Pkew Pkew Pkew, No Bro, Eamon McGrath - Horseshoe Tavern Jan.10 '20

Pkew Pkew Pkew

The reason for the night came onto the stage like a hometown crowd should - to cries of joy. It wasn't some intense, outpouring or anything - they did play this exact venue less than a year ago - but the ovation from the full, but not sold out house was strong. Similarly, the set was very enjoyable and appreciated but they are not setting new highs with their small-town Ontario tales of drinking, skating, and hanging out. The crowd did get into it and by third song, I Wanna See a Wolf, I was compelled to join the fray. To our credit we moshed the entire way through, enjoying strong tracks like Asshole Pandemic and 65 Nickels, with an incredible amount of body surfing too. There were 3 or 4 people going up at a go, one of whom decided to test the strength of the plumbing pipe that runs across the ceiling; fortunately for us all it held. Near the end there was a song or two not from either of their album releases which didn't quite get as much love as the well known tunes. After 45 minutes of short, ripping songs they waved goodbye, with their perpetually grinning bassist departing last. But in the preorchestrated world of concerts, even without much of a roar (more of an expectant pause), they returned to the stage gushing their thanks to us. They did a couple, finishing with Glory Days, which was the correct call if you ask me, and sent us out into the early morning hours sweaty and happy.

NOBRO

Man, or should I saw "Woman!" - what a treat this was. This four-piece, using secondary percussion including bongos and electronic drums were stellar. They also had a great guitarist though the singer was stronger with vocals, naturally, they all did some instrument swapping along the way. Even as the second band on the bill, after a snoozy (good snoozy) opening from Eamon these gals got the pit moving so kudos to that. For the finale they really decided to kick out the jams. One to watch, I'm glad I got to catch them on their way up.

Eamon McGrath
Accompanied by another fellow, also playing acoustic guitar they went through a solid folk set that even had the filling-in crowd respectfully quiet. A standout display of songsmanship was seen on especially on Guts.

Barasso 

Warming the way jsut before PPP! this four-piece, all-male francophone band played some bludgeoning punk rock. It wasn't bad but was all a little samey (I hit the john). At one point they bantered, in English, "we're singing in French but you don't care do you? It doesn't matter."

The Dodos, Springtime Cannibal - Horseshoe (Mar 3/2015)

The Dodos
This time out The Dodos were stripped back down to the original duo but that didn't limit the amount of notes they played. The songs blister as the drummer raps the edge of his drums or overhand crashes his cymbals while the guitarist plucks and strums his guitar, acoustic or electric alike, utilizing both approaches in such short succession that it's hard to keep up. With minimal looping and backing tracks it's amazing how dynamic they can be but it all seems to stem from the quick and snappy play. By the second tune they were already winning over the strong Tuesday night 'Shoe crowd and that was before they dropped Red and Purple next. Actually despite being on tour for yet another solid album, Individ, they reached back to a good number of deeper cuts and seemed to still be having fun doing it. During a few of the songs the drummer could be seen gleefully singing along out of the mic even to the parts reserved for his partner who was swapping between straight and reverb mic. It was warm in there and they worked up a lather entertaining us before a short break. All the "bros" in the joint cheered them back and then drowned each other out when the duo asked for a request and stood for a laughingly long time attempting to choose what to play. They finally decided on an older track before the preordained closer that saw the return of the opening band lead singer who strummed her electric and sang backup on Don't Try and Hide It. Good show!

Springtime Cannibal were poppy enough of a four-piece with a BBC-Office Dwight on drums, groovy bassist, smiling female key player and perky lead blonde singer. She would have been impressive at a jam session with her voice but altogether it was relatively bland pop, not super hooky. It could have been that her first banter came across as a little stuck up such that I spent the rest of the set trying to get over what seemed saccharine and almost smarmy.

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.

