tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21357165223005987902024-03-13T07:30:43.189-04:00A/V: Audio VernacularMusic in my own wordsStefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.comBlogger387125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-14254175556217289322022-02-19T16:13:00.002-05:002022-02-19T16:13:43.915-05:00Bears in Trees - King Tut's - 2/17/2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjuUNRarHmZPxHlnKeXRb_a1IqtRBrbFPs4dlgBWLULr9PZuyqpg13hBZBjoekcuzCtudq3ng9iGXKIl_LrgzQZKjzd3GkGhnPtmg2eFWX1luiLm6AYVUP7pqVmVNAUaojzrESqwsCe_7EHVxi7w5OQ-_oF8LiInFBBKcUEreHSORVyKwtqxAruHDK" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="1409" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjuUNRarHmZPxHlnKeXRb_a1IqtRBrbFPs4dlgBWLULr9PZuyqpg13hBZBjoekcuzCtudq3ng9iGXKIl_LrgzQZKjzd3GkGhnPtmg2eFWX1luiLm6AYVUP7pqVmVNAUaojzrESqwsCe_7EHVxi7w5OQ-_oF8LiInFBBKcUEreHSORVyKwtqxAruHDK=w400-h313" width="400" /></a></div><br />I was happy to have a ticket become available for this gig, sold out as evidenced by the kids (some chaperoned by their parents) lined around the block at 8pm doors. <b>Lucy Blue </b>made the early arrival worthwhile as the Irish songstress played her piano keyboard, and only minor pre-recorded accompaniment otherwise. Mostly literal songs, like the one about <i>The Postman </i>hoping for love in a Valentine's Day sack of mail. She was engaging, had a nice voice, and was very complimentary thereby winning us over and enjoying a mostly quiet room for her mostly quiet songs.<p></p><p>Before the Bears arrived to the neon stage trees, there was a palpable energy in the room which I suppose is what happens with teenage excitement. The side door opened, offering a glimpse of one of the members, thus eliciting a squeal from three fans stood on the side bench. The TikTok generation had their phones aloft as the foursome appeared on stage with plenty of pizzazz and smiles. The crowd roared throughout and it was genuinely deserved as they laid down a sizeable chunk of their catalogue across an hour an a bit, including the encore. Existing personal favourite, <i>I'm Doing Push Ups</i>, hit well especially after the heartfelt introduction from my preferred member, the curly haired guitarist who smiled and sang along for the entire show (although rarely into the mic). That said, new-to-me songs such as <i>Good Rhymes for Bad Times </i>were also fun to see live. The made-up bassist was de facto ringleader although the uke and keyboard player was happy to be his right hand man for the silly, pre-rehearsed banter before <i>Sun Machine </i>or the piano tinkling dance for <i>Keep It Easy</i> (an above average live tune). The crowd ate this up, belting along on choruses such as <i>Cut Corners on Short Walks,</i> and they delivered on their emo, twee, indie pop playing so I was content to go along for the ride, such as on the buoyant <i>Heaven Sent is a Coffee Cup</i>. Even when they slowed it down for <i>Little Cellist </i>it continued to be entertaining.</p><p>As expected, a solid "one more tune" chant echoed through Tut's until they returned and actually played two, the first reaching <i>Great Heights</i>. All in all it was an upbeat gig, affirming their rightful place as the continuation of the twee core genre passed on by their Welsh brethren, <b>Los Campesinos</b>!</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfcB27OUXQBua0getFc4J0hvp4ofL-bKKMBnjWaztpBkhxmPXNmql5S4yip5Lh8WRJPC4Qsj8BdxmmV-KcwWiybXSL4LdWWFxaiws5AdIUIuEfELS96mXg_s7_CaAaeF0ott5D6XfjdvQegaw8aIkZnqI7azWiE86OfEQk2CGWzSy_4qIliT-H1c-x" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfcB27OUXQBua0getFc4J0hvp4ofL-bKKMBnjWaztpBkhxmPXNmql5S4yip5Lh8WRJPC4Qsj8BdxmmV-KcwWiybXSL4LdWWFxaiws5AdIUIuEfELS96mXg_s7_CaAaeF0ott5D6XfjdvQegaw8aIkZnqI7azWiE86OfEQk2CGWzSy_4qIliT-H1c-x=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></p><p><br /></p>Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-40300129704662265172021-10-07T19:28:00.002-04:002021-10-07T19:28:22.830-04:00Team Picture - Broadcast - 9/30/21<p><b><u>Team Picture</u></b></p><p>What this gig lacked in openers and audience it made up for in pure aural pleasure. I wasn't familiar with this band beforehand, attending because a couple different groups of concert friends had said they were going, but came away a fan. They're a five-piece with the synth and lead singer sounding a little like <b>Austra </b>without going so high or classically trained. <b>Broadcast </b>has apparently undergone pandemic renovation so the band was three layers deep but they still managed to make a great connection with the audience with their loud and smart rock music. The closer was a particular standout, a new song called <i>Big Tree, Little Tree</i> but <i>Phantom Limb </i>and <i>Handsome Machine </i>were also great. Again, even though it was a small show they really made connections as just about everyone in the crowd stuck around afterwards for a chat or to buy some merch, until the musicians got called away for load out.</p><p>Here it is - <b>Team Picture</b>:</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gkW91LRKJm8/YV-CbB-ikoI/AAAAAAAAD2c/rFFRYDs6I8c0DG5QP-XTpM1ArRlOorGFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20210930_210951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gkW91LRKJm8/YV-CbB-ikoI/AAAAAAAAD2c/rFFRYDs6I8c0DG5QP-XTpM1ArRlOorGFQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/20210930_210951.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-86472200987158471012021-10-07T19:08:00.001-04:002021-10-07T19:17:03.350-04:00Squid & Kaputt - SWG3 - 9/28/21<b><u>Kaputt</u></b><br /><br />Local band, <b>Kaputt </b>(rhymes with moot) came out half an hour after advertised to a warm reception from some friends and some folks looking for a warm up. Off the jump I was intrigued by their seven person setup, with a couple of sax, a key and bodyless violin player, in addition to your standard four piece: dual guitar, bass, and drum lineup. Playing perky, mostly upbeat and somewhat complex songs with a fair amount of tempo shifts and key changes, it was hard to categorize their music. Tempted to say post ska only because of the brass. Without demeaning them in any way, maybe it was so complicated to keep all the different members busy keeping up. It was a truly enjoyable set and I'm excited that they are Glasgow locals so I can catch them again.<p></p><div><div class="separator"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EXz-Ty9MmL0/YV99CoBhjII/AAAAAAAAD1g/gT7RGj-PUjEN0x04RgmPgXiqj6nUWUdnACLcBGAsYHQ/20210928_202520.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EXz-Ty9MmL0/YV99CoBhjII/AAAAAAAAD1g/gT7RGj-PUjEN0x04RgmPgXiqj6nUWUdnACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/20210928_202520.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><u>Squid</u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div>Having caught them twice before (I know... *brushes shoulder off*) at <b>End of the Road Festival </b>2019, I was eager to see how they've grown up in the past couple years, as well as to see <u>Bright Green Field</u> material played live. Firstly the stage setup was unique, as the charismatic lead singer/drummer was set centre stage, flanked by two bandmates on either side. Behind him was a bank of dials and pads which were used for the mid-set, multiple minute, electro-noise breakdown, as well as the intro and outro to a few tunes. Furthermore there were two gongs strung up which were used sparingly but still made an impact. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sat in the centre, <b>Ollie </b>was less flambouyant during the main set than he had been at the raucous, over-capacity, ad-libbed, "secret" midnight set in the EotR tent, while still charismatically holding the focus of the crowd and attention of his bandmates. The set was very entertaining, with fan favourites and extended cuts, but no matter what they were playing everyone seemed to be into it. Particular stand-outs were <i>G.S.K.</i>,<i>Cleaner </i>and <i>Boy Racers</i>. As a finale they rocked out to <i>Narrator </i>(unfortunately there was no guest singer). </div><div><br /></div><div>In seemingly an odd move they returned from the dark after a few moments with <i>Documentary Filmmaker </i>- which did cut the intensity to begin with but this version managed to build energy back before a crashing closing of <i>Pamphlets</i>. The moshers were happy throughout.</div><div><br /></div><div>I walked by both bands going into <b>The 78 </b>after the gig finished but didn't get a chance to tell either how great the show was.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_f8jyQVO-qM/YV99EKCnQGI/AAAAAAAAD1k/lefJ1aGuFVEX7H-hzOG7u_lzUG_xd58vQCLcBGAsYHQ/20210928_211026.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_f8jyQVO-qM/YV99EKCnQGI/AAAAAAAAD1k/lefJ1aGuFVEX7H-hzOG7u_lzUG_xd58vQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/20210928_211026.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div>Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-13551120484152411972021-09-27T18:30:00.002-04:002021-10-07T19:14:05.246-04:00black midi - QMU 9/27/21<p><b><u>Black Midi</u></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ryf0vTpJVQY/YV9-qnQgzmI/AAAAAAAAD2A/N4pwjbXSI70_9_CkhDrVLq5fOEkyZpzPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20210927_212506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ryf0vTpJVQY/YV9-qnQgzmI/AAAAAAAAD2A/N4pwjbXSI70_9_CkhDrVLq5fOEkyZpzPgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/20210927_212506.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div>Foregoing an opener, apparently because they couldn't organize it after rescheduling from the start of the month, it was just <b>bm bm bm</b> (they did not play the song <i>bmbmbm</i>) from 9pm although they promised the QMU crowd an extended set. Primarily composed of freshers (well, students, at least) it was packed and hot in the venue before the quartet came out on stage to a bit of a prerecorded skit, wearing terrible, dated, old man clothing and sunglasses, while most of them were sporting unfashionable mustaches too. The meaning behind all of this, including a staged fight and card came later on, was lost as the words were mostly lost in the fracas, much like their music itself, in part due to muddy sound. To an unfamiliar ear, <b>black midi </b>could sound like chaos but fortunately there were hundreds of familiar ears all lapping it up as they let loose in the pit. To me the drumming, and the drummer, are the focal point of the live set and, as they had done at <b>End of the Road '19</b>, he was stationed at the end of the line of musicians, facing the rest of the band, rather than the standard tucking of the drummer at the back facing the crowd. He immediately took off his shirt and began bashing away. The bass and electric guitar alternated between the two vocalists - the one with the signature and seemingly faked baritone can still actually sing with it. On one song the other singer played a bashed up, amplified acoustic with the hole mostly duct taped over. They leaned on this year's <b><u>Cavalcade</u></b> release but did dip back into <b><u>Schlagenheim</u></b> [2019] as well. It was not all bangers which was probably for the best considering how rowdy the crowd was getting but no matter what they were playing they were doing it very well. Not note perfect, they did build around each other and hit their complex math rock time signatures along the way. To this layperson music lover, it was all quite impressive. The trifecta that they closed with was a build, build, build that absolutely nailed all the greatness about a live performance from a band like black midi, culminating with <b>John L</b>. The seated keyboardist and drummer even broke character to exchange a smile during one of the more frantic sequences that had him playing most of the keys with his entire forearm. An encore was not to be, as they left the way they had entered - with a flying kick from the drummer, and a "Go to bed" instruction from the singer. Excellent show.