Arkells, Bahamas, Strumbellas, Kim Churchill, Charles Bradley - Riverfest Friday - (Aug 22/14)

Strumbellas

Running up to the stage, for lineups had delayed our entrance since the strum of the first notes, we managed to dance and hoedown for the final four songs or so. With the heat it was shocking that all members were still wearing shirts, including Dave's emblazoned with his face reading 'Straight outta Toronto!' The aforementioned heat from the sun blazing down on the band didn't keep them from leading a fun show including a Sailing singalong led by Simon and Dave pitting the audience against one another. Would have been nice to dance and not just listen to the whole set but with the likes of Sheriff and Home Sweet Home it was a great start to the weekend fest.

Bahamas

Afie seems to feed off the adoration which is great when he gets it, but without it he can come across as downright sour. Being a late addition to a lawnchair festival doesn't assure you of a loving crowd and the reality was that many people were chatty even while standing near the main stage. With his fellow guitarist and just one female backing vocalist this time, plus his drummer - all of whom outwardly appeared nearly as miserable as Afie himself - their hushed music wasn't meant to and did not overpower the inattentiveness. It's almost understandable that the band playing an album called Bahamas is Afie would be a little perturbed and they did play a number of cuts from the very recently released disc mid set, so even fans wouldn't be overly familiar with the new material yet. The music is well-written and played well live, special recognition to the lovely lady's vocals, but even the more well-known older tunes played off the top and in finale hardly enraptured the crowd who seemed more focused on smoking cigarettes than appreciating fine guitar work.


Kim Churchill
A beloved Hillside name, having drawn a massive crowd on this year's main stage, he has built his reputation on being a one-man band. Yet not a gimmicky busker with cymbals between his knees but a multi-talented musician performing full and dynamic sets all by himself. With that said it was slightly disappointing when he admitted he'd left his gear behind and chose to perform what he termed a "busking set" playing just the acoustic guitar, plugged harmonica and a borrowed kick drum. Even with this minimalist set he was able to win over the moderately sized tent stage crowd by focusing on his songwriting. He played a song he also broke out at Hillside which deals with his grandfather's funeral - a song that was meant to be a celebration in opposition to the morose affair he was subjected to as a lad. This young man has true talent and it was appreciated throughout.


Arkells
Although there was some excitement for night-closer Charles Bradley there seemed to be at least a few others who joined me in thinking that the Arkells were Friday's true headliner. With the greatness of the recently released High Noon I was excited to hear the new material live from a band who obviously have a lot of energy at the moment. They didn't make me wait any longer as the set opened as the album does with Fake Money followed by Come To Light, the latter being one of a large handful of new standouts. These Hamilton boys are crowd-pleasers though and quickly gave some former singles to keep everyone happy - Boss is Coming and Kiss Cam, among others. Despite having just flown home from London and their European tour the night before they were far from phoning it in as they included the late-night Hillside backstory of Never Thought This Would Happen, introduced a keyboard solo against their keyboardist's wishes and even completed an ALS ice bucket challenge by dumping onto their drummer who stood on the ground in front of the stage. Cynical Bastards went over well, especially with the local area referencing lyrics, and Leather Jacket was another that I wished to see live and it came true, with the biggest bummer being that they couldn't fit in 11:11. As a finale they went with Whistleblower so we could all pump along to the chorus. Impressive enough that I just may try and catch them again when they headline their hometown Supercrawl this fall.

Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires

They truly are extraordinary and I was really digging their groovy instrumental work until the band's namesake came and ruined it all. In a bright red, bejeweled jumpsuit he came out and crooned and although his vocals were respectable the rest of it was laughable. With the whoops and shouts, the twirls and moves it seemed like a shoddy James Brown impersonation that I could hardly take serious. He touched on his rags to riches, homeless to headliner story which I suspect is one of the biggest reasons for his popularity. When he went offstage after a few tunes the band kept going and again it was the best of times but sure enough Mr.Bradley had to ruin that by returning from his costume change - all black, still sequined - and that was around the time that I called it a night. His booming voice echoed down the gorge all the way back to the campsite for some time to come but I regretted nothing.

