Strumbellas, Devin Cuddy Band - Horseshoe (Nov 30/13)

The Strumbellas
Perseverance and catchiness seems to be paying dividends for this poppy folk group as their Horseshoe show was sold out well in advance and the capacity crowd was giddy to be there. After blistering through a new and an old number they stopped to express their gratitude for the first of many times on the night. It's great to have new material to sing along to! Also new was the addition of a trumpet player on a few songs off the top and again later on when he was complimented for dressing so well, including (despite?) his red bandana. Otherwise the six-crew were blazing as usual; Izzy with her snappy red cowgirl shirt, Dave and his custom mountain sunrise/disco ball sweater and Simon barely covered by his vest and sagging pants. He pointed out "it's weird having people sing your songs - good weird - like making out with your mother in the room," this with his mother in the room. Another interesting remark was about an apparent band email that had admonished him for bringing people up on stage, asking for shots and arriving drunk. None of which occurred as he appeared to adhere to the requests and the show did not suffer for it. Altogether it was pretty great as they hammered out faves, even including a slow jam. After an hour they abandoned the stage only to return after an extended roar from the audience. In encore they played the grin-inducing Float On ("we wrote that one" Simon cracked) before bringing it all down with Pistol. Sad (and exciting) to think that sweaty days at crummy bars could soon be behind them.

Devin Cuddy Band
The Devin Cuddy Band were actually more country than I remembered. This didn't mean that they weren't any good just that it wasn't speaking much to me. Devin played his piano (keyboard) and the rest of the crew held it down but it's a genre I don't claim to have much authority reviewing. Who am I kidding? I don't have any right reviewing any music.

Dan Griffin, Nick Rose, Jay McCarrol - Dakota (Aug 7/13)

Dan Griffin
It was a highly anticipated show from Mr. Dan Griffin as his previous Dakota had left many disappointed when it sold out ahead of time. Backed by The Regrets, he played a fairly extensive selection of music his old offering Leave Your Love. These included The Fire with some massive feedback before the quickstop ending, Stars and Satellites, Leave Your Love, and some shaker for Lorne Park. He started a sampling of an older tune and faded the "fall in love" chorus into Emily. As well there were new, upbeat tunes and some from the Bordertown EP, including the title track.

As an encore he returned with Come Back Home and then with Tyler Kite and Nick Rose they played the old Tom Petty jam, You Wreck Me.

It may have slightly underwhelmed the expectations but his Dylan impression still ain't half bad.

Nick Rose
Another solo set was to follow, this from Nick Rose who has been seen primarily with Dwayne Gretzky, Toronto's premier cover band. On this eve he would not be dipping into others works however but displaying his own, played on an acoustic guitar. They were relatively straightforward sonically while the lyrics were quirky and oddball. He sang about his above average number of arms, since a small but real amount of people have only one, or even no arms, while essentially nobody has three or more. For the record Nick has two arms which he used to play his guitar rather nicely underneath this frivolity. 

Jay McCarrol
Jay McCarrol began the night, introduced by the headliner, and proceeded with a solo piano show. It was an impressive display with the downfall being the early set so people were still arriving and catching up, therefore not providing the attention deserved. Jay even had to call us out with a couple songs remaining and plead for some attention. Even his Swing Lo Magellan cover, great as it was fought for the airwaves. All who did pay him respect were rewarded sonically; very lovely.

Hayden - Yonge Dundas Square (June 14/13)

Hayden had announced just a few days earlier at Field Trip that he, along with the other two members of his band, would be opening for The National the following week. Naturally the show a mere six days later wouldn't differ drastically from the afternoon set but with Hayden's deep repertoire and stage presence it was worth checking out again. As before they opened with Taylor Knox up front before jumping behind the kit and the first half played out similarly including Worthy of Your Esteem and Rainy Saturday. The set list did vary slightly and Hayden returned to the piano for some worthwhile time. They included Bad as they Seem and Dynamite Walls, which gets me everytime, especially as Taylor's hair was flying during his mid-song drum breakdown. Once again Lou Canon joined him onstage for their recent duet which was perhaps even better this time around. Altogether worth getting their early for.

Evening Hymns, Andy Shauf - Drake Underground (Nov 14/13)

An amazing performer in an intimate setting made the most of the opportunity. Jonas has been touring the magnificent Spectral Dusk for over a year now and despite being impressed by the album release show, this, the first show of the final leg, made it clear that there is no ceiling for this talented musician. He opened solo, primarily playing his (out of place, shiny,silver-speckled) electric guitar often into loops, while adding from his keyboard and his excellent voice poured into a couple of mics. There is just something about him that is captivating and this night was no different. He worked some more delicate songs like Arrows early, giving a personal intro to his brother who was in attendance and about whom he had written You and Jake. Still by his lonesome he debuted a new song for the very first time live, Light as a Feather, which was very short and may take a couple more listens. All this before building it up with an awesomely layered Mtn Song that built and built as did the glee in the room.

This was only the first half of the set and we'd already experience so much greatness. His performances are intense and exude emotion which really makes for a captivating atmosphere. To aid in this a bass player and opener, Andy Shauf, joined him on the drums. Andy played with great intensity which was much appreciated especially on some of the louder songs that they played in the latter half. Included in this bunch were another two new tracks which may be included in the upcoming album he is to write after this tour completes that will assuredly not be entitled Draft Dodger (as per his banter). Rescue Team was a slight departure from Spectral Dusk that hit a little harder while the other new song followed the Hayden cover (Dynamite Walls) and actually took a few cues from it, which was most definitely a good thing. They actually used this as their exit before we begged Jonas to return and he agreed with one song. Just as he had begun the show he ended it by himself on stage playing the title and final track from Spectral Dusk and leaving us devastated by the music yet elated. That is power in song.

Andy Shauf

To be honest when I first saw Andy play it was a bit of an odd experience which may have lead to my mixed feelings. This time around I didn't have to deal with this and listened more carefully to the oddly literal lyrics in his distinctive voice and appreciated the whole experience a great deal more. The story within Hometown Hero for example paints a very vivid picture in the mind of the listener while still being an enjoyable aural experience. Once again his banter included the odd yet giggle-inducing "does anyone have any questions?" which seems to set people at ease so I guess it does it's job, as does his simple, solo guitar set.

Wildlife, Bravestation - Lee's (Nov 9/13)

Perhaps one of Toronto's most underrated bands (still!) Wildlife played yet another excellent set, this time to a decent-sized Lee's Palace weekend crowd. Once again with all members donning the band uniform, this time all black with a yellow band, they put on quite the performance. Not as coordinated and cohesive as some of their previous shows that seemed to be rehearsed down to the second this gig was a great opportunity for them to play their ..On the Heart material for the hometown crowd after a long delay since it's release early this year. The evolution of the music is exciting as it takes what Strike Hard, Young Diamond did and furthers it. Born to Ruin for example has that killer kick drum that thuds throughout both on record and in a live setting. They didn't forget the previous album however, going back to standout Stand in the Water before closing up with the excellent Killing for Fun which included an unintroduced extra member playing and singing along. With the appetite for it they returned for an encore to satiate us after their welcome return.

Bravestation, another hometown band, mentioned that it had been a dream to play on the Lee's Palace stage which is understandable as it is a beloved Toronto institution (despite the bathrooms). They did a stand up job of it too, in part because their drummer forewent kick drums or even a seat to pound his kit while standing in his toque and headphones, while also working some electronic drums and a laptop. Besides him there was a bass and an electric guitar that filled out the rock band who didn't make a bad showing of it all told.

