Frightened Rabbit, Wintersleep - Phoenix (March 31/13)

Wintersleep
Despite a home-country crowd that seemed to be in their corner Wintersleep still had to prove themselves in the first few songs, and they proved to be up to the challenge. This quartet consists of some of the finest musicians assembled in a rock formation and so their live performance of recent songs such as In Came the Flood and Resuscitate only served to prove this fact, and in doing so win over the crowd further. There was an even newer song (Margaret?) played as well which was slightly slower and darker than the majority of their stuff but progressed nicely. Mind you there was a slight mid-set lapse, with one of the first renditions of their biggest hit Weighty Ghost that did not wow and bowl people over. However after a couple more songs in purgatory they were able to win us back over with the instrumentation and passion in their final few songs, culminating with the undeniable Oblivion. Although it was a supporting role, and songs like opener Hello Hum had to be trimmed, they still were a Canadian force and a great opener for the likes of the Scots in Frightened Rabbit.

Frightened Rabbit
There was nothing timid about these lads who came out to a rapturous response from the early sell out audience. The lead singer, Scott Hutchison, seemed at ease in his role and genuinely seemed appreciative of the love and energy pouring to the stage all night from the Easter audience all hopped up on chocolate rabbits of their own. Along with his cohorts they poured the energy back to us through the music as there was a wall of bass and guitars, with an acoustic guitar always present amongst them, and some keys and synths, plus a sixth member joined a handful of songs usually as secondary percussion like on Late March, Death March. The band had come onto my radar due to this year's release, Pedestrian Verse, and they played a number of favourite tracks from it including Oil Slick as well as what must have been older material dating back to their beginnings in 2004. Others around me ate it all up, singing along (some louder than others, many who shouldn't have been) and being delighted by the greatly entertaining band.

Partway through the set the band was excused and the lead singer played a solo acoustic number before having the electric guitarist, who at time sounded like a lap steel but wasn't, join him for the next track. During this Hutchison lost his place in the song and then stopped to have us all wave to the bunny-eared bartender who had distracted him before carrying on and having the band swarm back in to close the tune out. Speaking of closing out - the finale was Acts of Man and it is my favourite live song of the year thus far. It began even quieter than the recorded version and built up even stronger. By the time the strobe lights were pulsing so was the dynamic drumming and the guitars wailed to crescendo that saw Hutchison toss his guitar down to the stage before exiting to the sounds of reverb. Phenomenal!

Despite this climax the techs moved around the stage carefully (and slowly) setting things up for the encore which consisted of The Woodpile and Living in Colour. The very last song saw all the Wintersleep boys join them back on stage in a blissful rock'n'roll love-in.

Zeus, Two Hours Traffic, The Elwins (Phoenix, June 9/12)

The Elwins

This hard working, fun band out of Keswick did a fine job winning over the fast-filling Phoenix prior to Two Hours Traffic and Zeus. The four piece, with drummer playing side stage and Feurd - mustache and all - opposite, played their brand of poppy indie rock that is quickly catching on. The single rang out early, as we entered, and from there they continued on - all upbeat and smiles. Their finale is a bit cutesy and has the potential to fall flat but the crowd was into it and we played along happily to the fox motions and dances, singing and closing out the set with fun.

Two Hours Traffic

About three years since Two Hours Traffic put out any new music and their absence has been felt. The CMW preview was enough to whet my appetite and this gig affirmed that they're still alive and kicking despite Alec's departure. It is still going to be a little while before we get the new album as this was their final show before entering the studio the very next day. This resulted in a sprinkling of new songs - couple off the top,  the one with the French lyric and a couple more - but the old stuff still holds strong from both albums. Liam is a funny sight in his cowboy boots drinking a Labatt 50 but looks aside songs like Daffodils, Sure Can Start, Heroes of the Sidewalk, Weightless One, and Jezabel all still hit their mark. Can't wait until the new stuff drops and they come play it again.

Zeus
People were excited for Zeus on this evening as they headlined a hometown show. Having sat in Jason Collett's shadow for years they are finally recognized for the musicians that they are in their own right. Really good instrumentation and lots of gear swapping made for an engaging set. Personally their music doesn't fully grab me so it wasn't amazing but it was far from agony. They did Kindergarten with an acoustic which I enjoyed, and I Know and Anything You Want with nifty drumming were solid too. They brought out some backing females for a few songs that seemed suspiciously like their girlfriends - no issue there. On another they encircled their drummer while rocking out. My preference was for the songs the spectacled fellow played and sang lead on. They closed out with Are You Gonna Waste My Time but then returned with a somewhat drawn out encore. An acoustic number to open followed by another Zeus tune and finishing off with their cover from the Sounds like Zeus EP of That's All.

Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians, Said the Whale (Phoenix, Dec 9)

Off to an early start at the Phoenix, Said the Whale kicked off the night with their lovable indie pop. Fortunate to have two distinctly great leading vocalists (and presumably songwriters) Ben and Tyler traded back and forth alongside their bass player and female on keys. On this night their happy-go-lucky drummer really stood out, first grabbing attention through his drumstick twirling work on Sleep Through Fire as he used both the regular hard tip and the cushioned soft tip interchangeably for different effects. Despite running through a string of solid songs including recent single Lines through The Gift of a Black Heart, The Light is You, and the magical Camilo, the set never quite caught fire. This may have been the early slot, or the pent up anticipation for sets to come, or perhaps just the band itself. Regardless many in the crowd enjoyed the closing Goodnight Moon, even if it wasn’t accompanied by its album companion Holly, Ontario.


Fronted by Luke and his wonderfully controlled voice the Born Ruffians were back in Toronto and ready to let loose. Adorned in terribly hideous Christmas sweaters for the occasion they rocked through Retard Canard including a badass bass solo from the man with the presence – and the hair. The boys have been tweeting about new material they’ve been writing so it was a nice glimpse at a song about “dancing on the edge of a grave” even if the song never seemed to fully take off and go anywhere. There were classics tossed in too, though these were often at least partially remodeled into new sounds, such as Foxes Mate for Life and What To Say. Hummingbird had a new intro but retained the shout-along “fly away little hummingbird.” Before the finale they included another freshly minted song (Sex 5000? Probably misheard lyrics..) which was also rather slow and shows that the band seems to be continuing their downward spiral that has been happening since their first frenetic self-titled EP release. A shame I say, both for the records and the live show, however slamming out I Need A Life in the fleeting moments showed what they’re still capable of. 


Tokyo Police Club curated the night and did a heckuva job with the bill but then were faced with the daunting task of headlining it – meaning they’d better bring it. Out onto the festive stage, complete with gift-wrapped amps and decorated Christmas trees, they trotted, also sporting ugly sweaters, to try to do just that with Favourite Colour off the top. From the get-go it was a love-in on this the second of three sold out nights. The group ran through a laundry list of hits from their catchy albums and even crammed in a new track (“top of the stairs”). Not only that but they included the Kelly Clarkson chart-smasher that they recently covered for their 10X10X10 series, Since U Been Gone, and not surprisingly it went over quite well as two guitarists slid together on their knees mid-song. The biggest reaction must have been when the Phoenix became very un-desert-like and it began to snow upon us. Ending the set strong was Breakneck Speed, Wait Up and finally Your English is Good however it was the festive encore that did us all in. An obviously rehearsed, but still wholly welcomed, rendition of Santa Claus is Coming To Town shut down the night as Born Ruffians, Said the Whale, members of the Elwins and others (numbering 15+ in all) streamed out to partake in the joyous send-off. It was Graham Wright rocking the sax that really made it. Welcome to the Christmas season! (Does an annual tradition await?) Notes: TPC, wrapped amps. Colour. Nature. Liar like me. Happy belated. New, top of the stairs. Spark. Shell. Tess. Slow, hands. Snow. Blast. Since U, double guitar kneel. Breakneck. Wait Up. English, last. Plaster. TPC. Santa Coming, 15 plus, Graham sax, elwin, see green.

Elliott Brood, $100 (Phoenix, Nov 18)

Elliott Brood


Elliott Brood, the solo-named three-piece, were ecstatic to be home playing for an adoring hometown crowd. The Phoenix seemed a large venue when I first heard of the show but who knew all the misfits that their 'death country' could draw. The place was full and people were audibly excited. It was unfortunate that the beginning of the set after the initial excitement of their appearance was hampered slightly by less familiar new material and more so by technical difficulties. The latter visibly frustrated the seated (in a wonderfully EB branded wooden chair) guitarist who spent nearly an entire song sang by his partner and drummer swapping cables, guitars, pedals and amps before plugging in and ripping an electric guitar solo straight off to close out the tune. Nothing like making up for lost time!

It seemed that as the set passed the midway point of a damn good chunk of their catalogue, primarily Days Into Years new, but also touches of old, that the energy and intensity grew. Don't get me wrong - If I Get Old, Hold You and Northern Air are strong additions to their repertoire and nice to hear live, but what takes off with a crowd more than a round about their country's provinces? (Oh, Alberta) Follow that up with the double ukuleles of The Valley Town and you've got the crowd playing into your hands. By the end people were jumping up and down and hollering out the lyrics and it was as an Elliott Brood show we've come to know. Perhaps it was the larger space or the newer songs but given enough time they brought it around. Their final song, Chuckwagon, had them playing two acoustic guitars and drums so intently that is was awesome to watch. Even though it had been a plentiful set they crescendoed at the right time and had us begging for more.

First encore song must have been a cover that brought things back into this realm only to ratchet it right back up there for Miss You Now! How could I have forgotten about that classic? And it was phenomenal to see people handing the love over to their hometown heroes (sorry Windsor, they live here now). Elliott Brood were bringing it home for the hometown crowd. Nothing beats ending on a high note.

