Field Trip '14 - Lowell - Fort York (June 7)

Hard not to draw a comparison to Grimes, with the young Canadian girl singing along to slightly synthy music. She had some male cohorts producing the sound while she danced awkwardly around. I do like the music and I do enjoy the shows but it's a bit funny. She kept her radio single (well it's getting the odd play on local Indie 88) for last and lurched the stage to The Bells. A reasonably-sized hometown crowd cheered it all on.

Field Trip '14 - Chvrches - Fort York (June 8)

With a lit stage prop, including two zed's as the base of the two male's synth stands, Chvrches took to the stage. Out burst their pint-sized leading lady for a punchy set of a good selection of their debut album. Mostly synth/sample/bass-led, her job was to belt it out, and so she did except that one tune where the guy came out from behind the stand to magic-dance while singing. Between songs they mostly bantered about their favourite Canadian music artists, teasing an Alanis karaoke session that never materialized. It wasn't a hugely spectacular show, nor did it vary much from the recorded material but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

Field Trip '14 - Half Moon Run - Fort York (June 7)

My toughest decision of the fest was whether to stay and watch the always stellar Shad K or to catch the buzzy Half Moon Run who were great last time out. I tried to split the difference, watching Canada's smartest rapper through and then steaming over to what turned out to be the last two tracks from the Montreal rockers. These were two spirited songs though as they demolished them both in their casual clothes and long hair with thrilling guitar work. It's not easy to put a thumb on just what makes a rock set stand above others but this definitely did. I don't regret catching all of Shad but Field Trip, why'd you make me choose?

Field Trip '14 - Interpol - Fort York (June 7)

My expectations weren't through the roof for Interpol as I'd really only listened to the Slow Hands album (Antics) for which they were celebrating a decade passed. I put it back on before the show and it did come back to me but did not overwhelm. The show was similar. The New York quintet played more than adequately, with their distinctive vocalist holding it down but I wasn't totally won over. Granted that I was standing at the sound booth and from there, being the closing night show they just appeared as backlit silhouettes before the strobing purples and blues. It was neat that the sound guy went literal during Turn on the Bright Lights though. The set ended with exactly a half hour to go for the foregone encore that featured another few, which came across to these apathetic ears as more of the same.

Rural Alberta Advantage, Great Lake Swimmers - Massey Hall (July 7/14)

RAA

It seemed a toss up double bill but the Rural Alberta Advantage were up first and were understandably psyched to be playing at the historic Massey Hall. They made the most of it too with a solid set of favourites from their first two Alberta-entrenched records plus a smattering of cuts from the upcoming autumn release. Muscle Relaxants struck early but there were plenty more; Drain the Blood, Tornado '87, Barnes Yard, Four Night Rider to name but a few. Amy had plenty of room to wander around the stage when not perched on one foot playing her synths, xylo and drum, or complementing Nils' distinct voice with her soft coo. That is excepting the rendition of Two Lovers that he laid down solo mid-set. After their return Paul laid down a wicked new drumline on the second of three new songs - the first being the released-that-day Terrified. Of course the songs aren't a huge departure from their signature style but it's always nice to hear new material.

Naturally they played Summertime to a nice response but it was actually a technical malfunction that roused the biggest reaction. Despite his best efforts during a song to rectify his cut-out guitar amp Nils was unable to get it going - rather than crash and burn he just started clapping and yelling out the chorus over and over. Realising his conundrum the crowd joined right along and when it wrapped we organically stood to applaud - which he didn't even notice for a full minute as he was so engrossed with fixing the problem. As he mentioned this could have been a closer but who wants to rush off the Massey stage? They finished off the set as planned and left us all happy by closing with the single, Stamp.

Great Lake Swimmers

First from the darkness appear four clad all in black - alongside Tony and the gang would be a four-piece string section (three violins and a cello). This group who were on and off stage throughout the set helped to fill out the already layered song and brought that extra something to the large, lovely space. The Great Lake Swimmers for their part broke right into song and in many cases jammed right through from song to song with incredibly dense instrumental breakdowns before clearing up into the recognizable melody of the next song. This definitely was a positive and moved the set right along from tunes like Pulling on a Line to Easy Come and Changing Colours, Put There by the Land. As always the break out of the banjo for Your Rocky Spine was a standout (while Moving Pictures didn't play this time around.) Being in the acoustic haven of Massey they trooped out to a solitary freestanding microphone at the front of the stage to close their set by harmonizing into it and even dropping a banjo and fiddle single. That is before they returned from a short pause for a one-song encore recalling their long travels together. Though the upper balcony may not have been completely full some 2,400 people stood to show their appreciation at the end of the night.

