The National - Yonge Dundas NXNE (June 14/13)

A large group fleshed out the touring sound of NXNE big, free act for 2013. An even larger group of fans thronged to the stage and well beyond, closing Yonge Street in fact, to catch their adult indie rock. The National entertained for a long time, drawing from their now wealthy horde of songs with the addition of the very enjoyable Trouble Will Find Me collection just this year. That being said there is somewhat of a formula and having come into them hard with Alligator and eased off a little more from Boxer until the latest there were admittedly a few numbers that may have been released but didn't really register with me. Unfortunately from my close, but to the side location I couldn't see much of the guitar and bass section however the brass was bumping. And of course there's the gruff voiced Berninger who leads the way with mic in hand. Actually he led it all the way out into a tour of the crowd more than once (to the chagrin of security who had to deal with these ventures and the tangle of cables that resulted.) The stronger songs did draw me in so if I'd been a bigger fan I think I would have lapped it all up, thereby not matching their Massey Hall performance that had drawn me back into the fan fold. A generous encore naturally delivered Mr. November but then returned with an a cappella Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks version which was lost on some of the crowd for lack of familiarity or projection of sound. All told it was a decent set in a kinda crummy venue that could have shortened the length to remain focussed, at least for this casual fan.

Alvvays - Arts & Crafts NXNE Pop-up Shop (June 13/13)

Alvvays have been on my radar since the Two Hours Traffic shakeup saw Alec O'Hanley leave to join Molly Rankin in this endeavor. Also on my radar, though for a much shorter time period, was the Arts & Crafts photograph installation for NXNE. The latter would prove interesting for what it was, while the former turned out not to be worth the wait.

The gallery included B&W close-ups of members of nearly all the current label’s roster, many of which blown up to larger-than-life proportions. The Snowblink pic was particularly interesting as it showed half of each members face, one in profile, the other half-covered by the first. In the back room was a collage of candid (and not so-) photos that chronicled the lifespan of Broken Social Scene, which in itself branches throughout much of the other bands featured elsewhere. A neat glimpse into the down-to-earth social lives of the artists whose art so many of us have come to idealize.

Back in the front room the band was behind schedule – a NXNE no-no. The reason was a terrible soundcheck by a seemingly unpractised, or perhaps just inept, sound technician and despite the delay there was a noticeable buzz that persisted for the entire set. At first it seemed this was what was bothering Alec as he dully played his guitar with a frown on his face and attempted to rearrange amps and mics between songs in a futile attempt to clear the air. From what I’ve heard from - and about - Molly Rankin I was expecting her vocals to save the day but was dismally disappointed. At no point did she enunciate or even put anything that could be construed as emotion into her performance. With uninterested members, monotone vocals and rather bland songs there were not many redeeming qualities. The parade of hand-holding adults who streamed by the Queen Street window provided the best distraction of the set!

Eight and a Half, Plants and Animals (NXNE June 15/12)

Eight and a Half

Last time I tried to catch Eight and a Half it was at the Edge studios and I hustled there on my bike to catch the latter half of the second of two songs. It sounded good but still an obvious disappointment. This time I again arrived slightly late but caught a significant amount of their Yonge/Dundas Friday evening opening set. The music was atmospheric especially with the synths and Justin Peroff brushing the drums or playing an electronic set with a soft-tipped stick. The singer played an electric guitar and sang into a reverb mic while the man with the beard held down synths and keys. Altogether they managed to recreate their music live quite well. It was enjoyable even beyond thirty seconds this time - and oh, boy! that guitar line on Scissors is so simple yet so great.

Plants and Animals

Their appearance was a little offputting. One guiy had a suit but no shirt and another couple were sporting long blonde hair under their hats (that turned out to be wigs in the end). Beyond their looks the music was solid - a little less prog guitary-y as the last times I saw them. The latest album comes across that way as well and has proven to be my favourite of their entire catalog. More accessible and more hooks altogether. With that in mind I was hoping the live show would step up its game too but from halfway back across the square (undoubtedly full of Matt Good fans staking their spots) it wasn't about to turn me around completely. There's definitely a good deal of live show improv as Bye, Bye, Bye had a noticeably different sound. They did Good Friend and brought out the acoustic for The Mama Papa. Also included were Lightshow, a slow burn on Faerie Dance before rocking it out. They got the crowd into it in the end with a la la singalong but not quite enough to convert fans I'd say.

Matt Good

I knew there were die-hard Matt Good fans out there but I didn't realize there were so many of them as the square flooded with people and I could barely get a vantage point having stepped out for a minute following Plants and Animals. I could still hear that distinct Matt Good voice and was impressed by the excellent guitar  work and hard hitting drums. The band may look their age but they can still play. I didn't recognize any of the first few songs and decided to slip out early so I could regain my personal space.