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.

Strumbellas, Devin Cuddy Band - Horseshoe (Nov 30/13)

The Strumbellas
Perseverance and catchiness seems to be paying dividends for this poppy folk group as their Horseshoe show was sold out well in advance and the capacity crowd was giddy to be there. After blistering through a new and an old number they stopped to express their gratitude for the first of many times on the night. It's great to have new material to sing along to! Also new was the addition of a trumpet player on a few songs off the top and again later on when he was complimented for dressing so well, including (despite?) his red bandana. Otherwise the six-crew were blazing as usual; Izzy with her snappy red cowgirl shirt, Dave and his custom mountain sunrise/disco ball sweater and Simon barely covered by his vest and sagging pants. He pointed out "it's weird having people sing your songs - good weird - like making out with your mother in the room," this with his mother in the room. Another interesting remark was about an apparent band email that had admonished him for bringing people up on stage, asking for shots and arriving drunk. None of which occurred as he appeared to adhere to the requests and the show did not suffer for it. Altogether it was pretty great as they hammered out faves, even including a slow jam. After an hour they abandoned the stage only to return after an extended roar from the audience. In encore they played the grin-inducing Float On ("we wrote that one" Simon cracked) before bringing it all down with Pistol. Sad (and exciting) to think that sweaty days at crummy bars could soon be behind them.

Devin Cuddy Band
The Devin Cuddy Band were actually more country than I remembered. This didn't mean that they weren't any good just that it wasn't speaking much to me. Devin played his piano (keyboard) and the rest of the crew held it down but it's a genre I don't claim to have much authority reviewing. Who am I kidding? I don't have any right reviewing any music.

Toronto Bike Fest feat. Strumbellas, Wilderness of Manitoba (Toronto streets/parks, Sept 8/13)

It began, at least for us, in the park behind OCAD. A large, loose gathering of like-minded cyclists laying in the grass in the park with their rides splayed alongside them as a folky, bluegrass band, The Rucksack Willies, played on a quickly assembled stage. Considering the previous day had been scheduled it was prime weather with sun and warmth for the rain date. When the music stopped there were a few minutes for everyone to get everything together before the crowd amassed for the trek to Trinity Bellwoods to complete the day. With plenty of direction and safety in numbers we rode through the streets of Toronto all together, primarily on backstreets but also venturing onto Queen and Spadina on a couple of occasions. Most bystanders seemed happy to see us pass by and even the motorists didn't seem overly perturbed by the 70 or so two-wheelers moving along. The Toronto Bicycle Music Festival was an empowering ride.

The Wilderness of Manitoba played a set at T-Bells (ha!) which remains in the books as every other WoM set I've seen (besides their Sunday morning sessions at Hillside). That is to say that it's alright at the time, the female singer is fine and the backing male musicians also do a decent job but there is little of note or interest to me. That's not completely fair as they did perform an enjoyable cover of the "brand new roller skates" song. Perhaps it is just their music that doesn't strike a chord

Following a short female set on a side 'stage' The Strumbellas came on to end the day in good fashion. With their catchy, folk jams they had a couple of potentially inebriated guys dancing from the get-go while others were quick to join in after that without chemical encouragement. Playing mostly My Father the Hunter tracks they did include a song from the album they have been working on this summer. As an even newer addition Simon played a song he wrote especially for the festival just that weekend - so fresh, in fact, that he had to read the lyrics from papers spread across the keyboard. You know it wasn't a terrible song either despite the seemingly juvenile chorus of 'I love bicycles'. Nearing the end of the set they proposed a dance contest and curiously gave away what appeared to be a used skateboard to a young girl. Regardless of the gimmick it got everyone left in the park up and moving and kept them on their feet for their closing song, Pistol. That is until they had an all-natural curtain call and jammed out one last tune in the park before we pedaled away grinning.