Library Voices, Taylor Knox, Tim Moxam - Horseshoe (Aug 28/14)

Changes are afoot in the Library. The personnel has some tweaks from years back and if you listen to the latest offering, For John EP, it would be tough to still tag them with their self-branded 'Pop as Fuck' label. They opened with a track from it, Anti-Matters of the Heart, and peppered the rest of the set with the majority of it including a heartfelt tribute to John Farrell before the new single in his memory. Even some of the down tempo cuts got the live treatment. Of course they are going to play the new music and it's not that it's completely out of place but it is a definite departure. I'm concerned because there are plenty of indie bands but far fewer groups that play indie pop as lustfully as this prairie group does. Naturally they still have the pop-ability and proved it on Haunt This House, Generation Handclap and Raymond Carver which got the people moving - plus a song that broke them to many which they thought they'd moved on from playing but did by special request, Step off the Map and Float. Notable that on old tunes the singer altered many of the lyrics to a spoken word format which seems to show his fatigue of them and comes across as phoning it in - we came to hear the songs as we know them (or reinterpreted) but not read to us. As a figurine of ET that matched the lead's t-shirt went around the room they faked us out by saying "this is a prairie song.. It's Prairie Girl by Rah Rah who we share a jam space with" before playing a song unknown to most (cover?). In encore they started to make up for it with Kundera on the Dance Floor and Traveller's Digest. Yet again they left beloved tunes like Drinking Games and 2012 on the shelf in favour of another song I did not recognize from any release, with a chorus of 'ain't no goddamn sonofa bitch.' This review may come across as a downer, written from a curmudgeon who hates change, when in fact it was a solid set from a great band that is worrying me with where they're heading.

Taylor Knox
Excellent musicianship from all three on stage, drum, bass and Knox on electric guitar but his lead vocals come across as quite flat and the same. It's a shame too because of the talent on stage that seems like it might be better served with a dose of charisma up front. The single Fire was a highlight with its mid-song breakdown that makes you wonder - why can't all their songs be like that?


Tim Moxam
A solo man plucking and strumming his single electric guitar and singing plus sparing harmonica, Tim was comfortable and confident on stage. With those guitar chops he has every right to be. After a few tunes he invited the Ivy, the young lady from Bruce Peninsula plus an armless partner (turns out they were behind her back under her denim jacket) who both provided mostly ooos and ahs. Even vocal solos on his original songs weren't words but seem like they could be if they put a little more into this project. For the cover of I'm on Fire their whoa and woo, plus his vocals made for a nice bare bones rendition. A 'shoe regular thought he sounded like the Righteous Brothers (all of them??) and I agree that he's got the guitar and a voice but we'll see if he can make an impression in the tough to make an impression world of solo singer-songwriters.

Hollerado, Stella Ella Ola, Dave Foley - Horseshoe (Jan 29/14)

Arriving on time for the show was still far too early as Hollerado continued with their video shoot and went through Desire enough times (feels like 126 times) that it seemed impossible that anybody in the room desired to hear it again. Amazingly the crowd continued to give it each time even as the band seemed to be losing steam. Not sure if this is a sure way to an ear work or more of an exorcism.

Finally the shoot wrapped and not too long after a couple of the members were right back on stage. Stella Ella Ola have Nick in his regular spot on guitar, meanwhile a lady(his wife? Anne) also plays one in cut shorts and sings from under her blonde locks, the Hollerado drummer Jake (his brother) has upgraded only slightly to bass, while a gentleman (Vince), noticeably older than the rest, plays drums. The drummer gets a glowing introduction from Jake and totally holds it down. The three up front share vocals and while at the first the set isn't the strongest they do gain confidence and musical strength as it progresses. Finally closing with the more familiar Peter Sellers, it is in fact the only song I recognize though a few down the middle, especially with the drummer cum bassist singing, are rather catchy.

Dave Foley does a standup set that revolves around his sex life. I am nervous that it is going to be offensive but it turns out alright in the end - I guess comedy is supposed to push the limits.