River Tiber - Drake Underground (Nov 21/13)

Adding to the six neon words already up around the Drake Underground in bright orange read a stylized "River Tiber". In front of this sign stood the four piece making up that entity. Seemingly the brainchild of multi-instrumental singer (keyboard and electric guitar on this night) the group was fleshed out by a full time guitarist, bassist and drummer fitted with electric drums in his kit. Combined with the backing samples, the electro keys and synthesized voice they came across as an indie rock band with a noticeable electro edge. As previously noted the droning and building upon this structure comes across like a not-half-bad Kid A-era Radiohead. It seemed well thought out and meticulously arranged which is why it was especially irksome that what sounded like a recording from a police scanner cut from underneath many songs, even when it was quite out of place. The album, Synapses, and The Star Falls EP, for which this served as the release party, are quite good and the music translates to the stage but the band could give more of a presence. The various projections behind them, from birds to army parachuting in reverse, lent an interesting distraction briefly until it began to loop. An encore showcased a couple older tunes, one of which proved they used to unabashedly rock rather than the more balanced new approach (which I much prefer). The final featured only the two guitarists on a 'very old' (3 years old) tune and wasn't the best way to end a decent show but happened regardless of my say.

Lovely Feathers, Taylor Knox Band, Wax Atlantic - Dakota (Nov 7/13)

They said it had only been three years but for me it had been forever as I never saw The Lovely Feathers at all the first time around. My memory was of quirky fun and it was all that; perky and enjoyable. Sure the rust may have shown on a couple tracks as the members weren't quite in sync with each other or the impromptu encore that saw them remembering only a couple verses but the crowd was enthusiastic and forgiving. A five-piece male group that also featured double keys, one set being synths, that gave the set even more lightness. It seems people haven't strictly kept the records on the shelf during their absence, or maybe hooks like 'Pope John Paul, where you from? KRAKOW, POLAND' and 'She said hi to the man of the house. She said I am the man of the house' are hard to forget. Alongside In the Valley they also included a few new tracks which showed promise for an extended return, especially as these songs sounded more than alright. Even using one fresh tune for their highly-demanded but obviously unplanned encore worked well with a surging chorus, even if they missed their mark on the coordinated quick stop. That was the way the set went though, a little rough, a little quick, a little quirky but a lot of entertainment. Stick around.

Not sure if it was strictly a Taylor Knox night he was up second, fronting his three-piece eponymous band. The uniform seemed to be long hair but otherwise all black, notably bucked by the joyous drummer whose shirt pattern fell in line with the rug's print. None of this affected their rock and roll roots. Taylor's vocals seemed to be unclear and down in the mix so it was a slightly unfair first impression of his independent work but piqued interest for a future opportunity. It added a special edge when he swapped out for his 12 string. Yes, please!

The Wax Atlantic five benefited from the Toronto everyman's presence as Taylor Knox played his electric guitar throughout the set. This consisted of some very decent piano- based rock pop and the boys had fun with it throughout. For likenesses it's easy to point a finger to Waterloo's Will Currie who leads an indie piano pop troupe of his own but also hints of the Golden Dogs. The link from the Golden Dogs and their Paul McCartney cover can then awkwardly be drawn to mid era Beatles. Regardless of influence or similarity they stood their own, playing an early set to a sizable crowd of Young Lions.

Picture the Ocean - Cameron House (Oct 28/13)

They just so happened to be the band playing at the Cameron House that night but as far as happenstances go, it was a pretty good one. The key player was the lead male and his electric guitar, accompanied by his lady on keys, a bleach-blonde, unmoving, sorta she-punk, and a male beat keeper. Opening with the only song I'd ever heard from them, minutes earlier in preparation, it was their anthem of sorts mentioning their band name, Picture the Ocean, within the song. Not breaking many molds they played accessible indie-pop with the vocals shared by the married fronting duo. This carried on for some time, adding in an instrumental song and on the set finale a tambourine. Entertaining enough for a time, it didn't seem necessary to stick around for the second set.

The 1975, Linus Young - Mod Club (Oct 13/13)

The lights dropped and a prerecording blasted into the darkness. After a few moments the four boys from Manchester sidled into the shadows on queue. The punk-undercut singer raised a tumbler in greeting before raising a guitar strap over his head and strumming into The City. As expected half the capacity Mod Club crowd went a little wild. The other half raised their phones to take a picture of the bright white rectangular border that has been the band's signature on each of their well-received LPs that finally culminated in a similarly-adorned full-length this autumn.
Along with another guitar player, a big, bearded bass player and a singing drummer, plus some extra keys and synths (and maybe occasional backing tracks?) there doesn't seem to be any one thing that sets them apart. Yet they have a sound that does set itself apart despite its myriad influences, from hip hop to electronic to folk - perhaps it is more aptly due to the blending of these. Regardless of what it is they were doing a fair job of performing it while the strobes pulsed and the girls screamed. Undercut, aka Matt Healy, seemed to enjoy the attention as a young leading man is wont to do - receiving it with a wink and dose of bravado. That being said the music resonates with the male audience too as many young gentleman also jumped up at each new song and belted out the lyrics.
Not only is Chocolate one of the singles, it is also one of the stronger songs and received the biggest response, hands down, getting everyone's attention. Some brazen folk near the front lit up so it smelled more like pot than chocolate and Matt spooked them by yelling "Security! Run!" but unfortunately nobody ran by frightened. At the conclusion of the song rather than the requisite pause for an encore they acknowledged this would be the time and then launched Sex. Personal fave it went over quite well and to wrap the trifecta, and the gig, they played EP-only You closing in an epic breakdown in the blinking darkness. Promising another show next year they left the rabid crowd happy and hungry for more.

"Are they Amish?" whispered somebody as a bearded fellow stepped to the mic beside a young lady in a matching wide-brimmed hat. They cooed out the first few lines before the rest of the fledgling Linus Young band appeared behind them. It was an enjoyable set of indie music not entirely dissimilar to the headlining act. Only a couple times did the female sing on her own, preferring to blend their voices. They did City of Sin early in the set to try and gain some traction which they seemed to do successfully. In a slight departure the final song heavily featured the electronic drum set and still went over well. Not a bad outing.

Ohbijou Farewell - Great Hall (Sept 7/13)

The current Ohbijou lineup consisting of six members who will go down in the Toronto music scene history books began the night with a standout set of Ohbijou's better known songs. To be frank, I am a discriminating fan who enjoys a number of singles but has also fallen asleep at previous shows (mind you they were in the grassy sunshine). With hits like Black Ice, Niagara and St. Francis it wasn't hard to retain rapt attention for this initial 40 minute offering. From here we had a break to commiserate over the lose of the Toronto gem before a whole host of local musical celebs paid tribute to a band who had shown such grace and generosity throughout the years. It was a veritable who's who of Live In Bellwoods with Nils from the RAA, Evening Hymns (Jonas and Sylvie), Gentleman Reg, The Acorn lead singer, Kat Burns formerly of Forest City Lovers, Neil Haverty (of Bruce Peninsula playing drums in a threesome calling themselves Pumpkin Foot), Wooden Sky, and Snowblink. Casey and sister, Jennifer, watched from the balcony, beaming at the outpouring of love. Further showered by John O'Regan aka Diamond Rings, Lisa Bozikovic and Nathan Lawr each doing a different take on an Ohbijou tune.

It was bittersweet then when the band returned for a final set of deeper cuts. Personally I wasn't enthralled the entire time but it was nice and a few guests came through to join them. In the end ALL the guests came out for one final crescendo to close the Ohbijou chapter. We will see what life is like without them (and hopefully what other artistic endeavors the members are now free to pursue).

Notes

Niagara flaws
St Francis. Extra drumming
Black ice
Other side

Reg violin guitar and cello just 4
Evening hymns.
Moving lights background video
Snow blink
~

Nils, banjo
Acorn, surging urgent

Kat burns solo, Casey singing along
Wooden sky
Jonas Sylvie evening hymns. 6 years only playing music. Tumble weeds
Acorn 2
Neil haverty drums pumpkin foot
John o Regan, e looping
Lisa bozikovic, Sylvie
Reg looping vocals . Weird
Snow blink

Nathan lawr, barking at your door singalong.
~

Encore
Casey around the floor, clap and laying. Neighbourhoods.
Finale x everyone. Come on!

