3am Mixtapes: Episode Eighty Six: Polaris '015

Each week on the 3am Mixtapes podcast, I will share with you the Top Six Songs of a certain subject. The topics can be as general as best drum solos. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Bands That Sound Nothing Like Their Name Implies. 

While my goal is to not repeat topics on this podcast, I figures with a new long list of different albums, it would be okay to do another Polaris Music Prize themed episode. So this week is the Top Six Albums I'd Pick Were I a Polaris Juror in 2015! (Which I'm not). Well, five picks, and one overlooked album.

Vote for:

"Take Your Face Off" by Lydia Ainsworth
"Deserter" by Siskiyou
"Taste" by Braids
"Four More Years" by Rich Aucoin
"Cynical Bastards" by Arkells
"Harriet" by Hey Rosetta!

Any questions or comments or waffles or criticisms or suggestions for future themes are welcome!

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Arkells @ Commodore -- 02/20/15

Hamilton, Ontario's Arkells kicked off their High Noon tour in Vancouver this weekend, at the legendary Commodore Ballroom. The sold out show was a long way from their 2008 Vancouver debut, at the Penthouse (a strip club that, for some reason, used to host live music as well).

I've seen the band a good number of times, I would probably put them in the long list of my favourite Canadian bands, especially ones to see live, so I was naturally excited to catch them once more.


Vancouver's own Dear Rouge opened up the show, and it had been a while since I had seen a proper show from them, so I was interested to see what they were up to. The main duo of the band is married couple Drew and Danielle McTaggart, at the front of the stage, but Danielle as lead singer was definitely who all eyes were on. She stalked the stage charisma and a strong voice, as well as playing a little bit of guitar or synth for some songs.

They teased their upcoming album, ranging from the poppy songs like "I Heard I Had" to the darker and moodier "Black To Gold", and a good number of the sold out crowd was clearly there to see them, too, as they had the crowd clapping along during a few songs, including a breakdown in the final song (which I thought killed a little of the momentum at the end).

Ever since they won the Peak Performance Project back in '012, I feel like Dear Rouge is always just slightly playing catch-up to their own success. Which isn't a knock on the band, they've just had a great amount of it in a very short time, and are still a relatively new band. But with catchy dark pop and Danielle's charisma, I don't doubt they'll grow into it before long, and be headlining the Commodore themselves soon enough.


It wasn't too long before Arkells hit the stage, right on time at 10:30. Starting off with "Brought To Light" from High Noon, it was immediately apparent that all members of the band had loads of confidence and energy on stage. Especially frontman Max Kerman, who is one of my favourite lead singers to watch; he's got an unparalleled charm and enthusiasm, that is infectious. It's hard not to be drawn in, and from nearly the start he had the packed ballroom singing and clapping along, exemplified by a huge chorus of voices in unison singing along with "John Lennon" -- still one of my favourite Arkells songs which came early on -- and the "punching in/punching out" call & response from "Oh, The Boss Is Coming".

The set spanned all three of their albums thus far, from the softer and slower "I'm Not The Sun", a rarely played song from Jackson Square, to the title track of Michigan Left with a little Motown mixed in, to the slowburning "Never Thought That This Would Happen". 

Other highlights included "Pulling Punches" with Tony Carone's excellent keyboard solo, the anti-negativity of "Cynical Bastards", and one of my favourites from the new album, timed almost perfectly so when the clock struck 11:11, they were in the middle of the song "11:11" (and, come to think of it, the show may have ended just around 12:34). 

They drew the main set to a close with "Fake Money", and blasts of confetti to wrap it up (though, a missed opportunity in that it was just regular confetti, and not like, Monopoly money or anything).
And of course, it wouldn't be an Arkells set without some covers and/or Motown. They laid down a little Peter Gabriel in the main set, with a pretty great cover of "Sledgehammer", and in the encore Max invited Drew and Danielle from Dear Rouge back out for a rendition of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", a fun duet.

The encore also included an acoustic version of "Book Club", with Max, Tony, and Mike DeAngelis all sharing one microphone -- with Max telling a bit of the backstory behind the song and Tony & Mike imitating some of the songstresses from Women In Song -- and they ended off with their current single, and arguably biggest to date, one more time getting the sold out crowd to sing along to "Leather Jacket", both the band and the crowd still high energy after the two-hour set.


Max said at one point that they always seemed tired when coming into Vancouver, as they usually travel the country in the other direction, so it was nice to start things off in the city, fresh-faced and raring to go. And that's exactly what they did. It was a great strong show from the pride of The Hammer, and I don't think I'll ever tire of seeing them live.


setlist
Come To Light; Michigan Left; John Lennon; What Are You Holding On To; Hey Kids!; Oh, The Boss is Coming; Never Thought That This Would Happen; 11:11; I'm Not The Sun; Dirty Blonde; Systematic; Kiss Cam; On Paper; Pulling Punches; Sledgehammer [Peter Gabriel cover]; Cynical Bastards; Whistleblower; Fake Money.
(encore) Book Club; The Ballad of Hugo Chavez; Ain't No Mountain High Enough [Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell cover], Leather Jacket. 