Hollerado return to the stage in their familiar stances in front of their blacklight mural and amps, but with a novel setlist. They proceed to play the tunes they've shot music videos for in the order that they were shot. Essentially this turns into a chronological hit list which everyone deserves after enduring the shoot. It does leave them in a predicament as they close with So It Goes figuring it's about time to call it a night after a long day of shooting, for both the band and the fans. Yet the "One More Song!" chants persist and they return with.. yes, they actually have the gall to play Desire again. Somehow this goes over well, at least in part because they don't phone it in like they had been by the time I'd shown up. In fact the whole set they straddled moments of energy, as Menno leapt off the drumset in a mist of his own spit, but there were other elements like their notorious synchronized dances, as in Races, that weren't quite spot on. (Critical, I know!) To close right out they dug into the reserve tank and Nick handled the mic to spit Blink's Dammit and this throwback brought a huge smile to my face.

Setlist - in case you don't want to look up their videos in order:
Americanarama
Juliet 
Fake Drugs
Got To Lose
Good Day at the Races
Pick Me Up
Fresno Chunk (Digging with you) [A slower song for Menno's friend Gus in the audience - not a video] So It Goes
Encore: Desire 126 (again!)
Dammit

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.

Jenn Grant, Dustin Bentall, Daniel Ledwell - Horseshoe (Apr 13/13)

Daniel Ledwell
Daniel Ledwell had the unenviable early opening slot in a large, mostly empty, drinking hole on a Saturday night. Now his music isn't completely quiet but with just his vocals and an electric guitar there wasn't too much there to overpower so it was fortunate that the seated Horseshoe crowd did pipe down and pay attention. For this they were rewarded with some decent electric tunes and self-deprecating banter, all of which amounted to a reasonably entertaining set. Sure he messed up not just the 80s, sad version, cover song's lyrics but also his own once or twice, but he played it off and it didn't really matter. A sample-free version of I Have Made You a Mixtape rounded out the evening and was met with more than. Polite applause, especially the whistle solo from the freshly arrived crew standing to the side.

Dustin Bentall & The Smokes
A surprise for the evening came in the form of Dustin Bentall & The Smokes. The three-piece rocked hard with listenable rock n roll fused with some country feel, some songs especially more country than others. Word is they are regulars at the Dakota which seems a perfect match for their dusty tunes. In fact, I'd seen one of their songs performed in that space, however not by them but another local band, The Strumbellas, who also love getting high and talk when they're drunk. A particular standout which made one want to guzzle booze sang 'I like to drink whiskey and I like girls who do too.' Midway through the singer stood alone for a solo rendition of a recently written song made all the more poignant when dedicated to the recently passed Jay Smith. In further tribute upon the band's return they covered a Jay Smith song. All in all they were solid musicians performing a fun, energetic rock set and have convinced me to down half a bottle of bourbon for their next Dakota set.

Jenn Grant
Ms. Grant appeared in her sparkling blouse against a sparkling Horseshoe Tavern backdrop to an enamoured crowd of fans and friends, many of whom are respected in their own right in the Canadian music scene. Everyone had come out for the likeable leading lady who did did her thing, backed by her husband on guitar and keys, a drummer and bassist. They played a variety of her songs throughout the night to the appreciation of the room, including Oh My Heart and Dreamer. Jenn did not seem to have quite as loose a tongue as she has been known to have but was endearing nonetheless. Her husband, Mr. Ledwell, played a mean slide guitar on a tune, while on another Jenn stood alone and quietly played an electric guitar. Parliament of Owls was upbeat and got people going again near the end of the set, as did In the Belly of a Dragon, and I've Got Your Fire.
In encore she dueted with Daniel on a soft version of Eye of the Tiger to open before inviting the full band back up for the next song and adding Justin Rutledge and Julie Fader for the finale of toe-tapper Getcha Good.