Strumbellas, Harlan Pepper - Dakota (Dec 22/13)

Harlan Pepper

Heavy on the intoxicant referencing song titles Harlan Pepper brought their whiskey soaked guitar country and blues to the Dakota, once again in support of the Strumbellas. The only remaining piece of their Harlan and Pepper deer is one had on the kick drum. Easily holding their own with their sound rooted firmly in classic guitar work they also brought us a couple new songs in Modern Blues and the drum-led new one from the forthcoming 2013 LP. After Whiskey Business they wound down by winding us up with their riff referencing instrumental medley taking us from Ozzie through Secret Agent Man and finally the King of the Hill theme song. Cheers.

Strumbellas

Following a friendly game of dice pre-show the full 7 piece began sound checking for the show. Yes, Dave was back and making his presence felt. Barefoot count off the top was once again a disappointing 4, two pair. That was quickly forgotten as they launched into a My Father and the Hunter heavy opening set that had everyone singing along, except the brand new Jesus Doesn't Like Me. In fact, on Left for Dead a super fan who'd requested that song earlier was invited on stage to singalong and he definitely did it justice, beaming the whole time. Maybe just being on the stage with The Strumbellas infects happiness? Sure seems that way.

Simon had playfully been tossing in some Meatloaf - Anything for Love - all night and during the second set the covers took off in earnest. As in weeks earlier there was Ryan Adams, and Modest Mouse. They also covered Royal City and not sure exactly what else but whatever they played everyone remaining in the place seemed pleased. Even minutes to 2 a.m. a call for an encore went up and an impromptu band meeting had them perform a final cut for the hardcore. See you next week!

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 Strumbellas - My Father and the Hunter: (Year-End Album Review)

A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.

Admittedly this band first won me over in concert so my love for their live show may have bled into this album. Regardless there is an energy on this jubilant country-tinged album that stands on its own. Like Kidstreet of last year the members bring it on stage but represented that energy reasonably well in the studio also. There are shout-along tunes sprinkled throughout the disc and the more you hear them the better they get. Cutting their teeth in the Toronto scene this year they deserve further recognition and all hopes the effort pays off.

Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.

Strumbellas, Tom Fun Orchestra, Olenka (Horseshoe Nov 10/12)

The Strumbellas

The billing may not have had The Strumbellas headlining this evening but riding an ever-growing wave of appreciation they shone as beloved hometown favourites with their middle-of-three set. The joy that the six of them bring to playing their instruments is infectious and causes people not just to tap their foot along but to stomp it vigorously! Lead singer, Simon Ward, mentioned something about attracting the younger audience by dressing for them which seemed to have meant glasses with flippable lenses and after a song or two stripping down to just a small vest over his bare chest. This was just one of his many outlandish proclamations which were somewhat tempered by Isabel Ritchie's more humble remarks into the mic when she wasn't madly fiddling (she's the violinist). As in shows previous many of the members were barefoot on stage which seems to further enable the jovial dancing that they seem to partake in all over the stage. As mentioned, this extended into the audience in one of the better Horseshoe responses I have seen in quite some time. In fact the reaction was so strong that following their all-too-short set the persistence of the chanting despite the house music and lights prompted them to return for an unprecedented second-set encore. New material from them is an exciting prospect, especially based on the strength of the brand new song they debuted, Home Sweet Home. With more material they could have played their time over all again and there wouldn't have been a complaint from anybody.

