Library Voices w/ Bend Sinister & Paper Lions @ Pit Pub -- 10/29/10

It's been years since I've been to a show at UBC's Pit Pub, and while I have been to worse venues *cough*Rickshaw*cough*, it's not really all that great, either. Plus, it's just so out of the way.
But with a bill consisting of Library Voices and Bend Sinister, who are both great live, as well as Paper Lions, who I had heard good things of, it was hard to stay away.

Unfortunately, due to my decision to catch an acoustic Treelines set (and the lack of directional signs at UBC) I arrived a bit late and only caught the tail end of Bend Sinister. As I walked in, they were just finishing up "Time Breaks Down", then went into their last song, a cover of Supertramp's "The Logical Song". It was a pretty damn good cover, and interesting having seen Moxon do the song a while back at a solo show he did. I was sad to have missed them, but I am sure there'll be another show soon enough.

Paper Lions was up next, with some damn catchy power pop. The four piece seemed really tight and knew how to put on a show. Some highlights of the set were a partial cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" slipped in to a song, with Moxon even coming out to sing, and at one point guitarist switches seamlessly to the drums, while drummer came out to the front for a killer bongo solo (yes, I just put those three words together) which had a little bit of Apache in the mix. I wouldn't mind at all catching them next time they're through town.

Finally was Library Voices. I'm not sure if it's just where I was, or a problem with the pub itself, but I noticed a few times throughout the set the bass was quite overpowering. It seemed to get better later on, so they either fixed it or I just got used it it. That aside, it was an incredibly good set with an insane energy from the eight-piece band -- soon to be seven-piece, as they announced it was the last show for Karla Miller. They played mostly off the new album, Denim on Denim, but with a couple older, and at least one new one thrown into the mix. They had everyone dancing, clapping and singing along. And the band was insanely high energy, jumping and moving around. A few times the lead singer jumped on the railing at the front of the stage, and even jumped into the crowd to sing a couple times. The rest of the band was just as energetic, and even a couple members of Paper Lions and Bend Sinister got in on the action, helping out a few times.
"Party Like It's 2012" "Drinking Games" and "Bookish" were definitely highlights, as well as "Step Off The Map and Float", which closed out the main set. They ended the show with members of all three bands out for a great cover of "Got My Mind Set On You". I always love to see that kind of thing in the encore, with all bands out for a cover, and it never happens enough.

A pretty awesome trio of bands, and I already can't wait to see Library Voices live again.