Aidan Knight, BadBadNotGood - Horseshoe CMW (Mar 24/13)

Badbadnotgood

The uber-talented rapscallions of Badbadnotgood played a mix of covers and originals, where the newer ones tended toward free jazz and were harder to dance to due to their unpredictable time signatures. The drummer, keyboardist and bass player were joined on more than a couple numbers by a sax player who was well-loved by the crowd. What isn't to enjoy from these promising (and grateful) youngsters bringing a fresh sound to the indie scene? By the end, following a friend of the band's invited stage dive things really took off. Yes, there was pandemonium in the pit at a jazz show. How badass is that Toronto?

Aidan Knight

Notable differences between the afternoon, apartment show and this were the volume and the energy Aidan could bring us from a standing position with the sound system turned up. The set remainder much the same though time constraints cut their cover (by audience vote) in favour of closing with Knitting Something Nice (Margaret Downe wouldn't have held up to a Saturday night Horseshoe CMW crowd anyhow). It was You Will See the Good in Everyone that most impressed this fan though. Now a little more banter while you change your tuning between every song and some playlist variation and I'll be able to say Aidan Knight is the new Dan Mangan.

Joel Plaskett, Two Hours Traffic - Horseshoe (Dec 14/12)

Two Hours Traffic
Discovered by Joel Plaskett himself, Two Hours Traffic were set to open this sold out Friday evening smack in the middle of Joel's five night stand at the Horseshoe Tavern. With the promise made by the latest Siren Spell EP, in lieu of the LP to come in the new year, my excitement was high for this opening set. A few unknown tunes from that LP opened up and didn't win too many over and seemed like a misstep in the set list as it wasn't until Amour than Amis and a few lesser known tunes from previous releases that we got some familiar material. It's the catchy ditties from Little Jabs that originally hooked 2HT fans, yet this show was lacking in these. Unfortunately the entire set, although alright, felt lacking and I was disappointed especially after hyping this night over others specifically for this opener. Part of it was likely the crowd who weren't in much of a shuffling mood all night. Even when they I invited Joel on stage to join them on a thin-necked four string guitar for an Isolator EP tune it didn't much invigorate anyone. I know that Two Hours Traffic have it in them as I've witnessed it on many occasions. With fan familiarity and band comfort I'm confident they'll be back in top form once the album drops in the new year.

Joel Plaskett
Never one to phone it in Joel hit the stage running on his third night of the 65th Anniversary stand. An eclectic list of tunes kept us guessing with a healthy mix of B-sides and deep cuts (ex: Natural Disaster) alongside the offering of Plaskett favourites (Deny, Deny, Deny), of which there are many.

Bursting out of the gate he was backed by the Emergency who consisted of only a couple other guys on this night but allowed him to bring the rock. Following this they were excused and they "added a dash of handsome" (Joel's words) by having Peter Elkas come up to play some acoustic guitar with him. This was a lovely pair as they both are true singer-songwriters in their own respect and were able to bring a new level to some of Joel's catalogue.

After a good number of songs in this setup, as if Joel could sense the crowd growing slightly anxious, not only did the Emergency return to crank it up but another guitarist and a fireball of a red-headed fiddle player also joined the mix. She really added a new dimension to the set and Joel was all smiles even if his throat wasn't exactly happy.

A highlight string of Snowed In/Cruisin' straight into Face of the Earth pleased the Ashtray Rock lover in me and it was fun to see Liam of Two Hours Traffic have the favour returned in being asked to sing on Happen Now (and a respectable job he did). Speaking of guest vocals Peter Elkas had the honour of a verse of Nowhere with You. Following a solid couple hours of nonstop Joel, including a Million Dollars clap-along, the man finally exited the stage only to return for an encore after a minute's rest. First he brought it down with another artist's song off his iPod before flipping over to his own Fashionable People tune on the iPod, the Yamma Mamma version, to which he shuffled and sang the chorus. Similarly to Hillside he freestyled through his own song and some of April Wine, though of.course it was entirely fresh as it was a freestyle. Closing tune was Extraordinary - a fitting song from an artist who is that - extraordinary.

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.