3am Mixtapes: Episode Sixty One: Twenty-Fourteen

Each week on the 3am Mixtapes podcast, I will share with you the Top Six Songs of a certain subject. The topics can be as general as best karaoke songs, but some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs with the Number Six in the Title. 

I'm back! After a break for the Decembertime holidays, I have returned with the Top Six Albums of 2014! Or at the very least, six really cool ones you should hear.

With songs from:

"Weird For You" by Sidney York (from the album <3s)
"Want to Believe" by Rich Aucoin (from the album Ephemeral)
"Minimum Effort" by Mounties (from the album Thrash Rock Legacy)
"Candle" by Lydia Ainsworth (from the album Right from Real)
"I Could Lose It All" by Chersea (from the EP Grey Matter)
"11:11" by Arkells (from the album High Noon)

Any questions or comments or waffles or criticisms or suggestions for future themes are welcome!

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Summer Send-Off @ Sun Peaks Resort -- 08/30-31/14

I thought I was going to go the whole summer without any music-based road trips, but when Sun Peaks announced their Summer Send-Off weekend, headlined by Arkells and Eliott BROOD, and also including Hey Ocean!, I knew it couldn't be missed. Hopping in the car with Christine of Vancouver Is Awesome , we headed up to the resort just north of Kamloops for a weekend of music in the mountains.
(and also off-road segwaying)

The first night the music started with Coloured Sky who I unfortunate missed due to rain, but JUST as Arkells hit the stage, the rain stopped and the sun peeked through the clouds.
Starting off with the first song from their new album High Noon, "Fake Money", and as soon as the song was done, lead singer Max Kerman -- always looking out for the fans -- urged everyone to rush the stage and fill the sparse VIP area at the front of the stage.

I've seen Arkells live more than a half-dozen times and they never fail to impress. Aside from guitarist Nick Dika having some small technical issues (faulty outlet, fixed by switching power supplies) they band was firing on all cylinders. Especially Max, one of the most charismatic frontmen that Canada has to offer; always moving around the stage, interacting with the crowd, sometimes even at a one-to-one level, and rarely without a giant grin on his face.

The set spanned their three albums, but also included a few of their usual covers of the Motown variety (as a "request by some friends from Vancouver") A cover of "My Girl" in the main set, and then "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" in the encore; with Max down on his knees at the front of the stage getting the crowd to sing along with the impassioned apology, "I've done a lot of foolish things / That I really didn't mean"
Other highlights of the set included more singing (or yelling) along with "Oh, The Boss is Coming", the beautiful slow burning build of "Never Thought That This Would Happen", and Anthony Carone's badass piano solo during "Puling Punches"
After a little over an hour, they ended the evening with a song that is still my favourite of theirs, "John Lennon", which even included a little bit of Iggy Izalea's "Fancy" snuck into the chorus for good measure.

The second afternoon of music on the main stage started with Hey Ocean! as they hit the stage with "If I Were A Ship", from their most recent album IS. The Vancouver band always puts on a fun and energetic live show, and even their self-admitted relaxing dip in the hot tub right before the set didn't slow them down. Lead singer Ashleigh Ball is a, well, ball of energy, dancing around stage and singing sometimes directly to the young fans in the front row.

Both Davids took over lead vocals for a song each, guitarist Beckingham for "Islands", and the low baritone of Vertesi on bass for one of my favourites off the new album, "Jolene". They also played a couple of covers in the middle of their set, first Price's "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and the slightly more PG "Be My Baby" for the all ages, late afternoon crowd.
After a couple more songs, including a new one called "Sleepwalker", they brought the set to an energetic close with the pairing of "Big Blue Wave" and "Make A New Dance Up", the latter culminating with a dance party and a giant drum breakdown, every member surrounding Johnny Andrews on the drum kit, before Ashleigh ended with a slide whistle solo (yup).

Rumour has it this may have been their last show for a while, and if that's true, then they certainly out with a bang.

And to round out the music for the weekend was Elliott BROOD, who were in Newfoundland not 24 hours earlier for the Harbourage Music Festival. But after a long day of travel they made it up to the mountains and hit the stage, clad entirely in white.

All three members were very loose, telling stories and joking around with the crowd, and letting the set flow off-the-cuff. They opened with what I think was a new song from their upcoming album Work and Love, before an hour-plus set that spanned their entire ten years.

From the older singalongs like "Oh Alberta" to the intense instrumental "Chuckwagon" and even the slower & softer "Northern Air", everything was punctuated by their amazing energy and passion; Steve's incredibly tight drumming, Mark switching seamlessly between guitar and banjo and ukulele, Casey playing the bass pedals with his feet while simultaneously playing guitar. Their self-described "death country" sound proved that "banjo" doesn't have to be a dirty word.

The main set culminated with the explosive and infectious "Write It All Down For You", the crowd clapping and "Hey! Hey! Hey!"-ing along, before they took a request from the crowd for a song that they rarely play live, "Twill", which broke down into a psychedelic jam with Casey down on the stage coaxing his guitar that left the band -- and the audience -- spent.