Toronto Bike Fest feat. Strumbellas, Wilderness of Manitoba (Toronto streets/parks, Sept 8/13)

It began, at least for us, in the park behind OCAD. A large, loose gathering of like-minded cyclists laying in the grass in the park with their rides splayed alongside them as a folky, bluegrass band, The Rucksack Willies, played on a quickly assembled stage. Considering the previous day had been scheduled it was prime weather with sun and warmth for the rain date. When the music stopped there were a few minutes for everyone to get everything together before the crowd amassed for the trek to Trinity Bellwoods to complete the day. With plenty of direction and safety in numbers we rode through the streets of Toronto all together, primarily on backstreets but also venturing onto Queen and Spadina on a couple of occasions. Most bystanders seemed happy to see us pass by and even the motorists didn't seem overly perturbed by the 70 or so two-wheelers moving along. The Toronto Bicycle Music Festival was an empowering ride.

The Wilderness of Manitoba played a set at T-Bells (ha!) which remains in the books as every other WoM set I've seen (besides their Sunday morning sessions at Hillside). That is to say that it's alright at the time, the female singer is fine and the backing male musicians also do a decent job but there is little of note or interest to me. That's not completely fair as they did perform an enjoyable cover of the "brand new roller skates" song. Perhaps it is just their music that doesn't strike a chord

Following a short female set on a side 'stage' The Strumbellas came on to end the day in good fashion. With their catchy, folk jams they had a couple of potentially inebriated guys dancing from the get-go while others were quick to join in after that without chemical encouragement. Playing mostly My Father the Hunter tracks they did include a song from the album they have been working on this summer. As an even newer addition Simon played a song he wrote especially for the festival just that weekend - so fresh, in fact, that he had to read the lyrics from papers spread across the keyboard. You know it wasn't a terrible song either despite the seemingly juvenile chorus of 'I love bicycles'. Nearing the end of the set they proposed a dance contest and curiously gave away what appeared to be a used skateboard to a young girl. Regardless of the gimmick it got everyone left in the park up and moving and kept them on their feet for their closing song, Pistol. That is until they had an all-natural curtain call and jammed out one last tune in the park before we pedaled away grinning.

Dodos, Cousins - Lincoln Hall, Chicago (Sept 19/13)

Cousins were already rolling to a small but forming crowd. The duo, male on electric guitar and female on drums, were giving it a good show as they ripped through some rock tunes. He held down the vocals which were were somewhat repetitive but otherwise alright; both took turns at the mic to banter with the crowd and explain the meaning of 'cousins'. Although the music wasn't exactly breaking new sound it was entertaining nonetheless and got the toes tapping and the head bopping of one enthusiastic young fellow who arrived, decided he loved it, showingly acted out his appreciation and realized it was the last song.

Between sets I took in the Lincoln Hall room in Chicago which was really fantastic in all regards. The floor was large but not huge and all spots offered solid sightlines due to the raised stage. To prevent reverberations and echoes the surfaces of the walls, pillars and even plentiful bar space were all made of anechoic materials while even the high ceiling was soft material for the same reason. It was high to allow for the upper floor balcony which also provided great views, not just for those in the short stools up on the rail but also the taller chairs behind and even standing behind that. Truly superb.

And The Dodos matched the room as they stepped out promptly at 10pm - before the house music even completely died away in fact. The trio took up their instruments and began straight into Confidence which hit. The lead guitarist sang into a mic and a reverb mic and did quite well, as did the newest member (and Illinoian) on his guitar while the drummer was excellent as they varied their pace often. He also employed an interesting upside down cymbal on top of a larger cymbal on a song for a different effect. Off the top the opening three numbers were great, though I did notice a small lull in the mid set before the longer haired musician reached to one of the seven guitars lined along stage edge and selected the acoustic. In my opinion they didn't utilize this weapon often enough (but who cares about my opinion that they should have played Jodi too?) After a scant time on stage that ended strongly but far too early they exited. Despite a relatively strong audience during the show, for a medium-sized crowd on a Thursday night, the response to urge an encore was weak. Maybe that is why they only did two more to wrap it up. A worthwhile venture out in a different city that could have lasted longer and pushed harder in the middle but still had more than a few outstanding moments.

AroarA, Alex Lukashevsky - St. George the Martyr Music Gallery (Sept 5/13)

AroarA have quickly won me over. They played a similar set to the one I've become accustomed to with a few additional tracks from the album being released on this evening. Andrew primarily played his electric guitar but was also in charge of queueing up the backing tracks and drums while Ariel started on her cigar-box guitar but after setting that down so it could slide into the hot, hot spotlight she rocked her electric for much of the eve. It was well into the set that that they both set down their instruments and just played the track so they could dance and sing (and kinda rap) on a tune that was quite peppy. Following this their lovely accompaniment in Leslie Feist and Danielle Gesundheit joined them to close out the set as has happened before and is akin to their Hydra formation. With all four of them rocking the guitar it made for a very strong crescendo, while on another track Andrew stepped back and allowed the women and their vocals to take center stage.

The encore saw just the original couple return and a song in French by Brigitte Fontaine before inviting the girls to return. Despite the similarities to previous sets I was still enamoured with the entire show and really enjoyed my front pew/center seating.

Things got going late with Alex Lukashevsky being introduced twice, the second time by Andrew Whiteman himself. It was rambling but glowing and so the potential was there but the set did not turn my crank. He played the guitar but seemed to lack any clear musicality for most of the songs - as if someone who had an idea of how to play just picked up a guitar at a friend's place and made an assortment of sounds with it for a few seconds. However it went on for quite awhile and was saved by Danielle (Snowblink) and another female (whose name I did not catch) who filled in the background with their voices. Mind you the song structure and timing of their input was also odd but not as odd as the assortment of sounds that they were asked to make - one sounded like we were in an aviary!

Born Ruffians - Harbourfront Centre (Jul 13/13)

It seemed a quiet night down at the waterfront for the local Born Ruffian show but the hardcore fan group at the front were determined to change that. Their enthusiasm had more and more people in the audience getting into the perky, indie rock band who were putting on quite a performance feeding off this energy. The set list was a great taster of the BR catalogue as they played plenty of throwbacks to earlier days, a highlight being Hedonistic Me, while also incorporating some strong and more recent releases. Not sure that it was going to be anything worth writing about I was soon swept into the set that just kept giving. Nearing the end Luke and Mitch revealed that their long-time drummer Steve would be departing, and not wanting to make a big deal of it this would, in fact, be his last show. This drew some groans and cheers from the crowd but it also drew a semi-streaker who was barely clothed and really broke up any sentimentality that was brewing by jumping on stage in his underwear. Unfortunately since this was a free Harbourfront show there was little security and this continued into the ensuing tune to the point where they had to stop the song in the middle. Once the yahoos were cleared off the stage the show went on and they closed out. The hardcore group cheered loudly and there was no question there would be an encore. Hummingbird led it and was fantastic as usual. In the end they kept bringing their final song down and then revving it back up again to the delight of everyone. A solid Toronto showing and a revival in the faith of a Born Ruffian show.

River Tiber - Drake Hotel (Feb 21/13)

It was perhaps an odd slot playing an opening set for a free (Rich Aucoin) show in a hotel restaurant but it didn't phase the local River Tiber. The set was successful in that it won over at least one new fan who had never even heard of them. My notes read 'ambient, rich bass, keys, dynamic drumming' where the last in the list was at least in part due to the integrated electronic drums. It's a little useless to liken a band to Radiohead, considering they are credited with pioneering a wide range of modern music from indie to electronica but it was in fact the vocals which also fell in line with Thom Yorke's. Despite the forward-thinking music some of the members were keeping it casual with backwards ball caps. Not an overly long set it was top quality and a great introduction to the River Tiber who have since followed it up with their equally compelling debut full-length. Keep your ears open and show this up and coming band some support for the 'I remember when's'.