Dwayne Gretzky's Halloween Party (Horseshoe, Oct 31/12)

Dwayne Gretzky threw a helluva costume party on Halloween night in Toronto. The vast majority of concert-goers were decked out from giraffes to zombie doctors to Cats in Hats and oh-so-much more. Regardless of dress people danced hard (and seemingly, to sober me anyhow, drank hard too) to Dwayne's beloved mix of oldies and semi-oldies covered live. Included in the oldies were Chain Gang (Sam Cooke), Let Me Roll It (Wings), Be My Baby (Ronettes) and personal favourite Pump It Up (Costello), while relatively more recent releases were Just a Girl (No Doubt) and No Diggity (Blackstreet). The beauty of the band is that they cover a wide variety and have a lot of fun with it while maintaining the songs' integrity. Further diversifying the set were some themed songs including Psycho Killer (Talking Heads) and Thriller (MJ) to bookend the first set, and the inescapable Monster Mash (by whoever.. one of the dumbest songs ever recorded according to Elvis). With about seven on-stage members and a handful of guest vocalists they went all-out and partied all night long.

Nicholas Double You and the B Squad got to open the Halloween festivities. A fairly run-of-the-mill 5-piece indie rock band with a seemingly blindfolded female drummer they went through the motions of doing everything right but just couldn't translate. Even their guest female singer didn't pick it up much. At one point the crowd, who were there for a fun time, played along by all going down to a knee as requested, but there was no Pop to bring us up. The Halloween balloons popped some entertainment into the crowd momentarily too but overall they couldn't quite get it going.

Billy Talent, Indian Handcrafts (Horseshoe, Oct 30/12)

It isn't uncommon to see members of Billy Talent at the Horseshoe Tavern (Ian D'Sa is there regularly) but it is uncommon to see them all onstage unleashing their monstrous live show upon the masses. And there were masses!, as the damn-near capacity iconic Toronto institution celebrated its 19th season of New Music Night with this special guest performance. BT fans young and old alike were represented and none

could be disappointed in seeing these well-traveled hometown rockers lay it on the line for their neighbours.

Song selections appeased most everyone as well, bringing back memories of yesteryear as the first half was heavy with well-known tracks from their early years in Devil in a Midnight Mass and This Suffering. That being said, the new generation, who may have been somewhat late to the party on these now decade-plus running rockers, also seemed more than happy to mosh out to new tracks like Viking Death March from their latest release and even started a large pit off to the side on Saint Veronica - that is until security stepped in to put the kibosh on it. There wasn't much they could do about the steady stream of crowd-surfers floating their way on stage all night though.

Regardless of the songs the talent, pardon the pun, of these four dudes is readily apparent. Aaron's hard-hitting drums keep time for Jon's thick bass lines as Ian, the birthday-boy, D'sa's guitar punches through and Ben lays his slick vocals over it all. Ben is ultimately engaging and the rabid crowd happily shouted along to their signature call and responses throughout, but especially on set closer Devil on my Shoulder.

Not quite satisfied with one strong (and free) set from the boys, an encore was demanded and rewarded with Fallen Leaves, Surprise Surprise, and the anthemic Red Flag closed it all down in style. All the thanks to the band for taking a day from their one week away from touring to put on such a blistering set for their Toronto brethren!

Indian Handcrafts
A duo in the long tradition of duos featuring aggressive drumming and guitar work, Indian Handcraft made a whole bunch of noise while interchanging their singer. They played presumably from their just-released-that-day album, featuring some Rage (RATM) level riffs. It wasn't bad and they certainly benefited from the oversized crowd awaiting Billy Talent who seemed to appreciate this quite well.

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.

