Bears in Trees - King Tut's - 2/17/2022

I was happy to have a ticket become available for this gig, sold out as evidenced by the kids (some chaperoned by their parents) lined around the block at 8pm doors. Lucy Blue made the early arrival worthwhile as the Irish songstress played her piano keyboard, and only minor pre-recorded accompaniment otherwise. Mostly literal songs, like the one about The Postman hoping for love in a Valentine's Day sack of mail. She was engaging, had a nice voice, and was very complimentary thereby winning us over and enjoying a mostly quiet room for her mostly quiet songs.

Before the Bears arrived to the neon stage trees, there was a palpable energy in the room which I suppose is what happens with teenage excitement. The side door opened, offering a glimpse of one of the members, thus eliciting a squeal from three fans stood on the side bench. The TikTok generation had their phones aloft as the foursome appeared on stage with plenty of pizzazz and smiles. The crowd roared throughout and it was genuinely deserved as they laid down a sizeable chunk of their catalogue across an hour an a bit, including the encore. Existing personal favourite, I'm Doing Push Ups, hit well especially after the heartfelt introduction from my preferred member, the curly haired guitarist who smiled and sang along for the entire show (although rarely into the mic). That said, new-to-me songs such as Good Rhymes for Bad Times were also fun to see live. The made-up bassist was de facto ringleader although the uke and keyboard player was happy to be his right hand man for the silly, pre-rehearsed banter before Sun Machine or the piano tinkling dance for Keep It Easy (an above average live tune). The crowd ate this up, belting along on choruses such as Cut Corners on Short Walks, and they delivered on their emo, twee, indie pop playing so I was content to go along for the ride, such as on the buoyant Heaven Sent is a Coffee Cup. Even when they slowed it down for Little Cellist it continued to be entertaining.

As expected, a solid "one more tune" chant echoed through Tut's until they returned and actually played two, the first reaching Great Heights. All in all it was an upbeat gig, affirming their rightful place as the continuation of the twee core genre passed on by their Welsh brethren, Los Campesinos!

Slam Dunk Festival Midlands - May 28, 2018

Templeton Pek
These three gents told the tale of the tough go they have had after their manager ran off with all their money and yet they are still at it. The only band on the lineup properly from Brum - rehearsing in the Jewellery Quarter no less - they did a decent job of representing to a sparse, early-afternoon crowd out in the open air. Playing straight ahead punk rock they were solid.

Woes
Only managed to catch the last song Never Change, the group had a couple youthful singers bringing out the energy their pop punk. Keep it up!

As December Falls
Out on one of the up and coming small stages, this female-fronted five piece stayed on the rock side of punk and did an alright job of it, without breaking much new ground. The guitarist with the dazzling white axe on backing vocals stood out as doing a better than average job.

Guttermouth
It has been a long, long time since I used to listen to the aptly named Guttermouth on my discman in high school and I’ve done a lot of growing up since then. The singer of this band has not. Well, besides judging by the look of him, in which case he has aged significantly. This may be why he’s the only (barely) standing original member unless the others have somehow taken an age-defying elixir. Appearances aside, there was more quote-unquote "banter" in this set than actual music - and definitely more laughter than intelligible lyrics from the ringleader. Before even singing a note he was going around the crowd and taking the piss out of everyone and everything that he saw. Then once the band kicked in this commentating just continued, as he’d mumble some of the lyrics and then either break off into titters on his own, pointing at anything walking by or trying to have an interaction mid-song. It got old fast. It was borderline funny from time to time but mostly just inane, and besides, this was a concert not an amateur comedy night. On top of that, they didn’t come prepared and so were inefficiently choosing songs on the go, either out of the air or from crowd suggestions. This meant we didn’t get much - Destroying the World and Slam were some slurred highlights, if you can call them that. At one point the singer declared they’d sing Lucky the Donkey twice in a row. And after 4 minutes of its juvenile and crass lyrics it ended and there was some silence. They looked at the drummer who was looking back at them expectantly for direction when they said “Lucky.” He responded with “I thought you were kidding...” and when they assured him they were indeed going to waste another few minutes of this half-hour set on it, he went ahead. Maybe my opinion was further soured by being singled out soon after this for standing near the front with my hands in my pockets. “What - this isn’t forwarding your liberal agenda?!” the singer jabbed at me before essentially telling my to lighten up. “We just sang about my mother fucking a donkey!” he continued, to which I retorted “Yeah, twice” and walked out. (Or at least wished that I’d been that quick.) Don’t meet your quote-unquote heroes, kids.

The Audition
I’ve never been an Audition fan but decided I'd give them a check. They were playing some slick rock, fronted by a very earnest, long-haired singer. Apparently they’ve been away for awhile and at least the front man was very happy to have the opportunity to strut in front of a few hundred people, sometimes pandering to us but seeming to be keeping the good times going. Can’t say I’m converted but it wasn’t bad.