Blue Rodeo, Bahamas - Amphitheatre (August 17/13)

Bahamas
Afie had the distinct pleasure of opening for Blue Rodeo for their annual summer show in Toronto. Granted with the Amphitheatre's penchant for punctuality a majority of the 20,000 attendees were not yet in their seats when he strolled out along with his band precisely at 8pm. Those of us who were on time were treated to the Bahamas affair, a fleshed out solo project that is rooted in electric guitar, alongside a drummer and additional guitar, yet has feelings of folk well embedded. As an added bonus there were two lovely ladies accompanying him on vocals, including Tamara of The Weather Station. As the audience filtered in the band confidently performed numbers from the most recent Barchords like Caught Me Thinkin' and standout Okay, Alright, I'm Alive, plus a throwback to Pink Strat with Hockey Teeth. The song of the set had to be the surprising strength as Never Again grew and grew. Seemingly humbled by the slot Afie gushed not only about 'biking to work' but also the beauty of the massive audience with the trees and the blue sky in the background as the sun set. Agreed - it was a very pleasant scene with a fitting soundtrack.

Blue Rodeo
On this perfect summer evening the boys of Blue Rodeo, all seven of them, came to entertain and prove why this has become a summertime staple. Twenty-six years in the game they certainly have mastered a live show but that is not to say that it comes off too excessively polished. The pedal steel and Cuddy's many harmonicas featured prominently and weaved their way right from opener Head Over Heels on through. With Jim and Greg passing the mic with ease they brought most songs from their recorded state to live brilliance, slipping guitar solos in wherever possible such that even mid-set numbers came across as epic closers. An example of this was Diamond Mine with its piano and Cuddy's electric guitar solo, or even Five Days in May which had their third guitarist laying it down. Interspersed with these Canadian classics were a surprising number (5) of new tracks like Mattawa from their forthcoming autumn release, all of which sounded strong and could very well be mainstays in summers to come. That said people come back year after year for moments like Jim Cuddy playing the piano on After the Rain and their rendition of the Bee Gees' To Love Somebody which has taken on a life of its own. The most hair-raising moment was the twenty-thousand strong choir who without prompting took to their feet and took Hasn't Hit Me Yet from the band before they even sang a note - belting out the nearly literal line "..out here in the middle of Lake Ontario." This was followed by closing number - a standard - Somebody Touched Me which was dedicated to the memory of the recently departed former member James Gray and had more than a touch of gospel in its call and response.

Amazingly an hour and forty minutes had passed by in what seemed like a flash and people were hollering for more. Fortunately they would deliver with Til I Am Myself Again, before Jim Cuddy awed us all with Try. What else could be left in the tank but the ultimate Blue Rodeo song as the ladies of Bahamas joined them while Afie had to the honour of singing a verse of Lost Together to play us out into the gorgeous Toronto night. Until next year, boys.

Aidan Knight - Hillside 2013 (Sat Aft)

Aidan Knight's Small Reveal is an absolute gem. I'd been talking this set up to anyone who would listen because I'm really jazzed about this artist, even if his onstage persona (or maybe it's just him?) is much more subdued than my enthusiasm. With a full Lake Tent (and threat of more rain) they began with their album opening doublet of songs which are an excellent one two punch when listened to but the crowd was a little distracted and talkative which set things back a little off the top. The material is really strong though and they persisted, slowly and surely making gains. It was a set without too much variation from those I've seen from this talented quintet in the recent past and people began to recognize. How can you not appreciate that violin anyhow? Coming into close, people finally stood up and began to get into it which was perfect timing because the final track was Knitting Something Nice for You and although it starts a little slower when it dynamically morphs partway through it really is a game changer and they brought it home strong.

Yukon Blonde - Hillside 2013 (Sat Night)

Yukon Blonde had a tougher task ahead of them being the band responsible for bringing it all home on notoriously the biggest evening and stage of the festival. The MC warned that Hillside would not be responsible for any melting of faces from the guitar solos about to occur, and although these went down, a shred fest does not necessarily a party make. Those in the recently revamped front of stage (no more picnic benches! Yeah!) didn't seem to mind and bounced and shook and surfed their way through the entire thing under the assortment of floating prophylactics. The set began well with favourites such as Radio and Six Dead Tigers but I felt it waned down the stretch. They did bring it home with another stronger tune, My Girl but it wasn't quite enough to send me bounding off into the night. The surprise downpour that came up just as the show let us out into the night (and the hour long bus lineup) definitely affected this feeling as well.

July Talk - Hillside 2013 (Sat Night)

Who saw it coming? The ordinarily bonkers Saturday night lineup in the island tent was to feature a band that was relatively unknown, albeit highly touted by those in the know. The place was packed anyhow and ready to go off - July Talk gave them the excuse to do just that. Lead by their mod rocker in his black leather jacket, it was his female counterpart who really stole the show. As he overtly hit on her and she coyly rebuffed all his advances they had a unique stage persona. Much of this presence was ad libbed, with limboing the mic stand, and balancing the gold pump on her head but they seemed to be having a time and the crowd was enjoying it even more. Besides the music being churned out by the five piece had a great beat and despite a general lack of familiarity everyone everywhere was shaking it anyhow. A true buzz generator!

Jim Guthrie - Hillside 2013 (Sat Eve)

There were a total of ten musicians on stage for Jim Guthrie's hometown set, the most notable of which (besides the namesake) was JJ Ipsen. Despite this array of people and instruments the sound was full but not overwhelmingly so. On some numbers there were band members who actually went unused. They wonderfully replicated the sound of Jim's most recent triumphant long player, Takes Time, which was the focus of the beginning of the set. Jim himself was wedged in the middle playing his guitar and providing the vocals for these tunes, including the smile-worthy The Rest Is Yet To Come ("I said, 'Don't you mean the best?'"). There weren't really many mind-altering things that occurred on this my first time seeing the apparently reclusive touring Jim Guthrie live show but it was undoubtedly faithful and enjoyable.

Fucked Up - Hillside 2013 (Sunday Aft)

It was an intense, riled up pit of Fucked Up fans kicking up dust on a Sunday afternoon in the Island Tent. With the sound up the band seemed to be in fine form as they blasted through their melodic, hard punk rock gems like The Other Shoe and Son the Father. It is their frontman, Damian Abraham, who really represents them and acts as the most visible member at least partly due to his unique appearance, nearly always sweaty and topless. Only a song or two passed until he fit that description, as he handed out high fives and dipped the mic into the crowd to let the fans scream along. This interaction definitely steps up the intimacy of the shows and it worked real well here as nostrils filled with floating dirt but few were seen exiting the scene. There was an inordinate amount of children in attendance - and I don't mean the teenagers moshing. Even the band had their kids backstage and later in the set Damian's son was used in a call and response as he was hoisted onto papa bear's shoulders. Nearing the end Damian became a man of the people by entering the fracas, coming face to face with me and after a tiny pause threw his meaty arm around my neck and began an epic group hug as people from all around piled in. Yes, a sweaty hug from a bare-chested man was my Hillside moment.

Whitehorse - Hillside 2013 (Sun Night)

Admittedly I have been a doubter of this duo from the get-go. Not that there's a problem with either of their solo projects but more that based on their Whitehorse albums solely I couldn't quite understand the attention being showered upon them. (I mean a sold out Massey Hall, really?) Then I witnessed the show and now I'm starting to get it..