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:

Sunparlour Players, The Heartbroken (Horseshoe June 28/12)

Sunparlour Players

I'd heard rumours that the brilliant trio was now a duo but now I've seen it to believe it. The reasons remain unexplained and although the third member was in attendance I thought better of pestering him. Besides the two remaining members managed to take on the extra responsibility and roll with it. As if he didn't already have enough to do the drummer drummed, played the xylophone And played the bass with one hand simultaneously, plucking the strings slightly as he changed chords. Flipping incredible.
Amid SPP favourites like Runner, Battle of '77, Creeks and For My Lord they live sampled "I put a spell on you" and This Little Light. O Captain featured dual drums whereas John Had a Bell was blisteringly fast with the metal finger guitar slide. Solid new song Green Thumb closed out but they were back after a short but enthusiastic ovation from the sparse Horseshoe Thursday night crowd. Even after Red, Blood Red of Home the drunk lady still clambered on stage to demand another song into the already-off mic. Although it's great to see all three members play like I'm used to, it wasn't terribly detrimental to just have two. I may still see them again this week.

The Heartbroken
The focal point was the female lead singer with her extremely powerful voice that came on awfully strong. With a name like The Heartbroken it wasn't all that surprising to hear the hint of country that sometimes crept through. The drummer lent backing vocals effectively and even trashed his set by playing a song completely with his hands that knocked over a drum. On the same song the guitarist switched over to slide and it made for a great tune. Closing number saw them rocking out on all fronts and not simply for their middle age. Not exactly my thing but a very respectable showing.

CMW: Two Hours Traffic, The Reason, Gentlemen Husbands (Horseshoe, Mar 24, 2012)

Two Hours Traffic
It'd been some time since I'd seen Two Hours Traffic, meaning it had been some time since they've toured as they are firmly on my see-every-time list. Since last time there was a pretty big change in the Two Hours Traffic camp having founding member and guitarist Alec O'Hanley depart, while Liam joined forces with his cousin for The Express side project. Obviously he's been back at work with his main gig as there were more than a few new songs introduced at this show; songs that expand the boundaries of the pretty, pop aesthetic they'd built for themselves. Everything from Motown to a French song (well at least title and lyric) to a '50s ditty. These may take a few listens to bring me fully around, though I am excited to get my ears on the new disc that sounds like it's still at least a few months away. There were a few hardcore fans in the audience who responded to first album 'classics' (Sure Can Start, Sidewalk, Nighthawk, Backseat Sweetheart and Jezebel to close) while the majority of the crowd was won over as well. They didn't delve much into Territory territory besides Weightless One and Happiness Burns. Great to have them back out on the scene, new member and all, and waiting with bated breath for the new album and accompanying tour.

The Reason
The Reason's twitter handle is @thereasonrock and I'd always been a little put off by that as my memory of them was from a youth-oriented, drinkathon punk fest from more than a few years ago. Plus that pop-punk looking sneaker tee they'd made. These notions got blown right out of the room by one of the loudest rock sets I'd heard in awhile at the already notoriously loud Horseshoe Tavern. I was getting annoyed with the volume of the drum sound check and I was seated halfway back! They look and sound like seasoned vets nowadays, and rocked like youth in the wee hours (3am) of this CMW Saturday night. 

Gentlemen Husbands
I hadn't paid too close attention to Gentleman Husbands before but found them to be coming across as a loud and clear rock band when I entered the Horseshoe partway through their set. Rocking electric guitars they threw down a classic Born to Run cover, doing Springsteen justice in finale.

Grimes, Born Gold (Horseshoe Mar 27, '12)

Born Gold
Having seen the same Born Gold set twice (first time with Grimes at Hillside) I was excited to see what these uber creative folk had come up with for this tour. It was darker and different, both the music and the showmanship. To start with the lights were completely down to allow for a light-theremin of sorts to work. Essentially one member danced with a custom-built light-up jacket such that he would light a sleeve or a shoulder or a patch and wave it to produce noise. He also held different colored lights in his hands to raise a sound before whipping it away. This was pretty neat both visually and for the way it produced the sounds. Meanwhile his compatriots manned their stations either on keys, synths, programmed boards, tapping an electronic drum pad with a drumstick, or some combination of the above. The new music tended toward deeper beats, I hesitate to say the word techno but feel it had some aspects, that seemed well-produced though came across less danceable.