<div><br /></div><div><ol style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 850px;"><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=63f116db" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for Speedway performed by black midi">Speedway</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=73ff3a21" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for 953 performed by black midi">953</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=3be660a4" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for Welcome to Hell performed by black midi">Welcome to Hell</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=73e6666d" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for Dethroned performed by black midi">Dethroned</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=43e663af" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for Sugar/Tzu performed by black midi">Sugar/Tzu</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=7bf90a5c" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for Faster Amaranta performed by black midi">Faster Amaranta</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=3e73ddb" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for Defence performed by black midi">Defence</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=53fcab69" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for Near DT, MI performed by black midi">Near DT, MI</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=3e75193" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for Eat Men, Eat performed by black midi">Eat Men, Eat</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=1be73dd8" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for 27 Q performed by black midi">27 Q</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=be6d52a" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for Hogwash and Balderdash performed by black midi">Hogwash and Balderdash</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=5be60b04" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for Slow performed by black midi">Slow</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><a class="songLabel" href="https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/black-midi-73cb5661.html?songid=13e6d535" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Statistics for Chondromalacia Patella performed by black midi">Chondromalacia Patella</a></div><div class="infoPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;"><small class="fontSmall" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;"></small></div><a class="play hidden-print" href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/black-midi/2021/queen-margaret-union-glasgow-scotland-538d8b49.html#" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("/img/play.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; right: 15px; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; width: 25px;" title="Play Video"><span class="sr-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Play Video</span></a></li><li class="setlistParts song" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: song-counter 1; font-size: 17px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px; padding: 5px 15px; position: relative; z-index: 102;"><div class="songPart" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 45px; padding-right: 35px;">John L</div></li></ol><div><br /><br /></div></div>Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-71681731807211390352021-09-27T18:08:00.004-04:002021-09-27T18:09:05.499-04:00Dream Nails @ Hug & Pint 9/3/21<b><u>Dream Nails</u></b><div>Their first visit to Glasgow and only the beginning of their long-delayed tour (COVID, like everyone else) all four of them seemed genuinely pleased to be here. Introducing their new lead singer, who as I understand took over after the recording of the album and seems to have been chosen more for matching morals than vocals. Either way they picked right up and carried on, tot that they really had a choice considering they only have one record's worth of tracks to choose from. They worked through a well-planned set of it, plus their new track <i>Take Up Space</i>. It did feel a little boxy, although that may be because I caught glimpse of the setlist that even had the "buy our merch" banter pre-choreographed. The drummer did show genuine care when she gave away a pair of sticks to someone in hopes of them learning the kit and starting their own. Anyhow, the music was solid - catchy and what you'd expect. Personal fave was the shout along to <b>D.I.Y</b>. It wasn't a life-altering gig but it was certainly enjoyable. And my first time in the small basement space of the <b>Hug and Pint </b>that definitely had its charms (and lovely food upstairs).<br /><br /><b><u>Brat Coven</u></b><br />A four-pack young punk band with modern feminine anthems, taking on the patriarchy and state of affairs for women. While some lyrics batted you over the head, others were important and definitely worth repeating - repeating fast and loud and over punk rock. Speaking of fast, the whole thing was over in 15 minutes flat.<br /><br /><br /><b><u>Count Florida</u></b><br />A three piece that didn't have very much overly standout about them. Not too fast, not that catchy or specifically interesting lyrics. Could tap your foot along and they seemed to be enjoying themselves so not all was lost.</div>Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-30752449619441801212021-09-13T18:35:00.007-04:002021-09-13T18:35:51.225-04:00The Lottery Winners - Castle & Falcon 9/3/2021<div><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UhaEftyH27g/YT_PyMHXTpI/AAAAAAAADzw/r_jp0RIkDxciklcL9wklc-D26LxwWZMdgCLcBGAsYHQ/20210903_220338.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UhaEftyH27g/YT_PyMHXTpI/AAAAAAAADzw/r_jp0RIkDxciklcL9wklc-D26LxwWZMdgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/20210903_220338.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Lottery Winners </u></b></div><div><br /></div>They assumed the same four instruments (and genders) in the same stage positions, if we're playing Mastermind, as the openers. <b>The Lottery Winners </b>had obviously already won over the surprisingly mature audience (I was below median age). Their charismatic ringleader and lead singer yucked it up all night long, the faux glory-hog act seeming more realistic by the end.<br /><br />He did share the limelight when the bassist sang lead on <i>Sunshine</i>, instead of her normal co-backup vocals with <b>Rob</b>, the guitarist, but then the singer pulled all the glory back at the end of the tune by jokingly/seriously reminding us that he wrote it. It was all in good spirit and fun though, and the crowd got into the act shouting out what could have been heckles but we were getting it right back in return. Promising early not to do their sea shanty version of <b>Nickelback</b>’s <i>Rockstar</i>, they played only a couple tunes from this year’s EP, the only album I know by them. It didn’t really matter what they played though since the energy and atmosphere more than made up for a lack of familiarity. People were more than happy to sing and dance along, especially during the forthcoming single for which we “shot a music video” on a cell phone. I was honestly shocked when they introduced <b>Frank Turner </b>to the stage for the song <i>Start Again </i>that they did with him. I was then embarrassed (and a little disappointed) when they revealed that that too was a joke. We, the audience sang Frank’s part instead and it was still great. There was a <b>Coldplay </b>into <b>Robbie Williams </b>singalong (don’t ask) and even an on-stage magic trick that turned out to be a surprise wedding proposal (she said yes). As an encore, all but the drummer returned to sing a round with just guitar; apparently the first song they ever wrote together (in a pub). Finally, the drummer returned for one more and sent the happy crowd buzzing off into their weekend. High marks for entertainment!<div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>Overpass</u></b><br /><br /><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yzhmJMlFavE/YT_R85lLsvI/AAAAAAAADz4/zdgTz_N7VA4xvEphssur67tThzUZLpeOgCLcBGAsYHQ/20210903_202306.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yzhmJMlFavE/YT_R85lLsvI/AAAAAAAADz4/zdgTz_N7VA4xvEphssur67tThzUZLpeOgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/20210903_202306.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Overpass </b>took to the stage with the chanting of their mates in the crowd and proceeded to impress friends and strangers alike. The singer was strong throated and reasonably confident for a young band, albeit playing on home turf of Birmingham. As a four-piece, everyone played their part, the female bassist holding it down, the drummer unflashy but solid (both of whom were in suits), and lead guitar being the least noticeable on stage but very skilled at his instrument. Playing their few released songs off the pop, I wondered what else they would have in the tank and it included a <b>Joy Division </b>cover that got everyone singing along and a soon to be released new single. Definitely a feel good set from the band that had noticeable <b>Arctic Monkeys </b>vibe on the vocals, and according to my mate, Phil, <b>Catfish & the Bottlemen </b>otherwise. I'd be happy to catch them opening again soon.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div>Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-81432677340610716402021-08-17T17:54:00.003-04:002021-08-17T19:08:40.922-04:00Another Sky, Ailsa Tully - King Tut's - 8/11/21<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AKh-edicNck/YRxA-O6QIKI/AAAAAAAADx8/-Wlt9w_a1OUEtSjvAp4Nf3bNiPbn_Ps_gCLcBGAsYHQ/20210811_221938.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="2048" height="260" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AKh-edicNck/YRxA-O6QIKI/AAAAAAAADx8/-Wlt9w_a1OUEtSjvAp4Nf3bNiPbn_Ps_gCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h260/20210811_221938.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The main event and
reason I was there was for <b>Another Sky </b>who were likened to
Radiohead or Everything Everything, comparisons that aren't wrong but don't
accurately describe their sound. It starts with the deep, yet feminine singing
vocals from their lead - a voice like none that I can place, it is very strong and
as good as it sounds on record, it blew me away live. In fact, the entire band
matched or beat the album (and I really like '<b>I Slept On The Floor</b>.')
