Patrick Watson, La Force - EartH - Hackney, London - Dec. 10, '18

La Force
In a satin pink dress and otherwise just an electric guitar Ariel took to the stage a little later than first anticipated. Regardless the audience in the cold, old hall were captive from the get go. She played a few songs from her first solo release that's only weeks old before swapping to the cigar box for a few. Her voice is strong and distinct, pushing it to far registers at times, while handling that guitar well and varying the pre-recorded beats, one sounding like a club beat before she started into it. Inviting Little Scream to meld her vocals they sang one together which had a few moments where I worried the harmonies would go off the rails but in the end was a highlight as the crowd clapped them out. The true highlight was rightfully saved for the next song that would also be the last. "To prove that I have friends" a guitarist named Joe (from Patrick's band) came to layer onto the throbbing back beats and Ariel's own guitar while she sang us an anthem for our revolution, probably the strongest of the night and a tune akin to her work with AroarA.

Patrick Watson
Patrick Watson is in that upper echelon of performers that truly transcends with each show, giving you an ethereal experience that takes you out of the concert hall and into a new world. Taking to the stage in darkness the sound started before anything could be seen and began to not just surround but envelope us all. Along with his band of five - drums, guitars, bass, synthesizers, and Ariel's vocals  - they built up the songs from a hush until they filled your soul via your eardrums. Through fog and an assortment of ever-changing lighting, including a laser show and these lovely old-fashioned, oversized bulbs on stands with translucent mirrors that slowly twirled around them, you could just make out the variety of ways that they produced the magic. Patrick, from under a mass of hair, pumped his hands and giggled like a madman but they say there is a fine line between genius and mad and he seems to tiptoe it. He used everything from piano, to effect pedals and boards to a megaphone and even just shouting into the audience. Speaking of the audience, he also used us as an accomplished conductor would, milking everything out of our collective voices (once by encouraging us to sing like we were really drunk!), but we were willing participants throughout. Even without many 'hits' - they played Adventures in Your Own Backward but not any of Luscious Life, Big Bird in a Small Cage, or Beijing - it was still a compelling set.
Special moments came as the band huddled around one mic, family style, during the set as well as on absolute stunner, Into Giants, that opened the encore. The french horn also ended up playing out in the audience at one point of it too. This was around the time that it was made known that their drummer, Robbie Kuster, was playing his final show with the band after 20 years and the audience's roared approval carried on and on, multiple times continuing beyond when Patrick was about to introduce the next song, as Robbie stood proudly with a tambourine raised above his head. Somehow they followed this up with a beautiful solo piano tune from Patrick where he could really showcase throwing that incredible voice of his around, before they all returned for one last finale song. I realise this review doesn't do it justice and encourage you to go see it for yourself as there is new music in the pipeline for 2019!

Patrick Watson, Barr Brothers - Massey Hall (Dec 6/13)

The Barr Brothers

The four Barr Brothers (including one Barr sister) claimed the three-way privilege of playing Massey Hall: first of all the amazing room, secondly opening for Patrick Watson and lastly that they were able to end a year of touring in such a place. As a few stragglers found their seats the band looked like visitors to a hoarder audiophile's basement as they were tucked amongst all of Patrick's equipment. However they had brought some neat stuff of their own as well. Prominently featured was the female on a full-scale harp while her brethren had what looked to be a micro organ. Along with his regular drum set there was also a bike tire for bowing of the spokes, along with a number of shaking instruments and some fancy claps. With all that to play with there was no 'regular' drumming until the latter half of the last song. Opening acoustically they performed a few more well-known songs including Old Mythologies. The singer's guitar was equipped with a string of sorts that he would pull away from the instrument with his strumming hand while continuing to play with the other hand producing an interesting scale effect as he reached to the hall's ceiling and pulled himself onto his toes. The same apparatus was not present on his electric guitar that was also featured. One song saw three of four huddled around the communal mic with an acoustic and a uke for a warm sound. With all of the varied sounds and instrumentation, coupled with the venue, it would seem like it should be a stellar set yet I didn't find myself thoroughly engaged thoughout the set. Perhaps I was simply tired considering the rest of the audience further negated the significance of a standing ovation by offering one to this fully-capable band for what I felt wasn't a completely captivating set.

Patrick Watson
The circle closed as the tour that I'd caught in its warm-up days was now nearing its end. The previous show had been in the wonderful Koerner Hall and this one was in the equally beautiful, albeit larger, Massey Hall. The similarities didn't stop there as the group once again entered to Lighthouse however this time not only was I familiar with the song (the album hadn't yet been released before the previous show) but every audience member now had a finger light to match the darkened stage for a beautiful effect. Despite the excitement and lights the crowd was respectfully hushed as the band built up from Patrick at the piano to a full band arrangement. There was an emphasis on new material which was fine by me as they've been only improving on it with this tour. The lighting was great last time around and this time the production was even more elaborate and well executed, from the projections and lights to the arrangements and musicianship. 

Once again partway through the set Patrick and co. crowded around a centre stage mic to swoon into it. The song following this was Into Giants where they were joined around the mic by the female vocalist from the Barr Brothers and about halfway through Patrick returned to his piano and the rest of the members picked up their instruments. Older tune Luscious Life had a new sound to it versus the record, and Beijing was mind-blowing once again. Returning to the accolade-earning Adventures in Your Own Backyard Step Out for a While hit the mark and Morning Sheets came to a satisfyingly full ending. 

As if the horn and female violinist (making her mark with some excellent plucking) weren't enough, another differentiator was the choir who had offered to join them all the way from Montreal. They came out partway through a song to lend their voices without introduction (until after the fact).
Everyone was excused for the Big Bird in a Small Cage that Patrick tackled by himself from the piano bench with a drawn out story and much goading of the audience to participate, all the while chuckling to himself. It sounds odd but it was strangely endearing. 

