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."

Weakend Friends - Baby G (Toronto) Nov 12, '19

Weakened Friends
It was a frigid Toronto winter evening outside but the lucky and the brave were inside the Baby G. Consisting of Sonia singing and guitar, Annie on bass and backup vocals, plus fill in drummer (Zack?) these were the Weakened Friends. Super grateful for the small gathering who had come to see them they delighted with a perfect set of punk rock. Relating with us by Sonia having grown up in an unnamed Toronto suburb ("you know where Canada's Wonderland is?") the band is now based in Portland, Maine but holds a special spot for Toronto. Having just played a warm up gig for Pup in Halifax (where those Haligonians bought up all the vinyl!) I'd have thought the city taste makers would be all over this trio but they are obviously sleeping. That's alright, I'll be the one saying "I saw them play on a Tuesday at the Baby G and it was superb.

Baby Band
Baby Band the band, playing at Baby G the bar, are still teething. Literally giggling over with enthusiasm they can't quite make up for the lack of polish. The songs were straightforward enough yet it seemed that each of the four of them was stumbling on the regular. The backup vocalist ought to stick to the fringes and the whole crew really needs to hit the rehearsal studio hard before pushing out into the real world. There are some novel ideas here, the Sad! Gay! Broke! chant intro for one song seemed to resonate with some in the room, including the headliners, but the whole set could use some work.

Owen Pallet - Longboat (Great) Hall, Toronto Nov 9, '19

Camille Elle from Army Girls took to the stage first with a couple of electric guitars for herself. At first it didn't seem all that inspired singer-songwriter but after she introduced herself and admitted to some of her anxieties leading up to the show the crowd got behind her and things improved. The start of the upswing was when she played an Army Girls song that had some more oomph, followed by a self described "It Gets Better" song addressed to her teenage-self that further endeared us to her. From there it was smooth sailing as she got stronger with her stage presence, vocals, and just the overall flow to the set.

Owen came to the stage in a long, see through black robe of sorts. While tuning up he introduced himself and warned anyone who has attended the previous night (added due to popular demand) that it would be a near identical repeat "but I'll play it better." In his charming manner he explained that it was a cohesive set, best run uninterrupted and kindly asked us to hold any clapping until he gave us the go-ahead. With a guitar strapped on his back and a violin hung from his mic stand he began as a projection faded in from black behind him. It was a new, lighter take on an In Conflict track to start us off. From there he followed with mostly new songs through the main set, much of the instrumentation coming from the guitar, although his signature violin still featured well. Overall it was a more soothing sound than his earlier frenetic Final Fantasy music, still building songs layer upon layer via his looping pedals as there were no other musicians, yet it showed a lot more restraint. The base layer of the songs was often from the guitar before adding the violin and finally that beautiful, delicate voice of his. The visuals, by a woman named Trudy, continued in their very slow panning through abandoned towns, fields, valleys, and coasts. It was all lovely though it may have been better suited for a sit-down show due to the pace and the fact that it was predominantly new material.


Later on, he did include a couple of released songs, primarily from In Conflict including an album highlight The Passions, some as originally recorded while others got a new take. Finally he broke and was washed over with applause before playing one last song - I believe this was the moment of a personal favourite, Lewis Takes Off His Shirt. Taking a small pause backstage I really wasn't sure what to expect from this evening, whether that was it, but alas he returned for a few more which helped to make up for the indulgent first half. But first he had a chat with the audience and took questions, including "when is It out?" to which Owen gave the unclear response "It. Funny thing is, it's been finished for nearly two years. I listen to it sometimes; it's really good." Another was "when are you playing Toronto again?" which was met with mock outrage "I haven't even finished this set!" There was also banter about how he lives five minutes from the Great Hall and that he actually walked over, though the question about an afterparty at his was met with a laugh "Afterparty? There will be copious amounts of herbal tea." In terms of music he introduced I Am Not Afraid as "my favourite song that I've ever written; I'm just happy I finally learned how to play it." To close it all off was the song that has had many renditions and is a live show stalwart, This is the Dream of Win and Regine, which reminded me of the amazing way Pallett's violin loops and voice can draw me in and take me on a musical wave all while stood in a darkened club. Thanks Owen, looking forward to It.