Four Years Strong
Four beards strong were Four Years Strong. With a couple of different singers they played good guitar rock, at times reminding me of Rise Against. Later in the day two of the members played a separate acoustic set of which I caught a couple tunes which goes to show I was well enough impressed. The acoustic were from their recent acoustic release aptly titled something like “Some of you will like this, some of you won’t.”

Save Ferris
A group that I’ve been aware of forever, likely because of the obvious Ferris Bueller reference, but have never caught or properly listened to. This was my chance and it started with all the right elements - a punk rock band with a proper ska section and a mature female lead who gave us something to look at. The tunes were fine, not super high-energy ska but some middle of the road stuff, and the crowd liked it well enough. It was the singer though that started to grate on me with her over-the-top flaunting of her sexuality, giving it more of a burlesque feel than a punk rock show. I don’t like to think of myself as a prude but after the third costume change, which came across more like a strip tease each time, and gratuitous ass-shaking I couldn’t take it anymore and left.

Creeper
Joining this set partway through there was a woman playing acoustically by herself before trading off to a male who started another song before all six of the band members came back in. The final song, Misery, seemed like it had the structure for greatness with the opening solitary guitar but the singer spoiled it by barely singing at all and leaving it on the late afternoon crowd to carry it. As a not-yet fan I’d have been more won over if he’d actually pulled it off instead of shirking it off.

Capdown
Capdown had the odd juxtaposition of screamo and ska. It was exactly what I was expecting though. Judging by the crowd that these guys have built up over the apparently many, many years it was what the crowd wanted too. Utilising the trumpet to add the brass element from time to time, the singer would usually be screaming if not playing it. They weren’t bad but again I was listless and strayed before they finished.

Twin Atlantic
Here are my notes “standard rock group. sounded alright”

ROAM
Only catching the end of their set it was what you’d expect from the youth at a punk rock festival and gives hope for the future.

Zebrahead
I’m sure I’ve caught these guys in decades past opening for the likes of Goldfinger and yet never got much into their catalog. This day they were pretty silly - first coming out with two guys dressed as beer bottles who mostly just drank, danced and then had a weak chugging contest. The music was throwaway so when they started “celebrating” the royal wedding by bringing out Meghan and Harry for surely some other immature gag I hightailed it.

Sleeping with Sirens
SwS were the best set of the day to this point - a sentiment overheard as the lights came up that I could wholly agree with. They just were tight when needing to be, played really well musically and made it enjoyable so that the crowd got into it with a big circle pit. At times sounding like Coheed and Cambria, I was very impressed and will keep my eyes open for another shot.

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
After a day that had been marked by decent-to-disappointing, Frank was a breath of fresh air - no, a true shot in the arm to get the evening portion going. Dressed like a tool in his massive leopard fur I thought he was going to be an absolute lad, and yet the things that he said and the way that he lead the set were anything but. He commanded us from start to finish but did so in a way that endeared us to him. Whether he was stood atop the crowd singing, moshing with the mic, or running out into the centre of us to direct first the biggest mosh pit (not quite around the sound booth cuz that was WAY at the back) we ran lengths for him. Well, at lease until the first dickass stopped moshing and started trying to take a selfie and then the circle pit chaos turned into touch-the-singer chaos to which he shouted my favourite quote of the night “Stop touching me fuken head; I’m not a leprechaun!” His music with The Rattlesnakes is some loud rock that isn’t extraordinary in any certain way but the energy that they bring to the set really is. The guitarist also took a turn standing on the crowd and playing a solo. Frank dedicated one song to the women and invited only them to crowd surf if they wanted to, especially if they’d ever wanted to but were too nervous and he promised that the men would treat them with respect “not because they could be your mother, sister, niece or cousin but because they are your equal.” I don’t think I stopped putting women up for the full song. On another he spoke of mental health. Overall it was a solid set where not only did we have the biggest circle pit but also the most circle pits. You try not having fun with thousands of like-minded people all running in tight circles around each other with reckless abandon.

Trash Boat
I'd caught these guys opening for Seaway a year or two back and if anything they’ve gotten even better. Only got to see one tune at the end of their set this time around but it was a very good one. This back Signature Brew stage seemed to be doing the trick by churning out these young punks.