Shout Out Out Out Out - Drake Underground (July 3, '14)

It was the oddest night for SO4 and I say that having seen this crew a good number of times during what they meekly admitted to being their decade long existence. Firstly I'd like to air my grievance with the Drake who do next to nothing to promote their shows ahead of time and often leave worthy bands playing to a mostly empty underground. With no openers to kill time the six of them had to make their own introduction. This proved easy for Nik on this evening. Normally a quiet frontman, focused on the vocoding mic, on this evening he gabbed on and on, and even sang into his non-effect microphone. However those in attendance seemed die-hards and hung on his silly words as the banter kept piling on and became a joke in itself. It got to the point where Clint (known as The Kid ten years ago) took over the mic for an awful impression of a rambling story but quickly got cut off.

Anyway..this is supposed to at least resemble a concert review but with no new material the music was what we've come to expect from the live-band producing electronic music with their synths, guitars, bass, vocoder and double drum sets - playing through Bad Choices, Lessons in Disappearing, Dude, Forever Indebted. Before departing for a much-needed pee Nik promised to come back and play another song for us but in the meantime a couple members remained onstage and plotted a duet that was quashed by the end of the urination. A quick round of the beloved "Jaycie, fucking Jaycie" before they ripped through an encore that aptly wrapped with In the End and the dancers on the floor got one more chance to wile out.

Hollerado, Stella Ella Ola, Dave Foley - Horseshoe (Jan 29/14)

Arriving on time for the show was still far too early as Hollerado continued with their video shoot and went through Desire enough times (feels like 126 times) that it seemed impossible that anybody in the room desired to hear it again. Amazingly the crowd continued to give it each time even as the band seemed to be losing steam. Not sure if this is a sure way to an ear work or more of an exorcism.

Finally the shoot wrapped and not too long after a couple of the members were right back on stage. Stella Ella Ola have Nick in his regular spot on guitar, meanwhile a lady(his wife? Anne) also plays one in cut shorts and sings from under her blonde locks, the Hollerado drummer Jake (his brother) has upgraded only slightly to bass, while a gentleman (Vince), noticeably older than the rest, plays drums. The drummer gets a glowing introduction from Jake and totally holds it down. The three up front share vocals and while at the first the set isn't the strongest they do gain confidence and musical strength as it progresses. Finally closing with the more familiar Peter Sellers, it is in fact the only song I recognize though a few down the middle, especially with the drummer cum bassist singing, are rather catchy.

Dave Foley does a standup set that revolves around his sex life. I am nervous that it is going to be offensive but it turns out alright in the end - I guess comedy is supposed to push the limits.

Hollerado return to the stage in their familiar stances in front of their blacklight mural and amps, but with a novel setlist. They proceed to play the tunes they've shot music videos for in the order that they were shot. Essentially this turns into a chronological hit list which everyone deserves after enduring the shoot. It does leave them in a predicament as they close with So It Goes figuring it's about time to call it a night after a long day of shooting, for both the band and the fans. Yet the "One More Song!" chants persist and they return with.. yes, they actually have the gall to play Desire again. Somehow this goes over well, at least in part because they don't phone it in like they had been by the time I'd shown up. In fact the whole set they straddled moments of energy, as Menno leapt off the drumset in a mist of his own spit, but there were other elements like their notorious synchronized dances, as in Races, that weren't quite spot on. (Critical, I know!) To close right out they dug into the reserve tank and Nick handled the mic to spit Blink's Dammit and this throwback brought a huge smile to my face.

Setlist - in case you don't want to look up their videos in order:
Americanarama
Juliet 
Fake Drugs
Got To Lose
Good Day at the Races
Pick Me Up
Fresno Chunk (Digging with you) [A slower song for Menno's friend Gus in the audience - not a video] So It Goes
Encore: Desire 126 (again!)
Dammit