the Strumbellas! What a shot in the arm they were to kickstart this Sunday afternoon. Entirely barefoot they stomped and yelped through a rollicking set of folk-tinged bangers. Off the top they were slightly subdued but a couple tracks in they hit their stride and the energy became infections and had the crowd swiftly on their feet. A Lake Stage sand storm ensued as we spun and clapped along and even welcomed the tilly-hatted, bespectacled, bearded lead into our midst. Once back onstage alongside his heavy-footed keyboardist they amped it up on The Sheriff and others. They even went so far as to bodycheck each other, sending the singer sprawling into a stack of gear from which he popped back by pushing off an acoustic guitar in the pile...*inhales sharply*... tough to watch. The band however was not at all difficult to take in; in fact it was a joyous experience, just as I'd hoped!

While enjoying an early afternoon dip in the lake the music of Alanna Gurr drifted out to the beach. I was surprised at the amount that I recognized and found it to be quite a nice swimming accompaniment.

Sure there'd been some hype but BADBADNOTGOOD still stole the show with their jazzy take on modern music. These young fellas are doing something that seems so utterly fresh and yet damn polished, it's thrilling to watch. People crowded around as the three confident, yet modest Humber students reimagined popular tracks into fresh-baked goodness. They dropped a number of recognizable riffs and beats into modern mashups that got the crowd (Rich Aucoin included) really into the set. Somehow the drummer played a couple of songs from behind a pig mask while the bass player and keyboardist didn't resort to such gimmicks but just laid it on like peanut butter, smooth and thick. Their take on Feist's Limit To Your Love was a solid way to introduce what they were going to do and once we 'got it' the deep bass lines of Kanye's Flashing Lights were an amazing way to have us all jump in unison. If ever there was an opportunity for a 4pm encore at Hillside this was it (with a stage break next) but sadly the stage manager was too intent on his break and nixed it in the bud. Shit, that was something though.

There's this weird thing with The Wooden Sky where I like the odd song that I hear by them and people around me love them but for whatever reason, whether it is recorded or live, they haven't burst through from 'like' to 'love' for me. This sunny afternoon saw them playing the main stage and I managed to catch the end of the set which again was good but didn't put me over the edge despite playing some good tunes in The Late King Henry and Oh My God. Maybe one day it'll click.

A nifty little workshop out back at the Sun Stage that started out with a cover from The Strumbellas followed up by the Chic Gamine chicks really lovely harmonies. Afie came up next in his wide-brimmed hat for an original featuring great additional violin from the Strumbellas as well as some back-up ooos from a couple ladies of his own (and prompted a couple more from the ladies in the crowd). They went around again and the singer from the Strumbellas sat on the stage's edge for an acoustic picking song. CG did the silence song which was a capella barring the drums.








Finally all of these wonderful artists combined forces on Bahamas' suggestion - and who is the uniting artist that everyone is always game to cover? Tom Petty, of course; You Don't Know How It Feels! This got the ball rolling straight into the oft-covered itself, Blue Moon of Kentucky, before closing out with the Canadian equivalent to Tom Petty in the go-to cover category - Neil Young and in this case, Harvest Moon. That's the spirit.

Ohbijou was rammed and their sets always make me a little sleepy, so to combat that I skipped watching and just listened to them as a backdrop while re-energizing with Feng's Dumplings.

Hillside Sunday Morning - Wooden Sky, Ohbijou, Memoryhouse+ (July 29/12)

Yes it was the Gospel Hour first thing Sunday at Hillside but many people found themselves in the school of The Wooden Sky, perennial workshop favourites, who were blessed with the angelic presence of Ohbijou. A workshop should be fun and interactive and that's exactly what was delivered as both bands collaborated, mixing the cut-off shirted guitars and banjo of The Wooden Sky with the female cello, violin (and trumpet) of Ohbijou. What beaver-loving Canadian doesn't love The Hip? Little Bobcaygeon got things going and rolled onwards with You've Really Got A Hold on Me (Smokey Robinson). The epic height difference between the bands was rather amusing yet their musical styles lined up well enough for a very appropriate '60s feel on Carole King's Will You Love Me Tomorrow. Now the Wooden Sky did indulge in a song of their own - however it was the first time they'd ever played it for an audience so still a proper use of a workshop. Future Hillside bands, please take note - this is how to throw a workshop!

