Long Winter - Great Hall (March 13/15)

Friendly Rich was peddling his decidedly child-unfriendly (despite running a charity music school for children) show complete with squeezebox and schtick galore. Musically it wasn't to my taste but as a spectacle it was fairly entertaining.

With zero idea of who was in stage in the conversation room I entered and for the first part of the song thought, "this three piece band are rocking quite melodically, kinda like The Constantines." And then the latter half of the song came in and the chorus spiked in intensity, especially from the impressive bassist dressed like a serviceman. He shared vocals with the guitarist who looked more like you'd picture a hard indie rock guitarist dressing, all time checked by their drummer under a Nets cap. It was definitely head nodding groovy even when each song seemed to build to strong shouted peak. Several Futures, one of the several musical discoveries that has nearly become the norm at Long Winter.

Pins and Needles had the Girls Rock Camp stamp of approval and deserve it. All girl four-piece that seem to be in high school - that theory backed by the majority of the kids rocking up front - they were impressive and not just for their years. The drummer was having fun and showing flair as she stood up at a number of points to really bang at her set. The bassist had an underrated voice, the keytarist (yes!) came in strong with hers, but the sparkling guitarist's was stunning. Altogether they played well written songs that seemed to have roots which was really impressive. Even their throwback cover (that escapes me) worked and the only criticism is that the encore was unnecessary but considering how much they've picked up already they'll get that sorted out soon. Real record release coming this year!

Vag Halen were the spectacle they've become. Stalking the stage in panties, pantyhose and cutoff tops the singers gave it their all and the crowd gave it back and more. The AC/DC cover actually had a massive mosh pit which was present throughout the set. Whether screaming, writhing on the stage or railing against Harper's terrible parliamentary bills they were making a scene.

Moon King, Lee Paradise, Blunt Chunks - Smiling Buddha (April 14/15)

Moon King
Granted I'd only very recently found Moon King and hadn't listened to much recorded material the live show hit harder than I was expecting. With just the four of them they made a roar. Even with Daniel's yelping lilt his three bandmates were enough to turn up the volume. On the couple mid-set tracks where he threw his shakers into the corner and picked up an electric guitar it rose even further. He was becomingly grateful for the support "look how many of you there are, and I don't recognize any of you! I live just down the street." On a few tracks his female counterpart took control of the mic and did a fine job of it as well. Set closer Roswell was rockin' if repetitive but they've definitely got a good thing going and should have success on this longer tour they are about to embark on. Though during the encore tune Daniel did promise to return to us soon and judging by the bulging Smiling Buddha it appears there's an appetite for Moon King.

Lee Paradise

Sludgy bass drums and synths plus fang singer with paint face. Punky. Pissing in the sink, to open.
The guys from Hooded Fang/Phedre are constantly genre dabbling. This incarnation saw the singer with vertical stripes messily painted up his face under his Kim Jong Un haircut. He primarily yelped into the mic in front of a sludgy bass and woman playing synths. Alongside their pounding drummer they created a rocking sound that bordered on punk, especially with lyrics like the opener "pissing in the sink." I still prefer Hooded Fang's first EP and LP (but I could say that about just about everything they've since touched, except perhaps In Decay.)

Blunt Chunks

Smiling Buddha was not smiling on her as the full house was chatty well in advance of Moon King. However fiddling about for minutes before launching into your last song wasn't the best move either. The lyrics were a little low (or the conversation was just that high) but her voice seemed alright. This was definitely not a legitimate showing to judge by.

Chilly Gonzales - Koerner Hall (April 21/15)