Tom Fun Orchestra

It has been a long while since much word out of the Tom Fun camp but here the purveyors of kitchen party merriment were, in support of their to-be-released Earthworm Heart. Lead by the gruff voiced Ian MacDougall (hate to break it to you, but there is no such thing as Tom Fun) the seven of them packed the stage with accordion, trumpet, banjo, acoustic, electric, bass and drums. Naturally playing primarily new material, there was no Rum & Tequila, the reaction wasn't as immediate as it may have been with known older material but the band did their best to keep the energy levels high anyhow. One song had an instrumental breakdown through which the trumpet was dragged up and down the electric guitar's strings. Akin to the Strumbellas before them the members could be seen traipsing around the stage interacting with each other throughout, keeping it fresh. Another tune seemed to sample all sorts of things including Queen and even 'Ok, Blue Jays' - odd but fun nonetheless. It was altogether enjoyable and despite already playing a half-encore ("this is our last song", slight pause, "okay we'll play another") they too were cheered on to actually return to the stage for another number following an extended, music-on delay again. Worth it.

Olenka Krakus

It must be the off-season for Olenka Krakus' band, The Autumn Lovers, as she took to the stage with just her acoustic guitar as the first opener of the evening. Seeming quite collected to be so naked in a large and mostly empty room she engaged the audience with her well-spoken banter. This also translated to her songwriting. Not only were the words appreciated but her singing voice that carried them also had its strength. The character of the songs varied, as some had a noticeable twang to accompany that in the guitar and others had an indie folk feel (that may have been better fleshed out with the band) and even a couple quieter acoustic, singer-songwriter numbers. A wonderfully stripped down version of The Boss' I'm On Fire added to this variance, as did the harmonica accompaniment on Flash in the Pan. Olenka had done very well with her simple set in this large room and following the closing notes of Only Yours she thanked us again as we showed our appreciation for an effective opening set.

Hillside Sunday Afternoon - Badbadnotgood, Strumbellas+ (July 29/12)

Ah, the Strumbellas! What a shot in the arm they were to kickstart this Sunday afternoon. Entirely barefoot they stomped and yelped through a rollicking set of folk-tinged bangers. Off the top they were slightly subdued but a couple tracks in they hit their stride and the energy became infections and had the crowd swiftly on their feet. A Lake Stage sand storm ensued as we spun and clapped along and even welcomed the tilly-hatted, bespectacled, bearded lead into our midst. Once back onstage alongside his heavy-footed keyboardist they amped it up on The Sheriff and others. They even went so far as to bodycheck each other, sending the singer sprawling into a stack of gear from which he popped back by pushing off an acoustic guitar in the pile...*inhales sharply*... tough to watch. The band however was not at all difficult to take in; in fact it was a joyous experience, just as I'd hoped!

While enjoying an early afternoon dip in the lake the music of Alanna Gurr drifted out to the beach. I was surprised at the amount that I recognized and found it to be quite a nice swimming accompaniment.

Sure there'd been some hype but BADBADNOTGOOD still stole the show with their jazzy take on modern music. These young fellas are doing something that seems so utterly fresh and yet damn polished, it's thrilling to watch. People crowded around as the three confident, yet modest Humber students reimagined popular tracks into fresh-baked goodness. They dropped a number of recognizable riffs and beats into modern mashups that got the crowd (Rich Aucoin included) really into the set. Somehow the drummer played a couple of songs from behind a pig mask while the bass player and keyboardist didn't resort to such gimmicks but just laid it on like peanut butter, smooth and thick. Their take on Feist's Limit To Your Love was a solid way to introduce what they were going to do and once we 'got it' the deep bass lines of Kanye's Flashing Lights were an amazing way to have us all jump in unison. If ever there was an opportunity for a 4pm encore at Hillside this was it (with a stage break next) but sadly the stage manager was too intent on his break and nixed it in the bud. Shit, that was something though.

There's this weird thing with The Wooden Sky where I like the odd song that I hear by them and people around me love them but for whatever reason, whether it is recorded or live, they haven't burst through from 'like' to 'love' for me. This sunny afternoon saw them playing the main stage and I managed to catch the end of the set which again was good but didn't put me over the edge despite playing some good tunes in The Late King Henry and Oh My God. Maybe one day it'll click.