Just a pair with a unique setup of an old-time shared mic up front and centre, with a pair of rerouted telephone receivers acting as mics behind that surrounded by an assortment of percussion instruments and litter of guitars rested nearby. They proceeded to make compelling, fleshed out songs from this array by running around and singing this piece here, looping that sound there, feeding back over here and then coming together as a dynamic duo in front of it all to bring it home. Opener Killing Time is Murder laid its hooks and they dug deeper with each passing track.

To add another family dimension to it all Luke Doucet paused to describe the little girl in her bathing suit who had run up from the beach to clamber over the stage and sing along some 8 years previous. Then proceeded to introduce this little lady as his now 17 year old daughter whose musical talents were obviously inherited from her father as she controlled the mic with ease on an excellent Tom Waits cover that all three coordinated on while Luke simply played the acoustic.

This couple's attractiveness runs much deeper than the skin, penetrating to their vocal cords and musical souls. I'd love to see what their home jam space looks like, or be around during for Christmas carols.

Usually special guests are not kept under wraps at Hillside for the mere fact that there are 3000 talkative volunteers milling about backstage with open ears. (Stuart McLean comes to mind.) However despite "..with special guests for the finale" being in the program there was much talk and few possibilities floated. (Win and Regine joining the already present Richard Reed Parry and Sarah Neufeld as an incarnation of The Arcade Fire wasn't really feasible as a finale to overshadow Whitehorse was it?) After their curtain call the couple were enticed back onto the stage and Luke took to the mic to introduce Ruth Moody, Brenda McMorrow, and Tony Dekker (GLS) plus the return of his daughter, Chloe. In recognition of the recently passed JJ Cale they performed his song, Crazy Mama, with Brenda on violin and all else acting as new backing vocals. Following this they tore it all down with I'm On Fire. A splendid Springsteen song, they really brought it home by bringing it down to crowd fueled finger snaps and sing-out as the band backed away slowly and disappeared, leaving us singing ourselves out into the night with another amazing Hillside wrapped up.

Diamond Rings - Hillside 2013 (Fri. Night)

To shield from the Friday night lights all members of Diamond Rings sported some snazzy shades; more on that later. Local musician Geordie Gordon, known for his band The Magic, played the synths and guitar while a couple other one-time Guelphites accompanied on drums, and keys/computer respectively. The focal point, John O'Regan, had the signature 'do, though no makeup anymore, and a spiky black leather vest. At least he started the set with all this but as the beats were dropped and the band heated up he also droped the glasses and then the vest. This allowed him to dance more freely on stage while his singing, and occasional guitar playing, was never inhibited. Free Dimensional is a danceable album so cuts from it were working their charm, while Special Affections tracks are plain great and also worked. Pockets of the crowd were really grooving but it wasn't totally widespread which was a disappointment. There've been many Bowie allusions floated in reference and although that's some hallowed ground there is some basis for it. As the set was rounding the corner to bring it down the home stretch an instantaneous power outage cut not only the sound but also all the lights in the tent leaving us completely and utterly in the dark. It took mere moments of confusion and shock before the cell phones and lighters lit the tent and under ten minutes until they had the gear back up and running. Thankfully time remained before quiet hours and John and the gang banged out two more tunes to the now especially appreciative audience and we grooved it out counting along to Day & Night to call it a night.

Cuff the Duke - Dakota Tavern (July 23/13)

Taking to the lovely Dakota Tavern stage as a five piece, filled out by Tom on the keys, were Oshawa's own Cuff the Duke. They've got a country-current running through them that perfectly suits this notorious downstairs enclave. With Wayne pumping his pipes they did some deeper cuts early in the night and were impressed with the crowd's attention. Everyone solidly held their own on their instruments however the keys were an especially nice touch, but the lead guitarist really fills everything out. Standing on the Edge was a particular highlight, that is until they covered CCR's Looking Out My Back Door and then invited the beloved Hayden to join them onstage. Slightly surprisingly he immediately took over as CtD backed his song, Miles Away, before all performing his favourite Dylan cover. Unfortunately that was all we'd see of him as Hayden and the Duke crew stepped off for a deserved intermission.

Upon returning they rejuvenated the crowd with a good many more well-known tunes from their catalogue, among them Count on Me, Side By Side, Belgium or Peru and Take My Money and Run. Another cover was sprinkled in before Paul set down the bass and came busting out the fiddle on a rousing If I Live Or If I Die that had the crowd divided in their singalong. Despite the good vibes and promises of hits to come the third set would not be mine for the taking.

M.I.A - Danforth (July 18/13)

A lot of swagger comes in this little package as M.I.A. celebrated her birthday at the Danforth Music Hall with us. The stage was full, top to bottom, with large, intricate wheels that were a cross between a snowflake and a doily, until MIA bounded onto the stage and they lit in all sorts of strobe patterns to invigorate the set. This didn't leave much room for equipment besides a partial drum kit and a small sampler table so it was primarily a singalong for the leading lady, dropping lyrics onto her own tracks which at times was lacking but for the most part was fine. Throughout the night these tunes proved too quiet for the dance party she was attempting to create as she pleaded for her songs to be cranked further. It didn't seem to bother the intensely sweaty crowd though who took their cues from the dance pack hype crew who broke it down all over the stage. She opened with a forthcoming song, closed with a recent one and dabbled throughout her catalogue in between - not always finishing the track before jumping into the next. Tunes from her gloriously received debut such as encore-included Galang, and its follow-up, including Bamboo Banga were greeted with enthusiasm though even the recent banger Meds and Feds got people grooving despite the heat wave. In under an hour she had exhausted herself to the point of needing a break - probably a bad decision to put that sweater back on overtop of your gold outfit. However after a number of minutes in the dark, including an attempt at a birthday serenade, MIA and her crew returned to lay it down - asking for tequila and faking a sit-down session of puff-puff-pass. You knew Paper Planes would go off so it was especially exciting when at its conclusion she announced they had one more trick in their bag and dropped the most excellent song from her recent repertoire, Bad Girls. People worked up an absolute shine before pushing into the only slightly less oppressive air of the outdoors.

The DJ was spinning in the hall and kept it up as Le1f arrived on the scene. At least I assume it was Le1f judging by the silhouette of a man in a maid of the mist poncho through the blue fog as it was very dark. With hints of contemporaries like Childish Gambino he whipped through a sometimes repetitive set, going back and forth with the DJ from time to time. Nearing the end he broke out some more outlandish dance moves, called out people of all sexual orientations and dropped a couple of his stronger tracks to finish well.

The National - Yonge Dundas NXNE (June 14/13)

A large group fleshed out the touring sound of NXNE big, free act for 2013. An even larger group of fans thronged to the stage and well beyond, closing Yonge Street in fact, to catch their adult indie rock. The National entertained for a long time, drawing from their now wealthy horde of songs with the addition of the very enjoyable Trouble Will Find Me collection just this year. That being said there is somewhat of a formula and having come into them hard with Alligator and eased off a little more from Boxer until the latest there were admittedly a few numbers that may have been released but didn't really register with me. Unfortunately from my close, but to the side location I couldn't see much of the guitar and bass section however the brass was bumping. And of course there's the gruff voiced Berninger who leads the way with mic in hand. Actually he led it all the way out into a tour of the crowd more than once (to the chagrin of security who had to deal with these ventures and the tangle of cables that resulted.) The stronger songs did draw me in so if I'd been a bigger fan I think I would have lapped it all up, thereby not matching their Massey Hall performance that had drawn me back into the fan fold. A generous encore naturally delivered Mr. November but then returned with an a cappella Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks version which was lost on some of the crowd for lack of familiarity or projection of sound. All told it was a decent set in a kinda crummy venue that could have shortened the length to remain focussed, at least for this casual fan.

Polaris Prize 2013: Short List Reaction

Well a fair number of my picks actually made it to the short list this year (indicated with an asterisk*). However the ones I was really rooting for did not (Evening Hymns, A.C. and Jimmy Guthrie). With these out of the running I'm going to throw my support behind either Purity Ring or Colin Stetson, and I'll need to listen to this Zaki Ibrahim disk - the only one I haven't heard yet.