Now for the other aspects of their show. The electronics-bearing shovel and stilts made a reemergence on the first of only two old tunes, End of Days (the other being Lawn Knives). Another had them carry a thin sheet over our heads while flashing a strobe light underneath it reminiscent of Rich Aucoin's parachute (though admittedly not as fun). They donned creepy, dark masks and flashed synchronized, lit fans which looked quite cool too. All the while multicolored strobes burst on stage to the beat and gave the show a blinding element in the dark. Granted the presentation was visually unique and absolutely creative; put head to head with the previous incarnation the music and the band interactions were less crowd-participation inducing. That being said to compare to the last show is already a tall task and this is absolutely worth checking for the sheer spectacle of it.

Grimes
Grimes was finally playing the rescheduled Horseshoe, hometown gig. Okay, sure it had only been a week postponed due to sickness but ever since it was announced Grimes has blown up making this a hugely anticipated, sold out $8 show. It was anything but a polished, tight set, what with a few technical issues, including one spot of prolonged screeching feedback, some flubbed transitions, another time where the music cut out altogether, and the fact that Grimes was still recovering from the sickness that had caused her to cancel the show in the first place. Despite, or perhaps because of, all this it was a thoroughly enjoyable set. Sure she sputtered a series of obscenities when she couldn't hit the notes she was aiming for early in the set but that didn't stop her from giving everything else her all. Like her barely perceptible lisp, it may be in the imperfections that she succeeds.

Before playing a note this young artist was rambling. First thanking the openers, some of whom she is friends with, others she couldn't remember the names of. Then introducing her accompanying dancer, Duffy, who she promised would dance throughout and boy did he ever - scarf and chest hair swaying all over that stage! Introing the set she did her industrial 'non-song' and continued to play with her assortment of electronic dials and knobs, plus keyboard, all the while singing into one of her mics, also employing a variety of reverb and effects. Between songs she ran the vocal tracks backwards until the next song started up.


Everyone from Born Gold joined her after a few solo (don't forget Duffy) songs and they stayed up until, but not including, the final track. There were definite moments of danceability, including Vanessa, and the single, Oblivion, and some Torontonians actually attempted to dance despite the close quarters. Being primarily electronic music it did come across similarly to on album, though for her finale she did build up a massive wall of sound before closing out. The encore cheers could not persuade her to return, even after the stage lights came up, the house music came on, and brighter lights shone. As the minutes passed people were still looking expectantly sides stage. It wasn't to be, but the performance was worth it and a marked improvement over her bare bones set back in the summer.


Majical Cloudz
Majical Cloudz was a kinda awkward act of this somewhat out of place looking guy in black jeans and a white t shirt singing over some backing music provided by a second guy programming it. He wasn't a terrible singer but when he wasn't singing he wasn't doing much of anything but staring out at the crowd expressionless.

CMW: Wintersleep, twice! (Rivoli, Horseshoe, Mar 24,'12)

Rivoli 10pm


Describing the appeal of a Wintersleep show cannot do it justice. Seeing them on this night, even playing primarily entirely new songs, had them shoot up on my ranking of them, both live and as a band. This isn't a case of low expectations either.

To a probably-full house at the Rivoli these five Halifax men took to the stage with new songs to sing. The opening song employed two pairs of hands on keys, keyboard and synths, and the singer with his hands empty, thereby removing three guitars (and bass guitars) from the mix and giving a more swirling background sound. They would pick up their instruments from here on songs new and old but it showcased the confidence and innovation that is still infused in this group that continues to produce with higher and higher quality. With four lauded albums on the books and their latest in the bag (no mention of release date just yet) they had no issue starting with three brand new tracks before rewarding the CMW audience with an acoustic-including version of their biggest commercial hit, Weighty Ghost. This hit everywhere it needed and we weren't restless through the next two hot off the studio offerings. Helped that they were of high calibre as well, plus their drummer is simply a treat to watch. Not wanting to completely alienate the less-open-minded of the crowd they pleased by capping off with a full-on rock-out on Lasers followed by Oblivion. This closer had such an affect that I immediately charged from the set and slapped down my money next door at the Horseshoe to see them do it again.

