Burning Hell, Blimp Rock - Dakota - Oct 23

The Burning Hell

Somehow it was Mathias' first time in the Dakota and they even took the stage as the opening act of the early time slot. Using the excuse that a member was vacationing (in Spain, with his mother) he was accompanied by only Nick Ferrio on bass and Ariel Sharon on the plugged clarinet. As an introduction, Mathias played My Name is Mathias on his acoustic guitar and then they proceeded with mostly cuts from the latest full length, not reaching back overly far. One exception was a new tune about rapping that was followed by the song that inspired it, Amateur Rappers. A mid set story about a public washroom dilemma had everyone laughing but the smaller audience was already rapt and enjoying the shared smirks at the sly jokes hidden throughout. We earned a joke from Ariel and audience participation during the Amateur Rapper joke, plus a clarinet keynote in the finale. 

It was a grin-worthy night as usual that also included Kings of the Animal Kingdom and a singalong for Industrialists.

Blimp Rock
Blimp Rock are built on a joke premise but don't seem to be a joke band. I was surprised that they had the later set on the early Dakota bill with The Burning Hell but they were a fitting partner so it didn't much matter. The mixed-sex four piece included a female drummer who had at least two incorrect set lists that threw them for a loop while the lead singer threw down a little dance at one point. They played a likeable twee pop show to the majority of people who stuck around.

Sunparlour Players - Dakota (Nov 27/13)

At this point I'm not going to the Sunparlour Players to hear new songs, though that will be nice when the currently recording album drops in the spring, it is for the guaranteed good feelings. Sure, all the songs played on this eve are from a previously released album and have all been witnessed live at many of the countless concerts I've attended but that doesn't reduce the urge to hand clap, or repress the smile as Rosie plays the bass with one hand, the xylophone with another and kicks a drum beat. Yes, the crowd was subdued for the first set but by the second there was dancing and drinking and serendipity. All night while they played '77, North, Green Thumb, and Thunderstruck I was waiting for John Had a Bell which they saved for a romp at the end. The encore provided a rock medley send off for the final night of a two month, weekly Dakota residency in style.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunparlour Players, Let's Just Be Friends - Dakota (Mar 26/13)

The Sunparlour Players were in fine form on this Tuesday night, as well they should be with the end of a month that saw them playing Tuesday night residency sets at the Dakota and Wednesdays in Guelph. Their first set stretched well into the evening and covered a solid number of their top songs - though really the quality of the songs is top-notch even with the fairly wide-ranging variation that they cover. This is especially impressive given that they are down to a two-piece, and it continues to amaze me how they lost a third of their band yet continue to reproduce that same SPP sound. Mind you this is no easy feat and does take each member playing a number of instruments with all extremities at most times. The baritone recipe from their latest Sunparlour Preserves EP played them in but unfortunately I didn't hear the catchy single from that release, Shake and Bake for Goodness Sake, by the time I left partway through the second and final set. They did pull out standards If the Creeks Don't Rise and Battle of '77 as if they weren't show closers, finally shutting it down with the wildly intense John Had a Bell and a Whistle. Maybe I'm just a huge fan but it felt like a best-of first set, with the second act serving as a little more experimental. This makes sense as now that March is over their plan is to hunker down and cut a new record. Can't wait for that to drop and add some new favourites to the repertoire they can tour!

Let's Just Be Friends

A relatively recently formed band featuring two lead vocalist females (and guitar players), with delightfully airy voices when necessary. Behind them the three guys were no slouches either - quite literally with the drummer who didn't even have a stool to sit at for the entire show, which probably added to the intensity that he beat his set. The cello player did understandably have a seat where he could give them an interesting sound without a bass as the last member played the guitar, and he played it perched from a chair for the final song. There were more than a couple songs I found myself picking out as really solid. A great deal of promise here and I hope that they remain friends for some time.

Weather Station duets - Dakota Tavern (Feb 15/13)

Tamara Lindeman was the brainchild behind this intimate night of duets from a group of familiar faces from the Toronto indie music scene. Tamara plays a key role in Bruce Peninsula but takes center stage as a solo artist under the moniker The Weather Station. However on this evening she was more than willing to share the limelight with deserving artists that run within the circle. For as she mentioned off the top during her introduction, music is something often written from a very personal, and even lonely, space yet it then becomes an integral part of a musician's identity and the conversations that they then have. She looked at this duet project as a way to open up that conversation from the beginning. This evening was the display of the fruits of this attempt.