But of course they couldn't end there, and were back out for one more: the perfect song to wrap up any show, "Miss You Now", with the remaining crowd gathered and some final singing along to the beautiful tune.

In all, it was a pretty great weekend of music in a gorgeous setting. I don't think I will ever tire of seeing Arkells play live, Elliott BROOD was as good as ever, and Hey Ocean! always put on a fun show. And even though the Labour Day Weekend weather wasn't as cooperative as it could have been the whole weekend, the rain was nice enough to hold off almost entirely in the late afternoon/early evenings while the music was going.
If next year's Summer Send-Off is comparable, I would definitely be interested in heading up again.

Arkells setlist
Fake Money, Come To Light, The Ballad of Hugo Chavez, Michigan Left, 11:11, Oh The Bos is Coming, Pulling Punches, Kiss Cam, Never Thought That This Would Happen, Dirty Blonde, On Paper, My Girl [The Temptations cover] Leather Jacket, Cynical Bastard, Whistleblower.
(encore) Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours [Stevie Wonder cover], John Lennon.

Hey Ocean! setlist
If I Were A Ship, I Am A Heart, New Love, Islands, Jolene, A Song About California, I Wanna Be Your Lover [Prince cover], Be My Baby [The Ronettes cover], Change, Sleepwalking, Liar, Maps, Steady, Big Blue Wave, Make A New Dance Up.

Elliott BROOD setlist
[new song?], Oh Alberta, Without Again, Second Son, Wolfgang, Northern Air, Johnny Rooke, Chuckwagon, The Bridge, If I Get Old, [new song], Lindsay, Old Dan Tucker [traditional], The Banjo Song, The Valley Town, Write It All Down For You, Twill.
(encore) Miss You Now

3am Mixtapes: Episode Forty Nine: Campfires

Each week on the 3am Mixtapes podcast, I will share with you the Top Six Songs of a certain subject. The topics can be as general like top six one hit wonders. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Sexy Saxaphone Songs.

This week it's not about the Songs of the Summer, but the Songs of the Summer Nights. Yes, those songs where you can sit under the stars, with some friends, around a roaring fire, the Top Six Campfire Songs!

Sing along with:

"Never Thought That This Would Happen" by Arkells
"Lindsay" by Elliott BROOD
"North Star" by Joel Plaskett Emergency
"Ishmael and Maggie (acoustic)" by The Trews
"Queen of Portland Street" by Matt Mays
"Good Morning Sunshine" by Portage & Main

Any questions or comments or waffles or criticisms or suggestions for future themes are welcome!

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CBC Music Festival @ Deer Lake Park -- 06/14/14

Last year the inaugural CBC Music Festival took place at Echo Beach far away in time in Toronto, but this year they decided to take the show to Vancouver -- or more specifically, Burnaby's Deer Lake Park. And a little bit of rain couldn't keep people away for a day included dozens of musicians and CBC personalities, from Radio 3's Grant Lawrence, to Radio 2's Tom Power and Rich Terfry (aka Buck 65, who also performed a DJ set), Radio 1's Jian Ghomeshi, and more.
The Irrelevant Show was also there to do a live taping, and the music was spread across two stages, the main stage by the lake and a smaller "garden" stage off to the side.


Some of the early music in the day included local up & coming Wake Owl and the winner of the CBC Music Searchlight competition for "best new band", Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk, but the first act that I caught was Vancouver's own Hannah Georgas on the main stage. The half-hour set ranged from "Shortie" which got people moving in the misty rain (one girl in the audience loudly proclaiming it was her jam) to the other end of the spectrum, the softer and touching "Ode to Mom". And as the set came to a close with "Waiting Game", Hannah's voice single-handedly beat back the clouds, and held off the precipitation for the majority of the day.


Next up on the main stage was the pride of Hamilton, with the well-earned reputation as one of the countries best live band, Arkells.
They teased their upcoming new album by leading off with a brand new song, "Come To Light", but aside from that and the slow-burning jam "Never Thought That This Would Happen" they stuck to older material.
"Oh, The Boss is Coming" had Max whip the crowd up with a singalong, and "Pulling Punches" featured an aces piano solo from Anthony Carone on keys.
And as is Arkells way, they slipped in some brief covers; a dash of Al Green in "Michigan Left", and part of Shad's "Rose Garden" during "Book Club" (specifically, the hook reminded Max of the weekend's weather: "There's gotta be some rain sometimes"). They invited a special guest on stage for a full-blown cover, Talking Head's "Psycho Killer" with Arkells fronted by Jian Ghomeshi.
Early on, lead singer Max Kerman mentioned it was their job, as an opening band, to pump the crowd up and that is exactly what they did, ending their explosive set with "Whistleblower"


The festival ran like clockwork, and almost immediately after Arkells ended, The Belle Game started on the Garden Stage. It was a change of pace from Arkells' high-tilt rock to their darker and moodier indiepop, but they still got people moving, starting off with the groovin' "Wasted Light".
The all-too short set included a new song, possibly called "Mess Around", which they have played a few times before and it has always amazed me, and of course Andrea Lo's powerful voice filled the park on songs like "River". They ended off as they usually do, getting people dancing with "Wait Up For You" building into a fantastic ending of duelling guitars.