Idles - Hard Luck Bar, Toronto - March 20, '18 [Guest Post]

A warm A/V welcome to guest blogger Kate Foster who just needed to spread the word on Idles:

I hadn’t felt as genuinely excited as I was to see Idles in a very long time, some combo of the promise of seeing an excellent live show and the thrill of the unfamiliar. I took the streetcar as opposed to the subway which I'd never normally do, and this was my first time at Hard Luck Bar. It’s hard to feel like a tourist in your own home town, but tonight I had it.

As I’m rocking up, I realize guitarist Adam is standing out front hacking a dart and checking his phone, along with the slew of fans lining the sidewalk doing the same. My immediate fanboi reaction is to run over and tell him all about how great I think the band is, but I quickly realize this is very clearly the opposite vibe of this night. This band brings no bullshit and often conveys that they appreciate their fans as much as we appreciate them, so keeping the symbiotic (and silent) respect seemed key.

I get up into the venue which is already quite crowded, seeing as I opted to show up around 15 minutes before set time. Again, I'm shocked as I take my first glance to the stage and see Joe et al. getting their gear set up, tuning, etc. It feels like forever since I've seen a band actually doing the "grunt" work for their own shows. Considering their tour schedule is back-to-back-to-back gigs, it clearly speaks to the character of Idles themselves and their passion. Worth noting, when not a day goes by you don’t hear about another band/pop star/DJ who has used their career to abuse women with impunity. 

Once I’ve saddled up beside the merch table and staked out a spot for myself, Joe appears again holding his hands up and spread out toward us, promising only ten more minutes to go. This update is met with cheers, and again, it hits me how cool it is to see a band giving this much of a shit about the crowd. They’re nowhere near behind schedule (if anything they’re early) yet their urgency to deliver a killer show is evident before a single note has even been struck.

As promised it’s suddenly showtime, they launch into Heel/Heal which gets the crowd going in a hurry – bodies are thrashing around in a quickly formed pit before the chorus hits. At this point I’m a few rows of bodies back from the action, the crowd is easily 85% men it seems. I begin the recurring debate of whether or not to stay put where I can dance freely or push to the front where I can get in a good workout and likely lose a possession or two. Telling myself my pit days are behind me, I’m thrilled when song two hits and it’s Idles Chant and nothing up front looks like it’s slowing down anytime soon. As I’m “WHOOOOOOAAA”-ing along I realize everyone around me is standing dead still, seeming confused something is being played that isn’t on Brutalism.

Next up is Mother – which I had been highly anticipating if only because I wanted to see how this song translates to fans – being mostly men. I can’t think of a song in recent memory that confronts rape quite as head-on as this. Well, I can, but there are never any dudes involved in the making of these songs. Now, here’s a fivesome of cis-men singing about the realities of sexual assault, reminding listeners that it is oh SO much more than the horrid act of rape itself – something many, many men need daily reminders of, apparently. So how does this confrontation go over with crowds of people who have likely participated in rape culture to varying degrees their entire lives? As the song is approaching the spoken word bridge (precisely the thing that made me adore Idles in the first place), the two young men directly in front of me turn to each other with smirks slowly spreading.

“Oh yeah, you gonna sing along with this part, eh!?” one chides the other, they both laugh. As if these lyrics are a joke, and not the reality of life for those of us not born with a dick. Rage is rising in me and I try to lean in a little to hear what the rest of the conversation is (mostly because I am dying to call them out at this point), but they’ve leaned into each other closer, presumably as they discuss how hilarious rape is. This is the moment my brain clicks into “fuck it all” mode and I shove past these men and the slew of others to get myself right into the thick of things. 