It began in an understated manner as Tamara simply went from soundchecking to picking her small acoustic guitar lightly until the crowd, diners and drinkers alike, realized and cut conversation completely. She played two lovely solo songs to set the mood before inviting her first guest of the early evening show - Simone Schmidt (who plays in One Hundred Dollars and Fiver). Coupling this country twang voice with Tamara's excellent, but delicate, sound worked amazingly well as they both picked away. Things were off to a sweet start and they did a second number together before passing the baton to Misha Bower.

Misha and Tamara must be used to singing together from their roles in Bruce Peninsula so it wasn't surprising to hear the great harmonies they could produce with just the two of them. After a tune accompanied by guitar they put away all instruments for a gutsy a capella number which wowed us all.

Continuing with the BP band members the second bearded man in command from that band, Matt Cully, accompanied for a nice song called Brothers and Sisters (which he admitted to giving to writing for this purpose and then retaking it for his forthcoming solo project). Misha chimed in on the following as the three of them sang Chair on Fire.

The man going by Marine Dreams joined next. The first song was fraught with confusion as things sounded amiss but it wasn't until partway through the song that they realized his guitar was tuned differently. Once that was rectified they carried forward, completing the song and playing two more.

To return from the intermission we once again had to notice the soft strumming coming from the stage and silence soon fell. Steve Lambke aka Baby Eagle (aka Constantines member) was up next and their duet was quite engaging as well.

As Steve left a duo of females took his place - one named Felicity, though I didn't recognize either. They sang a poem converted to song as a threesome before Tamara stepped aside to allow them to sing an old standard that Tamara herself admitted stole the show to that point. These three petite females then sang a song backed by the towering Afie Jurvanen (Bahamas) on guitar. The juxtaposition between Afie's deep voice and the much higher Tamara's actually worked extremely well.

To close out the evening Tamara gushed about Ryan Driver's songwriting as she introduced him to play piano and sing, as well as a man named Charles to play the stand-up bass and sing as well. They then displayed this songwriting ability on the first song of the evening to feature any instruments beyond the acoustic guitar. It worked. To conclude the evening they played a song "we all wished we'd written" and wrapped the night up with a quick-stop ending that brought a rousing round of applause.

As was pointed out it is not that easy to get all of these talented people into a room together at the same time. It was a real treat to see the depth of the talent in even this small sampling of the Toronto pool of artists. We should all feel the bump of civic pride.

Elliott Brood - Dakota Tavern (Jan 30/13)

The first of a couple of sold out nights at the Dakota Tavern offered to make up for a last minute postponement of their New Year's Eve gig - with good reason as Casey's wife gave birth to Toronto first baby of 2013 at the stroke of midnight. Despite the friendly, intimate confines it still took til nearer the end of the opening set for things to really hit their stride. The three-piece have a definite sound and while there is a coherent theme throughout some songs hit a bit harder, and in the first set these were notably newer - If I Get Old and Northern Air, though Second Son was also a winner. As they'd played while opening for Wintersleep last autumn they whizzed through the kazoo-laden Old Man Tucker, that is until the final verse that had more than a couple false starts before they finally nailed it.

Being a Wednesday night you can't blame people for taking off during (or even before) the second set but you can blame them as this is where EB hit their stride. There were extended jams and shots and laughs. How's this for a string of shout 'em out, clapalong tunes - Oh Alberta!, into the dual ukes on The Valley Town, Write It All Down For You, then a banjo-driven song before finally rounding out the night with the go-to Miss You Now. Sure I may not have been planning to go to the New Year's eve show anyhow but I'm glad I reaped the benefit of this make-up show.

Strumbellas - Dakota (Jan 8/13)

The first of a month-long weekly residency at the Dakota Tavern, The Strumbellas began to make themselves comfortable , packing six people on the small stage. Only six as the enigmatic keyboardist was noticeably absent although other members promised he would return next week. With that rug on the stage I anticipated bare feet all around but I suppose being winter there was only one pair to begin, though lead man, Simon, did join in the fracas partway through the first of two sets. Even as they played favourites, like Lakes and The Sheriff, the crowd remained somewhat tentative and didn't break into the hoedown as desired. The written set list was extensive but they didn't stick to it at all, choosing to mix in some covers to keep things spicy. A rendition of Modest Mouse's Float On didn't just hit the spot but nailed it. Later on The House of The Rising Sun was also a winner. Even without the full-on party that I'd hoped for the show was still great fun and everyone seemed pleased with Pistol as a closer, but not pleased enough not to beg a one-song encore.

The Strumbellas are set to do this all month. Do yourself a favour and check 'em out on Tuesday!

Openers were the Tin Star Orphans who were rather entertaining. The male lead singer's voice was not what was expected based on his appearance but he did sound really good (even if he had to make silly emotive faces to achieve it).