Back again on the main stage, Searchlight winner Lauren Mann (who had "never played for this many people") was briefly out to perform her Searchlight winning song "I Lost Myself", before what was was essentially the debut of Dan Mangan + Blacksmith. Aside from a small UBC show, Dan hadn't played in his hometown in about a year and a half, and this was the unveiling of his new band, Blacksmith. The members were largely the same; the usual faces of Gord Grdina, Kenton Loewen, John Walsh, among others, but the new name signalled a new direction in his music, with the writing process being more collaborative.
And based on the new songs -- "Mouthpiece" and one I didn't catch the name of -- it is a great new direction. Both new songs were very intense, dense and layered, but still felt very "Mangan". It seemed like the natural progression for Dan, judging by the last couple albums.
While there were only couple brand new songs, the "new sound" was very much spread across their entire set, through the older songs. "Post-War Blues" started with a swell of instruments before the passionate song swelled to its explosive climax, and "Sold" was slowed to a calmer pace.
Part way through the set the band took a break for Dan to perform the heartbreaking "Basket" alone, and during the usual massive singalong to "Robots", he spotted a couple of girls with cardboard robot heads in the crowd and invited them on stage.
They wrapped up the set with "Rows of Houses" which built to a chaotic display that, once again, got me really excited about the sum of Dan Mangan + Blacksmith.


As his set wrapped up, Dan urged everyone to head over and see Chad VanGaalen, who was headlining the Garden Stage for the day. Of all the bands playing, I was most excited to see CVG, as I hadn't seen him live in a couple of years (and also I was interested to see how he would be in a big festival setting).
As Rich Terfry made his introduction, Chad played drums behind him before being joined by his two bandmates for the first song of the set, "Cut Off Your Hands" -- also the lead-off track to his new album Shrink Dust. "Where Are You?" was a little more bass-y than the album, and ended with CVG pulling out his saxophone for a jazz-influenced jam ending, before picking things up with a couple of more punk-ish songs. "Poisonous Heads" ending with Chad shushing the crowd and indicating for a bass solo... only for his bass player to decline and Chad take the bass and perform the solo himself.
Once again feeling way too short, he came to a close with "Hangman's Son" for yet another excellent set.


I could have left right there and it would have been a day to remember, but there were still a couple acts left. While I have have never really gotten in to Spoon, I had heard nothing but good things, so I made sure to stick around for them. And despite only knowing a couple songs -- "Don't You Evah" and the fun and bouncy "Underdog" -- they put on a very enjoyable set. Lead singer Britt Daniel had a great presence, and the whole band was incredibly tight. It definitely made me want to delve into their six-album history.

After a DJ set from Buck 65, Tegan & Sara took the stage, but I've never been much of a fan, and the rain had come back with a vengeance, so I decided to beat the inevitable rush of leaving traffic and take off early.

In all it was a fantastic festival -- I can't remember the last time I saw so many excellent sets in a row -- and I really hope CBC gets enough support to continue the festival every year, be it in Toronto, Vancouver, or if they decide to move it around the country.


setlists

Hannah Georgas
Robotic, Somebody, Shortie, Enemies, The Deep End, Ode To Mom, Waiting Game. 

Arkells
Come To Light; Ballad of Hugo Chavez; Michigan Left; Never Thought That This Would Happen; Book Club; Oh, The Boss is Coming!; Kiss Cam; Pulling Punches; Psycho Killer [Talking Heads cover]; Whistleblower.

The Belle Game
Wasted Light, Keeps Me Up At Night, Little Wars (Causing Your Trouble), [new song], River, Wait Up For You. 

Dan Mangan
Oh Fortune; About As Helpful As You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All; Mouthpiece; [new song]; Post-War Blues; Basket; Leaves, Trees, Forest; Robots; Sold; Rows of Houses.

Chad VanGaalen
Cut Off My Hands, Where Are You?, Burning Photographs, Poisonous Heads, Peace on the Rise, Hangman's Son.

3am Mixtapes: Episode Thirty Nine: Ballads

Each week on the 3am Mixtapes podcast, I will share with you the Top Six Songs of a certain subject. The topics can be as general like best road trip songs. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs in 7/4 Time.

This week, instead of looking at the theme or the mood of the songs, I am going to go with the narratives, for the Top Six Ballads!

This week's tunes:

"The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
"Ballad of a Swan Lake, or Daniel's Song" by Swan Lake
"The Ballad of Joe Verreault" by Shaun Verreault
"Ballad of Hugo Chavez" by Arkells
"The Ballad of Humankindness" by The Dears
"The Ballad of Hollywood Jack and The Rage Cage" by Tenacious D

Any questions or comments or waffles or criticisms or suggestions for future themes are welcome!