Following that uplifting beginning to the day the true Gospel Hour beckoned just in time to catch a tune
that had most on stage (Be Good Tanyas, Birds of Chicago, Elephant Revival), as well as most in the bursting Island tent, "wade into the water". The hatted ladies in the front of the crowd first started getting into it and then everyone joined in. There were even solos; trumpet, keyboard and a washboard solo. Raise your voice!

Having toured together one would hope that the Great Lake Swimmers and Cold Specks would have enough familiarity with each other's material to collaborate on it. Unfortunately this did not seem to be the case as the few songs from both that were caught during their workshop saw them simply swapping back and for. Cold Specks did perform When the City Lights Dim which saw the GLS crew backing her up.

Memoryhouse and Imaginary Cities both make some very pretty music but there was no synergy here. Even worse than the track for track stylings of most poor workshops they simply split the timeslot in half with Memoryhouse checking in first used a drum board to play a few tunes including a cover. The male member understandable stayed seated to play his acoustic guitar as he'd have worked up a sweat moving around in that heavy sweater in the July heat. The drummer's percussion was subdued by his soft tipped sticks and also employed a shaker. Taking over Imaginary Cities played three songs of their own, nice but not even reaching heights from their full set on Saturday, leaving not much new to remark.

Hillside Saturday Late- Rich Aucoin, Elliott Brood (July 28/12)

Elliott Brood

With Elliott Brood I have had some magnificent concert experiences, ahem Vancouver Olympics, small Club Vinyl Guelph, but most recently a sub par show at the Phoenix in Toronto. Prior to their set I'd allowed the most recent memory to cloud my judgement and had decided to branch out and skip their set. However as things at Hillside changed on the fly I was able to come over for the last few tracks and, boy, was I glad that I did. Their music is so upbeat and just asking for people to clap, bang and dance along that when that doesn't happen (looking at you Toronto) an entirely important aspect of the experience is notably missing. At Hillside one needn't worry about whether people will dance though so I found myself swept up in the Elliott Brood swirl that was already underway. Unfortunately I apparently missed the flash-mob that broke out earlier, and didn't have a pot or a pan to bash on but that all would have just been gravy. A good time, not a long time, as I managed to shimmy to a few favourites including Valley Town and a joyous rendition of Miss You Now. The latter finally went off after speedily troubleshooting and replacing a wonky amp right before the final song. Whatta time!

Zeus
The tradeoff in staying til the very end of Elliott Brood was a lack of sightlines from the back corner picnic bench of the Island Tent for Zeus. It's not so much their visual antics as their revved up throwback sound that their show is about anyhow. That meant only catching glimpses of them shredding Marching Through Your Head and The Renegade, while not ideal, wasn't the greatest loss either.

Rich Aucoin
What do you get when you insert Canada's premier party-starter in Rich Aucoin into the biggest party night of Canada's premier festival? You get all of the following, plus so many more intangibles that I'm sure to have forgotten (and probably couldn't even put into words anyhow).

To begin with, the word was out and the tent was utterly crammed with partygoers excitedly bouncing beach balls in anticipation while the tech crew hurriedly set up for the final set of the night. Finally it got underway and it appeared like a shoddily built tower of cards with a video projector on top but somehow we got through the entire intro video without too many blackouts. The video, as always, featured a number of chopped up youtube sensation videos as well uplifting and hilarious thank-yous and shout-outs, including one to yours truly the "official Hillside weatherman" (a nod to a tweet from earlier in the day). This was all done in full darkness, and finally after the extended setup and then the intro vid, when the lights came up and the music started all of that pent up energy exploded into a swaying, frothing sea of humans. What songs did he play? Who played which instrument? These are inconsequential details when the fact of the matter is that it was sheer excitement and fun throughout the altogether too short closing set. Rich himself did some crowd surfing, set off heaps of confetti bombs, climbed one of the tent poles and generally hyped up an already hyper audience. And yes, the signature parachute did make its appearance! Unfortunately it was far too small to physically contain everyone in attendance but it stretched just far enough for me to be on the edge of it, and the childlike joy that it brought permeated the whole tent. As the song goes "we can't leave It all in our heads" and we didn't, as we absolutely went off, leaving it all on the floor and marching off into the night with exuberance!