The drumming is so much more interesting than straight keeping time which kept
me on my toes, and the stocking foot drummer on his. Not to be outdone the lead
guitarist was completely barefoot (with long hair and a beard I was happy he
didn't have hobbit feet.) The bassist was wearing shoes as was her lead
vocalist counterpart, who also doubled on the keys and guitar depending on the
song. Last year I fell in love with <i>Fell In Love With The City </i>and
it was great as the opener. Other standouts were the one-two of <i>Riverbed </i>into <i>All
Ends </i>and the singalong of <i>Only Rain</i>,<i> </i>though
the highlight may have been set finale, <i>Brave Face</i>. Everyone seemed
enamoured in the perfect-sized nearly-full <b>King Tuts </b>so it
wasn't hard to get them to return for the encore (that was already on the
set-list - chilled <i>Tree </i>into powerful <i>Avalanche</i>).
I'm convinced, and others agreed, that it wasn't just the excitement of a real
live gig but that this would be a cut above anytime.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Ailsa Tully</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> was bubbly between songs but along with her other guitarist and
drummer they played a rather samey set. Considering I didn't find the first
song all that engaging by the end of 8 of the same I was ready to move along,
though one in the middle did have the drums hit a little harder so it was
slightly better. The crowd seemed to enjoy it - or maybe they were all just
happy to be back seeing live music for the first time in a year and a half.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div>Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-28881720828515906642020-04-14T17:17:00.001-04:002020-04-14T17:17:06.947-04:00Tim Baker - Hare on the Hill, Bristol Jan. 31, '20<b>Nico Paulo</b><br />
<br />
Stepping into <b>The Hare on the Hill </b>I found myself entering a very intimate show already underway. In fact, I nearly trod on <b>Nico</b>'s toes as she was stood by the bench seat in the corner of the pub playing her set. With it being ticketed entrance only, the entire bar's attention was fixated on the entertainer, and by proximity me as I intruded on this. The positive to come out of this was the great vantage point that I held for the rest of the night, even if it meant guarding the door for all other latecomers. This being a music blog I should speak about Nico who played some delicate songs on her guitar, with her whisper-strong voice. She was endearing and won over the crowd easily, myself included, even having walked in never hearing her name, let alone her music before.<br />
<br />
<b>Mark J. Lee</b><br />
<br />
A dapper, local English musician playing some pretty standard country music. He'd been on the bill so I'd briefly checked him out beforehand and knew that it wasn't really my style, however I'm happy to report it was better live. Especially happy considering there wasn't really anywhere else to go during the set.<br />
<br />
<b>Tim Baker</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8pTs8Ob63fo/XpYjyrkLCbI/AAAAAAAADXw/Wn-KiJU-RjQlY2Icrzu4lhqpr-FLwvZ3QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20200131_220116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8pTs8Ob63fo/XpYjyrkLCbI/AAAAAAAADXw/Wn-KiJU-RjQlY2Icrzu4lhqpr-FLwvZ3QCK4BGAYYCw/s400/20200131_220116.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
Finally the reason I had rushed home from work abroad and then driven down to Bristol. Tim took to the "stage" with a few different instruments scattered around; a couple guitars, a banjo, and perhaps most importantly, the pub's piano right up against the wall beside him. Starting out expectedly with a few from his first and only solo album thus far, <u>Forever Overhead</u>, he then veered from that (and away from any setlist). <i>Dance </i>is a brilliantly romantic opening tune, both on record and live, that he started with on the piano, while then doing renditions of already-excellent <i>All Hands </i>and <i>Spirit. </i>The thing about a talent such as <b>Tim </b>is that he's not going to play the songs exactly the same way as the album, and dating back to the <b>Hey Rosetta!</b> days no two sets are exactly alike, but you can be damn sure that it's going to be a touching, engaging, and entertaining show. The way that he brought the heartbreak of <i>The Eighteenth Hole </i>alive made you feel it in your chest, while the other kind of heartbreak with respect to the disbanding of <b>Hey Rosetta </b>in <i>Don't Let Me Go Yet </i>touched close to home. But there was joy too - <i>Bandages </i>has the perfect singalong and this rapt crowd was tickled to oblige. Speaking of singalongs, opener <b>Nico </b>seemed to be pulling some strings behind the scenes as Tim tried to make the set list up on the fly and she was roped in for a couple of songs, both as backing vocals and percussion. All of this added a lovely touch to the already cosy show. After a couple of "<i>that </i>should have been the finale" moments felt by both the crowd and Tim (he said so much himself) he was forced to actually close - but how? "May as well play <i>Welcome,</i>" suggested <b>Nico, </b>and so he did, to everyone's delight. Early into the stripped back version he messed up the lyrics, quipping "I've played this song a thousand times - actually more than a thousand times!" but we were forgiving and overjoyed anyhow. (And told him as much during a chat afterwards while getting my record signed while he was pinned down in the corner of the pub.)<br />
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<br />Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-930077762878458402020-04-06T16:59:00.001-04:002020-04-06T16:59:08.414-04:00Menzingers, Spanish Love Songs, Mannequin Pussy - Asylum, Feb 14, '20<b><u>Mannequin Pussy</u></b><br />
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The first to take the stage on this unbelievably stacked bill at <b>The Asylum</b>. We were sure to get there early and yet MP had already just taken the stage, and plenty of people had made their way in for it. A good thing too as all these early-comers were rewarded with a sweet, enthusiastic set of punk rock. Solid as their recordings are, it was agreed that the live set takes that up a notch even. Didn't even think to snap a pic I was so caught up in the show.<br />
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<b><u>Spanish Love Songs</u></b><br />
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Following their awesome, and undersized headliner last year at <b>The Flapper </b>(R.I.P) these new-emo American guys 'n gal were back in a deservedly bigger room, albeit in a supporting role. The way they play I'd be happy to call them a co-headliner though. With a well-picked setlist of many of the best from 2018's <u>Schmaltz</u> as well as highlights from the new-release <u>Brave Faces Everyone</u> (and probably a smattering of older stuff but I'm not yet as familiar with the back-catalog). The crowd was massively enjoying it and nearer to the end of the set as <i>Buffalo Buffalo </i>began the pit really got moving. Did they steal the night? Don't ask me, I'm a big ol' biased SLS convert.<br />
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<b><u>The Menzingers</u></b><br />
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Now veterans of the 21st Century punk scene, <b>The Menzingers </b>came on with a polished set to prove it. In the very nearly sold out big room of <b>The Asylum </b>on a Friday, Valentines Day no less, there was a palpable excitement in the crowd. Mind you it did take a few songs for the sound to work in and the set to really get going but by the latter half it was in full swing. When one of my songs of the year (2019) in <i>Anna </i>dropped it was riveting. What a show! I'd happily go back and watch this one again, front to back.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kfTCyl4Olkk/XouX5TOIJII/AAAAAAAADWw/jCcDpRwyBOs2C88Re3nGBFja2SUQjUA6gCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20200214_214144.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kfTCyl4Olkk/XouX5TOIJII/AAAAAAAADWw/jCcDpRwyBOs2C88Re3nGBFja2SUQjUA6gCK4BGAYYCw/s640/20200214_214144.jpg" width="640" /></a>Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-78492500305812940452020-02-12T16:38:00.001-05:002020-02-12T16:38:52.876-05:00Split Milk Society, Amy Louise Ellis - Sunflower Lounge Jan 17 '20<b><u>Spilt Milk Society</u></b><br />Having seen these guys nearly a year earlier to the day in the same spot I was looking forward to the set. It was really odd though have them come out of the gate with a very different sound to what I was expecting. I had a difficult time getting into it and they carried on like this, presumably it's a new direction, for the majority of the show. Only with the final couple of songs did it start to sound like something that I could get into. Interesting changes, I suppose.<div>
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<b><u>Odd Soul</u></b></div>
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This really was an ecelectic bill as Odd Soul played a jazzy brand of soul. As they admitted, it was a lot of their old standards that made the setlist and even resting on their laurels, with a few hardcore fans scattered amongst the crowd, it was just alright. I was hoping to get grabbed and carried away and when I still ended up stood in the basement of the Sunflower I was a little disappointed.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>Cherry Cherry</u></b></span><br />A five piece playing some "modern indie rock" I believe I stayed for the whole set, but writing this less than a month later I can't recall anything standout.<br /><br /><b><u>Amy Louise Ellis</u></b></div>
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This young chanteuse sure has the pipes. Though the first couple of songs, set over her friend's electric guitar, didn't blow me away there were a couple near the end the really showed her voice off. The <b>Lauren Hill</b> (or was it <b>The Fugees</b>?) cover was also excellent. Raw, local talent that just needs to find her place.</div>
Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-67248000883188483622020-02-12T16:22:00.004-05:002020-02-12T16:22:56.050-05:00Pkew Pkew Pkew, No Bro, Eamon McGrath - Horseshoe Tavern Jan.10 '20<b><u>Pkew Pkew Pkew</u></b><br /><br />The reason for the night came onto the stage like a hometown crowd should - to cries of joy. It wasn't some intense, outpouring or anything - they did play this exact venue less than a year ago - but the ovation from the full, but not sold out house was strong. Similarly, the set was very enjoyable and appreciated but they are not setting new highs with their small-town Ontario tales of drinking, skating, and hanging out. The crowd did get into it and by third song, <i>I Wanna See a Wolf</i>, I was compelled to join the fray. To our credit we moshed the entire way through, enjoying strong tracks like <i>Asshole Pandemic </i>and <i>65 Nickels</i>, with an incredible amount of body surfing too. There were 3 or 4 people going up at a go, one of whom decided to test the strength of the plumbing pipe that runs across the ceiling; fortunately for us all it held. Near the end there was a song or two not from either of their album releases which didn't quite get as much love as the well known tunes. After 45 minutes of short, ripping songs they waved goodbye, with their perpetually grinning bassist departing last. But in the preorchestrated world of concerts, even without much of a roar (more of an expectant pause), they returned to the stage gushing their thanks to us. They did a couple, finishing with <i>Glory Days, </i>which was the correct call if you ask me, and sent us out into the early morning hours sweaty and happy. <br /><br /><b><u>NOBRO</u></b><div>
Man, or should I saw "Woman!" - what a treat this was. This four-piece, using secondary percussion including bongos and electronic drums were stellar. They also had a great guitarist though the singer was stronger with vocals, naturally, they all did some instrument swapping along the way. Even as the second band on the bill, after a snoozy (good snoozy) opening from Eamon these gals got the pit moving so kudos to that. For the finale they really decided to kick out the jams. One to watch, I'm glad I got to catch them on their way up.<br /><br /><b><u>Eamon McGrath</u></b><br />Accompanied by another fellow, also playing acoustic guitar they went through a solid folk set that even had the filling-in crowd respectfully quiet. A standout display of songsmanship was seen on especially on <i>Guts</i>.<br /><br /><b><u>Barasso </u></b></div>
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Warming the way jsut before PPP! this four-piece, all-male francophone band played some bludgeoning punk rock. It wasn't bad but was all a little samey (I hit the john). At one point they bantered, in English, "we're singing in French but you don't care do you? It doesn't matter."<br /><div>
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Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-17980278508176707682020-01-02T11:05:00.000-05:002020-01-02T11:16:57.018-05:00Top Ten 2019 - Year in Review<b><u>1. Dave - Psychodrama</u></b><br />
Marvellous. As in, every time I listen to this album I marvel at how exquisite it is. Nothing is overlooked, from the varied and interesting beats, to the high production value, the quasi-concept album thematic, and most importantly Dave's astounding word play. It's impossibly clever and impeccably delivered, including hooks, social commentary and downright funny jokes; I discover something new each time without even consulting Genius.com. <i>Lesley </i>may be the best tale in a tune of the year - please, sit down and listen. <b>Santan Dave</b>'s wisdom, vision, execution, skill, voice, and, yes, piano-playing are all on display in this damn-near masterpiece of a rap album.<br />
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<b><u>2. default genders - main pop girl 2019</u></b><br />
I couldn't get enough of this album and still cannot describe properly why. It is a super-pop album that swaps genres at blistering speed, many of which I wouldn't normally find myself listening to but here it just works. Lyrically it tells some tales, again things that I wouldn't necessarily relate to, but there I was putting it on for my morning run for the 50th time months later. Just give it a try.<br />
(Not available on Spotify but grab it from <a href="https://magicalpessimism.bandcamp.com/album/main-pop-girl-2019">Bandcamp</a> PWYC, including free)<br />
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<b><u>3. Snotty Nose Rez Kids - Trapline</u></b><br />
Late to the party, I'm glad to have caught onto this blazing band this year. With their unreserved Reservation-rap (okay, I made that term up) they pull no punches in upping their lives and their lifestyles through song. It is fresh, eye-opening and altogether ass-shaking. Unfortunately I haven't yet caught them live but their Insta-stories sure do make it look like it absolutely goes off! It's a good time to grab hold as these high-fliers are taking off.<br />
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<b><u>4. Sigrid - Sucker Punch</u></b><br />
Diamonds, sapphires, rubies - this album is full of pop gems. A rising star, <b>Sigrid </b>has the voice and the musical sensibilities to burn long and bright. Anytime I was looking for an accessible and mostly upbeat shot of music this year, <u>Sucker Punch</u> was an easy fix, and it held up on the repeatability too. But there's a depth to it as well with emotional songwriting that tackles real feelings without drowning the listener in sorrow. Sigrid's versatility makes this a complete album.<br />
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<b><u>5. Sir Babygirl - Crush on Me</u></b><br />
Unabashed retro-beats pop music - I'd read someone liken it to a pumped up <b>Britney Spears </b>album for 2019 - and <b>Sir Babygirl </b>plays with expectations with glee. Starting with that gender-fluid name they don't hold back on the glorious 26 minutes of this album (I looked it up, it's not an EP), including two reprises! <i>Haunted House </i>is the standout, with that chorus raising more questions than answers, and the album is perfectly punctuated by the tongue-in-cheek closer, <i>Crush On Me</i>. All I want is more.<br />
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<b><u>6. Black Midi - Schlagenheim</u></b><br />
Defying conventions, these music-school nerds have gone ahead with a gloriously indulgent album that brings many influences together to make something so new. Based around their impressive individual instrumental skills they've managed to flaunt their musicianship appropriately. The math-rock elements, the "unique" vocals, and the varying signatures make for an eclectic mix that keeps the listener guessing but it's a challenge worth taking.<br />
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<b><u>7. Tim Baker - Forever Overhead</u></b><br />
Fronting one of my all-time favourite Canadian bands, <b>Hey Rosetta!</b>, could be either a blessing or a curse when it comes to the first solo offering. Would <b>Tim </b>be able to live up to the heightened expectations without the six super-talented musicians supporting him in both the songwriting and performing? I'm happy to report that this is a very worthwhile offering that doesn't try to recreate the magic of HR! but maintains the eloquent lyrics in an appropriate, slightly stripped-back, singer-songwriter context (still showcasing some of Tim's piano too).<br />
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<b><u>8. </u></b><b><u>Better Oblivion Community Centre - </u></b><b><u>Better Oblivion Community Centre</u></b><br />
This combination of a couple of true, through-and-through songwriters has struck gold symbiosis. <b>Coner Oberst </b>(<b>Bright Eyes</b>) and <b>Phoebe Bridgers </b>could both play their way out of a troll's trap alone so when they joined forces for <b>BOCC </b>it was like giving both of them a turbo boost. The songwriting is impeccable and the interplay is excellent. Released early in the year it has been an album that has never really left the rotation and still plays frequently and with much adoration.<br />
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<b><u>9. Sacred Paws - Run Around the Sun</u></b><br />
An upbeat, carry-you-along album filled with quirky and catchy ditties highlighted by the back-and-forth vocals of this cross-UK-border, female duo. It's music for any bright occasion, or even to make a not so bright time, like dusting the living room, into an bopping dance party. <br />
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<b><u>10. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride</u></b><br />
An album that I'd been looking forward to in the long interim between releases that just gave and gave and gave. Yes, it's long but it hardly falters and finishes on a gem. Bringing in the duets and accompaniments throughout manages to keep the songwriting and delivery fresh, for repeated listening (it showed up all over my Spotify year-end breakdowns). Very pleased to have VW back in town.<br />
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<b><u>Honourable Mentions</u></b></div>
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<b>Shotgun Jimmie - Transistor Sister 2</b><br />
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Jimmie has captured lightning in a bottle again on this revisitation to the <u>Transistor Sister</u> that set a benchmark in his earlier career. Simple, yet catchy and effective, this album can fit most moods.</div>
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<b>Pup - Morbid Stuff</b></div>
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Who'd have known that Pup could squeeze so much traction and love out of this genre? Here they are once again giving a damn fine performance and encouraging the kids to get out there and catch them live where they really ignite.</div>
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<b>Tallest Man on Earth - I Love You. It's a Fever Dream.</b></div>