Goldfinger
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen Goldfinger but it had been awhile and in this interim an apparent rift has left Feldman standing alone with a mix'n'match backing band from the old punk world. Bass now covered by a guy from MXPX, while guitar is from Story of the Year, and apparently the drummer from Atreyu learned the entire set in a day and a half for this gig. I decided to get over my feelings of betrayal to Darryn Pfeiffer and the rest and enjoy myself. They actually played a new song, Million Miles, early in the set and it went over well but also included plenty of “classic” GF, even having the brass from Reel Big Fish. “Those guys played my wedding twenty years ago!..I’m old!” recalled Feldman. Of course they did Superman so everyone could skank to their fave Tony Hawk jam, Wake Up - a song that helped me go veg, and he even played the first half of Fuck Ted Nugent solo as a lead up to an obvious and almost obligatory “Fuck Donald Trump.” Not planning to stay through to the end, there I was hearing the opening of 99 Red Balloons anyhow. Good fun all around even with the replacement cast - including a German speaker who sang the classic Nina verse on the finale.

Taking Back Sunday
In leading up to this fest I’d really been digging back into TBS yet the unexpected full set from Goldfinger plus the massive hike from one end of the NEC to the other only allowed me to catch two and a half songs. On the bright side one of those was in my top two requests - Cute without the E (Cut from the Team). The finale was not my other request but their hit from their next album chronologically. It was pretty good too. And I tell ya, they were really solid and I would have enjoyed the set I’m sure but you can’t win all the clashes.

Reel Big Fish
Somebody said Reel Big Fish had to be the most entertaining band going and I say, they do not disappoint. Not only is there the music, but the comedic banter, and the combination of both in the hilarious lyrics such as on Everyone Else is an Asshole. Naturally this was a newer tune but they knew to pull back I Want Your Girlfriend To Be My Girlfriend, and their classic cover of the classic tune Brown Eyed Girl. They’d joked earlier asking why there were so many of us there in the crowd. “You do know Jimmy Eat World are playing in the arena just over there? Good Charlotte are playing The Anthem right now, probably” at which point the brass section filed out to go watch. Jokes aside I did nip out early as I’d seen them play last year and a few times before that, but had never seen the two aforementioned bands.

Good Charlotte
I cheated and checked the set lists from the previous days of the festival to try and come up with my attack plan for splitting Good Charlotte and Jimmy Eat World, who were playing at exactly the same time in two rather different places. In the end I had to pass up a couple JEW bangers to just get a taste of GC. I think it was worth it to see Benji and the boys burst on stage to confetti cannons and pyro blasts for The Anthem. I was halfway back of the arena in order to duck out the side door but I liked what I saw, though probably would have tired of it before they reached Boys and Girls 90 minutes later. I heard he jabbered through a lot of the set anyhow. So off I went.

Jimmy Eat World
This band got a lot of backlash back in the day, I assume simply because they were super popular and this was high school. Because really they’re a good rock band that know how to write a song. Much less pomp and circumstance than GC, they used their instruments to entertain. To be honest, I knew only about half the songs while I may have heard the rest in passing but it didn’t so much matter. The other guitarist took the reigns for Blister and did a swell job of it. Futures was excellent and I had forgotten just how nifty that riff on Sweetness is. Even without checking set lists I could have told you The Middle would shut it all down and I ran to the train-replacement-bus floating on nostalgia.

The Streets - Academy Birmingham - Apr 19, 2018

The Streets

The build-up on this one was immense. After announcing the end of The Streets some six years ago Mike Skinner decided to dust off the mic and do a short string of gigs, promising to bring the party with "all the old shit." Opinion varies on whether this is a cash grab or a valid calim that he really missed the road but does it really matter? Tix went in a flash and were selling for five times on the resale market (Yeah, in excess of £200 a piece. And plenty of stories of overpriced tix ending up being fake. Fucking scam artists and scalpers make me sick..) Having signed up to all the lists and alerts a miracle happened a couple weeks before the show as a new block were released from the actual retailer for face value - jumped all over that. The Streets return in Skinner’s hometown? I do think so.

With electricity in the air all day online and in the city, the venue was actually a bit oppressive - there were a lot of lads and football chants and jostling before the lights were even lowered. The opener was pretty mediocre - hip hop sets can really be bad when it’s just a guy who can’t even spit his own raps live - however when the main event came on things took a massive turn towards stellar. Right away Mike was right out at the edge of the stage, soaking it up and the crowd surged towards him to catch a spot of his charisma. On looks alone there’s not much to say, a little lad with sweat pants and a football tee but he’s written some hits and perhaps more importantly has produced some true bangers. The full live backing band filled the room with energy and as promised, he played the hits, and showcased some friends along the way. He didn’t exactly take the lad mentality out of the room, even starting up some opposing football chants but he also was a showman. He kept asking crowd surfers how the waves were and promising to take a ride soon. In the crowd itself I think the entire Academy floor was a mosh. I started near the front on the left and at one point was almost to the back at the right, and hopped my way everywhere in between. Things were surprisingly friendly as everyone was just so bloody excited for these songs. We barked along to the lyrics and pumped our fists. It was honestly a bit berserk at times and I felt proud of my adopted town of Brum to represent so well.