Of note is some mainstay pop - Teegz 'N Sassy, Metrix - plus some highly-acclaimed indies in Godspeed! and Stetson. Very cool to see the Tribe Called Red on there as they're doing something unique. If Whitehorse wins it'll be a bigger yawn than last year's Metals.

The Short List

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Zaki Ibrahim – Every Opposite
Metric – Synthetica
METZ – METZ*
Purity Ring – Shrines*
Colin Stetson – New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light*
Tegan And Sara – Heartthrob*
A Tribe Called Red – Nation II Nation
Whitehorse – The Fate Of The World Depends On This Kiss
Young Galaxy – Ultramarine*

*my picks from the long list

Sound of Music Festival, Burlington (June 15/13)

Dan Griffin
Tucked off the main strip Dan Griffin, best know as a former member of the Arkells, was about to begin a set of music under his own name. I hadn't heard any of his music but was open to what appeared would be a solo male acoustic set. Often times this is a yawn, with so many only moderately talented men attempting this and failing to engage. But not Dan. Dan had a snide confidence that endeared the smallish but engaged crowd seated around the tables and chairs. His music was performed solely on the guitar but had some heart to it and he lyrics told relatable stories, plus had a damn good Dylan impression. Besides that his banter was random and amusing, allowing him to win me over easily. A fine set that really turned me on to his music. Often I'm looking for an escape after a couple of singer songwriter's songs but in this case I will go out of my way to watch him again. 

Ill Scarlett
Ill Scarlett seem not to have changed much in their years since the mild success of All Day With It. In fact they are still a few months from the release of their next album so the set still pulled from the aforementioned primarily. Perhaps it is me and my musical tastes that have changed but the punk rock reggae sound doesn't draw me all that much these days. That said the live show, and the energy of the performers did draw me back, at least momentarily, to those raucous late nights of especially youthful partying and road trips. It truly was enjoyable, even if the majority of that was for nostalgia. A nice touch was their loyal Nirvana opening into Nothing Special. Granted I caught only a couple off the top as well as a few near the end, like Mary Jane, but it was decent fun.

Abrams Brothers
There seemed to be a gaggle of Abrams Brothers playing your classic folk country assortment of instruments. However where I was expecting touches of Mumford and Sons I really was getting mostly country and not much to catch my ear. Mind you the distraction of friends whose catching up was in my ear may have played into that. 

USS
A hype squad the boys in USS have unbelievable stage presence. Their music is undeniably upbeat and fun too but their onstage antics really push the point across. These guys were literally bounding across the stage, doing round-offs and headstands. Actually the headstand was while clapping his feet AND reaching up to scratch a record on the table - impressive! It's all over the top right down to the dressed up Santa doll but it sure is fun.

Royal Wood
Royal sets the tone in his fashion. An elegant, romantic set of music awaits as you sit down to watch and he sits down to play. From the piano bench he can bring such emotion forward and draw it out of the audience. This show was no difference. Being an afternoon set at the Sound of Music festival the crowd was primarily middle aged parents but the music touches home with most anyone with a heart, for friends, family, loved ones. Stay classy.

Counting Crows - Arch, St. Louis (July 6/13)

August and Everything After was perhaps the first album I loved front to back, that having been released in 1994. In all those years since I have never had the opportunity to see any of it performed live but all that was about to change, brought to me by America's Independence Day and the great city of St. Louis, Missouri. On the Mississippi's edge we peered as a rousing intro song over the loudspeakers introduced the Counting Crows to  the stage. Without further ado they began their signature song, Mr. Jones. As Adam delivered a wanton vocal performance, smacking gum in a version rather unlike the original I was worried that he was just phoning it in a couple decades later. As the set continued I became accustomed to his interpretive style, as he "walked on a wire in the circus" (amp edge) during Round Here and threw in a long-winded side trail to the same song before bringing it back around. For the acoustic/piano accompanied Colorblind he busted out the hipster chic glasses for an educated look. Outside of the singer the 7-piece band played a solid set around him, accompanying the somewhat loose singing with tight guitar work, some solid drumming including a song beat out on a book, organ, slide guitar and even an accordion. Adam chipped in on the piano for a song or two but primarily held the mic and let his cohorts handle the music itself. Another stunner, not from A & EA, was Long December on which they actually let the crowd sing along to the na na na na's, whereas other singing along was basically useless. Being a pre-fireworks festival show there wasn't an encore per se but they did close out and then give us the American rendition of This Land Is Your Land - actually I guess that was the second singalong. Perhaps the best follow up to the CC set was the nearly immediate beginning of a bursting night sky - even if it was accompanied with Fourth of July themed top 40.

Alvvays - Arts & Crafts NXNE Pop-up Shop (June 13/13)

Alvvays have been on my radar since the Two Hours Traffic shakeup saw Alec O'Hanley leave to join Molly Rankin in this endeavor. Also on my radar, though for a much shorter time period, was the Arts & Crafts photograph installation for NXNE. The latter would prove interesting for what it was, while the former turned out not to be worth the wait.

The gallery included B&W close-ups of members of nearly all the current label’s roster, many of which blown up to larger-than-life proportions. The Snowblink pic was particularly interesting as it showed half of each members face, one in profile, the other half-covered by the first. In the back room was a collage of candid (and not so-) photos that chronicled the lifespan of Broken Social Scene, which in itself branches throughout much of the other bands featured elsewhere. A neat glimpse into the down-to-earth social lives of the artists whose art so many of us have come to idealize.

Back in the front room the band was behind schedule – a NXNE no-no. The reason was a terrible soundcheck by a seemingly unpractised, or perhaps just inept, sound technician and despite the delay there was a noticeable buzz that persisted for the entire set. At first it seemed this was what was bothering Alec as he dully played his guitar with a frown on his face and attempted to rearrange amps and mics between songs in a futile attempt to clear the air. From what I’ve heard from - and about - Molly Rankin I was expecting her vocals to save the day but was dismally disappointed. At no point did she enunciate or even put anything that could be construed as emotion into her performance. With uninterested members, monotone vocals and rather bland songs there were not many redeeming qualities. The parade of hand-holding adults who streamed by the Queen Street window provided the best distraction of the set!

Field Trip (Stars, BSS, Mangan, Hayden, Bloc Party+) - Fort York (June 8/13)

Gold & Youth

I was curious as to how Gold & Youth would be able to present the electronic-based indie rock of their highly enjoyable debut album, Beyond Wilderness, and the way that it was done was by integrating an electronic drum set right into the regular set. These pads were not visible to the audience but could definitely be heard and it allowed for the set to resemble an organic guitar show, without a bunch of backing tracks or knob twisting. The foursome recreated the sound quite well, with the lead male had a much deeper voice than his appearance would indicate, while the female vocalist hit her marks despite some maladjusted microphones. Wrapping up a short set with Time to Kill proved a pleasant way to start the festival.

Still Life Still

Sure were a bunch of dudes on stage for the first main stage set of the day. Alright there were only five of them including the hype man in leather manning the effects and keys. They rumbled out some rock music as the crowd assembled on their blankets all around. Not bad, but not much to jot down here.

The Darcys

Despite supposedly alternating sets on the main and second stage it seemed that every time I arrived to the Fort York stage things were already underway - although upon reflection that may have had to do with the one-lane commute between the stages. Therefore The Darcys were already cranking out their music to an appreciative audience. They incorporate the "Nighttime, anytime. It's alright" refrain by The Constantines (and also covered by Guelphite, Jim Guthrie). Incorporating some keys they were another respectable set that served as a suitable warm-up for a big day.