Horseshoe 11:30pm

There were two sets between, including a high energy, high enjoyment one from Two Hours Traffic but my giddiness was guided by the thought of Wintersleep coming to do it again. There was the possibility of a complete rehash with nothing new to offer but I had a feeling that the crowd excitement in the room might draw them out a little more. Besides this was the Horseshoe and it was their headliner.

They did in fact open with the same as the previous and the second may have been as well but this time it was especially impressive. From here the set diverged with Resuscitate and even the mid-set Weighty Ghost now had an electric guitar in the singer's hands where an acoustic had been earlier. Yes, I sang along.

Fighting off some guitar troubles we were treated to a new, old addition to the set in Archaeologists before a new, new song. Slowing the pace they then played what is sure to be a favourite once Hello Hum drops called Nothing is Anything. This got them on track to finish this extended set strong. They were in their element on Lasers and carried that into the still-appreciated the second time, Oblivion. The one positive about The Constantines breaking up is that the Canadian rock bands are feeling compelled to play tribute to them as I've seen many covers lately with this rendition of Young Lions matching the Cons' usual live intensity. Is there a better Wintersleep finale than the sonically awesome Miasmal Smoke and the Yellow Bellied Freaks? The driving quality of this song, which swells as it ebbs and flows, carries the listener on a journey to bliss. 


Calls for an encore, practically unheard of at CMW, rang out and made an amusingly awkward moment when we were still cheering minutes later and the band returned to the stage. However they were there to retrieve their gear only and smiled but waved off the encore cheers.

Rococode, Grounders (Horseshoe, Mar. 20, '12)

From the outset the four members of Rococode were here to display their wares with a staunch, building, instrumental crescendo immediately. From there they moved toward a pop sound that was firmly grounded in rock, while even in their noisiest moments they never descended into noise itself but maintained melody. The male and female vocal swapping, and occasional collaboration, provided a great balance. Laura Smith's voice shone, while her synths took off the cutting edge of Andrew Braun's guitar without necessarily starting a dance party. The rock was progressive, but not prog. In fact I hesitate to draw the comparison but had already thought it before a friend independently likened their poppier moments to Mother Mother. Being my first real exposure to them besides the couple 'singles' Empires and Weapon, both of which they played, I'd say their stage show was predominantly about the music, backed by an excellent drummer, and was truly enjoyable.


Grounders followed with an alright set of jaunty rock akin to Born Ruffians but instead of Luke Lalonde's impressive vocal range the singer employed a Boats-like vocal effect (though not as strong) that wasn't exactly enjoyable.

Imaginary Cities, The Coppertone (Horseshoe, Nov 8)

Led by their large-voiced, axe-wielding front woman The Coppertone rocked (and rolled) with capital Rs.  Her guitar playing was loud and clear and struck in the way this type of music should. Coupled with her bassist and drummer (one of which was apparently new, but you wouldn't know it) they produced big, brash, and a bit bluesy rock. Recorded it hadn't left much of an impression but it resonated with the volume cranked in the Horseshoe.

Another happy set from Imaginary Cities, from the real city of Winnipeg. Their fearless leader charmed with her enthusiasm and lead vocals, assisted by the also-grinning, tattooed guitarist, backing-vocals bass and drummer. The set was a Temporary Resident breaded sandwich filled with tasty new tidbits in the middle. Say You and Temporary Resident started things off and throughout the night they filled out the sound with additional tambo, clap-alongs, and keys (that were either looped or prerecorded deeper into certain songs like the new Water Under the Bridge, I didn't pay close enough attention to tell which). Marry the Sea was swell too. New Bells of Cologne was alright but their recorded stuff is what got us out to begin with, so it was welcomed when Bookie asked them for one more to follow the original closer, Hummingbird ("when will you respond?"), and they responded with That's Where It's At, Sam - even playing an extended outro. Altogether enjoyable set.