Hillside Sunday Eve - Cold Specks, Joel Plaskett+ (July 29/12)

I Predict a Graceful Expulsion is a beautiful record based primarily on the lovely voice of the young Al Spx. Performing under the Cold Specks moniker she put that voice on display as she opened a Capella, but for much of the rest of the set was backed by a couple of competent Englishmen and a Winnipegger (electric guitar, keyboard and drum, plus her own electric). There had been some well-deserved buzz about this artist and this was reflected in the tent turnout. Unfortunately for any fans not yet indoctrinated to the church of Specks it must not have been quite as captivating and resulted in an audible buzz of conversation overtop of some of the quieter songs (a pity). Naturally drawing much of her material from the debut album she did it justice and even included a few non-album cuts as well. With about two minutes to spare at the end of the set Al delivered an astounding unaccompanied old standard that just about floored me. Raw talent was on display.

A surprisingly small crowd greeted Memoryhouse considering they are locals AND they had a positive review on Pitchfork. Perhaps that's the snapback from not touring locally or being overtly involved in the Guelph scene? Regardless the two primary members persisted, Denise on keys and obviously lead vocals, and Evan seated with his acoustic, accompanied by a live drummer. Akin to Beach House, the music (especially that from the early EPs) is more suited to headphones in a lonely bedroom than being played live, especially at a festival. Not varying much from their workshop earlier in the day they played a couple of the same songs, even the same obscure cover that is a sonic departure for them, and didn't really make a connection either way with the audience.

Half Moon Run were slightly better dressed than the schmucks they looked like last time around, they wore simple jeans and tees while engaging the crowd. Their show works in part because of its dynamism as they are constantly swapping instruments in and out and between each other on nearly every song. The group featured as many as three drummers during their set this Hillside. Even the sound varies, including a supreme R&B groove on one of the newer songs that really hit the spot. Reception was solid and it's great to see this band continue on their upward trajectory.

Having seen Great Lake Swimmers a number of times, even on this very stage, it wasn't that high on the objective list to spend another few sleepy songs in the grass. That being said Your Rocky Spine is a stellar tune, especially keying on the lyrics, and it's always a treat to catch that, even in passing.

Having built and built their reputation from exceptional performances in their workshops over the weekend it was finally time for the Birds of Chicago to showcase their wares all on their own. Playing to a tent full of mostly new converts this part primarily American (Chicago) band, with ties to Canada, put on a show living up to the bar that they had set for themselves. From the few songs that I did catch it seemed that they were putting a lot into it and getting a lot back from the crowd, even on their non-English language track. It wouldn't be a surprise to see this band returning in the coming years as audience and band alike seemed to thoroughly enjoy the interaction.

The Slakadeliqs came in with some hype behind their recent release having garnered all sorts of accolades for its genre busting sounds despite consisting of a fairly standard four piece configuration, drum, acoustic, electric and bass. The crowd was fairly meager being up against some strong names on the other stages but they did their best to amp it up in the Island Tent regardless. There's a definite groove to their music that carries them along.

As disappointing as it was for Joel Plaskett to miss a couple of workshops earlier in the weekend (imagine the songwriting ability coupled with Tony Dekker and Bry Webb??) it was worth it as the extra couple of days of rest allowed Joel to come out very strong for the main stage weekend ending set. Not only was his definitive voice there and strong but he was his engaging self, putting on a show like the showman he is, including a moonwalk-like slide to cover the stage. Opening with classic Down at the Khyber he mixed old with new, slow (particularly Heartless, Heartless, Heartless) while putting some emphasis on the surprisingly strong recent release, Scrappy Happiness, considering the self-imposed song per week time constraints put on the writing and recording. Lightning Bolt seemed particularly appropriate not only because of the threatening thunderstorm but also the lyric "I was sick but now I'm cured". Following a set that met and exceeded Joel Plaskett set requirements he settled in and had some fun with us. There was the singsong of "Rain, rain go away", a little April Wine, and then some doo-a-ditty into Work Out Fine. This last one saw him dancing himself to the ground only to catch a glimpse and be mesmerized by the moon for a minute or so (from his back, on the stage). A consummate professional he knew how to close a set with the the Joel Plaskett song in many people's minds - Nowhere with You - and finally his eccentric live rendition of Exraordinary. Encore! Encore! And so he did, persisting with Harbour Boys with just our clapping as he dealt with a broken string only to come back strong and rock out the ending. Putting a nice cap on the evening, the weekend and another fabulous Hillside was Come on Teacher, complete with a Hillside referencing freestyle. Oh Joel.