Everyone was once again invited back out, even all the Brothers - one of which got to share the keys with Patrick as he went back and forth from there to the center mic. Altogether they brought it down in a crashing finale of Where the Wild Things Are. That didn't negate an encore however, as they reemerged to a standing ovation and played two songs followed by a voted-by-applause (over the Great Escape) rendition of To Build a Home by a solo Patrick. Although many aspects were similar to the last time out, the show has in fact improved - who would have thought it possible? It's not simply a concert of excellent songs but a production of an amazing spectacle that draws you in and engages the entire time. Hell, I'd see it again!

Patrick Watson - Adventure in Your Own Backyard: (Year-End Album Review)

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

Patrick Watson - Adventures in Your Own Backyard

When Mr. Patrick Watson, along with his standup band, previewed this album at Koerner Hall late last year it obviously wasn't just the beautiful venue that made it such a magnificent show. As promised by the title Watson takes us on a new journey within a familiar context by singing his uniquely excellent voice atop beautiful, lush arrangements. The strings are lovely, the guitar work great, the brass splendid, the piano requisite, and all of the other sometimes-unorthodox instruments find their home comfortably in your backyard as well. Lighthouse, Step Out for Awhile and Into Giants all build into bold and beautiful creations, while Morning Sheets hearkens to Beck's critically acclaimed (and personally acclaimed) Sea Change album in its stripped down sound and evocative violins alongside the downbeat guitar. When the quietly pretty instrumental The Things You Do transitions to Strange Crooked Road it makes the latter stand out so much more. Patrick Watson's Close to Paradise won the '07 Polaris Music Prize, whereas Adventures was merely long-listed which seems a travesty as over and over again the album brings fresh beauty with each play.

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

Amy Millan, Patrick Watson (Koerner Hall, Nov 10)

Amy Millan began the evening, admitting that these were songs she hadn't dusted off in the nearly two years since her last solo album, Masters of the Burial. If there was rust there it did not show from the leading lady, nor her upstanding accompaniment. The selection of gems from both of her solo albums was beautifully brought to life with the aid of Ben Whitely on standup bass, Dan Whitely playing acoustic and electric guitar or alternatively an electric ukulele that had a uniquely great sound. However it was the multi instrumentalist Christine Bougie who opened on steel guitar but also played drums and whatever else was required, that really completed the sound. Ooo that lap steel with those acoustics. Magic! Speaking of magic it was simply great to hear Amy's smooth vocals at the forefront of the set. It was fantastic to just allow the music to overtake you from all angles and be immersed in the sound as she incorporated tributes, including a Sarah Harmer number and her beautiful Death Cab version (I Will Follow You Into the Dark). She also chose to play Stars' Ageless Beauty for its reference to melting, on this the debut evening of Cape Farewell North America, a foundation to raise public voice regarding climate change. Amy's self-proclaimed 'baby daddy', Evan Cranley played trombone on a couple songs but did not wish for any limelight, having just traveled home from possibly the final BSS show the previous night. The wonderful room was filled with Amy's sweet music, as well as her good humour in light-hearted banter, to really set the right mood to begin the evening.

Patrick Watson and co. were charged with the task of picking up from here following the intermission. They made an impression off the top by entering in sheer darkness, guided only by flashlight rings on their fingers. Taking their positions you could only reason that it was Patrick singing from the piano but in reality it was far too dark to tell. The song, about shining a little light, was being quite literally interpreted. In fact, the lighting was stunning all night long as strings of bulbs stretched from ceiling to stage that lit in pattern, and were coupled with backlighting through a smoky haze. It was a beautiful visual complement to the already wonderfully dense aural experience. A prime example was a classic that followed the few brand new tracks from the forthcoming album that they had wrapped in studio just a day earlier. This strong classic was Beijing and it was stunningly performed. As the song swept back and forth from piano through the achingly awesome strings over to the drums (and pots and pans?) and back again, the backlit reds flashed in time to make it an all-encompassing glorious song. I beamed the entire time and sat nearly stunned in its conclusion - most probably the best single piece of music I've witnessed this year.

Although this breakthrough moment happened early in the night it did not mean the rest of the set was a throwaway - far from it. To take advantage of the hall a few members stepped away for a two-person, one-mic campfire song front and center, before everyone was invited back for another one-mic effort to Big Bird in a Small Cage. The third and final song with this set-up saw Patrick in his unique, quirky way introduce Amy Millan who leant backing female vocals on a song that transitioned smoothly back into a full-stage, all-hands-on-deck show.

There were some lighter moments too, for example when the violin/drum battle was neatly ended by a slide whistle solo from Patrick (before he casually tossed it away once its use was no longer required). For the remainder of the set they returned to strong-sounding, fully fleshed out songs using everything but the megaphone. None quite hit the high of Beijing but it was still excellent and akin to that feeling.

A standing ovation from the audience had them return for Luscious Life much to my pleasure. Now following this they were taking their bows and Patrick apologized that they were limited to only one song for the encore. Despite the disheartening news we continued to applaud and as the band was headed backstage their fearless leader bee-lined for the piano. "I'm going to get in trouble for this" he told us as he launched into a solo rendition of The Great Escape. He flubbed a part and admonishing himself for it he returned to replay it again. Then leaving the piano to come center stage in the dimly lit room he ensured that we were singing along loudly (we were!) before reseating himself to close off the song and the concert. Watson is a musical genius whose live show really showcases this and deserves recognition. The venue, the Amy accompaniment, the reemergence with new material and the obvious enjoyment both on-stage and off, all summed up to make this a truly special musical evening.