Settling in on his piano bench Chilly must have already been comfortable, not simply because he was dressed in his now traditional bathrobe and slippers but because he was about to play a homecoming. Although a European resident for many years now and a consummate performer regardless of locale I'm sure, there still seemed to be something special in the air here in the Great North. Without a word he focused on his piano for a prolonged moment before bringing his hands from his lap to the keys. From there he impressed with a few solo piano songs (not necessarily from the compilations with the same title) before finally bringing out the Kaiser Quartet. To applause they took their positions, violin 1 and 2, viola and cello, and then continued to just hold these positions while Chilly played an entire song until coming in for literally the last note - an A minor. "My Crazy Horse" he would introduce them as - Gonzo's playful side beginning to show. A performer through and through, he had a flair during his playing as well as a number of other tricks. As banter he often acted as a teacher, explaining some musical elements with audible examples (we did hear The Eagles, however briefly, not wanting that to be the one takeaway) and history likened to contemporary pop culture (Wagner is Kanye but also Tupac). Yes the quartet (plus drummer) were sometimes used as props but he also obviously had high respect for the group who played excellently and took everything in good humour. Before his first rap he broke out the bongos and played a sample of Beethoven's 5th (or LVB as he preferred to refer to him) but carried on with the bongos for his own tune. Although he did also rap Supervillain Music, Self Portrait (a great Nick Cage quip) and a couple others these were less prominent than straight instrumental. Personal favourite The Grudge was introduced by saying it had been converted from a piano track to a "banger" by Boys Noize and then he had to convert it back. The change was noticeable in a slower version but also of note, despite the semi-frequent curses that littered the songs it was "sick f&%!" that was changed to "schmuck" and the first half of "put it in your mouth/so you won't see it coming" was dropped altogether (plus he added "supposedly" before "hit him in the stomach" when talking about what led to Houdini's death.) A few others from Ivory Tower made the set, as did a song that he showed was in the attached school's grade 9 piano book before dramatically throwing it away with a dismissive "I don't need this - I wrote it!" At the end of the set, after a hum-along, a nearly instantaneous standing ovation was put up which was warranted, for despite being mostly instrumental (not my fave) it was highly engaging and a thoroughly unique show. Upon his encore return with the crew he claimed to be a "musical genius" and then stood upon the keys of his piano (cringe!) to rap (Not a) Musical Genius. The second encore didn't seem that unheard of considering to that point Never Stop hadn't been heard (instrumental). However the third and final outing just saw Chilly and the cellist for a song announced to a groan as Cello Gonzales, from recent Chamber Music. Even after that many reappearances, all of which spurred by standing applause, I would have been content to settle back in for another set. Not that I wasn't satisfied but more that I was thoroughly enjoying the mix of music, classical elements melded with contemporary pop, plus learning a few things and the comedy of it all from Chilly's unique flair. A non-traditional concert but an excellent one of a kind.

Drive By Truckers - First Avenue, Minneapolis (May 1/2015)

Without opener the screen raised and The Truckers took their places on stage without need for a tardy slip at 9pm. There was excitement from the mostly approaching-middle-age crowd and the band echoed that excitment back all night, repeatedly mentioning how much they love the room and that it was one of their favourite places to play ("in the world" even). An acoustic set, the two songwriters sat up front  and swapped lead on songs essentially all night with Jay Gonzales on keys and pedal steel, plus their drummer and reliable bass player tucked in just behind them. Not only did they treat us to their very vivid and literal tunes but also introduced many with colourful back stories of either the characters in the songs or the songwriting itself. This brought an intimate aspect to the show even if the volume was still up for the acoustic show. I haven't seen their electric set but can imagine that it comes on strong! Admittedly I'm not nearly as in touch with their catalogue as the man next to me who mouthed the entire set as I hardly recognised anything. Therefore it wasn't until partway through the first set when they did play a track from the latest release (that I studied in preparation for this show, to little end), Pauline Hawkins, that I could get an idea of whether they were vastly modifying the songs. There were definitely differences but it was enjoyable to hear the new takes. As mentioned there were two sets because this show would go all night. Nearing the close of set one they rocked out Elton's Benny and the Jets to everyone's enjoyment. The Dirty South is the album I know thoroughly and it was after returning from a barely quarter-hour break that I finally got a taste of it and then it was two back to back. The Sands of Iwo Jima had a mid-song story accompaniment about the actual man who gave the quote which was touching and lovely. A rousing response allowed the singer a moment to wipe the tears from his cheeks. Foregoing the song-and-dance of leaving the stage and returning for an encore they just told us that it was time to close it down and focused on the song aspect. It was midnight - curfew - when they finally brought it all to a close, this time with a cover of Ooh La La ("wish that I knew what I know now"). It wasn't the covers though but their originals that are so original and that revealed through the stories they shared that made it a lovely and special evening.