Dan Mangan, Elliott Brood - Riverfest (Sat Aug 23)

Jadea Kelly had very nice vocals for laying in the grass near the tent.

Elliott Brood
As the black-clad Young Galaxy had joked earlier they had lost the coin toss with Elliott Brood to see who got to wear white so the trifecta came onstage (early due to a botched intro by the awful MC) blanc top to bottom. Rather than get right into it they opened slower but next got into the favourites with Oh, Alberta (but no If I Get Old). As this was a folk fest you think people would be getting down but perhaps put off by the couple new tracks from the forthcoming record it wasn't all-encompassing buy-in, though the folks from Windsor seemed to enjoy it, earning a special shout-out ironically before Northern Air. When they decided to The Valley Town the folks were coming around and reinstating the old tradition of passing out pans and wooden spoons the lucky bunch got to bang along to the set-ender Write It All Down for You.

Dan Mangan
Always a pleasure to see you Dan but this time around there was a sense of anticipation - I know you're done the album so give us a listen already! Blacksmith, the newly christened five-piece backing band including violin and horn, did their part as Dan sang into each of his two mics opening with Oh Fortune and 'classic' Road Regrets. Then we had it, a first glimpse of the much-anticipated new record via a song entitled Mouthpiece. Whereas after the last record came out things like "departure" and "giant leap forward" were batted around this song seems like a fitting follow-up to the grand sound of Oh, Fortune as it was musically thick, featuring a healthy dollop of violin, and self-proclaimed "the wordiest song yet." Later in the set was another new song that sang something like 'forget real life and dwell' and was less Postwar Blues and more Leaves, Trees, Forest (both of which were played this show.) On Blues the instrumental lead-in, despite a couple technical difficulties, built and built until it was a recognizable swell the song tore up although not quite to the degree that it has before in its unbridled live incarnation. Following this onslaught Blacksmith temporarily excused themselves so Dan could win over any remaining crowd talkers with beautiful Basket. Upon their return they played Starts with Them.. before the second new track and Leaves along with its extended outro. This outro carried on and on until you could make out Robots which was the natural singalong that it is. I suspected this would be the finale, as has been the case so many times before, but an emboldened Dan blew through the 2 minute warning and began Rows of Houses. Who was going to stop him? It was another impressive song and something that would have been lacking had they cut it. Nobody on stage seemed too concerned about running over as Dan left Blacksmith behind to take their time and finish the song properly. Totally worth a hand slap.

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.

Hillside Saturday Late- Rich Aucoin, Elliott Brood (July 28/12)

Elliott Brood

With Elliott Brood I have had some magnificent concert experiences, ahem Vancouver Olympics, small Club Vinyl Guelph, but most recently a sub par show at the Phoenix in Toronto. Prior to their set I'd allowed the most recent memory to cloud my judgement and had decided to branch out and skip their set. However as things at Hillside changed on the fly I was able to come over for the last few tracks and, boy, was I glad that I did. Their music is so upbeat and just asking for people to clap, bang and dance along that when that doesn't happen (looking at you Toronto) an entirely important aspect of the experience is notably missing. At Hillside one needn't worry about whether people will dance though so I found myself swept up in the Elliott Brood swirl that was already underway. Unfortunately I apparently missed the flash-mob that broke out earlier, and didn't have a pot or a pan to bash on but that all would have just been gravy. A good time, not a long time, as I managed to shimmy to a few favourites including Valley Town and a joyous rendition of Miss You Now. The latter finally went off after speedily troubleshooting and replacing a wonky amp right before the final song. Whatta time!

Zeus
The tradeoff in staying til the very end of Elliott Brood was a lack of sightlines from the back corner picnic bench of the Island Tent for Zeus. It's not so much their visual antics as their revved up throwback sound that their show is about anyhow. That meant only catching glimpses of them shredding Marching Through Your Head and The Renegade, while not ideal, wasn't the greatest loss either.

Rich Aucoin
What do you get when you insert Canada's premier party-starter in Rich Aucoin into the biggest party night of Canada's premier festival? You get all of the following, plus so many more intangibles that I'm sure to have forgotten (and probably couldn't even put into words anyhow).

To begin with, the word was out and the tent was utterly crammed with partygoers excitedly bouncing beach balls in anticipation while the tech crew hurriedly set up for the final set of the night. Finally it got underway and it appeared like a shoddily built tower of cards with a video projector on top but somehow we got through the entire intro video without too many blackouts. The video, as always, featured a number of chopped up youtube sensation videos as well uplifting and hilarious thank-yous and shout-outs, including one to yours truly the "official Hillside weatherman" (a nod to a tweet from earlier in the day). This was all done in full darkness, and finally after the extended setup and then the intro vid, when the lights came up and the music started all of that pent up energy exploded into a swaying, frothing sea of humans. What songs did he play? Who played which instrument? These are inconsequential details when the fact of the matter is that it was sheer excitement and fun throughout the altogether too short closing set. Rich himself did some crowd surfing, set off heaps of confetti bombs, climbed one of the tent poles and generally hyped up an already hyper audience. And yes, the signature parachute did make its appearance! Unfortunately it was far too small to physically contain everyone in attendance but it stretched just far enough for me to be on the edge of it, and the childlike joy that it brought permeated the whole tent. As the song goes "we can't leave It all in our heads" and we didn't, as we absolutely went off, leaving it all on the floor and marching off into the night with exuberance!

