The four Barr Brothers (including one Barr sister) claimed the three-way privilege of playing Massey Hall: first of all the amazing room, secondly opening for Patrick Watson and lastly that they were able to end a year of touring in such a place. As a few stragglers found their seats the band looked like visitors to a hoarder audiophile's basement as they were tucked amongst all of Patrick's equipment. However they had brought some neat stuff of their own as well. Prominently featured was the female on a full-scale harp while her brethren had what looked to be a micro organ. Along with his regular drum set there was also a bike tire for bowing of the spokes, along with a number of shaking instruments and some fancy claps. With all that to play with there was no 'regular' drumming until the latter half of the last song. Opening acoustically they performed a few more well-known songs including Old Mythologies. The singer's guitar was equipped with a string of sorts that he would pull away from the instrument with his strumming hand while continuing to play with the other hand producing an interesting scale effect as he reached to the hall's ceiling and pulled himself onto his toes. The same apparatus was not present on his electric guitar that was also featured. One song saw three of four huddled around the communal mic with an acoustic and a uke for a warm sound. With all of the varied sounds and instrumentation, coupled with the venue, it would seem like it should be a stellar set yet I didn't find myself thoroughly engaged thoughout the set. Perhaps I was simply tired considering the rest of the audience further negated the significance of a standing ovation by offering one to this fully-capable band for what I felt wasn't a completely captivating set.
Patrick Watson
The circle closed as the tour that I'd caught in its warm-up days was now nearing its end. The previous show had been in the wonderful Koerner Hall and this one was in the equally beautiful, albeit larger, Massey Hall. The similarities didn't stop there as the group once again entered to Lighthouse however this time not only was I familiar with the song (the album hadn't yet been released before the previous show) but every audience member now had a finger light to match the darkened stage for a beautiful effect. Despite the excitement and lights the crowd was respectfully hushed as the band built up from Patrick at the piano to a full band arrangement. There was an emphasis on new material which was fine by me as they've been only improving on it with this tour. The lighting was great last time around and this time the production was even more elaborate and well executed, from the projections and lights to the arrangements and musicianship.
Once again partway through the set Patrick and co. crowded around a centre stage mic to swoon into it. The song following this was Into Giants where they were joined around the mic by the female vocalist from the Barr Brothers and about halfway through Patrick returned to his piano and the rest of the members picked up their instruments. Older tune Luscious Life had a new sound to it versus the record, and Beijing was mind-blowing once again. Returning to the accolade-earning Adventures in Your Own Backyard Step Out for a While hit the mark and Morning Sheets came to a satisfyingly full ending.
As if the horn and female violinist (making her mark with some excellent plucking) weren't enough, another differentiator was the choir who had offered to join them all the way from Montreal. They came out partway through a song to lend their voices without introduction (until after the fact).
Everyone was excused for the Big Bird in a Small Cage that Patrick tackled by himself from the piano bench with a drawn out story and much goading of the audience to participate, all the while chuckling to himself. It sounds odd but it was strangely endearing.
Everyone was once again invited back out, even all the Brothers - one of which got to share the keys with Patrick as he went back and forth from there to the center mic. Altogether they brought it down in a crashing finale of Where the Wild Things Are. That didn't negate an encore however, as they reemerged to a standing ovation and played two songs followed by a voted-by-applause (over the Great Escape) rendition of To Build a Home by a solo Patrick. Although many aspects were similar to the last time out, the show has in fact improved - who would have thought it possible? It's not simply a concert of excellent songs but a production of an amazing spectacle that draws you in and engages the entire time. Hell, I'd see it again!
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