Near the end Mike detailed his plan to us a dozen times or more - we were gonna split down the middle, he’d run to the back and then surf back up to the stage. A few hardcore fans tried to make way for him early but everyone else was doing their thing and kept crushing it back in. About the same happened when he finally hit the floor, the narrow passage opened for about four tenths of a second as he started down the middle and then everyone realised they could touch a piece and pushed in toward him. About 2/3 of the way to the back he gave up and motioned to put him up. Thousands of people collectively held aloft their hometown hero until they collapsed on themselves as the excitement tipped a massive wave of the crowd over; M.S. on top. Dusting themselves off Mike finally got back onto the stage with a bit of a “what the fuck is wrong with you guys?!” in the best way look. The encore was basically insanity as there were guests, rapid fire beats, singalongs and a massive outpouring of love. More than I actually could have hoped for. Walking back across the pagoda subway drenched in sweat - some of it my own - under the Radisson Blue, past new Snobs, and around New Street station it made me truly proud to be a Brummie.

Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah! with Murray Lightburn - Hare & Hounds - Oct 24, 2018

Murray Lightburn
Opening was Lightburn of The Dears with just his acoustic guitar. To be perfectly honest I was a casual Dears fan at best, really liking the odd track and trying to get into them but not being able to otherwise. However this guy, stripped back, was strong. He admitted that he doesn't find his own guitar playing particularly good just functional enough to allow his songwriting and, most importantly, that excellent voice of his to be heard. It was like warm honey in the ears (that's a compliment). Playing mostly new tracks from the record he was plugging that he whined a few times wouldn't be out until the new year despite being done already because of the music industry, he did impress and fortunately the crowd paid him mind. Unassuming and appreciative of us it was an excellent display and I wish him the best and will keep an eye out for that album whenever it does drop.

Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah!
My partner was bugging me to go to this even before it was rescheduled and I wasn't opposed so off we went. Besides that, I really enjoyed The Tourist from last year (2017). It's interesting how a band goes from the hottest tip, with all the fallout of a perfect Pitchfork review, to playing to partly full small rooms in Kings Heath on a weeknight in a decade. In fact, a few years more than a decade since this was the ten year anniversary of their second record, Some Loud Thunder, which they were playing in full. To be honest, it's not all that strong and doesn't deserve the full-play treatment, though I could see it being afforded to the 10/10 (rated) self-titled debut. Anyhow we slogged through with only a couple of highlights like Satan Said Dance before they could actually open the set up. The singer, I'm pretty sure the only remaining original member but the owner of that signature nasal voice, was in a tattered suit, ugly shoes and a poorboy cap, while his band-for-hire mates were dressed normally and probably that decade younger than him (or perhaps the fame has been particularly hard on him?) There still weren't a lot of hits per se, but a group of girls nagged about Yellow Country Teeth until he finally relented/it came up in the setlist, and they came to the front to sing drunkenly before finally returning into the ether. I believe there was an encore but it didn't provide much more to get super excited about. With the first and last albums being head and shoulders above the rest, in this blogger's humble opinion, they were not paid nearly enough attention. So though the band were completely able and actually sounded pretty good the gig didn't leave a big impression overall. I should have spent the months between rescheduling listening up to the second disc I suppose.

Flaming Lips - Riot Fest Saturday (Sept 6/14)

The Flaming Lips show had been built up to nothing short of epic in the years since I'd failed to pay attention to them at Sarstock (at this very same venue) during which I'd discovered Yoshimi at the very least. Noticing the massive tanks of compressed gas on the stage earlier in the day I finally got to see them put to work as the confetti began to fly, and not just to the front of the stage but at least fifty meters out into the the air where it rained on and on and down and down for minutes onto the entire crowd who had squished in for the spectacle. Included was a two-person dancing rainbow, a couple magical mushrooms and all sorts of other eye candy in the way of streamers and lights. They stuck around for the opening and the naturally acoustic Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Pt 1) during which Wayne Coyne had to roll the karate chop back. "I find this really sets the tone for the show and that just isn't going to cut it. 'The name is Yoshimi. She's a black belt in karate.'" He did not stop there as he was the cheerleader the whole time, pumping up the crowd and reminding us that we get back what we put in. Unleashed were 'Fuck Yeah Riot Fest' balloons that bopped over the crowd but only the H survived.