It’s a funny sort of immediate relief to feel myself lose control over my movements and give into the ebb and flow of the pit, my body aggressively yet slowly getting pushed around while I make sure to scream the lyrics at the top of my lungs when it hits:

'WOMEN ARE SCARED IT’S THEIR LIVES MEN WILL TAKE'

I’m angry because despite the message of this song, of everything happening in the world today, being so goddamn clear it still isn’t understood. I digress.

The energy from both the band and crowd is massive and only seems to grow and fuel each other as the night goes on. No one from the band has spoken much at this point, but Joe is thanking us profusely in between songs and commenting on how great the night is for them. At one point he makes a statement regarding how important it is to him everyone has a good time and is feeling OK, and as the band is starting to play the next track, he directly asks if everyone is in fact OK, but the band more or less drowns him out. I assume they’ll continue on full throttle, imagining the answer wasn’t all that important to them anyway. I’m thrilled to find out I’m dead wrong – Joe insists, stops the band from playing, and again begs the question to the crowd. His inquiry is met with silence, and so he repeats, just to be sure, is anyone at all NOT feeling safe right now being here? and as the silence continues, he turns his back to motion to the rest of Idles to get the song going again. All I can do is yell THANK-YOU! as loud as I can, hoping they realize how incredibly important that moment was for me, and surely others.

Where I’ve ended up in the pit there are many more women than expected, and despite the fact I’m alone at this gig, there is an undeniable feeling of comfort. At certain points throughout the set, Joe is graciously giving fans a hand either getting up or off of a crowd surf. He encourages several kids to get up and go for it, offering a hand to many of us in the front to take a turn. He even taps someone’s shoulder who has spent the majority of the set bracing themselves against an amp with their head down, and after a thumbs-up exchange to confirm they are OK, he’s back to business with the song. Lead guitarist Mark has made several trips into the crowd too, navigating himself to a spot to play and dance around a little surrounded by fans before making his way back on stage. These interactions just keep proving how fucking genuinely cool this band is. 

They blaze through most tracks from Brutalism, tossing in Queens, which Joe leads into by declaring “Fuck selfies!”. I’m personally thrilled to hear 1049 Gotho which is introduced as being about something horrible his friend suffered from greatly – depression. I can’t help but wonder if this song is actually more autobiographical, but it really doesn’t matter either way. Again, they are unapologetically diving into taboo waters, driving home the realities of living with depression. I’m excited to hear (personal) favourites like White Privilege, Faith in the City and Date Night. They introduce a new song, titled simply, The Love Song, as one of their final tracks which takes a minute to build up, but ends up getting us going just as much as Benzocaine had. Slower song Divide & Conquer was tossed in too, which I hadn’t imagined would be all that exciting to see live (despite being an awesome track). But the way the band builds the intensity throughout the song as Joe is pacing with it, finally getting the drop where he smashes his outstretched arms down around him seeming larger than life, makes this an excellent addition to the set list. 

We get fair warning when they approach their final track, which comes with the promise of “we don’t do encores, so this is it” to the crowd’s disappointment. For me, this is yet another reason to add to my ever-growing list of why Idles just might be the best band to come out of the last decade. No bullshit. After the lights come up, I scan the floor in a futile hunt for one of my tunnels that’s been pushed out of my ear by one of the many bodies passing over head during the last hour. I remember being a teen declaring there's no way I had a good time at a show if I didn't lose something, after countless scarves, jackets and pieces of jewelry got sucked up by dance floors and pits - and now here I am, wondering if maybe that still rings true. After giving up on the tunnel, I make my way down to the street, only to find Mark has beat me to it. He's shimmying his way up to a friend with a cigarette dangling as she waits, hers already lit. My brain again flashes to rushing up to him gushing, but I can only grin as I pass him, my clothes soaked through with sweat now and freezing me to the core on this 2 degree evening. 

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?