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3am Mixtapes: Episode Fourteen: Famous People

Hey look, it's another episode of 3am Revelations' very own podcast!

Each week on 3am Mixtapes, I will present to you, in my dulcet tones, the Top Six Songs of a certain subject. The topics can be as general like Top Six Drinking Songs, or they can be as obscure and specific as Top Six Songs to Help Nurse a Hangover.

This week we take a look at songs written about people. Songs written about particular people. Songs written about, for, or in relation to specific people. The Top Six Songs Named for Famous People!
Whether they're about the person, written with them as a backdrop, or not about them at all, these are all songs named after people you might have heard of.

Featured on this week's podcast is:

"The National" by Hannah Georgas
"Meg White" by Ray Lamontagne
"Harrison Ford" by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
"John Lennon" by Arkells
"Daft Punk is Playing at My House" by LCD Soundsystem
"What Would Jay-Z Do?" by Ben Lee

Any questions or comments or waffles or criticisms or suggestions for future themes are welcome!



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3am Mixtapes: Episode Seven: Pumping You Up

Hey look, it's another episode of 3am Revelations' very own podcast!

Each week on 3am Mixtapes, I will present to you, in my dulcet tones, the Top Six Songs of a certain subject. The topics can be as broad and vague like Best Duos, or they can be as obscure and specific as Best Septets.

Every now and then you need a little something to get you going. To get you psyched up. To get your ass in gear. And these six songs do a damn good job of that. They motivate and inspire. They pump you up. They make you feel like you can do anything at all! So here are the Top Six Songs That Make You Feel Like You Can Take Over the World (but not in a supervillain way)!

Featured on this week's podcast is:

"It" by Rich Aucoin
"Lovely Allen" by Holy Fuck
"Meet Me In The Basement" by Broken Social Scene
"Things Will Get Better" by Bend Sinister
"Deadlines" by Arkells
"Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur" by Sigur Rós

Any questions or comments or waffles or criticisms or suggestions for future themes are welcome!


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Keloha Festival @ Waterfront Park -- 07/05 - 07/07/13

On the sunny shores of the Okanagan lake in Kelowna BC, the Keloha Festival celebrated its second year. And what a celebration it was. From local heroes like The Matinée and The Zolas, to national favourites like Arkells and The Trews, to international headliners Mutemath, Matt and Kim, and MGMT, the Keloha lineup was the one I was looking forward to most out of all the "local" festivals this summer.

Day one: Friday

I arrived in Kelowna Friday just in time to catch the last couple songs from Yukon Blonde (thanks to a lack of signs and getting blocked out by a body of water and a fence trying to get into the festival). The band sounded great in their hometown, and were definitely a great way to start things off.

After getting settled in and getting the lay of the land; checking out the Island Stage in the middle of a lagoon and the Sandbar Stage right on the beach, and all the vendors in between, it was time for The Trews to take the stage. The Antigonish rockers started with the high energy "The Power of Positive Drinking" and hardly slowed down. They had the hillside crowd singing and clapping along, especially to songs like "Not Ready To Go" and one of my favourites, "Poor Ol' Broken Hearted Me". As they are wont to do, they also had a couple covers slipped in to songs, like U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" in the middle of a new song "Lord, Keep Me In Mind".
After what seemed like not nearly enough time, they ended the set with "Hold Me In Your Arms" to thunderous applause, the crowd definitely revved up.

The night ended with Mutemath, who were the band I was most excited about. I hadn't seen them live in a few years, and was afraid I had hyped them up too much in my mind, but from the minute they hit the stage (and drummer Darren King wrapped his headphones around his head with electrical tape) and started into the title track of their most recent album Odd Soul, I knew I had been worrying for nothing.
The whole band had incredible energy, but especially lead singer Paul Meany. When not at the keyboard, or playing keytar, he would be right up at the barrier, leaning into the crowd singing. He even performed a few of his trademark "keyboard handstands".
Highlights of the set included the relatively-mellow & heartfelt "Noticed", and the explosive "Typical", as well as the grand finale, "Break The Same" which transitioned into "Quarantine" as an air mattress with lights around the side was thrown into the crowd, and Paul got on top to surf the crowd while singing. And as he got back on stage, they ended the set with another bombastic percussion breakdown, leaving the crowd spent and drained for a first night of Keloha that would be hard to top.

Day Two: Saturday

The second day started with a couple Vancouver bands on the Sandbar Stage. Rococode started off the day and were followed by Dear Rouge. Both put on strong sets, despite the early afternoon heat draining everyone's energy (okay, maybe just a certain blogger's energy) and both had a good, dancing-on-the-beach vibe.
(Dear Rouge would later put on an absolute rager at Doc Willoughby's with The Zolas as part of the After Party series)

Over on the Island Stage, Malibu Knights had a pretty generic rock sound, while Fields of Green tore it up for their hometown crowd; their high energy prog-rock sound continuing to grow and amaze me. I caught a bit of Gold and Youth but their dark and synthy sound would be better suited to a dimly lit and smokey venue, not a bright and sunny day.
I also was able to squeeze in a few songs from Shad on the beach stage, "Rose Garden" and "Ya, I Get It", where Shad jumped into the front of the crowd, before his DJ's laptop crashed, and he got the crowd to provide the percussion for the next song.