The Beauties (Dakota Aug 26/12)

Having honed their skills on this very stage Sunday nights for years now it should be no surprise just how tight The Beauties are on stage. I didn't recognize any of their own songs but they easily had enough material for the evening, mining other catalogues as well, such as some slightly lesser known Stones'. With two electric guitars and an acoustic they've got the flexibility to do a lot and they did it well. These didn't overshadow the big bass sound nor the singing drummer. In fact, everyone but the bassist took a turn at the mic as they knew how to keep it interesting after so many gigs. A fun night, glad I was finally able to make it out on a Sunday.

Bruce Peninsula with Bruce Peninsula (Dakota Tavern, Nov 16)

The Dakota Tavern is a wonderfully intimate place, and the Bruce Peninsula band is full of wonder that best rubs off in an intimate setting. Having played a slew of shows in Toronto since reviving the revue not even half a year ago, this one was not to be missed not only because the new album has now had time to resonate but it would be in this small space. As an additional bonus they displayed some of their sometimes overlook wonders by opening for themselves. Yes, a novel idea where they allowed their members to showcase some of their solo or side material, or just to have a different tank on BP mainstays.

Starting off this quirky set was a solo acoustic guitar under the the Choir of the Bruce Peninsula. Following we heard from the Tamara-led, also acoustic, Weather Station, and one from Andrew who traded his bass for guitar and vocals. The band reconvened for the new Or So I Dreamed before a personal highlight in Eons that included Matt's vocals alongside the four females and lap steel. Micha set the entire band rolling with their a capella parts and then sang over it to great results. Ensemble they slowed down Shutters before the drummer stepped forward. First he gave a history of popular drummer-cum-frontmen before singing a song that was quite enjoyable, pausing in the middle for a seemingly incongruous ramble about a classic Christmas film, before he finally brought it back around tying it in to vocal rhythms. And then split the crowd and asked us to provide the vocal rhythm to complete the song - it was quirky, funny and fun. Neil Haverty, 'lead singer', brought it down a little with a slower number on electric guitar before Micha led us in a Sesame Street singalong 'bout jelly. Don't ask - it fit somehow. In first set finale it was a live favourite in their take on Loudon Wainwright III's Swimming Song  that was as strong as ever.

The "ten minute break" before the main set stretched much further but it wasn't as if anyone was going anywhere. Bruce Peninsula were about to play their new material plus a smattering of old favourites. In fact Neil had the idea of opening with Satisfied to get things rolling off the top. Good call! Following that was a joyous set of new Open Flames, As Long As I Live, Pull Me Under and single, Your Light amongst them. This was done with a full contingent of nine members squashed on the tiny stage, as their tour manager joined them to add double percussion throughout (yay!). Playing a bass and lap steel on the same track is impressive and was often accomplished. Another highlight was the new Say Yeah which started slower but built up so, so well. Adrenaline further proved how versatile and great the new material is with it's unique percussion. Micha led what I believe was a cover about a lying salesman before they hit us with Inside/Outside into Steamroller. Honestly, I swear it never gets old.

No chance were they getting off that easy - despite playing practically their entire repertoire. They did a number by a preacher with a gusty call-and-response chorus and then surged the night to climax with a rousing Crabapples in closing. Tastes just fine to me!

Sunparlour Players, Mantler (Dakota Tavern, June 5, 2011)

In a one-off as a reprieve from writing and recording new material the three piece donned their suits for a night of entertainment. North is the perfect opener and I'm happy to report the Sunparlour Players continue to employ it in that capacity. Warning that his voice was likely to fail the lead singer soldiered on and frankly sounded just fine pulling out one great tune after another from their first (and only) two records. The new stuff must not be quite at a ready stage just yet as there weren't a whole lot I didn't recognize. Still the set-list definitely wasn't lacking with renditions of John Had a Bell and a Whistle, O Captain, Battle of '77 and of course, If the Creeks Don't Rise. Interspersed were percussion breakdowns and a tonne of instrument swaps - often mid song. For three guys, two sets and thirty instruments (okay bowed xylo, keys, guitars, multiple drumsets and all sorts of bells, accordion, clarinet, banjo, tambo, amongst many others) they really create a jovial, foot stomping time, every time. Tonight at the Dakota was no exception!

Mantler entertained as a lounge act should. It may have been the white suit over pink frills in part, but on top of that the set had that feel to it. From the simple song-title banter down to the keyboard driven, lyric based songs (with a healthy side of drums) the duo had a simple formula and stuck with it. Fresh and Fair played second last and was a tune I recognized and the promised (in dead pan) "epic" finale featured the lead rising from his seat to drop what really needs to be called a rap - an older, white gentleman's rap - to the delight of the Dakota patrons.