Long Winter - Great Hall (March 13/15)

Friendly Rich was peddling his decidedly child-unfriendly (despite running a charity music school for children) show complete with squeezebox and schtick galore. Musically it wasn't to my taste but as a spectacle it was fairly entertaining.

With zero idea of who was in stage in the conversation room I entered and for the first part of the song thought, "this three piece band are rocking quite melodically, kinda like The Constantines." And then the latter half of the song came in and the chorus spiked in intensity, especially from the impressive bassist dressed like a serviceman. He shared vocals with the guitarist who looked more like you'd picture a hard indie rock guitarist dressing, all time checked by their drummer under a Nets cap. It was definitely head nodding groovy even when each song seemed to build to strong shouted peak. Several Futures, one of the several musical discoveries that has nearly become the norm at Long Winter.

Pins and Needles had the Girls Rock Camp stamp of approval and deserve it. All girl four-piece that seem to be in high school - that theory backed by the majority of the kids rocking up front - they were impressive and not just for their years. The drummer was having fun and showing flair as she stood up at a number of points to really bang at her set. The bassist had an underrated voice, the keytarist (yes!) came in strong with hers, but the sparkling guitarist's was stunning. Altogether they played well written songs that seemed to have roots which was really impressive. Even their throwback cover (that escapes me) worked and the only criticism is that the encore was unnecessary but considering how much they've picked up already they'll get that sorted out soon. Real record release coming this year!

Vag Halen were the spectacle they've become. Stalking the stage in panties, pantyhose and cutoff tops the singers gave it their all and the crowd gave it back and more. The AC/DC cover actually had a massive mosh pit which was present throughout the set. Whether screaming, writhing on the stage or railing against Harper's terrible parliamentary bills they were making a scene.

Moon King, Lee Paradise, Blunt Chunks - Smiling Buddha (April 14/15)

Moon King
Granted I'd only very recently found Moon King and hadn't listened to much recorded material the live show hit harder than I was expecting. With just the four of them they made a roar. Even with Daniel's yelping lilt his three bandmates were enough to turn up the volume. On the couple mid-set tracks where he threw his shakers into the corner and picked up an electric guitar it rose even further. He was becomingly grateful for the support "look how many of you there are, and I don't recognize any of you! I live just down the street." On a few tracks his female counterpart took control of the mic and did a fine job of it as well. Set closer Roswell was rockin' if repetitive but they've definitely got a good thing going and should have success on this longer tour they are about to embark on. Though during the encore tune Daniel did promise to return to us soon and judging by the bulging Smiling Buddha it appears there's an appetite for Moon King.

Lee Paradise

Sludgy bass drums and synths plus fang singer with paint face. Punky. Pissing in the sink, to open.
The guys from Hooded Fang/Phedre are constantly genre dabbling. This incarnation saw the singer with vertical stripes messily painted up his face under his Kim Jong Un haircut. He primarily yelped into the mic in front of a sludgy bass and woman playing synths. Alongside their pounding drummer they created a rocking sound that bordered on punk, especially with lyrics like the opener "pissing in the sink." I still prefer Hooded Fang's first EP and LP (but I could say that about just about everything they've since touched, except perhaps In Decay.)

Blunt Chunks

Smiling Buddha was not smiling on her as the full house was chatty well in advance of Moon King. However fiddling about for minutes before launching into your last song wasn't the best move either. The lyrics were a little low (or the conversation was just that high) but her voice seemed alright. This was definitely not a legitimate showing to judge by.