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Quietly this album ended up in my year-end conversation by being a lovely accompaniment to those moments of reflection and tranquility.</div>
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<b>JOHN (TIMESTWO) - Out Here on the Fringes</b></div>
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Discovering this duo late in the year I was sold from the get-go with their guitar-to-the-wall brand of rock.</div>
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<b>Press Club - Wasted Energy</b></div>
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An energetic burst of Aussie punk that enthuses a freshness into the genre.</div>
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<b>Sandro Perri - Soft Landing</b></div>
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Similar to <u>In Another Life</u>, this album is anchored by a ploddingly excellent opening track, <i>Time (You Got Me)</i> with a still-strong B side.</div>
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Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-10595102228138230332019-12-09T17:11:00.003-05:002019-12-09T18:48:49.690-05:00The Futureheads - Institute Dec. 6 '19<b>Cut Glass Kings</b><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EaSaUAeB0OM/Xe7H6YumI5I/AAAAAAAADOs/jAWXLtJW7nIl6X76yaNmF55o95DsBFMegCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20191207_183101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EaSaUAeB0OM/Xe7H6YumI5I/AAAAAAAADOs/jAWXLtJW7nIl6X76yaNmF55o95DsBFMegCK4BGAYYCw/s400/20191207_183101.jpg" width="400" /></a>It was so odd to be in a nearly desolate Institute. Seriously, it seemed like there were 25 people in the whole place when we entered at 6:20pm on a Saturday night in December. Too bad for those that had tickets because the two-piece guitar and drum duo were putting on a decent show. Loud and full of classic rock (not Classic Rock) riffs they powered through the set, seemingly not put off by the attendance that didn't even double during their short set.<br />
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<b>Indoor Pets</b><br />
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Still playing to a cavernous (and cold!) space, this four-piece put on an enteraining set of poppy, indie rock somewhere in the realm of <b>Weezer </b><u>Green</u>-era, though perhaps that was just the singer's <b>Rivers</b> glasses that got me thinking that. His glasses sat upon his nose which did most of his singing, in a very distinct, minorly annoying, nasal fashion. It was definitely unique but once I got over it I was happy to report that the boys did a fine job of beating their recorded-music expectations.<br />
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<b>The Futureheads</b><br />
Celebrating a fifteen-year anniversary of their beloved self-titled debut the Sunderland quartet, that often sing a-cappella like a barbershop quartet, were playing it in its entirety on this evening. Having caught them way back in the day, originally as <b>Franz Ferdinand </b>openers and after that whenever they toured through Toronto, it was definitely a night rooted in nostalgia. And even though they did play through the old tunes it isn't a band strictly revelling in the glory days as they still have the musical interplay that always set them above the rest. Not to mention comical interplay too as they interluded songs with origin stories and any chance to get a lick in on each other. One such story did both in telling how <i>The City Is Here For You To Use </i>was about the then-sixteen year old drummer crying in a tube station in London when they first started gigging there. Another revealed that the singer used to have to write the bass parts as well since the bass player wasn't good enough yet and they remarked that one with a particuarly "fruity bass line" (their words) must have been as a punishment for pissing him off. "Here, try and learn this, ya tall c*nt." From opener <i>Le Garage</i>, through highlights such as <i>Decent Days & Nights</i>, "not every song needs to be about something" <i>Alms</i>, nearly instrument-free <i>Danger of the Water</i>, and frenetic <i>First Day </i>they proved that they've still got the magic. Yet it was in the closing two tracks that they absolutely won me back over. As always the split-chanting crowd gave their amazing take on <i>Hounds of Love </i>true glory but equally good was <i>Man Ray </i>to close it all down. Their quote-unquote lead singer was battling a throat infection so they rightly took a break following the album but were gracious enough to return and burn through a few more for us. Fittingly they played three highlights from the recently released <u>Powers</u> that you'd think they would be touring, and the material held up. I'm particularly partial to <i>Good Night Out </i>but <i>Jekyll </i>and <i>Electric Shock </i>were good too. As a finale they threw another classic, <i>Beginning of the Twist</i>, before waving us off having surely pleased longtime fans and excited those catching them for the first time alike.Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-15939691631826584132019-11-25T15:52:00.000-05:002019-12-14T17:19:11.010-05:00Fontaines DC - Institute Nov 25, '19<b>Fontaines </b>were.. rather disappointing, I have to say. Hardly any words were spoken - he might have said 'thank you' after the final song and he did grumble something about we they do encores before it but literally those were the only words (and I couldn't understand them anyway). The first half was all the shitty songs from their only album (starting with <i>Hurricane Laughter</i>, followed by <i>Chequeless Reckless</i>) which are basically one-riff on repeat and 1 line repeated over and over until line 2 which gets repeated and then back to line 1. They stood stock still except the singer who acted like a bored little boy, pacing in small circles and looking at his nails and stomping his mic stand. That was literally the "show". They did add an unreleased song in <i>Televised Mind </i>which was interesting for its novelty, at least.<br />
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The second half was only saved 'cuz it was better music, songs that had more than one chord each, but the on-stage was the exact fucking same. Zero interaction with us, or with each other, except when the singer cut not one but two songs from their already brief set. Following the previously mentioned new tune they were presumably going to play another new track (seeing as they played all 11 <u>Dogrel</u> songs) but it got axed. Then the guitar tech had already tuned them up for a track but the singer called an audible and then told us this was their last song meaning he cut another one right at the end. The whole thing came in well under an hour which if you're headlining a massively sold out gig in a decently big hall you've got to give us something more. Musically it was fine - the sound wasn't that great in this venue though. Stand-outs like <i>Too Real, Boys in the Better Land</i>, and closer, <i>Big</i>, got the crowd going and rightfully so, but to me it shouldn't have taken much given the anticipation to get people into it and yet the crowd seemed rather reserved for much of the night (from my vantage point just off the edge of the sometimes-pit.) One standout track was the slightly more nuanced <i>Television Screen </i>that at least showed the guys had a different gear.<br />
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I can see if they had opened for <b>Idles </b>and just straight rocked for 30 minutes and only played the good stuff that it would have been a great "surprise" but as headliners I'll give 'em a bit of a "fuck off". At the <b>End of the Road </b>festival this summer they also got a pass from me 'cuz they were in a massive fucking tent in the middle of the day and I was stuck at the back trying not to be anti-social. I just assumed that if I was up front that it would have been great but, alas, now I know my answer - No.<br />
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---<br />
<b>Warm Drag </b>opened and while I only caught the final song and a half (having previewed them before arrival) I think I got the gist of it. Playing music akin to <b>The Kills</b> the male worked a synthesizer over a drum machine while the woman sang and shrieked into the mic. Not entirely bad it wasn't anything for me to get excited about.Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-49534624760873955852019-11-23T17:00:00.000-05:002019-12-14T17:20:35.036-05:00Pup, Sløtface, Fresh - Academy 2 Nov 23, '19It's no secret that I love <b>Pup</b>. Tracking them down whenever they come near and so I was first in line when they finally announced a proper gig in Brum. Stefan acknowledged this early on - no shit, the last (and only?) time they headlined was in <i>the basement </i>of <b>The Rainbow. </b>Anyhow that was the past and this was now and as always they were here to rev it up and so they did by launching into <i>Morbid Stuff </i>with as much abandon as ever. The <i>Kids </i>were incredibly stoked for the set as they shouted along to every lyric, even those from this year's <u>Morbid Stuff</u> through which the band understandably did a deep dive (considering they toured the hell out of the last two albums already). With a captive audience, <b>Babcock </b>took full advantage to espouse on politics, encouraging us to vote even if it sometimes seems fruitless ("we're Canadian and we adopted your shitty system so we understand" <b>Steve </b>added), and eliciting a <i>Seven Nation Army</i> "Jeremy Corbyn" chant. They also encouraged donations to their European charity <a href="https://sea-watch.org/" target="_blank">Sea Watch</a>. On other topics, Stefan admitted he likes being a shit-disturber and repeated his slagging off their first album despite receiving negative feedback for doing the same thing the previous night. He did say that there were a few tunes they still liked, presumably <b>Dark Days </b>and <b>Reservoir </b>considering their inclusion in the set. But back to the music, despite Stefan's sick throat they didn't hold back and threw in a few from <u>The Dream is Over</u> as well, highlighed by <i>Familiar Patterns</i>. Now road-worn they can really rip a set without looking too weary for the effort. This included ventures out into the constant mosh pit by Stefan and Steve while the crowd literally carried them, physically and with "backing" vocals throughout. By the time it came around to sign off, Stefan was still being purposely unlikeable and clearly voiced the band's stance on encores, even going so far as to suggest that other bands should stop doing them and encouraging us to chant "No More Songs" at future gigs. All that to say they didn't leave the stage before playing their "encore" of the still-incredible one-two punch of <i>If this Tour Doesn't Kill You</i> directly into <i>DVP</i>. If anyone in the crowd had any breath left in their lungs beforehand it was all spent by the end of this sweaty, raucous set from this band that three albums and innumerable in give no appearance of coasting in any regard yet.<br />