A nifty little workshop out back at the Sun Stage that started out with a cover from The Strumbellas followed up by the Chic Gamine chicks really lovely harmonies. Afie came up next in his wide-brimmed hat for an original featuring great additional violin from the Strumbellas as well as some back-up ooos from a couple ladies of his own (and prompted a couple more from the ladies in the crowd). They went around again and the singer from the Strumbellas sat on the stage's edge for an acoustic picking song. CG did the silence song which was a capella barring the drums.








Finally all of these wonderful artists combined forces on Bahamas' suggestion - and who is the uniting artist that everyone is always game to cover? Tom Petty, of course; You Don't Know How It Feels! This got the ball rolling straight into the oft-covered itself, Blue Moon of Kentucky, before closing out with the Canadian equivalent to Tom Petty in the go-to cover category - Neil Young and in this case, Harvest Moon. That's the spirit.

Ohbijou was rammed and their sets always make me a little sleepy, so to combat that I skipped watching and just listened to them as a backdrop while re-energizing with Feng's Dumplings.

Strumbellas, Harlan Pepper (Horseshoe, Sept 7/12)

Harlan Pepper were already on stage at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern and were much as I recalled them to be. Still four young guys in cowboy shirts with mighty talent forging their was in rock and roll. Even the Harlan Pepper buck and doe were still on stage in all their cardboard glory. They played Wine, including a seemingly lazy guitar solo (that probably wasn't) and a cover of a Toronto artist I didn't recognize. At one point an obviously excited friend was asked to add some harmonica and he gave it all he had. Included was the double guitar party trick where they play each other's in the other guy's arms - it's neat! They've also updated their closing tunes, Wooly Bully followed by a medley of classic covers that pays homage to their influences, including Morrison's Gloria. Too easy to say it was glorious?

Details are sketchy as I was too busy dancing and clapping along to the fun folk of The Strumbellas but the gist of it was a great show. Still barefoot, still giving it their all, they folked out hard and brought the Toronto crowd along for the ride.

Graydon James and the Young Novelists were the hosts of the evening and they put together a heckuva bill. However their set didn't hold me too too long. Still a solid evening.

Sunparlour Player, Harlan Pepper, Strumbellas (Great Hall Dec 10)

 As always, the three-piece Sunparlour Players were in fine form and snazzy dress for their home-away-from-Windsor homecoming album release show. With much happening on this busy Saturday night in early December there was still plenty of room left in the hall to dance, but the still solid amount of members of the crowd poured out the love to make it a beautiful show. Releasing Us Little Devils it was fitting to open with its opener, Runner, though following it with fan-favourite If the Creeks Don’t Rise was only disappointing in that this song wasn't there to look forward to as the show progressed. The strength of the rest of the catalogue proved itself following this with all sorts of treats including Battle of ’77, O’Captain, and John Had a Bell and a Whistle. Their now infamous version of Thunderstruck didn’t harm matters either. It was the superb new single Green Thumb that capped off the set and led to a raucous ovation that brought the trio back out. They ripped out Dyin’ Today and Red Blood Red of Home and a third in encore, yet these still did not satiate us. We stomped and cheered, for it had been a special performance, and were rewarded with Hymns for the Happy closer, Talk It To Death, that was the final gem from this wonderful group. Seeing a band known for their live performance exceed the lofty expectations they set for themselves by bringing it to a new level is extraordinary indeed.

Harlan Pepper have been growing up quick and putting on mature performances beyond their years. On this night they opened with Reefer, swapped guitars all over the place, and played Wine - making reference to how they’d just recently all come of legal drinking age. A solid rendition of No was performed as well before they wrapped it all up with a classic rock medley. Everyone thought it was be Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama but much to our delight it was the Werewolves of London which then melded through a series of other throwbacks. The mature influences shone through in these young fellas.

The Strumbellas were just finishing up, and finishing strong, as I rolled into the Great Hall. There was a whole lot of strumming, banjos and exuberance going on as the seven-piece brought it down in the finale. If the entire set was as strong as what I caught then I totally missed out.