Jason Collett

A recognizable man in the Toronto scene he was less recognizable having cleaned himself up with a snazzy hair cut that gave an overall clean cut feel. He began with different backers including do-it-all Taylor Knox (bass, drums, vocals) for songs like Rob a Bank. But soon afterward he invited his former bandmates, Zeus, to reprise their roles for a couple tunes including Love is a Dirty Word and the tinny guitared Charlyn, The Angel of Kensington. (One of the first blatant outbreaks of local politics of the day, as he made reference to blocking the proposed WalMart to that neighbourhood.) It was a bit of a revolving door as Ms. Amy Millan joined him for a Hangover Days duet as he broke out the acoustic. To top it all off fellow BSSer, Brendan Canning, toted his guitar on stage for the obligatory I'll Bring the Sun which saw the return of Amy as well as her Stars bandmate, Torquil Campbell to sing along. Unfortunately the clouds remained for the duration of the tune but spirits were buoyed regardless.

Cold Specks

Admittedly most of what I heard from Al Spx was while salivating over my snack options in the food field next door but it seemed like a very full, loud sound, in contrast to her mostly quiet and subdued (but absolutely excellent) record, I Predict a Graceful Expulsion. There was a sax that added some deep bass to the sound and delightfully accompanied her impressive voice which would not be easily overpowered.

Zeus

This band is beloved, fittingly like a god, for their throwback sound and varied live show. It seems as if every member can play every instrument and throughout a half hour set they appeared to have hit on every possible configuration. It's just fun - like the call and response on Anything You Want Dear. They shredded through a bunch of their hits making for a jaunty, quick show.

Trust

One of the few bands of the day that I hadn't yet seen live (Still Life Still, Gold & Youth) again it was a mystery as to how they were going to come across in a live show. And let me tell you - it was a spectacle! The set-up was simple enough; drummer, female keys, and strictly singer. All three members of the band were dressed only in black, with the male lead singer wearing sleeveless top and black skirt, but to offset this lack of colour a very colourful character joined them. As this masked, sequined, jean-vested, short-shorted dancer worked it the band played on. The music is pretty electro catchy and this gave us some entertainment in addition to the otherwise straightforward musical presentation.

Hayden

Mr. Desser was in fine form as he started slowly, seated at his piano bench to open the set with a couple of tunes. The man of many talents, Taylor Knox, began on the guitar before swapping with the third member to take over the drums. He played a relatively perky set considering his catalogue, drawing heavily from the recently released album lit up in a neon Us Alone sign behind him. This included Rainy Saturday plus a cameo from Lou Cannon on Blurry Nights which was quite sweet. However I find it is Hayden's has a knack for putting real feeling into his songs that sets him apart, as on Almost Everything which drips with emotion with each ivory key and harmonica hum. For this reason alone I was left dreaming of a long, late-night set in a dingy back room bar where he could really get into it with a captive audience. That being said, there was much to be enjoyed from this festival set as well.

Ra Ra Riot

An American band that tours Toronto surprisingly often, likely due to their Arts & Crafts representation. For this reason I've seen them a couple of times in the past without getting too worked up about them - but their latest album had caught my ear again so I was willing to give them another go. And it was a worthwhile endeavour too as they impressed with the translation of their hooky songs to the live stage. I hadn't realized there were so many of them - six - but they were tight as the lead male burst out with his higher range vocals, nicely matched by the violin and countered with the deeps of the bodyless standup bass. They lead the crowd with energy and it was fed right back to them appropriately. One notable flair was when a member hugged his guitarist from behind, slipping his arms  between the guitar and the guitarist's arms to start a clap. That was a silly sight but otherwise an entertaining little set.

Bloc Party
It has been some time since I fell hard for Silent Alarm but the album still passes muster when I return to it some eight years later - and not quite that the same length of time since I saw them perform last, but awhile, no doubt. And wasn't I pleasantly surprised with this performance! Granted the music since that magnificent debut has evolved but they retain their catchy senses. So of course I enjoyed So Here We Are, Banquet and Helicopter but also Waiting for the 718 and Song for Clay from 2007's A Weekend in the City too. In fact, they played an unreleased track about Montreal which sounded excellent despite being a slower number - great response. The band still retains a certain swagger that carried them through the elongated set length. In finale they did not disappoint my twenty year old heart either as they performed a rousing rendition of This Modern Love that brought everything back around. Beautiful.

Stars
The last Stars show renewed my reasoning for having seen this band a dozen times - that Danforth show was stellar (pun not originally intended). Here they had a massive black and white backdrop poster of their North album cover which I could make out from my vantage point by the sound tent (as the festival had packed out by this point). The duo were energetic as usual though they were aware of the time limitations and burned through the hits rather than spending too much time waxing poetic. Torq did get a word out to enjoy ourselves even "under this shitty highway" as he motioned to the Gardiner nearby. There appeared to be another new guitarist, even since the Danforth show, though I couldn't be 100% sure - he did seem awfully happy to be there however, as he smiled away. Amy and Evan were amped up as each was seen jumping up and down at various points throughout the set that many in the crowd remarked was one of their favourites of the day (whereas I was slightly distracted by my burrito and being at the back). Perhaps ranked somewhere lower in the long list of Stars shows based on personal enjoyment, primarily due to circumstances, but that still makes it a better set than most concerts going.

Theory of Relativity
Lights Changing Colour
A Song is a Weapon
The North
We Don't Want Your Body
Elevator Love Song
Soft Revolution
Backlines
Midnight Coward
Take Me to the Riot
Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It

Dan Mangan
A surprising highlight of the day. Not because I doubt Dan - I have professed my love for him many times before and stand by it - but because they hadn't played in such a long time following their last tour (including the recent birth of Dan's first child). While a tonne of people staked out their spot for Feist there was still a horde of Manganians hanging on each of his lyrics. Despite the absence the entire band seemed sharp, still building it up to knock it down. I've said it before but that Post War Blues just wallops you live! It is so darn good and received my virtual vote for best single song of the festival. (I had hopes for Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl but..) Of note was the quickened version of Sold which still worked, while If I Am Dead worked slowed. The Leaves, Trees, Forest lyric caught my ear for some reason this time around too - "That's the thing about everything; everything always does that."
For better or worse the tune that is still Dan's signature remains Robots, so it was interesting to hear them change up the opening to the song as a disguise, but when the chorus rolled around and Dan had us all singing along there was no doubt remaining. As a bonus that song did not close out the set but instead we were treated to Rows of Houses which is a fantastic tune recorded and live, and was always destined to be a hit.

Feist
Coming upon the set late I was disappointed to see guests Aroara being thanked as they departed the stage (worth it for Dan though). From here Feist played an intriguing, if somewhat muddled and disappointing set. Sure, she could have played a more generic typical standard set of her hits as she has hundreds of times over (like Centre in the Square, Kitchener some years ago) but that is the music that made her famous. Primarily backed by only a DJ she ran through a series of reinterpretations of her own catalogue. Unfortunately the singing hardly sounded like singing as few words were heard between a series of sounds and notes emitting from her mouth. Often it is interesting for a live set to differ from its recorded counterpart but as with Dylan when the original is barely recognizable a great deal is lost. This seemed indulgent. I can't be certain that she ever got to "4" to start that thumb war as the loops continued without really going anywhere. When the hooded (caped?) lady finally exited the stage it was to a mixed ovation. I am still a Feist fan but would have reservations about making reservations to see her next show, unsure which one I was going to get.