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<b>Sløtface </b>have been on my radar for a few years now and so I was really excited to catch them again. And they brought it, despite not having yet unleashed their second album. Everyone involved did their part though it is their pint-sized frontwoman who sets the scene. The crowd was appreciative to start and got more and more into it, with moshing and the like. Finally I couldn't take it anymore after one of the new singles <i>Telepathetic </i>rolled into <i>Nancy Drew </i>as I ran in to join them for the closing of the set. A perfect set-up for <b>Pup</b>.<br />
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Arriving partway through the set from <b>Fresh </b>I got a good dose of what I expected based upon their recorded stuff - decent indie rocking music with a melodic female voice atop it all. They didn't blow me away but I wouldn't shy away from them in the future either.<br />
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<u>Pup Setlist</u><br />
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Morbid Stuff<br />
<br />
Kids<br />
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My Life Is Over and I Couldn't Be Happier<br />
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Back Against the Wall<br />
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Free at Last<br />
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See You at Your Funeral<br />
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Sleep in the Heat<br />
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Dark Days<br />
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Scorpion Hill<br />
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Closure<br />
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Familiar Patterns<br />
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Reservoir<br />
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If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will<br />
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DVPStefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-26424005801668955312019-11-12T17:25:00.000-05:002019-12-09T17:31:05.786-05:00Weakend Friends - Baby G (Toronto) Nov 12, '19<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lhPNFq_AN6s/Xe7KjoMM4_I/AAAAAAAADO8/2frBKBH-1TwDbE5bawAGjtWdboZHJuSJgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20191112_223113_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lhPNFq_AN6s/Xe7KjoMM4_I/AAAAAAAADO8/2frBKBH-1TwDbE5bawAGjtWdboZHJuSJgCK4BGAYYCw/s640/20191112_223113_2.jpg" width="640" /></a><b><br /></b>
<b>Weakened Friends</b><br />
It was a frigid Toronto winter evening outside but the lucky and the brave were inside the <b>Baby G</b>. Consisting of <b>Sonia </b>singing and guitar, <b>Annie </b>on bass and backup vocals, plus fill in drummer (Zack?) these were the <b>Weakened Friends</b>. Super grateful for the small gathering who had come to see them they delighted with a perfect set of punk rock. Relating with us by Sonia having grown up in an unnamed Toronto suburb ("you know where Canada's Wonderland is?") the band is now based in <b>Portland, Maine </b>but holds a special spot for Toronto. Having just played a warm up gig for <b>Pup </b>in <b>Halifax </b>(where those Haligonians bought up all the vinyl!) I'd have thought the city taste makers would be all over this trio but they are obviously sleeping. That's alright, I'll be the one saying "I saw them play on a Tuesday at the Baby G and it was superb. <br />
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<b>Baby Band</b><br />
<b>Baby Band </b>the band, playing at <b>Baby G </b>the bar, are still teething. Literally giggling over with enthusiasm they can't quite make up for the lack of polish. The songs were straightforward enough yet it seemed that each of the four of them was stumbling on the regular. The backup vocalist ought to stick to the fringes and the whole crew really needs to hit the rehearsal studio hard before pushing out into the real world. There are some novel ideas here, the Sad! Gay! Broke! chant intro for one song seemed to resonate with some in the room, including the headliners, but the whole set could use some work. Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-68598889347949553172019-11-09T14:57:00.000-05:002019-12-14T17:30:04.975-05:00Owen Pallet - Longboat (Great) Hall, Toronto Nov 9, '19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Camille Elle </b>from <b>Army Girls </b>took to the stage first with a couple of electric guitars for herself. At first it didn't seem all that inspired singer-songwriter but after she introduced herself and admitted to some of her anxieties leading up to the show the crowd got behind her and things improved. The start of the upswing was when she played an <b>Army Girls </b>song that had some more oomph, followed by a self described "It Gets Better" song addressed to her teenage-self that further endeared us to her. From there it was smooth sailing as she got stronger with her stage presence, vocals, and just the overall flow to the set.</div>
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<b>Owen </b>came to the stage in a long, see through black robe of sorts. While tuning up he introduced himself and warned anyone who has attended the previous night (added due to popular demand) that it would be a near identical repeat "but I'll play it better." In his charming manner he explained that it was a cohesive set, best run uninterrupted and kindly asked us to hold any clapping until he gave us the go-ahead. With a guitar strapped on his back and a violin hung from his mic stand he began as a projection faded in from black behind him. It was a new, lighter take on an <u>In Conflict</u> track to start us off. From there he followed with mostly new songs through the main set, much of the instrumentation coming from the guitar, although his signature violin still featured well. Overall it was a more soothing sound than his earlier frenetic <b>Final Fantasy </b>music, still building songs layer upon layer via his looping pedals as there were no other musicians, yet it showed a lot more restraint. The base layer of the songs was often from the guitar before adding the violin and finally that beautiful, delicate voice of his. The visuals, by a woman named <b>Trudy</b>, continued in their very slow panning through abandoned towns, fields, valleys, and coasts. It was all lovely though it may have been better suited for a sit-down show due to the pace and the fact that it was predominantly new material.<br />
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Later on, he did include a couple of released songs, primarily from <u>In Conflict</u> including an album highlight <i>The Passions</i>, some as originally recorded while others got a new take. Finally he broke and was washed over with applause before playing one last song - I believe this was the moment of a personal favourite, <i>Lewis Takes Off His Shirt</i>. Taking a small pause backstage I really wasn't sure what to expect from this evening, whether that was it, but alas he returned for a few more which helped to make up for the indulgent first half. But first he had a chat with the audience and took questions, including "when is <b><i>It</i></b> out?" to which Owen gave the unclear response "<i><b>It</b></i>. Funny thing is, it's been finished for nearly two years. I listen to it sometimes; it's really good." Another was "when are you playing Toronto again?" which was met with mock outrage "I haven't even finished this set!" There was also banter about how he lives five minutes from the <b>Great Hall </b>and that he actually walked over, though the question about an afterparty at his was met with a laugh "Afterparty? There will be copious amounts of herbal tea." In terms of music he introduced <i>I Am Not Afraid </i>as "my favourite song that I've ever written; I'm just happy I finally learned how to play it." To close it all off was the song that has had many renditions and is a live show stalwart, <i>This is the Dream of Win and Regine</i>, which reminded me of the amazing way <b>Pallett</b>'s violin loops and voice can draw me in and take me on a musical wave all while stood in a darkened club. Thanks Owen, looking forward to <b><i>It</i></b>. <br />
Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-43629899555645178962019-10-12T15:30:00.000-04:002019-12-14T17:26:46.236-05:00Murder Capital - Castle & Falcon Oct 12, '19One of the hottest tickets going was this intimate venue gig nearing the end of the <b>Murder Capital</b>'s breakout tour. Managing to snag a pair at the nth hour excitement was high in the room, and for me a chance to catch up on a clash from the <b>End of the Road Festival </b>at the tail end of the summer.<br />
