Rah Rah, Paper Lions - Horseshoe - Oct 23

Paper Lions

Although they were technically opening, Paper Lions played as if it was a headlining gig, both in length and effort. For nearly an hour they sampled tracks from throughout their catalog while their lead singer spoke in a very assured manner. And it sounded like it as well, bringing their pop-rooted indie rock all the way from PEI. Partway through all four of them took to the middle of the moderately full 'shoe floor and I passed the singer a stool so he could be seen while they presented a version of Polly Hill that featured simply their vocals and his acoustic guitar. Nearing the end of the set, after they'd clambered back on stage, they did a big ol' rendition of Strawberry Man before everyone but the singer departed and he gave a prolonged intro to Traveling, about their video going quietly viral, and then everyone returned to play it out. Surprisingly it was only the second to last tune as this set just kept on giving. Very generous.

Rah Rah
It seemed that Rah Rah, who have a solidified lineup, played the tunes they wanted to play for the first half of the set, including Betrayal Pt. 1 and Henry but also two brand new songs from the forthcoming LP tentatively scheduled for the spring. These were both danceable and may take a little familiarity but sounded promising. They did the anywhere-percussion of Beaches then 20s before the free-flowing second half kicked in which saw them with the more familiar instrument swap. This brought us Art and a Wife, First Kiss, and Duet.. but also the R A H balloons which seem like fun at first but become a distraction and then an annoyance until someone pops them. They shut it down with Prairie Girl which was great and left "one we haven't played in awhile" for their only encore, Arrows. Not a mind-blowing performance from this Saskatchewan band but another solid outing.

Rah Rah, Two Hours Traffic, July Talk, Balconies - Lee's (CMW Mar 21/13)

Rah Rah

As far as I'm concerned Rah Rah stole the show, as they have been known to do. Their energy and stage presence serves them well as they swap vocals, places and instruments throughout the set with mostly seamless transitions. Erin Passmore was slightly under the weather and it showed but only slightly as the other female, Kristina Hedlund, pointed out how great she could sound even while sick. Kristina's own song with leading vocals on the other hand sounded amiss, without explanation. Duet for Emmylou ramped up the fairly full Lee's Palace crowd early and they stuck with them through 20's and onto First Kiss, the closer that came complete with Rah Rah balloons.

Two Hours Traffic
Perhaps it is Two Hours Traffic fatigue, or the fact that they didn't include a whole lot of new material, but it seemed like a run of the mill set from the band. Mind you that still means catchy hooks and sweet guitar melodies, there just wasn't much to push their 35 minute showcase over the edge. The fact that it was a CMW showcase probably explains the leaning on go-to's like Stuck for the Summer and closer Heroes of the Sidewalk but for longtime fans it left just a little to be desired. We wanted to hear more of Foolish Blood but would have to be content with the four, including Audrey, Magic and top track Amour than Amis.

July Talk
Four relatively non-descript guys assembled on stage to close out the night. (Okay they're describable - the drummer looked like the not-homeless movie star from Arrested Development and the lead singer had the bad boy look down, or maybe that was based on his behaviour.) The singer started up with his gravelly, punk voice (think Tom Waits) and the musicians backed him and then strutted in the lady of the hour. What a presence she had as she came in, an enchanting visage. Then she sang and I realized that under that brown, fur jacket, jean shorts, fishnets, and white shades was a voice to offset that growl nicely. As hinted, the lead singer was quite mischievous, pushing his guitarist around, kissing band members on the cheek, and playfully tugging at the lady's eclectic apparel. At one point the two with the mics knelt down to worship at the feet of their guitarist who laid down an excellent solo. It wasn't the set I was expecting having listened to a couple songs in preparation but it was highly entertaining. Another hometown band to cheer on.

The Balconies

You could hear her from the short line on Bloor as The Balconies Leading Lady started up in full rock star mode. She sure can command a crowd with her dancing thighs, wild eyes and whipped black hair; her antics really proved how she could soak up the limelight. The 4 piece band weren't too shabby either as they rocked hard in a grungy, 80's-rock way, laying on thick bass lines. In their denim vests and jackets they performed a show that was full-on and won over many in the surprisingly packed Lee's Palace.

Rah Rah & Rococode (Horseshoe Sept 18/12)

Rococode are an underrated four-piece make some indie rock songs with some deceiving dynamics. Vocals are shared between a male and female vocalist but it is Laura Smith who steals the spotlight with her delicate beauty and not so delicate vocals on songs like Empire. In other spots, like the opening number, there's an interplay akin to Mother Mother but that did not persist throughout. The synths and effects are important but do not overwhelm the bass, guitar and drums. It is the way these elements play off each other and cut in and out sometimes unexpectedly that keeps the music so interesting. The second last song had a "dry your eyes" backing chorus and really hit its mark. Impressed yet again.

Caught the last of the third band after ducking out for the second. Mystery Machine were four-man guitar-centric, fast rock band with punk tendencies and loyal fans.
Rah Rah were batting clean up after midnight at New Music Night and they definitely batted home a few runs. As with the new album, The Poet's Dead, they opened with Art and a Wife which is a good choice as it is a stand out song. There was a mix of older material, just as there was a mix of the six players swapping instruments - often mid-song. This kept things fresh as did the vocals coming from all around the stage - even whoever happened to be manning the kit. Halfway through the set they road tested a block of new material, and I may be biased as I like the new album but it went off well. Erin Passmore led on Prairie Girl which is a fun song and 20s has hit written on it if you ask me. The hollering on Henry is always fun, as is the drumsticks-around-the-room of Beaches. Once the R A H balloons were passed out late in Arrows the set was coming to a close but not before a beautiful closer in the Duet for Emmylou. This band is so great and they're working so hard I've gotta hope the recognition is there for this album. Can't wait for them to come back and tour it some more.

Setlist:

Rah Rah smash The Mod Club (Sept. 8 '11)

Rah Rah have been a delight every time I've seen them so I was excited to discover they were warming up the Said the Whale crowd. Off the top the sextet got The Betrayal Pt. 1 out of the way with the most fun a betrayal ever has. The arrangement saw women on drums, keys and accordion/violin, while the guys were more traditionally posted on a couple electric guitars and a bass. This wasn't to last much beyond Henry and Tentacles though. Following the drumming-on-the-speaker slow-down of Beaches the rotation began; bass to drums to keys to bass. The drummer-turned-keyboardist with the large quaff of hair also picked up vocal duties on the tired/sleep lyrics of Salty Cities that approached proggy territory on the outro. Another song with a strong ending came next in Duet for Emmylou before the keyboardist returned to her original post and added vocals to My Guarantee, while the multi-talented drummer now slipped a bass over her shoulder. It didn't end there either, for those of you keeping score at home the female violin player then took the keys and lead vocals for What About Love while the the key lady grabbed keys of a different sort - synths. Next was a slightly odd interlude where the dude on drums led a call and response about all the bands playing that night (I say - you say) followed by Ghosts. More swapping saw the lineup close to the same as off the top but with the lead male vocalist doing a turn on bass. It worked for Arrows, which prominently featured the violin in a great way. All of this to say the band is dynamic.
To add to this they tossed massive R A H balloons into the crowd to be batted around under a blast of confetti (something to do with Hollerado in the crowd?). There was a joyful feeling as they carried on with an instrumental intro to Breaking Hearts then stormed through Cuba/Peru in finale. It was a smash just like the pinata they destroyed during it. The band is so upbeat, so multi-talented and so much fun! Every time I see them is a joyful experience.