Broken Social Scene

Yes it was a reunion for BSS after their hiatus announcement a couple years ago, after all isn't it "time that we grow old and do some shit"? The reason was the ten year anniversary of the label which essentially was established for the Broken Social Scene and definitely prospered due to their success, as well as the success of their cohorts and offshoots who also made music for Arts and Crafts. Plenty members had already taken to the stage earlier in the day including Andrew Whiteman (and his wife Ariel) with AroarA, Kevin Drew with anyone who invited him up, as well as the Stars crew. Here they were all (~13) together presenting their seminal album You Forgot It In People in its entirety and sticking much to the recorded versions as should be done in instances such as this. Mind you the standout track (of the album and perhaps their entire discography) Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl sorely missed Emily Haines' presence as despite the obvious enthusiasm from the female contingency, Amy, Ariel, and Lisa, they couldn't match it even together. However Metric, and hence Emily, was unavailable due to conflicting tour commitments. Yet a tender moment came following the conclusion of People as straight from the airplane James Shaw arrived to surprise everyone, especially Kevin Drew who blubbered his delight. Yes, they did carry on with a good number of further tunes beyond the album reproduction, tossing in a few from the last release including the strongest song from it, All to All, but primarily adding in the greatest hits and a previously unreleased song as well. Unfortunately the closing tune selection wasn't quite as joyous and ecstatic as could be but the show was excellent regardless.  As he's wont to do, often enough that Feist hilariously impersonated him during her set, Kevin politicized the affair by calling us together to stand up for Toronto - barely veiling his condemnation of the current mayor. It was true that it was a beautiful culmination of art and people at historic Fort York as we all came to celebrate A&C and by extension the Toronto scene as a whole. 

Polaris Prize Long List 2013 - Initial Reaction

With the decline of Radio3 CBCMusic this year I haven't listened nearly as much to strictly Canadian music and haven't had quite as much exposure - looks like I've got some listening to do! At least we won't have to put up with the debate this year about "mainstream" inclusions in the list as per the last couple (Arcade Fire, Drake).

Evening Hymns is my horse - astoundingly beautiful. But T&S made a brilliant pop album (as did AC Newman) and once again Colin Stetson has probably only improved on his buzz-yielding last Polaris Prize listing album. Purity Ring are fresh faces with a fresh sound and then you've got the long-awaited return of Godspeed.. METZ finally released an LP but I don't think it's quite as excellent as Fucked Up's hardcore efforts that allowed them to take it all. Jim Guthrie is swell - only recently got a hold of it.

Short

Evening Hymns - Spectral Dusk

AC Newman - Shut Down The Streets

Purity Ring - Shrines
Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light

Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob

*Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!

*Young Galaxy - Ultramarine

*Hayden - Us Alone

*METZ - METZ

*Jim Guthrie - Takes Time

*Where the final five were second round picks to fill out my short list

Approved (by me)

The Besnard Lakes - Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO

Chilly Gonzales - Solo Piano II

Metric - Synthetica

Old Man Luedecke - Tender is The Night

Rah Rah - The Poet's Dead

Whitehorse - The Fate of the World Depends On This Kiss

Heard

Mac DeMarco - 2

Hannah Georgas - Hannah Georgas
Rhye - Woman

Heard in Part

A Tribe Called Red - Nation II Nation

Daphni - JIAOLONG

Kid Koala - 12 bit Blues

Corb Lund - Cabin Fever

Suuns - Images du futur

Unheard

The Luyas - Animator
Majical Cloudz - Impersonator
Danny Michel with the Garifuna Collective - Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me
Lindi Ortega - Cigarettes & Truckstops
Daniel Romano - Come Cry With Me
Al Tuck - Stranger at the Wake
Lee Harvey Osmond - The Folk Sinner
Zaki Ibrahim - Every Opposite

Unknown
Alaclair Ensemble - Les maigres blancs d'Amérique du Noir
ANCIIENTS - Heart of Oak
Louis-Jean Cormier - Le Treizième Étage
KEN mode - Entrench

Kobo Town - Jumbie in the Jukebox
Pierre Lapointe - Punkt
Les soeurs Boulay - Le poids des confettis
Peter Peter - Une version améliorée de la tristesse

Tokyo Police Club - Sugar Beach (June 2/13)

It was a surprisingly joyous crowd at the Tokyo Police Club beachside show. Surprising because a torrential downpour had just passed through, thoroughly soaking the masses - or at least sending them scattering for shelter presumably. On top of that, the show seemed to be delayed as they got things back in order in the now-returned sunshine. As the beloved, local four-piece finally squinted out at the large assembly it was all singing and cheering though from the crowd. Their meteoric rise to fame based off a couple of very short EPs would often set-up short-lived musical careers but this band has staying power, continuing with ever-better poppy indie rock songs. They gave us a taste of things to come by playing a handful of forthcoming tunes from the LP they've been laying down. The first couple seemed more plodding and less exuberant than some of their best work but the tune about t-shirts and "'88, give or take" sounds to me like a surefire hit. They also played a complete revamp of Tessellate, keeping the lyrical flow but making over the instrumentation entirely - wasn't too shabby either.

Dave Monks was a charming leading man, cutting most of the banter and just singing the songs - but that was fine as they packed them in for an hour. Graham Wright's keyboards always help to push over the top with that flourish of individualism to set the band apart. As mentioned, the crowd gave it all back, singing along and cheering as the wind whipped through, especially on Wait Up. Noticeably missing was Favourite Colour but the encore took care of that right off the bat, and rocked through their self-referential Cheer It On too. Fun in the sun!

Young Galaxy - Lee's (May 31/13)

A homecoming of sorts occurred last night at Lee's Palace as Young Galaxy played their first show of the Ultramarine tour on home turf. Although the internet says they hail from Montreal and formed in Vancouver, a few times last night Stephen remarked that Toronto was where they got their start and hence how great it was to be playing here. Dressed purely in white, excepting Catherine's blue trousers and suspenders, their persons served as projection screen for the interesting light projections that bathed the entire stage (although it did force an awkward squint from Catherine for much of the night). The first song offered a low-key, atmospheric introduction but as the set progressed they touched on their poppier moments. This was a nice return to the form I'd always imagined their live show taking, rather than the loud, rocking version I'd seen last time, a few years ago. The best moments were when the electro was turned up and the band jammed away, especially when filled out by the electronic drums that accompanied the true drum set. Shapeshifting was a breakthrough for the band in my opinion and the latest offering continues on this beautiful trajectory, so numbers from these were definite highlights. Pretty Boy, Fall For You and New Summer were (and are) all excellent new tracks, while Peripheral Visionaries and We Have Everything hit too, plus single and set closer, Youth is Wasted on the Young. Stephen claimed that they thought encores were a little cheesy but in this case they would do one - and they did, just one song, but almost a requirement in a great rendition of Cover Your Tracks. An excellent way to be welcomed home.

Booting up a beat the leading lady would sing overtop of it while pressing away at some keys or effects. Alongside her another girl had a similar set-up with less singing, and on the other side a dude strummed a guitar, but due to it being mixed so low he could almost have been miming. The electronic stuff was alright, though not breaking much new sound, but the lack of flair from the accompaniment led to a rather boring show from this band, Kashka. (I always feel like I'm saying Cash Cab.)

Imaginary Cities - Drake Underground (May 28/13)

Imaginary Cities seemed dreadfully aware of the nearly empty room they were playing to for this essentially unadvertised, free, early, album release party. Opening with the first single from Fall of Romance the band did their best to soldier on, disappointingly utilizing a violin track as they were playing as an ordinary five piece. By the end of this tune many of the back of the room dwellers had sauntered up to become mid room dwellers (this is Toronto after all) and whoop their appreciation for Chasing the Sunset. From here the band confided in us about being nervous about playing songs for the first time live, and the first time ever with their new bass player, but this didn't detract from the performance. The room seemed to be filling in (relatively) as they polished off the acoustic album opener, All the Time. With that out of the way the rest of the set was a breeze as Marti's vocals hit the spot and played off or with Rusty's throughout the performance - even when he sang the role of Ewan from The Sheepdogs on Who's Watching You. The only Temporary Resident was a clear and confident version of Hummingbird which was appreciated by the crowd. Seeing as there was a time limit on the stage they told us to pretend the final tune was their encore and they played the album closer. As a first taste of the new record it was a small, yet sweet nibble.