Brasstronaut twice (NXNE June 15,16/12)

First it was a midnight set at the Gladstone Hotel that was the first time I'd seen Brasstronaut in Toronto and only the second time ever! Mean Sun had been played relentlessly since its release and so I was terribly excited to see them perform it. And perform it they did - in fact they only played songs from this release which may have disappointed some, but considering how well they were done I was not complaining. Their music is just so lush and seemingly complex, it is unlike mainstream music yet is still accessible despite the jazzy influences. The dynamism of the album translated live as the excellent bunch of musicians (trumpet, clarinet, synths, guitar, bass, drums) recreated the sound and feel with an urgency that could be felt. Falklands was especially powerful, though Mean Sun and The Grove also stood out strongly.

The second show was in the heat of the day at Yonge-Dundas Square and even though the setlist was simply a subset of the previous night's show it was still a treat to see them perform again. Hell, I've listened to the album more than once in a day, it's not a stretch to see them twice within 13 hours! Again Falklands was a standout. The relatively small crowd was appreciative of Brasstronaut's performance as they once again closed with Revelstoke Dam.

Utidur Opening at the Gladstone was Utidor from Iceland who had been handpicked by Brasstronaut to open on their North American tour. It could be understood why as the 8-piece had a similarly full, orchestral sound using a bodyless violin, trumpet, male/female vocals as well as sparingly a melodica, double-drums and hand claps. Some songs were Icelandic while others such as Birds Moving Slowly featured interplay between the violin and trumpet for a nice effect. They were definitely a nice way to warm up for Brasstronaut..

Tracks on Tracks: Topless Gay Love Tekno Party+ (NXNE, June 13/12)

Branding yourself as a Topless Gay Love Tekno Party creates expectations - even if people aren't exactly sure what those expectations should be. The members burst on stage for their late night NXNE show at the Gladstone in what must be TLGLTP style. That's to say a style like no other. If they were wearing anything more than mini skintight silver Speedos it was alien-like silver jackets/footwear, but who could really tell through all the glitter, er spacedust. It adorned all members body parts (I'd hate to see their tour van) including a glitter beard and a shower of glitter on every head nod. By that point everyone in the crowd seemed to be sweating glitter as they got into the danceable tunes emanating from this high energy band. The only pause from full-on dance party came as two girls from Sidney York added their oboe and bassoon to the mix for Danger Love. Besides that everyone just partied - My 5! and the self-titled closing tracks were highlights but considering my lack of previous knowledge it was all great. Like nothing I could have imagined yet everything I had hoped for!

Sidney York were not on the official NXNE listing and so they were a surprise as I was expecting the glitter and space suits of Topless Gay Love Tekno Party and instead got the three lovely ladies and their male backing band (bass, guitar, drums). They only did a brief set, perhaps three songs, but they were perky and enjoyable. Closing in fine fashion with a favourite Mile High Love  they were a legitimate treat to see live.

Belle Game had six members including two female vocalists and sometimes added a trumpet too.This resulted in a very full sound. They even did a dance number with an extra drum up front and seemed to sample JT's Cry Me a River. Final song was the single, Sleep to Grow, and it featured a big closing with trumpet and noise. Solid.

I wasn't exactly sure what was coming with Adaline but it wasn't exactly what I got. Using electronic drums. and a sampler in her band the 3 piece was more electronic than expected. In fact I found it tending toward Austra territory, without the same sort of vocals, although Adaline were also strong in her own way. Of course she played The Noise as well as the really neat song Stereo. She deservedly received a solid response from the crowd too.

It was upbeat indie from Maurice, nicely augmented by violin on a couple songs. There were fill in members on the drums and bass and male/female backing vocals. It wasn't game changing but it definitely wasn't bad either.

All this as part of CBC Radio 3's Tracks on Tracks showcase.

Great Heart Festival, Bellwoods (June 17, 2012)

Luke Lalonde

Simple acoustic songs but with his inimitable vocal stylings Luke's 
set wasn't simple at all, though it was short. Leaving his Ruffian cohorts to watch from the grass with the rest of us (I saw Mitch anyhow) Luke entertained with a handful of tunes that put his talent on display. His vocal dynamics were on full display in this stripped down format, even on the cover tune that he mostly remembered the lyrics to (jokes - he'd warned us he might jumble a couple). In finale he played a song I'd heard debuted with the full band incarnation three days previous. While I'd thought at that time how well suited to them it was, with the multiple near full-stop breakdowns, Six Five Thousand also worked in this format. My only complaint was that I wanted more!

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Gregory Pepper
Humbly Greg took to the "stage" (see grass in the park) with his acoustic guitar and entertained us for a third of an hour. His songwriting is pretty interesting though I found the song making light of suicide very inconsiderate. Otherwise it was a fun, light set playing a number of older songs as well as some to be released. Definitely some quirk here and a nice reminder of how much I've enjoyed his previous releases. 



Donovan Woods

Rocking a pretty, acoustic guitar in the park Donovan was supremely entertaining. Utilizing light picking and interesting, literal lyrics the music was quite great and the pointless banter was funny and endearing.