Chilly Gonzales - Koerner Hall (April 21/15)

Settling in on his piano bench Chilly must have already been comfortable, not simply because he was dressed in his now traditional bathrobe and slippers but because he was about to play a homecoming. Although a European resident for many years now and a consummate performer regardless of locale I'm sure, there still seemed to be something special in the air here in the Great North. Without a word he focused on his piano for a prolonged moment before bringing his hands from his lap to the keys. From there he impressed with a few solo piano songs (not necessarily from the compilations with the same title) before finally bringing out the Kaiser Quartet. To applause they took their positions, violin 1 and 2, viola and cello, and then continued to just hold these positions while Chilly played an entire song until coming in for literally the last note - an A minor. "My Crazy Horse" he would introduce them as - Gonzo's playful side beginning to show. A performer through and through, he had a flair during his playing as well as a number of other tricks. As banter he often acted as a teacher, explaining some musical elements with audible examples (we did hear The Eagles, however briefly, not wanting that to be the one takeaway) and history likened to contemporary pop culture (Wagner is Kanye but also Tupac). Yes the quartet (plus drummer) were sometimes used as props but he also obviously had high respect for the group who played excellently and took everything in good humour. Before his first rap he broke out the bongos and played a sample of Beethoven's 5th (or LVB as he preferred to refer to him) but carried on with the bongos for his own tune. Although he did also rap Supervillain Music, Self Portrait (a great Nick Cage quip) and a couple others these were less prominent than straight instrumental. Personal favourite The Grudge was introduced by saying it had been converted from a piano track to a "banger" by Boys Noize and then he had to convert it back. The change was noticeable in a slower version but also of note, despite the semi-frequent curses that littered the songs it was "sick f&%!" that was changed to "schmuck" and the first half of "put it in your mouth/so you won't see it coming" was dropped altogether (plus he added "supposedly" before "hit him in the stomach" when talking about what led to Houdini's death.) A few others from Ivory Tower made the set, as did a song that he showed was in the attached school's grade 9 piano book before dramatically throwing it away with a dismissive "I don't need this - I wrote it!" At the end of the set, after a hum-along, a nearly instantaneous standing ovation was put up which was warranted, for despite being mostly instrumental (not my fave) it was highly engaging and a thoroughly unique show. Upon his encore return with the crew he claimed to be a "musical genius" and then stood upon the keys of his piano (cringe!) to rap (Not a) Musical Genius. The second encore didn't seem that unheard of considering to that point Never Stop hadn't been heard (instrumental). However the third and final outing just saw Chilly and the cellist for a song announced to a groan as Cello Gonzales, from recent Chamber Music. Even after that many reappearances, all of which spurred by standing applause, I would have been content to settle back in for another set. Not that I wasn't satisfied but more that I was thoroughly enjoying the mix of music, classical elements melded with contemporary pop, plus learning a few things and the comedy of it all from Chilly's unique flair. A non-traditional concert but an excellent one of a kind.

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.

Elwins - Hoxton (Mar 8/15)

The Elwins are a keen, likeable Toronto-via-Keswick band that try to befriend everyone and have grown a large community of friends and followers. Doesn't hurt to give out cookies at your shows either. But bribery and effort can't make up for the unknown element that takes live music from enjoyable to blissful. Their tracks, whether from their debut or this record release, are poppy enough and they seem to be enjoying themselves onstage and yet I have never been able to get truly excited before, during or after a show. Breaking out old single Stuck in the Middle second in the set seemed like a good move to set a good mood but it just didn't carry all the way through. The highlight for me was when the bassist grabbed a guitar and took over leading vocals. Another touch of fun was (High Like a) Bubble during which the cookie lady went through the crowd with a bubble gun. Following a brief departure they returned for a two-song encore that closed with their Beyonce Countdown cover though unfortunately Luke Lalonde, who they have recorded this with previously, was absent. There was nothing inherently wrong with the show but perhaps it just isn't for me.