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The openers, <b>Happy Couple</b>, did no favours though. While the guitarist and drummer were skilled, just having a female singer in a rock band is not enough to make you interesting. Her monotonous singing, mostly washed out anyhow, and lack of stage presence made us all anxious for it to end and get to the goods.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0WCSm3SQBQU/XfVg1W6OMtI/AAAAAAAADQM/0d5NdzurHdIw1f6Jm3ZF4shE_-9jFUiwgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20191012_215410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0WCSm3SQBQU/XfVg1W6OMtI/AAAAAAAADQM/0d5NdzurHdIw1f6Jm3ZF4shE_-9jFUiwgCK4BGAYYCw/s640/20191012_215410.jpg" width="640" /></a><b>Murder Cap </b>eventually came out of the dark slowly (very slowly) to rapturous applause from the surprisingly mature audience. They were very methodical in the approach to the set, taking a tact of extremely slow everything to begin with - from the one by one entrance to the music. It was a little anti-climactic in my opinion as everyone who wanted to go off was stuck plodding along. Dressed to impress the boys showed class and poise, giving much love first to each other and then to the crowd. Finally in the third song they reached a tempo that could fire up the crowd and a small mosh got going. Overall they sounded quite good, as everyone says they are set for the big time and you can both see and hear it. (Immediately following this gig they announced a new tour playing the much bigger <b>Institute </b>in their return in the new year.) With only 43 minutes of recorded music in their debut album they played every song and managed to draw it out to a 50 minute set which seemed acutely short after all the build up. I hoped there might be an encore - throw in a cover or a new track - but it wasn't meant to be and we filtered out. Overall it was enjoyable and the guys are worthy of the praise but I'd still like to see the next step bring them to the lofty levels of expectations that they may already be falling under.<br />
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Slowdance I<br />
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Slowdance II<br />
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On Twisted Ground<br />
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Love, Love, Love<br />
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For Everything<br />
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Green & Blue<br />
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Don’t Cling to Life<br />
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More Is Less<br />
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Feeling Fades</div>
Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-11086080939088882662019-09-30T16:40:00.000-04:002019-09-30T16:40:13.639-04:00End of the Road 2019 - Friday - Pottery, Spiritualized +<b>Pottery</b><br />
Kicking the festival off for me was Pottery, an all-male five-piece from Montreal (and no, I didn't go see them <i>just </i>because they're Canadian). With every one of them contributing on vocals I quite enjoyed their set in the Tipi Tent. Even intra-song they kept things interesting with shifting tempos and enough musical changes to keep me guessing and earn that "genre-defying" label.<br />
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<b>Flamingods</b><br />
A last-minute addition to the bill I wasn't familiar with them but had heard some applaud the announcement. Despite my open mind I couldn't really get into them as they seemed to be jam-band that just wandered rather than leading me to any musical heights. When their finale seemed to be winding down I turned to leave and did not look back when after a few moments pause they picked back up into more of the same.<br />
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<b>Spiritualized </b>have apparently been gazing into the galaxy for ages, as have I, and yet I've never caught a glimpse of them. Friends were pumped for this and I'll admit there were moments of grace and beauty, as J. Spaceman guided the journey via his guitar from his seated position. Across from him was a line of guitarists which layered all on top of each other. Furthermore there were three women raising their voices to the heavens while performing synchronized shimmies, and a drummer. It was quite ethereal and worked under the stars of the late summer evening. Familiar with <i>I'm Your Man</i> it stood out though the rest seemed to all come back around in a similar vein. The most disappointing part was that they closed on a long-winded take on a gospel song that did not pack much punch.<br />
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Someone from the <b>Green Man Festival </b>had post that <b>Jockstrap </b>was a standout for them which is why I ducked out of Spiritualized to give them a try. Wasn't worth the two minute walk over to the tent for a smorgasbord of "art" that was all a load of crap. Nobody needs a multi-minute flute solo, the very reverbed rap of the lead female singer hit no marks, meanwhile the four-piece string section went essentially untouched. The final straw was when they played for about 30 seconds before being cut out completely and returning to the flute. What a load of shite.Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-84872169869843918652019-09-23T17:18:00.000-04:002019-12-14T17:36:46.646-05:00Spielbergs, Yr Poetry, Wood & Nails - Sunflower Sep 21/'19<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lx1y3YCUTcg/XfVjYcNlx_I/AAAAAAAADRA/B1MNMv5nPbgQtIpwwJgSPavSxhoZkobUgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20190921_222415.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lx1y3YCUTcg/XfVjYcNlx_I/AAAAAAAADRA/B1MNMv5nPbgQtIpwwJgSPavSxhoZkobUgCK4BGAYYCw/s640/20190921_222415.jpg" width="640" /></a>S</b><br />
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<b>Speilbergs </b>were a strong musical presence, with blistering rock music coming out of their drum, bass, guitar, keys and massive hair. They weren't overly animated but sounded great, almost recreating a good chunk of their debut album <u>This is Not the End</u> (maybe even in order?) The biggest disappointment was that after already having their venue downgraded from the Flapper the room was only partly filled which perhaps contributed to the singer cutting a song towards the end of the set before wrapping up in under 40 minutes. In conversation he claimed to be getting over a bad cold though blaming the lacklustre music support from the Brummie indie scene on a Saturday night might still be appropriate.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NJjBvS4GkZ4/XfVjYRVAFsI/AAAAAAAADRE/hAJEH01xWtQJ6mBPVnMmqIi0-8Iswzd5ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20190921_214051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NJjBvS4GkZ4/XfVjYRVAFsI/AAAAAAAADRE/hAJEH01xWtQJ6mBPVnMmqIi0-8Iswzd5ACK4BGAYYCw/s400/20190921_214051.jpg" width="400" /></a><b></b><br />
<b>Yr Poetry </b>were not something that I thought I was going to like at first blush. Perhaps it was that they were just a guitar and drum duo and I thought the previous act, Wood & Nails, deserved the sweeter opening slot or perhaps it was the singer's voice and demeanour. However, I very quickly warmed up to them and all of those things flipped to be positives. Their songwriting was surprisingly varied despite the basic instrumentation and the guitar-neck-only playing through his pedals sounded surprisingly excellent. Apparently they were/are members of Johnny Foreigner which meant nothing to me but might to you.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QUK-24-nR9I/XfVjYIFkcxI/AAAAAAAADQ8/K4JLnJJkIco3JmACJcHOc304e6xjiF3AwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20190921_205301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QUK-24-nR9I/XfVjYIFkcxI/AAAAAAAADQ8/K4JLnJJkIco3JmACJcHOc304e6xjiF3AwCK4BGAYYCw/s400/20190921_205301.jpg" width="400" /></a><b>Wood & Nails </b>came out and instantly sounded like a bunch of great bands all at once, not in a generic way but a familiar way that drew me to them instantly. I tried to play spot the influences but couldn't put my finger on it.. maybe something like The Ataris? Regardless all four appeared as polished and poised musicians playing earnest indie punk rock and I loved the entire set.<br />
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<b>Mutt </b>were on when I got in and I quickly realized I'd seen them rather recently opening for <b>Press Club</b>. That time I'd given them a full chance but had found their female-fronted rock sound to be very straightforward with little to differentiate it or interest me so I bowed out after a song.Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-92075567897444065962019-08-12T14:10:00.002-04:002019-12-22T04:16:44.675-05:00Glass Ceilings, Myriam Adams, La Dharma, Crymson - Hare & Hounds - Aug 11/'19<b>Glass Ceilings </b>were a split gender four piece. The bassist was business like in her playing while the guitarist happily played his parts. I wish the singer had shown some more pizzazz or stepped up the vocals that were audible but could have used some oomph. Their music is great and I enjoyed the 8 or so song set though it didn't feel like it brought anything more than is already on record. All in all I wouldn't go out of my way to catch them again, at least not until there's new music released.<br />
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<b><u>Myriam Adams</u></b> - A bunch of kids but sounded pretty sharp and the music popped. Singer definitely had a presence and though I only caught the final two songs it was enough to make me wish I'd arrived earlier. For the closer they tried to get the crowd jumping and to be fair it kind of worked out, even if supplemented strongly with friends and family.<br />
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<b><u>La Dharma</u></b> - This four piece make some really slick, slightly synthy, pop rock with their shoegaze guitar but rock elements otherwise, stemming in part from their intense drummer. Fronted by a guy that could probably do a decent 1975 karaoke, who also tickled some keys, they went through about 7 proper tunes that everyone seemed to enjoy, in as laid back way. Highlights were <i>Sirens</i> and <i>Need Me to Know You</i> early from the EP, but their "most dance" tune, <i>Perfume, </i>was also a treat and <i>Devil </i>was a perfect way to close out.
