Two Hours Traffic - Lee's - Farewell Show (Dec 12/13)

Two Hours Traffic

On the first of their last shows they sure seemed to be enjoying their curtain call. Plenty of thank you's for the years of support were accompanied by plenty of tracks, new and old. It was bittersweet to hear songs for the last time that I've become accustomed to seeing a couple times a year but it was also a fitting goodbye - a way to go out on their terms. As may have been hoped for Alec O'Hanley returned for a tune he had written, Sorry Than Safe, which oddly saw the new, new bass player (first show) exit while second guitar moved back to bass to reunite in the original lineup. To prove there was no residual animosity Alec and Liam Corcoran exchanged a big hug as he departed. It wasn't too long later that another guest, Brian Murphy, joined them for a mini set of their side cover band, playing some Nick Lowe and Steve Miller Band to change it up. Back in action they closed out strong despite Liam's faltering voice, with Territory, then a solo acoustic of Stolen Earrings to rest the throat before closing down with Jezebel. Nobody believed for a second they wouldn't play Backseat Sweetheart so they returned with Alec and that number before attempting to end once again, this time using Stuck for the Summer. Alas an extended will they or won't they encore call did have them return. It was unplanned so as they worked it out Liam played the oft requested but rarely heard Kiss Me acoustically (for the ladies) and they all came back together on one of Liam's personal favourite covers to finally wind down the night. It'll be sad to see them go but great to have them endure this long. Plus there's always the albums on repeat.

Grounders
Although Grounders had a few grin inducing moments during their between-song banter the set itself was uninspired. As before I was unimpressed with the singer's vocals, though I'm not convinced it was bad effects so much as just bad singing. They were a hometown band happy to be playing a gig on the large Lee's stage, though the crowd was still relatively sparse it did include loved ones and even a couple year-old offspring. The crack about Two Hours Traffic's impending retirement and indie rock heaven "complete with tour busses, Factor grants, and free beer" was rather amusing. 

Rah Rah, Two Hours Traffic, July Talk, Balconies - Lee's (CMW Mar 21/13)

Rah Rah

As far as I'm concerned Rah Rah stole the show, as they have been known to do. Their energy and stage presence serves them well as they swap vocals, places and instruments throughout the set with mostly seamless transitions. Erin Passmore was slightly under the weather and it showed but only slightly as the other female, Kristina Hedlund, pointed out how great she could sound even while sick. Kristina's own song with leading vocals on the other hand sounded amiss, without explanation. Duet for Emmylou ramped up the fairly full Lee's Palace crowd early and they stuck with them through 20's and onto First Kiss, the closer that came complete with Rah Rah balloons.

Two Hours Traffic
Perhaps it is Two Hours Traffic fatigue, or the fact that they didn't include a whole lot of new material, but it seemed like a run of the mill set from the band. Mind you that still means catchy hooks and sweet guitar melodies, there just wasn't much to push their 35 minute showcase over the edge. The fact that it was a CMW showcase probably explains the leaning on go-to's like Stuck for the Summer and closer Heroes of the Sidewalk but for longtime fans it left just a little to be desired. We wanted to hear more of Foolish Blood but would have to be content with the four, including Audrey, Magic and top track Amour than Amis.

July Talk
Four relatively non-descript guys assembled on stage to close out the night. (Okay they're describable - the drummer looked like the not-homeless movie star from Arrested Development and the lead singer had the bad boy look down, or maybe that was based on his behaviour.) The singer started up with his gravelly, punk voice (think Tom Waits) and the musicians backed him and then strutted in the lady of the hour. What a presence she had as she came in, an enchanting visage. Then she sang and I realized that under that brown, fur jacket, jean shorts, fishnets, and white shades was a voice to offset that growl nicely. As hinted, the lead singer was quite mischievous, pushing his guitarist around, kissing band members on the cheek, and playfully tugging at the lady's eclectic apparel. At one point the two with the mics knelt down to worship at the feet of their guitarist who laid down an excellent solo. It wasn't the set I was expecting having listened to a couple songs in preparation but it was highly entertaining. Another hometown band to cheer on.

The Balconies

You could hear her from the short line on Bloor as The Balconies Leading Lady started up in full rock star mode. She sure can command a crowd with her dancing thighs, wild eyes and whipped black hair; her antics really proved how she could soak up the limelight. The 4 piece band weren't too shabby either as they rocked hard in a grungy, 80's-rock way, laying on thick bass lines. In their denim vests and jackets they performed a show that was full-on and won over many in the surprisingly packed Lee's Palace.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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