After the mushrooms and rainbow went offstage they were replaced by a couple caterpillars mid metamorphosis to butterflies, and a shining sun - plus a couple of alien blow ups (It doesn't have to make sense.) Wayne reemerged in an anatomic "body"suit that was then covered in silver tin foil streamers before his famous party trick - the hamster ball. Inside this huge ball he crossed atop the crowd and nearly came to my position halfway back, a showman the entire time. Following this was an odd bit on a raised platform where he was coddling a fake child with video projections of running women and the strings of lights still all over the stage. It gave a moment to notice the six-piece band, including a standing and a seated drummer, who were playing through all the nonsense of the show.

Their signature song for damn good reason is Do You Realize? and it was live rendition rung out in all of its epic glory, with Wayne unnecessarily asking us to help him belt it out. This could easily have brought this bold spectacle to a close but the cover of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds felt like an bonus shot, as Wayne was back up on the raised platform and each time the chorus came around the ridiculous strobe lights would strobe and the confetti overtook the sky yet again. Woo - a whirlwind. "Incredible" was the word that was falling off everyone's lips.

Hey Rosetta! and Stars - Danforth (Feb 12/15)

Hey Rosetta!

Disclaimer: As if Hey Rosetta weren't already one of my favourite Canadian bands they went and put out a disc to rival all others last year and this was my first time to experience it live.

The performance was brilliant, a perfect weight of new and old, soft and hard, build and break. It can take years and years for bands to reach this height and Hey Rosetta has been at it for quite awhile now and having started strong seem to only be improving. What a spectacular show through and through. Although it seemed like it was supposed to end earlier, technically being an opener, it just kept going as if it were a double bill. That really wasn't a problem especially considering when I first saw these two on the same bill (Feb 2010, Vancouver) Torq came out so impressed that he stated "well that's the last time those guys open for us" predicting that they were going places.

Tim is the focal point of the group but let's be honest - all seven musicians are extremely skilled in their own right. From the intro that led into Second Sight's cleverly titled opening track Soft Offering (For the Oft Suffering) with its percussion and keys into the next album cut, Gold Teeth it was on. Utilizing a second reverb mic Tim also used the acoustic for this. Breaking into the back catalog with a surging rendition of Yer Spring that had a badass bass line and extended outro they then dialed it in with an acoustic What Arrows, also changing up their instruments halfway through the tune. Seeds was the next effort before they came back with a Second Sight highlight in Neon Beyond that I assumed would be the closer due to its crashing ending. I was far off though as Cathedral Bells showed off both acoustic and electric guitar solos before the absolutely stunning Harriet - my personal new favourite even before this hair-raising rendition. They weren't done as the rollercoaster of Red Heart totally brought it down but no! there's more! Kintsukuroi truly was the set closer. And boy, oh boy, what a set!

Stars
Yet again Stars reminded me why I have practically lost count of their shows that I have attended. With confidence and charisma they charmed their way through a dazzling set, they have which experience to know the sweet spot between new tracks and old faves. I may not be over the moon about their latest release, No One is Lost, but it translated better coming direct from their fingertips and mouths. Actually Trap Door, the current radio single, hadn't really caught my attention until I stood in front of Torq laying it bare and with rapt attention realized its strength. When they pulled out perhaps their marquee Elevator Love Song from breakout Set Yourself on Fire, the he-sang, she-sang still hit all the emotional cues while the weird bass line made it just different enough to be extra interesting. Some of the strongest moments came from their Bedroom album which I recently revisited on vinyl and think despite liking it on initial release that I have been undervaluing it since. Take Me to the Riot is a fantastic call to arms while Up in our Bedroom was also endearing. Torq didn't spout off too much which is almost a disappointment for no matter what he says he is thoughtful and passionate and entertaining. (I was waiting for a 'Fuck Harper' that didn't arrive.) The set was brimming and bright and while the encore was compact it was still great and what Stars fan doesn't want to relive their breakups courtesy of Your Ex Lover is Dead?

Rich Aucoin, Maylee Todd - TIFF (Sep 4)

Maylee Todd
Sure I may have originally lined up for the double whammy of Hollerado and Born Ruffians but the 600 nineteen-year-olds and the pop bottle it was to be played in put me off, not to mention I was sorta leaning Rich anyhow. Maylee Todd was partway through her set by the time the third TIFF volunteer finally knew what we were talking about "music? This is a film festival." With her still-shaved head she did her best as a hype woman to the smattering of people involved, even having people dance an imaginary red carpet. The tunes were similar to her Field Trip set though the emphasis seemed to be on the good times rather than the music.