Army girls

Actually a male/female duo with the man playing a covered drum and woman on an electric guitar (a departure from the primarily acoustic Live In Bellwoods theme). Hard to say what exactly was attractive about the set but it was quite a nice bunch of songs from the modest duo. My introduction to them following some good word of mouth reviews and definitely enough for me to follow up further!





Octoberman
The band featuring JJ Ipsen, a stand up bass, drums and two acoustics had to compete with horns, barking dogs, airplanes overhead and bike bells but they did it. Not much standing out about the set though the final song, Run From Safety, sounded pretty good.

Stars (Yonge-Dundas Square, NXNE, June 17, 2011)

From what I can recall this was my ninth time seeing Stars so there wasn't a heckuva lot that surprised me. Of note ...

The Five Ghosts banner hung behind them and that angel/ghost also appeared on Evan's bass.

Amy was in fine form after just giving birth a month or two ago (to Cranley's kid).

Still decking the set out with live flowers, though not nearly as much as the Bedroom tour.

Their exceptional backing guitarist was missing and in his place was an older professional who held it down to Torq's delight, apparently after only two rehearsals.

Songs:
Calendar Girl is always a treat. As is Ageless Beauty and Elevator Love Letter.

Wasted Daylight was a solid performance from the Five Ghosts release.

Your Ex Lover is Dead still hits the mark, and Reunion and One More Night remind how amazing Set Yourself on Fire was.

Take Me to the Riot sounded great too.

Imaginary Cities, Bobby Barzin (Rivoli NXNE, June 16, 2011)

Having never seen them before but seriously fallen for their debut Temporary Resident I was pumped for this show and was happy to get into the capacity Rivoli. The show was just about everything I could have hoped for out of a set. They stayed true to the structure of the songs while adding the raw live energy of rocking outros, guitar flourishes and, perhaps most of all, strong lead vocals. Marti Sarbit commanded the mic from the album/show opener Say You, through a smattering of new songs amidst Temporary Resident faves and even a Cake cover (Mexico) for good measure. This capable Winnepeg band secured my attendance at their next Toronto show, whenever that may be! Best of luck with the Polaris Prize.

Also arriving early had the advantage of catching a few tunes from the soulful-beyond-his-young-face, Bobby Bazini and co. This singer songwriter show some real promise in his genre.

Bruce Peninsula (Rivoli NXNE, June 16, 2011)

It was a comeback show of sorts for Bruce Peninsula, meaning that it was an even more joyous affair than the already-wonderful regular BP show. Following a health-battle over the winter, Neil Havarty was finally back at the helm and obviously happy to be there - both through his demeanour and words. With six vocalists across the front, closing down a great NXNE night at the Rivoli they played a handful of songs presumably off the delayed-til-September new album (but unfortunately not their cover of the Swimming Song). Additionally they broke out some old favourites in the form of set closers Steamroller and Crabapples. As if everyone in the room hadn't done enough hollering and hand-clapping they returned to bring the house down, rolling 2nd 4th World War right into Satisfied! I think I've closed with this cheesy line before, but it sure did leave us all Satisfied.

DD/MM/YYYY (Yonge-Dundas Square, NXNE, June 18, 2011)

Without much previous knowledge of the band, just good swirlings and having heard a few tracks prior, I pedaled over to give them a go. The four-piece played primarily instrumental with a heavy leaning that didn't really fit the gorgeously sunny day in the square. However Day-Month-Year carried on, swapping instruments and sending massive, tin-foil-esque rectangular balloons out into the crowd to be passed overhead. Double percussion dominated and was appreciated in the intricate arrangements. Pretty solid show for the small NXNE afternoon crowd.

Diamond Rings, Land of Talk (Yonge-Dundas Square, NXNE, June 17, 2011)

Diamond Rings has catchy as fly balls songs, but they are laptop constructed beats with some electric strumming overtop. So as much as I dig Special Affections there really isn't too much to entertain at a live show after you note the change of eyeshadow shade and just how skinny those skinny pants are. Is a highlight accidentally unplugging and then re-amping your guitar mid-song? Word was that he rapped on his opening tune (that I missed) - so perhaps a new twist to come?


Land of Talk have never been my thing and even with Gentleman Reg's cross-dressing alter ego, Light Fires, adding vocals on the first few songs I wasn't swayed by this show. The closing instrumental breakdown of the final song sounded good but it was too little, too late for me.

Sweet Thing (Rivoli NXNE, June 16, 2011)

Sweet Thing play catchy indie pop that can border on nauseating, or perhaps that is just the hotter-than-thou antics of their lead singer who spent the entire set posing, flexing or flirting. Luckily the rest of the band were entertaining to draw my attention, especially the bassist who ran and played and sang all over that stage. Opening with Dance Mother was a good sign but I thought there would be more of a dance party beyond the radio single from more than the first two rows of swooning girls. I don't think I'm quite their intended audience so perhaps that was what was missing. Lively enough set, full of pop and swagger, not quite hitting the mark for me.