Lowell - AGO First Thursday (Mar 5/15)

The drummer was in place, the guitarist tweaking the laptop in anticipation of the arrival of the lady of the hour.. Lowell snaked through the crowd with white lights draped along her silhouette on her way to appearing on stage with a smile, a semi-transparent white sweater and some horrid pink-eye boxer shorts. Banter was kept to a minimum making for longish breaks between songs and the little interaction that did happen was awkward and forced. (And I like Lowell.) The opener about The Shit We Do For Love was new as was the next tune; both seem to have taken the gloss off for a slightly edgier sound than the majority of We Loved Her Dearly, with beats bordering on bangers. These new songs worked and she sang them earnestly which couldn't quite be said of the core of the set. Something to do with the spaced-out, all-things-are-magical persona detracted from the presentation of 'hits' - The Bells, Money - especially her careless voice cracking. Even on Palm Trees and Cloud 69 I was thrown, though it may have been the underaged kids who had snuck in front of us (therefore directly in front of Lowell) and appeared to be taking advantage of the alcoholic experience. Funnily enough on the finale, written this week, she appeared more sincere than the previously well-worn tunes and though it wasn't the poppiest number it translated well. I implore Lowell to stick with the skills that brought her this far and lessen the cultivation of this image.

Owen Pallett - Lee's Palace (Jan 31/15)

Before the set began the mystery was "what is under the camouflage tarp?" but practically the instant a bearded Owen Pallett confidently appeared onstage the attention was focused on him and his violin, with little else necessary. Joking about it being his first time in the city (a former resident), how much he likes it and may have to come back he then launched into a solo rendition of That's When the Audience Died, a song from the album that launched his solo career. Remaining in the Final Fantasy era he then played a beautiful rendition of a personal favourite, This Lamb Sells Condos, before being joined by his band members, Robert Gordon and Matt Smith formerly a band including Owen, Les Mouches. With this fuller sound they very cohesively tackled the more sonically dense albums Heartland and last year's In Conflict, arguably Owen's best work to date. There was some especially enjoyable drumming but Owen easily remained the focal point, extracting audible elixir from his violin, the bow his wizard's wand. Later he took another turn sans band which included the moving I Am Not Afraid - an early standout from In Conflict (the only shame of the afternoon was not getting to hear others such as The Passions and the title track.)

When the pair returned to the stage it was for a powerful closing segment that seemed destined to be highlighted by Infernal Fantasy, an incredibly fast-paced song which showcased the strobing of the mirrored lightbox that was uncovered from its camouflage. And yet despite this driving, heart-pounding performance they continued it with The Riverbed and even after it died away in a joyous crashing climax The Great Elsewhere sealed the set. Oh boy, what an incredible performance with Owen laying it all out there.

Amazingly there was more than a little left in the tank as he reappeared on his own after only a short delay to open the encore with a cover of Tori Amos' Pretty Good Year - a song I was previously unfamiliar with but enjoyed nonetheless. Knowing how to close out it was all hands on deck for two excellent Heartland songs split by another perfect throwback in This is the Dream. There is a reason I say that Owen Pallett is my absolute favourite live, solo, Canadian artist. Hell, with performances like this I may be able to remove all of those qualifiers

Opener: Foxes in Fiction

(solo)
That's When the Audience Died (Has a Good Home)
This Lamb Sells Condos (He Poos Clouds)
(band)
Midnight Detectives (Heartland)
Keep the Dog Quiet (Heartland)/Mount Alpentine (Heartland)
Soldier's Rock (In Conflict)
Tryst With Mephistopheles (Heartland)
(solo)
E is For Estranged (Heartland)
I Am Not Afraid (In Conflict)
Song for Five and Six (In Conflict)
(band)
The Secret Seven (In Conflict)
Infernal Fantasy (In Conflict)
The Riverbed (In Conflict)
The Great Elsewhere (Heartland)

-Encore-
(solo)
Pretty Good Year (Tori Amos cover)
(band)
Scandal at the Parkade (Heartland)
This is the Dream of Win & Regine (Has a Good Home)
Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (Heartland)

Foxes in Fiction - Lee's Palace (Jan 31/15)

This three-piece was already making their ambient, dreamy bedroom-pop reminiscent of Memoryhouse when I arrived to their afternoon opening set. With a male lead on electric guitar and primary vocals plus beat machine, the female played keys and synths - adding her lovely voice sparingly throughout the set. Owen Pallett was happy to give them the spotlight and play his violin in the background. Each song was well-crafted and really filled the room even at manageable sound levels, winning over the packed all-ages room who clapped enthusiastically to the understated pleasure of the leading-man of few words.