Rich Aucoin
Rich's shows have always been that way (good times over music), though his last album, We're All Dying to Live (2011, really?) proved that doesn't need to be the case. With the competent crew on stage, his brother on bass, Taylor Knox in his 43rd group on drums, and the Rubblebucket-shirt on synths and keys you would expect no less. Fighting the technics he just kept motoring in intro and having us scream Maylee Todd's name in appreciation until he got his audio to play with his video. From there we experienced his signature multimedia experience. Despite the release of Ephemeral, live standards such as Four More Years, Are You Experiencing and more, persist and rightly so. He did finagle most of the crowd, and even some passerbyers to join our tight knit circle for some cheers, some high fives and yelling into the mic. On one tune we formed a circle around him while he went around and made people's day with individual attention before we all raced to the center of the circle to pogo and yell the pre-taught chorus as loud as we could. A new and possibly unscripted element was when a swarm of dudes dressed in white and wearing bowler caps jumped over the stage barrier and began moshing around with each other and Rich himself who either invited them or was a great sport about it. Of course, the will-he or won't-he question is always about the parachute and sure enough he brought it. A huge one! Surely this has grown in recent years (maybe he's been quilting) and fit everyone who wanted to be under it, including Maylee Todd (the yelling must have worked) and her entire dance crew, plus - who is that dude across the chute? - none other than Mr. Jason Collett. As a friend said, "I don't go to church but a Rich Aucoin show always raises my spirits as if it's my religion." Amen.

National, City and Colour - Riot Fest Sunday (Sept 7/14)

City and Colour

Dallas spoke about how he nearly turned down this 'punk festival' but then thought better of it 'punk is doing what you wanna do' and so here he was shutting the whole thing down Sunday night. As per usual as soon as he strolled out to a great R&B Soul II Soul song with his four-piece backing band, including key/pedal steel player, all that could be seen from the crowd were thousands of tiny glowing screens. Unfortunately he didn't rip into people which is usually the most fun of his show. In fact there wasn't too much banter as the set started quite lighter - especially after that intro song only for them to launch into a super slow opening track. The start of the set was more C&C of yesteryear than the rock-leaning version that has been seen of late. One of the first half highlights was the Grand Optimist as in the darkness the smoke show really worked in the spotlights. He also took Coming Home down in tempo, not that it bothered the drunk girl trying to sing and wave along at album speed. That song, as with many others, proved some great electric guitar work especially from his band members. The Girl bordered on country before they began bringing the rock back around in the latter half. A cover of Thrush Hermit's The Day We Hit the Coast, voluntarily assisted by "the hippie from Moneen," stuck with that trend as Green declared it one of his favourite Canadian songs by one of his favourite Canadian bands. Their final song was a long, meandering tune that didn't exactly elicit encore enthusiasm but it was a foregone conclusion with 15 minutes remaining. The disappointment in the encore wasn't simply that it did not contain a lightly speculated but highly unlikely Alexisonfire reunion (Jordan Hastings, drummer, at least, was on hand with Say Yes) but also that it consisted of only one song. Not only that but Dallas admitted it was probably not the popular choice, instead that it was his favourite and played Two Coins. Is that punk rock or poor showmanship?

The National
Warning, what you're about to read can't be unread.

Recently I heard Matt Berninger describe his lyric writing style as sitting down with music provided by his band and just working words to it until he came up with a song. I think this has ruined The National for me. Yes they make some epic indie tunes but just knowing the lyrics are the actual nonsense that they seem irks me now - I was much happier thinking there was some deeper obscure meaning. Sorry if this has the same effect on you.

That being said I went to check their set as day turned to night which was beneficial for their large projection screen not unlike the Flaming Lips from the night before. This displayed distorted live feeds from cameras set in all sorts of places around the stage showing the seven-piece, including a two-piece brass section. The setlist was a decent selection, drawing early on a lot of Trouble Will Find Me material which is well received like opener Don't Swallow the Cap, as well as I Should Live in Salt, Sea of Love (with harmonica), and I Need My Girl. For the last in that list the guitarist, while wearing a guitar around his shoulders held another by the butt end and tapped the end against the stage to make that reverberating sound. Matt seemed to lose it for a minute as he closed out Graceless and was knocking the microphone heartily off of his own head. They did touch on some older material including Ada, Bloodbuzz, plus the brash brass on Fake Empire, along with double raised guitars at its end. Speaking of ending, Mr.November is a gimme in the set and saw Matt enter the crowd and seemingly lose mic connection as the latter half of the song was taken over by his backing band and the crowd crooning along. After that, the final song, was Terrible Love which had him really stretching the cord as he came deep into the crowd - right up to me and I hadn't really pushed in, crowd surfing for a bit of it too. Oh Matt, up to your old shenanigans again.