But I had to leave his set early to go catch The Zolas back at the Island Stage. The crowd was gathering and started to groove as they kicked off with "In Heaven" and "Knot In My Heart", the opening tracks to their most recent album Ancient Mars. As usual, the band had a strong stage presence and energy, especially Zach Gray, who is like a pot simmering over, always ready to erupt.
Most of the set focused on the new album, including the quirky "Observatory", but they also tossed in a couple older songs, like the fiery "Marlaina Kamikaze" and the passionate "You're Too Cool", which ended off the set.

Another one of the main bands I was there to see were up next, Arkells. Even though they had been at a festival the previous night in Toronto, they were advised not to miss this show, thanks to the setting alone, and they made sure to point out it was definitely worth it.
"On Paper" started off the set, with the band's energy through the roof, as usual. They are a fantastic and tight live band, and lead singer Max Kerman has an amazing and effortless stage presence. Highlights included "Oh, The Boss is Coming", which got the crowd yelling along, and they also dug into a little Motown that they save for special occasions with a cover of Jackson 5's "I Want You Back".
They wrapped up the set with one of my favourites, "John Lennon", and the raucous "Whistleblower".

Australia's Atlas Genius was up next, but while they were starting to amass a bigger crowd who were getting the dance party started, I thought their set felt a little flat. It was a pretty upbeat rock sound, and they were certainly very fine musicians, but a lot of the songs sounded pretty much the same and I just couldn't get into it.

And finally, wrapping up the second night was Matt and Kim. I had heard they were good live, but I had no idea just how nuts Matt Johnson on keys (and the odd sample, like the explosion he used to punctuate things) and Kim Schifino on drums (sometimes literally standing atop the drums to play, or clap, or "shake her booty") would be. They came right out with an incredible energy and fantastically likeable personalities to whip the crowd into a frenzy. They weren't just playing for the crowd, they wanted to party with them.
From throwing out balloons, to getting everyone to simultaneously jump, to Kim running atop the crowd to dance while people held her upright, both musicians were full of raw enthusiasm, which was absolutely contagious.
I wasn't too familiar with their music -- only recognizing the bouncy "Cameras" and "Daylight" -- which ended the set, but they definitely put on an amazing show and I wouldn't hesitate to see them again.

Day Three: Sunday

Unfortunately, I had to head back to reality early on Sunday, meaning I would miss MGMT, but I did manage to catch a few local favourites before departing.

I got there just in time for Maurice to take the Island Stage, joined by a couple familiar faces, including Andrew Rasmussen on keys and Stephanie Chatman on violin. Starting off the set with "Get Mad", JP has an effortless stage presence and fills his songs with raw emotion, and highlights included the undeniably catchy "Mistake" and the best song that deals with the repercussions of a threesome, "Robin".

Wake Owl was up next, and I'm not sure if it was where I was perched on the hill, but the sound wasn't too great; their rich and lush orchestral sound didn't seem to translate very well. They played some songs off their Wild Country EP, the eponymous song being a highlight, and a few new ones which were a bit more upbeat and jaunty.

At that point, The Matinée was supposed to be taking the Sandbar Stage on the beach, but they had a little bit of highway trouble and were still on their way, so they swapped with Saskatchewan grunge band One Bad Son who were pretty much an average and generic grunge band.

But The Matinée did manage to get there just in time for their new set on the Island Stage, and despite the ten hours of travel they had just endured, they still put on one heck of a set. Starting off, as they usually do, with "L'absinthe", they put boots to the ground and kicked things into high gear. They got people clapping along to "Sweet Water", which also featured a great banjo solo from Matt Rose, threw in their cover of Zeppelin's "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", and wrapped it up with "The Road", with its top-notch percussion breakdown.


And with that, I had to head back. I was disappointed to leave, but not too sad of missing the rest of the day, as they were mostly artists I had seen or didn't have too much interest in, and the weekend was already packed with enough memorable moments to last a dozen festivals over.

If the lineup is even a fraction as good as this next year -- and if they keep the "After Party" series going, with smaller bands playing in small local venues -- I will be back to the Okanagan in a heartbeat.

Arkells @ Vogue -- 06/01/12

Since the first time I saw the Arkells, opening for Matt Mays at the Commodore, I knew I was on to something, and they'd be worth keeping an eye on. I've managed to see them several times since then, in variety of different sized venues, and I've never not been impressed. This time it was at the beautiful Vogue Theatre for a co-headlining tour with Arizona's The Maine.

I ended up missing both them and the other opening bands, Lydia, but I did catch the last couple songs from The Maine and based on that, I am not really heartbroken I missed them.