Opening for Owen Pallett

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.

Burning Hell, Blimp Rock - Dakota - Oct 23

The Burning Hell

Somehow it was Mathias' first time in the Dakota and they even took the stage as the opening act of the early time slot. Using the excuse that a member was vacationing (in Spain, with his mother) he was accompanied by only Nick Ferrio on bass and Ariel Sharon on the plugged clarinet. As an introduction, Mathias played My Name is Mathias on his acoustic guitar and then they proceeded with mostly cuts from the latest full length, not reaching back overly far. One exception was a new tune about rapping that was followed by the song that inspired it, Amateur Rappers. A mid set story about a public washroom dilemma had everyone laughing but the smaller audience was already rapt and enjoying the shared smirks at the sly jokes hidden throughout. We earned a joke from Ariel and audience participation during the Amateur Rapper joke, plus a clarinet keynote in the finale. 

It was a grin-worthy night as usual that also included Kings of the Animal Kingdom and a singalong for Industrialists.

Blimp Rock
Blimp Rock are built on a joke premise but don't seem to be a joke band. I was surprised that they had the later set on the early Dakota bill with The Burning Hell but they were a fitting partner so it didn't much matter. The mixed-sex four piece included a female drummer who had at least two incorrect set lists that threw them for a loop while the lead singer threw down a little dance at one point. They played a likeable twee pop show to the majority of people who stuck around.

Allo Darlin' - Drake Underground - Nov 4

This seemingly unassuming band split out of England and Australia are so darn likable and their tunes are lovely as well. Although the leading lady, with her short cut and swooning voice is the focus, her bandmates are no slouches either. Bill, the bassist, is especially enjoyable to watch for the sheer joy it seems he has playing. With ease, charm, humility and humour they entertained with stories and road tales while tuning (which they said was boring but important, like taxes.. or foreplay).

They focused on new songs from the recently released We Come From The Same Place and although it was my first listen it proved that the new material is up to snuff. A particular standout from the new music was History Lessons, a softer number that deals with the past not being as perfect as recollections might make it out to be. Besides Dreaming, the first album didn't have much representation, no Silver Dollar or Kiss Your Lips(!), but a few from Europe, including the title track did make it onto the list. Bill offered vocals on a track while the song Paul sang on was a new fan favourite based on the rousing applause. Later in the set they hit Let's Go Swimming with the lady's guitar now swapped for uke following the midway point. A sincere encore call brought them out but just for a single song despite the pleas from a solid turnout to the Drake on a Tuesday. Running an hour and a quarter I couldn't see anyone being disappointed in their first Toronto gig since that 2011 El Mo show they fondly recalled.

Basement Revue - Adelaide Hall (Dec 19/2013)

Note that this is from December 2013 but the excellently written draft was accidentally deleted and the drive to rewrite significantly waned. Memory may be a little fuzzy.

The big Basement Revue for this year fell short and it is hard to say exactly why though in all likelihood it was a combination. Firstly there were the expectations based on last year's Great Hall gig (Feist, Hayden, Snowblink, Aroara) which curator Jason Collett mentioned during his intro but seemed confident he would match. Then there was the change of venue which couldn't have been helped due to fire code capacity reduction at the original Great Hall but my first experience of Adelaide Hall left a lot to be desired. Firstly they force you to enter upstairs and then (since it's sold out and only the rail row can see from above) wind your way down a staircase plopping you literally backstage then up past a narrow avenue by the bar only to be stuck peering around poles or speakers. Speaking of the bar - no draft and just mediocre can selection! 