Constantines, Dan Deacon - Opening for Arcade Fire - (Aug 29/14)

Constantines
Just like at Field Trip the set started with the plodding drum beat of Draw Us Lines which emerges into a shout along that starts a show nicely for band and audience alike. Against the black backdrop covering the Arcade Fire stage setup, the recently reunited five piece looked tiny on the huge stage, an impression magnified by the still mostly empty seats of the cavernous amphitheatre. It did not affect their audio output however as they crunched out songs from across their decade plus history. Hotline Operator had fans drumming the backs of the empty seats in front of them and beaming, while Bry Webb dropped to his knees aggressively strumming his guitar. Nighttime, Anytime got a few people shouting along from the back and Hateful Song swapped out the keys for an additional dose of guitar awesomeness as the spotlights came on. Unfortunately the set may not have won many over but at this point in their career that is probably not what they are going for anyway. Bry appeared very humbled to have been asked by their friends in the Arcade Fire, for they had played together previously before AF's world domination began, citing their last gig together in a church basement in small town Ontario. He mentioned how the live Arcade Fire cover of their song Young Lions while playing the ACC in the spring of this year had caused his phone to 'explode' (he wasn't in attendance) and then threw it back out to them before playing it. This band has obviously not missed a beat as they had me clapping and hollering in appreciation all by myself from the cheap seats.

Dan Deacon
Dan Deacon did a set of his electronic music as a prelude to the Arcade Fire performance. With just himself and a board he managed to whip up a few hot tracks. There was a whole lot of talking and directions coming from him though, which may have been lost on us as we hung around in the back row - attempts at dance-offs it seemed. Overall the party starting may be better suited to a smaller crowd of more devout followers.

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.

Arcade Fire - Amphitheatre (August 29/14)

Initially the costume idea struck as a brand making demands but upon reflection it could be seen as a band making an event out of their concert. Wouldn't it be more exciting if you planned for it and were surrounded by people looking their best, or in their best costume? In interview Win backed the latter reasoning and any attendee would have to admit that it worked. Sure there were more people in jeans and a tee than a suit or a banana suit but there was plenty to look at and even more to be excited about. For me it had been damn near a decade since the last show (Hillside July 2005), an awe-striking performance that still wells up joyous feelings, so I could hardly wait for it to begin. It was fitting that the band took part as a costume-head in the likeness of each band member marched out to start the show, breaking into the music and setting the crowd off only to be booted by the actual band who emerged in faux surprise and anger. Scripted yes, but still amusing.

With the real band on stage, a whole bunch of them, constantly moving about between instruments, they played a setlist that is damn close to what I would have crafted in a perfect world. This being the Reflektor tour this idea-heavy and danceable disc got its due with the obvious stellar Afterlife, while even Normal Person and Oh Orpheus were brought to life. That last track saw Regine out in the middle of the crowd to sing while three skeleton-suited people floated behind her. Slightly inexplicable it just added to the spectacle such as the being suited completely in chain-mail made of mirrors, in a cloud of fog, with spotlights beaming off as if lasers were being shot from this dancing light-emitter. Keeping with the reflecting theme there were a couple differing sets of mirrors that were lowered above the group depending on the song, but oddly not for the title-track of the latest album. Only a couple Neon Bible tracks made it, rightly so, if you include a top fun tune on the night, Keep the Car Running, (which was actually re-released after being on the debut self-titled.) In addition they also picked the best of The Suburbs - Ready to Start, The Suburbs - the best in my opinion as well as theirs apparently. To round out the set was the Regine-leading Sprawl II, hands-down my 'burbs fave, which didn't seem a natural show closer but I was pleasantly surprised to note the overwhelmingly positive reaction from the rest of the crowd to match my own.

All night they leant heavily on Funeral which is a tried and true strategy at this point - throwing Rebellion Lies, Tunnels and Haiti into the mix. However it was a safe bet that it would be included in the encore as well. Perhaps the only misstep of the night seemed to be upon re-emerging for the encore as they did something they've been doing at each stop - an ode to the city by covering someone local. First they referenced Hamilton's Teenage Head with a reprise of the costume-head joke, then for some reason a snippet of Shania Twain played before the band ended up playing Who Do You Love? as they reasoned it was made famous by Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks. Maybe the song was just before our time, or that their version was unfamiliar but it fell a little flat. However when you follow it up the way they did it is easy to move on.

Nearly a year ago the half hour video was released in anticipation of the new album and since that point it was obvious that their live show was going to be a party. The primary reason for that is the tempo busting Here Comes the Nighttime which they played in all its glory - perhaps the crowning song of the night albeit not the last. No, they went back to Funeral for both Power Out and the natural nightcap - Wake Up (same as last time..). As if the song and the night aren't epic enough the Exhibition fireworks began to blow, as did the minds of everyone in attendance. A transcendental show that makes me wonder - what the hell have I been waiting a decade for?!