It was not long after The Maine finished that Hamilton, Ontario's Arkells took the stage, exploding right off the bat with "Whistleblower", and not letting the energy down throughout the entire set. With a good mix of songs off their new album, Michigan Left and their debut, Jackson Square, they had the rabid crowd of the Vogue singing, clapping along, and dancing right up until the end. The band is incredibly tight, and has an almost unparalleled stage presence and energy, and lead singer Max Kerman is so effortlessly charming and charismatic on stage.
One of the highlights of the set was definitely "Oh, The Boss is Coming!", with its crazy intensity and a some of Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money" slipped in. It wasn't the last time they would sneak in a verse or two from other songs throughout the night, either, with a little bit of The Black Keys in "Pulling Punches". They also enlisted help for "Agent Zero" from not only the crowd, but some other friends a well; Tyler and Jacelyn from Said The Whale -- with guitar and tambourine, respectively -- on backup vocals.
The "main" set was brought to an end with "Deadlines", and the band bringing out a couple flashlights and urging the crowd to hold up lighters, cell phones, or any other device that lights up for a sing along of a bit of "This Little Light of Mine", but of course they were back for more. Members of The Maine and Lydia joined them in the encore for a couple more covers, The Beatles' "Help From My Friends" which transitioned perfectly into "That Thing You Do", while Max traded off vocals with The Maine's John O'Callaghan. And the whole night was brought to a perfect ending with another giant sing along, to crowd (and my) favourite, "John Lennon"
Arkells have never failed to impress me with their live show, and this was just more evidence that they were more than deserving of their CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award for "Best Live Act" last year.

There was also a moment that for some reason stood out for me; during the encore, when the stage was packed with with people, Max grabbed the camera of a fan that was filming in the front row, panned across the crowd, then across the stage, and handed it back. It was a small thing that probably went unnoticed by most in the venue (except for the owner of the camera), but it just struck me as a genuinely cool and nice thing to do.

setlist
Whistleblower, The Ballad of Hugo Chavez, Where U Going, No Champagne Socialist, Coffee, Michigan Left, Oh, The Boss Is Coming (with She Works Hard for the Money [Donna Summer cover]), Kiss Cam, Pulling Punches (with Lonely Boy [The Black Keys cover]), Agent Zero, On Paper, Deadlines (with This Little Light of Mine).
(encore)
Book Club, With a Little Help from My Friends [The Beatles cover], That Thing You Do ["The Wonders" cover], John Lennon (with The Way We Get By [Spoon cover])

Arkells w/ Rich Aucoin @ Commodore -- 11/11/11

When I first saw Arkells a couple years ago I was immediately won over by them, and they've since grown to one of my favourite live bands. So no way was I going to miss when they came through the town to the Commodore. There is also a [vaguely] interesting lineage (for lack of a better term) for the band; I saw them opening for Matt Mays & El Torpedo, who I first saw opening for The Trews, who I first saw opening for Big Sugar. Since then I had seen Arkells headlining a few times since, and none of the openers really blew me away, so I thought the streak was over. Turns out I was wrong.

While I had heard of Rich Aucoin, and probably heard a couple songs on Radio 3, I wasn't terribly familiar with his music and really had no idea what to expect. He first came out first to introduce himself, and say that his songs would be synced up to movies projected on the screens, but first he had the "opening credits", which consisted of flashes of names with funny facts, like "[Person's] phone never runs out because it runs on the power of Greyskull" with, judging by the pockets of cheers, names of people at the show; it even including Dan Mangan and Steph Macpherson, who were both also there.
As for the set itself, it started with a burst of confetti and the opening song "set" to clips from How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and right off the bat it broke into a dance party with the Commodore floor bouncing. Aucoin had an unparalleled energy and enthusiasm, leading many singalongs throughout the set -- which were helped by the words being on the screen -- and jumping off the stage and through the crowd a few times, once even disappeared side stage only to reappear out the side door and run around the room, jumping on tables, going all the way to the back and working his way through the crowd to return to the stage. The set culminated with Aucoin bringing out an actual giant parachute (like from elementary school) for the crowd to dance with/under. And not only was it an incredible spectacle of a show, but the music more than lived up to it and matched the energy; insanely catchy and danceable pop, with a synthy edge.
At the end thanked everyone, and said if they wanted any of his music to just text him, leaving his number up on the screen with a note saying he would send anyone a zip file of his music (I did, receiving his EP, Public Publication).

It would be tough for a band to follow that, but if anyone could, it would be the Arkells. They came out swinging with the title track of the new album, Michigan Left, and right away I was reminded of why they are such an incredible live band. They have a raw energy and passion that in unmatched and an incredibly presence, having the crowd eating out of the palm of their hand the whole set. They keyboardist was especially good and jumping up and pumping up the crowd, and singer/guitarist Max Kerman just oozed charisma.
They focused mainly on the new album, with a few from Jackson Square, and highlights being the punchy "Where U Goin'", the raucous "Deadlines" and what has quickly become on of my favourite Arkells songs, "On Paper". Before they launched into "Agent Zero", they asked Rich Aucoin & his band to come out and help them, as well as the aforementioned Dan Mangan, to the surprise of the crowd, with Dan & Max sharing vocals by the end of the song.
The main set wrapped up with "Oh, The Boss Is Coming!", everyone shouting the eponymous line at the start, and singing along. But of course, there was the encore, with "Book Club" and an incredible cover of Hall & Oats' "You Make My Dreams" -- again joined by Aucoin & Mangan -- before ending with yet another sing-along, and my favourite of their songs, "John Lennon", somehow managing to top the energy of the night.