Elliott Brood, Wintersleep (Danforth Music Hall, Oct 21/12)

Elliott Brood

With popcorn on the brain, from the classic red and white striped Elliott Brood signage and white draped backdrop to the scent in the air at the Danforth Music Hall, the scene was set for a show. The trio delivered in fine fashion as all the props helped to fill out the stage. It had all the great things an EB show should have - banjo, harmonica (Without Again), filthy, seated guitar playing (If I Get Old) and heaps of shout-it-out, clap-along tunes. There were also a few additional oddities in The Banjo Song and an old kazoo "standard" Old Dan Tucker. It seemed to only improve as the show progressed, from early-on Northern Air through Valley Town, Ambassador and the crowd-favourite Oh Alberta. What else would wrap this opening act than Miss You Noooooooooooooow?!

Wintersleep

Yes, I've seen Wintersleep a lot lately - and yes they are worth it every time. Some extra production seemed to have gone into this tour too as Elliott Brood's stage was dismantled and replaced by the lighting system and two cool, large Hello Hum cover-esque stands that appeared to be translucent fogged and etched glass boxes (but were more likely wooden with neat lighting). Not only the stage and lighting but the show opened with a projected video before the five of them took to the stage with amazing album opener Hum. The set list wasn't all that different from previous shows but the musicianship was just as high, so to see amazing music performed live by skilled musicians is still a treat. 

Highlights: That ending on Resuscitate just floors ya. The reverb on Smoke once it finally drops sounds so great live. Oblivion! Closing a set with Laser Beams and then Miasmal and the Yellow Bellied Freaks doesn't get much better. Still having Dead Letter and the Infinite Yes in the tank as part of the two-song encore (with Nerves Normal, Breath Normal.)

They were inundated with requests from the audience and although they couldn't get to them all promised to be back real soon. Not a problem with me - I'll gladly do it again!

Other tunes: In Came the Flood, Jaws of Life, Archaeologists, Nothing is Anything, Weighty Ghost

Elliott Brood, $100 (Phoenix, Nov 18)

Elliott Brood


Elliott Brood, the solo-named three-piece, were ecstatic to be home playing for an adoring hometown crowd. The Phoenix seemed a large venue when I first heard of the show but who knew all the misfits that their 'death country' could draw. The place was full and people were audibly excited. It was unfortunate that the beginning of the set after the initial excitement of their appearance was hampered slightly by less familiar new material and more so by technical difficulties. The latter visibly frustrated the seated (in a wonderfully EB branded wooden chair) guitarist who spent nearly an entire song sang by his partner and drummer swapping cables, guitars, pedals and amps before plugging in and ripping an electric guitar solo straight off to close out the tune. Nothing like making up for lost time!

It seemed that as the set passed the midway point of a damn good chunk of their catalogue, primarily Days Into Years new, but also touches of old, that the energy and intensity grew. Don't get me wrong - If I Get Old, Hold You and Northern Air are strong additions to their repertoire and nice to hear live, but what takes off with a crowd more than a round about their country's provinces? (Oh, Alberta) Follow that up with the double ukuleles of The Valley Town and you've got the crowd playing into your hands. By the end people were jumping up and down and hollering out the lyrics and it was as an Elliott Brood show we've come to know. Perhaps it was the larger space or the newer songs but given enough time they brought it around. Their final song, Chuckwagon, had them playing two acoustic guitars and drums so intently that is was awesome to watch. Even though it had been a plentiful set they crescendoed at the right time and had us begging for more.

First encore song must have been a cover that brought things back into this realm only to ratchet it right back up there for Miss You Now! How could I have forgotten about that classic? And it was phenomenal to see people handing the love over to their hometown heroes (sorry Windsor, they live here now). Elliott Brood were bringing it home for the hometown crowd. Nothing beats ending on a high note.

$100

There are a small handful of bands that win adoration from critics and adoring fans that I just can't seem to crack into. One Hundred Dollars would fall into this category. Due to love from fellow artists that I enjoy I have seen them a few times but the female-vocal, peppy (for country) country just can't worm its way into my heart. Simone's delivery is unique but seemingly without much effort. She performed one song with a simple drum pulse which was interesting. The electric guitar lead is pretty impressive on songs, and the drumming from the fill-in female on somewhat repetitive Waiting on Another was great too. Fifty minutes of this was too much for me and I was fine to see them go after Ties that Bind.