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<b><u>Crymson </u></b>- Four lads playing some reasonably straightforward pop rock. Nothing super compelling recorded from what I had heard and the live show started off with me wondering if I'd be bored too. Once their gimmicky outfits - a sailor shirt and baby sailor hat, sunglasses drummer etc. wore off after 30 seconds it was time for the music to fill the room. Granted it didn't smash expectations but I didn't leave and the second last song featured some standout drumming, nicely interspersed with the guitar work. The last songwas catchy enough to get the crowd moving so they did alright.
Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-39408070961318705262019-05-03T15:15:00.000-04:002019-12-14T15:16:09.587-05:00Press Club, Koji - Dark Horse May 3, '19What was this gig?? A free Friday night show from one of the best up-and-coming punk bands, and they'd come all the way from Australia for it? Boy, was I happy that I caught wind of them a few days before and not afterwards or I'd have been sore.<br />
<br />
An American fellow, <b>Koji</b>, opened the show by first going around the group and personally introducing himself to the small assembled crowd. It was an odd but inclusive way of doing things and his zeal shone through for the entire set. Admittedly I'm writing this months later and musically I cannot recall much about it but the vibe was wholesome and real, connections based in people and in music. When he smiled at you it was true pleasure in sharing that moment alive together.<br />
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<b>Mutt </b>played next and to be brutally honest it was very mundane. Nothing was particularly bad about it but it felt like they wanted their schtick of having a female singer in a rock band to carry them through. Unfortunately for me there just wasn't anything there to grab my attention.<br />
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Oh my goodness, what a set from <b>Press Club</b>. I mean I knew I enjoyed their music (having only discovered them that week) but I wasn't quite ready for the raw energy that erupted. The lead singer roamed the room like a ghoul - a snarling, Aussie ghoul and it was incredible how she commanded that room. Backing her up the band were tight with their aggressive punk-rock riffs rumbling the room. A highlight in a blistering set was Get Better, a tune not yet even released but with a phenomenal hook of a chorus after the chunky timing changes. The music, the energy, the swagger, the good spirits, it all added up to a stellar performance for a band on the up. How the heck was this put on for free!?Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-78247265903198083612019-05-02T17:45:00.000-04:002019-05-02T17:45:20.350-04:00Laura Veirs - St Pauls Church - Feb 8, '19<br />
<b><u>Sam Amidon</u></b><br />The opener, Sam, varied his guitar playing throughout to cover a few different genres between folk, indie and traditional. Quite skilled and professional he was a match for Laura who he would have up on stage with him nearer to the end of his set. <div>
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<b><u>Laura Veirs</u></b><br />Laura came on to the cheers of the church crowd. Commenting on the pulpit, layered in candles, she made the space her own. Her guitar playing is understated and appears effortless even when she is bending it to her whim while mixing music from her catalogue. I'll admit I only gave her latest album a proper go based on my love for the <b>Case/Lang/Veirs</b> disc from a few years ago but fortunately she played a healthy selection from each of these and the other cuts were in no way lacking either. Swapping between acoustic and electric the show seemed to fly by, as we were entranced by her musical prowess. Repaying the favour she brought Sam back up on stage to join her again partway through and he stuck around for awhile. Although they were a good fit I may have preferred solo Veirs to the duo. Either way it was a beautiful show in both setting and show. </div>
Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-36230294363198738572019-05-02T17:31:00.002-04:002019-05-02T17:31:41.230-04:00Vistas, Circa Waves - Institute - April 23, '19<b><u>Vistas</u></b><br />As promised the Edinburgh buzz band of the moment, <b>Vistas</b>, took to the stage with the 4 of them at a combined age under 70. The kids in the crowd about the same vintage were pumped up and before the end of song one were pushing back to start a pit. Perhaps not yet commanding the stage with swagger they at least looked comfortable up there and properly played their instruments to boot. The drummer seemed to be taking his job very seriously and it paid off while the singer was just as good with his electric axe as the mic, chatting Birmingham up a little too. Guitar and bass to the sides diligently did their jobs while everyone ate it up. To be honest, the first half of the set was above average but not necessarily standout, however by the time they hit their groove it got real good. <i>Calm </i>was the highlight for me, both recorded and live now, though <i>Retrospect </i>and closer, <i>Tigerblood</i>, were also done real well. By the time they're done with their autumn headline tour I'm sure they'll be fully set and ready to take on the world. <br /><br /><br /><u><b>TNC - The Night Cafe</b></u><br />The four lads had the crowd pushing around from the get go, but it was one of those kind of shows as between sets felt like a club night at Snobs with the chanting along and jumping up and down. I'd be fine with it but the activity didn't match the music. It was fairly straight tempo rock, sang with a decent voice that wasn't as Liverpudlian as their banter. The singer and drummer chatted a little, mostly drumming up sales for their upcoming headline tour and merch. The penultimate song had all the womenfolk singing along "you're addicted to me" while the finale brought the tempo up slightly for people to bop around to again. <br /><br /><br /><b><u>Circa Waves</u></b><br /><br />This might be the type of showmanship that the guys from Vista could draw inspiration from. The four members came on stage with swagger - I mean you've got to when you have enough strobe lights to brighten a coal mine and five cannons spewing pyrotechnics meters into the air. Musically I would hope that Vistas will take their strong start and surpass the offerings from these fellas - not that CW are bad with their upbeat indie rock but there are higher heights to hit. <i>Time Won't Change Me </i>went over well with me, while most anything else went down with the hyperactive young crowd. I'll admit that I sheltered just under the overhang to avoid dripping beer and too much of the constant swell that consumed most of the dance floor. That wasn't even when the band tried to split the audience to have them collapse on each other as a singalong hit. The set closer was Fire that Burns, appropriately using orange strobes and a spray of sparks as background. Despite one of the quietest, most lacklustre encore breaks (grumble, grumble, entitled generation..) Circa Waves came back for a couple anyhow, of course. Sticking with the literal they played <i>Goodbye</i> - not sure if it's a normal phenomenon for half the crowd to get on the shoulders of the other half to sway along to this ballad. As true finale they asked the seated upper deck (of a near sellout) to stand up and singalong as they fired up the pyro again.Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2135716522300598790.post-55469088407772590962019-05-02T17:13:00.001-04:002019-05-02T17:13:19.427-04:00Rufus Wainwright - Symphony Hall - April 22, '19<b>Rachel Eckroth </b>opened from behind a slew of boards. Primarily a keyboardist she also built the songs on the fly through loops, drum tracks and vocoder. Her voice wasn't bad and neither were the songs but there also wasn't much to set her apart. I ended up closing my eyes to take in a chunk of the set and it worked just swell. <br /><br /><b>Rufus Wainwright</b><br />The band assembled on stage before <b>Rufus</b>' silhouette, top hat and all, fell onto the giant projection that backed the stage. In a striped suit he took to centre stage surrounded by a drummer (wearing giant over-ear protection), a bass player, two keyboardists including <b>Rachel</b>, and an older gentleman with white hair (dyed red and black like a crow had bloodied it by diving into him) who was the musical director for the show and excellent guitarist to boot. That booming voice filled the giant symphony hall with his signature sound as they played through a good selection of songs from his debut and others from the catalogue. Between the man and the ego he bantered about all the times he'd played this room and told interesting stories about his mother<b> Kate McGarrigle</b>, as well as <b>Leonard Cohen </b>(though not before <i>Hallelujah</i>, I will note). A highlight had to be telling the story of playing <b>Joni Mitchell</b>'s 75th birthday party before launching into stand-out of the night, <i>Both Ways</i>, which he funnily lamented he didn't actually play for her because <b>Seal </b>stole that honour. He sang this after removing his jacket to reveal a dazzling and sparkly sleeveless golden shirt. "Pretty good for 45," he quipped. Seemingly part of the act now Rufus gave off a holy (or holier than thou?) presence, built up by having his tech not only bring his guitars when changing but also plugging them in for him. <div>
<br />Following the intermission he came back in a similar manner but with the projection, the top hat and the jacket changed. The opener of <u>Poses</u> was the song I was here to see more than any other and he nailed <i>Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk</i>. Unfortunately for me it was all kinds downhill from there as the life of the set was lost as they stuck to the <u>Poses</u> track list and, good as it is, I'm not intimately familiar and it stagnated. Even the ridiculously large jacket made of a million jewels which he needed help taking off and replacing with a similarly adorned black one that covered the entire piano didn't spice it up that much. Following another hour plus in the second set alone they wrapped Poses and the set opened up again. A near standing ovation greeted his first departure though not all joined in. The entire band returned for one or two, including his version of <i>Across the Universe </i>which awkwardly saw a handful of fans (?) standing on stage with a candle but they failed to wave it when appropriate despite Rufus' prompting. It was a nice ending, no <i>Hallelujah</i>, but provoked another ovation perhaps larger than the first and the grand master left for good. </div>
Stefan Andrushenkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05973748917324922866noreply@blogger.com0