Back to the show though - after Collett's introductory tune it started well enough with two beloved Toronto acts sharing the stage. Margaret Atwood read while the Sadies strummed their instruments in the background. Her stories were rather interesting, especially the one where a bear gave up his name 'bear' and everything went backwards, unraveling as it went.

Up next was Rae Spoon who I really do enjoy. It was a solo performance which meant it was a bit sparse, especially for the large crowd packed in with high expectations but an artist I've enjoyed for a long time so it was great to get a chance to witness the performance live. Love is a Hunter was a notable tune.

Tabitha, a poet of sorts with iconic hair, then came on and told a few stories including an interesting one about how a limp.

Following this was a performance by the Guerilla Girls that is difficult to pin down. Essentially it was women with gorilla heads on dancing around with a distinct feminist feel from the words and video being shown. At first I thought it was a wardrobe malfunction that had them naked but by the end they were naked of their own accord. Odd but pushing the envelope.

Lowell was an artist I'd never heard of before but was introduced as a new addition to the Arts and Crafts label which carries some clout. Fronting a couple guys primarily making the music it the made slightly electo-pop which was catchy and sounded really good immediately as she sang and performed, giving hints of early Grimes.

Aroara were next in line which was a bit of a rehash of last year however if last year was their coming out show, after mild success all year this should have been a celebration. Unfortunately they were paired with a feminist poet who did spoken word. There was some underlying project I no longer remember but essentially this lady droned on for a terribly long time and even Aroara couldn't prop it up. Mind you Ariel and Andrew seemed to be very into it but I definitely wasn't.

To cap the night off should have been a hugely fun party with all that pent up energy from frankly a low-key event to this point and perhaps that was why Light Fires did receive a big response. A big response considering Gentlelady Regina is a standard in the Toronto scene, playing fairly regularly and hence not exactly being a huge cameo surprise. She can really strut it in those heels and belted it out while doing it which was entertaining no doubt but still somewhat underwhelming for what should have been a climax of an overall dull evening.

The Cure - Riot Fest Toronto (Sep 6)

The Cure were the headliners on Saturday night which made sense to a degree, considering how many "throwback" bands were playing. I've never personally taken much notice but so many bands made mention of this set that I figured the least I could do was stick around and check it out. The five of them - electric guitar, bass, keys, drum plus Robert Smith on guitar - are still hard hitting and have some fine guitar work. Much of the set was lost on me, especially from the back, but I did recognize and enjoy Just Like Heaven and Love Song, of course. I was waiting for Friday I'm In Love however they had nearly a 2 hour timeslot and they just couldn't maintain my attention for that long and I split an hour in.

Death From Above 1979 - Riot Fest (Sep 6)

Sure I'd just seen them with only 200 hardcore fans a few nights prior but that didn't mean I was going to miss another chance to check out their show. After all they disbanded for nearly a decade so you gotta take it when you still can! The stage set-up, the clothes and the band (yep, still no guitarist) was all very similar but the setting was thousands of extremely excited fans as dusk fell on the first afternoon of Riot Fest Toronto. Once more they opened with a 'classic', Turn It Out, from their only album released to that point, as Physical World, from which they would pull much of the rest of the list wouldn't drop until Tuesday. Again they followed up with Frankenstein and Virgins but from their things diverged from the previous show to some degree with different Woman/Machine tossed in (including You're a Woman, I'm a Machine) and playing every single new cut. This included Gemini which Sebastien dedicated to his wife for their anniversary, saying "this is very un-rock and roll", which it really was. Besides that the set did rock, adding Go Home, Get Down (but not Black History Month or Pull Out). The crowd felt like they'd been waiting for this show for years, rightly so, and were giving it their all up front - Romantic Rights dropped right as someone yelled for it and the sea of people soared with it. The backing tracks triggered by the electronic drumset were a little more pronounced as Sebastian messed around with them a bit. Once again the set closer was the title track and album closer, Physical World, and it fits really well with that final burst at the end to lay it all out. Right On.