$100

There are a small handful of bands that win adoration from critics and adoring fans that I just can't seem to crack into. One Hundred Dollars would fall into this category. Due to love from fellow artists that I enjoy I have seen them a few times but the female-vocal, peppy (for country) country just can't worm its way into my heart. Simone's delivery is unique but seemingly without much effort. She performed one song with a simple drum pulse which was interesting. The electric guitar lead is pretty impressive on songs, and the drumming from the fill-in female on somewhat repetitive Waiting on Another was great too. Fifty minutes of this was too much for me and I was fine to see them go after Ties that Bind.

Owen Pallett and Beirut (Phoenix, Aug 4, 2011)

Owen Pallett is worth the price of admission alone. And alone is how he began the show - recreating a song he wrote alongside Beirut with just his vocals, violin and looping machine. The highlight of my entire night followed as still solo he did an impeccable version of Scandal at the Parkade that had my hair raised, along with the corners of my lips in a broad unceasing grin. I could have gone home happy.

Naturally this was nowhere near the end and Owen invited the recently somewhat-reunited Les Mouches to join him on drums and shaker for Midnight Directive. I was apprehensive about any accompaniment, as part of the magic is realizing that every sound heard has been produced by this one genius of a man, however the additional instrumentation really just filled out the sound (especially for the orchestral Heartland songs) without being overbearing. Even when shakers were swapped for guitar on subsequent A Man With No Ankles and the wonderful Lewis Takes Action I began to more fully accept them.


Having joked earlier about a night of dry banter and plenty of music, Owen gave us the story of how Tryst with Mephistopheles was the abridged version of a ninety minute opus (Dammit?) that really favored G-major. With the joyous trumpet provided mid song by the Beirut trumpeter subsiding into the ominous key ending, this live rendition definitely benefited from the fleshed out band. The new song that followed was actually very much drum driven, and impressive as such, with Owen touching only the keys and not his violin.

Once again Owen found himself alone on stage to perform the cover of Caribou's Odessa to the crowd's adoration. Sadly upon the band's return there was a looping machine malfunction meaning we got a tease of This is a Dream (or was it Many Lives?). Either way we didn't get to hear it and instead of fix the computer the band was again dismissed in favour of a loop-free rendition of He Poos Clouds. The crowd showed massive appreciation for Owen's first hometown show in some time, and despite the bittersweetness of the missed song, there was more than enough included to be happy about.


Beirut
Beirut, like Owen, craft pop music out of unconventionally pop instruments. The most notable here is the 120 button accordion and the mixture of brass from half of the six members. No guitars in sight, unless you count the bass, which was at times swapped for the stand up variety anyway. Admittedly I'm not overly familiar with their catalogue despite a bit of cramming in preparation but the music was obviously well done. And obviously appreciated by the crowd as well - I was surprised at just how enthusiastic they were. This may have been part of the reason their encore consisted of a full four songs, and understandably included Owen on violin (and one of three backing vocals) for the final two. Even if I came primarily for the Pallett spectacle this was a sweet bonus to go along with it!

The Rural Alberta Advantage (Phoenix, Apr 29)

The latest album may be Departing but on this night it was all about returning to their Hometown (of Toronto of course!). A max capacity show at The Phoenix on a Friday night saw spirits high both in the crowd and on the stage. Amy was beaming, while Nils played acoustic guitar as earnestly as ever and Paul, well, Paul was Paul. Intensely bashing his drumset, all the while a look of ecstasy on his face to match that intensity.

Playing their hearts out to any and practically all songs from either release (including In the Summertime, yay) they fed off the energy in the room. One particular moment of interaction came when the first member of the all ages crowd got up to body surf and Nils laughed mid lyric at this sight. The same came later when they upped the ante and pulled a stage dive! Granted Four Night Rider is a fantastic song but.. Suffice it to say everyone was having a ball and when suitable set-closer Stamp played its last chord there was no doubt that we'd demand them back.

Toning things down as he'd done earlier with a solo acoustic version of Eye of the Tiger, this time Nils played The Littlest Hobo before his bandmates returned. They flanked him for a pretty North Star, a raucous Departed highlight in Barnes' Yard and finally the tumultuous ending of Deathbridge in Lethbridge. Phenomenal.

Openers: Hooded Fang, Modern Superstitions

Hooded Fang, Modern Superstitions (Phoenix, Apr 29)

Lucky for Hooded Fang there's plenty of room on the Phoenix stage for their seven members. From this position they played a mix of tracks from the current album, Album, along with a bunch of new ones too (and only Land of Giants from E.P.). Unfortunately the vocals for both male and female lead singer, especially the female, were pretty low and it as tough to get the full effect of the songs. Admittedly the lyrics are rather simplistic, and seem to be getting more so as the new songs were primarily composed of 'ohs' and 'woos', but still it'd be nice to hear them. As much as I loved their EP and associated tour, and even really like Album, I can't seem to get beyond the 'Like' stage with their recent live performance. Could very well be a case of heightened expectations while the catchiness just hasn't quite translated. The potential is there though and I remain optimistic! Hopefully at Hillside..


Modern Superstitions were fine at playing their instruments. The songs had plain lyrics and decent melodies, but these youths really didn't bring anything new to the table where the Yeah Yeah Yeahs among others sit and sing pop influenced, female fronted indie rock.


Opening for: The Rural Alberta Advantage