Openers - Constantines and Dan Deacon

1. Jurassic Park: End Credits 
   (John Williams song)
0. Rebellion (Lies) 
   (intro played by fake band)
1. Normal Person 
2. Rebellion (Lies) 
3. Joan of Arc 
4. Empty Room 
   (slowed down intro)
5. The Suburbs 
6. The Suburbs (Continued) 
7. Ready to Start 
8. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) 
9. Keep the Car Running 
10. Intervention 
11. We Exist 
    (w/ 'My Body Is a Cage' acapella intro)
12. Reflektor 
13. Haïti 
14. Afterlife 
15. It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus) 
    (Régine on B-stage)
16. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) 
    ('Damian Taylor Remix' intro)
17. Encore:
16. Picture My Face 
    (Teenage Head song) (Fake band on stage)
17. Who Do You Love? 
    (Bo Diddley cover)
18. Here Comes the Night Time 
19. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) 
20. Wake Up 

Young Drones by The Bicycles - Summerworks - Lower Ossington (Aug 16)

A rock opera with a big divide in the band as the black-haired and the bearded guitar players were drones while the female drummer led her marching synth and bass player soldiers. The music wasn't as catchy as some previous Bicycles work but more serious to match the mood of the play; although a ridiculous premise it was told with authenticity and urgency. Underneath it all the message was positive and clear, making it a worthwhile tale, and the projected displays although not completely innovative definitely furthered the storyline and added the extra dimension (even if it was only 2-D). As it was a concert of sorts I couldn't help but bop around in my seat on a couple tracks as almost all the members, including the drummer, took a turn at the mic. Perhaps not Tommy proportions but a worthwhile endeavor nonetheless!

Offspring, Pennywise, Bad Religion, Vandals - Echo Beach (Aug 7)

The Offspring

A celebration of the band's breakthrough success of Smash two decades on, they barreled out with a raised drum kit and the pretty guitarist also on a raised platform, while flanking Dexter was his bassist and Noodles. After an extended intro from their classic pre-recorded voice, which finished by dissing us all in the way only The Offspring can, they ripped into Nitro and didn't look back. The pit was set off and the sand flew from Echo Beach. A crowd that seemed all to have been young punks for that initial release two decades prior proved it with a lot of shouting along - who can resist Bad Habit's "Stupid Dumb Shit Goddamn Mothefucker?" The only pause came when they skipped over Self Esteem in the track listing only to tack it onto the end the album in this live rendition. After a very brief 'intermission' they were back with a swagger to lay down basically the greatest hits - both singles and a few beloved cuts: Gonna Go Far Kid, Pretty Fly, She's Got Issues, Head Around You. Consummate performers they haven't missed a beat from their polished but raw show that I last saw in the Americana or perhaps Splinter era. Forgoing an encore they just closed strong with one of their strongest in The Kids Aren't Alright. Quite possibly, nostalgia aside, as good now as then!

Pennywise
I remember in my punk days debating whether Pennywise could be my favourite band. There's not a song I don't like! That being said, the songs were short bursts of fast chords with the odd political leaning rant and coming on thirty years into their career I'm happy to report they are still doing the same. The set was underway with a good showing of punks and former punks by the time they launched into Fuck Authority and I launched myself into the pit. There I found Pennywise the clown skanking it up in the circle pit as the beloved underachievers did what they've been doing best all these years. Compared to the consummate professionals in Bad Religion to follow, these guys were playing up their drunken laziness while sticking with favourites such as Society and their eponymous single. There were enough tunes to keep me going through the elbows and sweat of the pit until their finale, the still smoldering Bro Hymn.

Bad Religion
Is that the announcer? Maybe the guy in black pants and black golf shirt is a professor who has come to impart a message? The latter theory turns out to be closer to the truth as the singer for Bad Religion is a professor and he wants to teach us how to continue in success on your chosen career path. PW do things a little different, as BR seemed to be fit and focused on playing technically well. Their political messages are also sung loud though the collection of music is a little more varied than some of their punk compadres. Besides Sorrow and a few other bigger tunes, plus a newer tune, Fuck You, I knew less than I expected to know but they still sounded great. Perhaps scared off by my friend being dropped on his head at the last BR show nearly a decade ago I stayed to the back and away from the pit but from there I could hear it sounding quite fine.

The Vandals

All these years on and these guys are still goofs. I can't even remember now if I caught them at a Warped Tour or anything - probably - but they don't seem to have grown up much. Fun-loving they seemed to be taking the piss for much of the set, playing quick songs all introduced as "by The Vandals." From the back it seemed a bit silly but there were those who had come early and seemed to be digging in the sand of Echo Beach, especially for songs even I recognized such as Oi to the World! and My Girlfriend's Dead, both By The Vandals. As a finale their bass player took over and lead a long sprawling cover with a lot of personality though I couldn't quite figure out what was going on and perhaps that was the point.