setlist
Michigan Left; Ballad of Hugo Chavez; Where U Goin; Pullin Punches; Bloodlines; One Foot Out The Door; Heart of the City; Whistleblower; On Paper; Deadlines; Kiss Cam; Agent Zero; Oh, The Boss Is Coming!
(encore) Book Club; You Make My Dreams (Hall & Oats cover); John Lennon.

Shows of November

Beginning of the month means a quick look at some of the shows I am excited to see. I say "quick", but it's pretty stacked, so let's get to it. Here are the four I am looking forward to the most, and then a lot more below.

Imaginary Cities at the Biltmore on November 24th. 
I think I am most looking forward to. I saw them a couple times at the Folk Fest (see left, not my video), but one short set and a few workshops had me hungry for more. I am definitely looking forward to them headlining the Biltmore.

An Evening with Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer at the Vogue on November 6th.
I have only recently gotten into Amanda Palmer's music, but Gaiman is one of my absolute favourite writers, so whatever they are going for their evening together should be amazing.

Feist at the Centre for Performing Arts on November 18th
It's been way too long since seeing Feist, and while I feel like I should be more excited about this, Feist has never failed to be anything less than stellarlive, so this is bound to be good.

Death From Above 1979 at the Commodore on November 20th and 21st
I never did get to see DFA1979 while they still existed, and I was very, very sad about that. This is a pricey one, but will it be worth it? Spoiler: probably yes.


As early as tonight, there is Little Red with Sex With Strangers at the Media Club on November 2nd,
and there is a great lineup this weekend for Adaline CD release party, as she's joined by In Medias Res & Rococode at the Biltmore on November 5th.

Then the insanity begins next week with a huge decision, Dan Mangan at the Orpheum or Elliott BROOD at the Commodore, both on November 9th. Following that, Yukon Blonde at the Biltmore on November 10th, Arkells are at the Commodore on November 11th and then Hey Rosetta! at the Commodore on November 12th. That is going to be some week.

We can't forget about the Peak Performance Project finale, featuring The Matinée, Current Swell & The Boom Booms at the Commodore on November 17th. I am definitely pulling for The Matinée, and while I am, admittedly, not a huge fan of the other two bands, it's sure to be one hell of a fun show.

The following weekend is pretty busy, too, with Maurice and Ciseaux at the Media Club on November 25th and all the Grey Cup festivities. I am most looking forward to November 26th which will feature The Belle Game, The Matinée, The Zolas, Hey Ocean! and Said the Whale. All in one night!

And wrapping up the month is an important show, the Movember Mo-Off. Featuring Redbird, Portage & Main and The Matinée (these guys again?) it's the end to the month long raising awareness and money to fight prostate cancer, by sporting 'staches. Which I am partaking in this year, and you can help by donating here.

Whew. All that, and I am positive I am missing some. This is going to be a busy month.

Contest! Win Arkells Michigan Left & limited edition vinyl.

Michigan Left, the much anticipated second album from Hamilton's Arkells dropped last week and, spoiler alert: it's pretty awesome. So in celebration of that, I just so happen to have some Arkells swag to give away!

Two lucky winners will snag themselves a copy of Michigan Left, and one luckier winner will get the grand prize pack consisting of:

• One (1) limited edition double sided vinyl with the two singles "Whistleblower" and "Kiss Cam" signed by the band, and
• One (1) 18 x 24" poster, and
• One (1) copy of Michigan Left.

To make it fun, all you have to do to win is come up with an Arkells Haiku.

For example:
The boss is coming
You had better look busy
No room for error

It's just that easy. You have until November 11th (which is, coincidentally, the day of their show here at the Commodore) to either email me at 3amrevelations at gmail.com with the subject "I Love Arkells" or leave a comment with your haiku (make sure you leave a way to get back to you, otherwise you're out of luck!).
Don't forget your 5-7-5 and GOOD LUCK!

Tokyo Police Club (w/ Arkells & We Are The City) @ Commodore -- 10/02/10

I feel like a broken record saying this, but I have been incredibly lucky with lineups this year. Meaning, I have seen more than a few shows where every single band playing has been stellar. The latest was a little spontaneous, as the original opener, The Meligrove Band, had to drop out of the western tour dates due to vehicular problems. But instead of just leaving it with Tokyo Police Club and Arkells, they had to replace them. With We Are The City. I hate to admit, I was a little on the fence on the show, but as soon as I heard that, I knew I was going.

We Are The City was up first, and you could tell they were thrilled to be there, both at the commodore and part of the bill. They played a short set of their usual prog rock, bursting with energy, as all three of them seemed on top of their game, even though Andy seemed to have a bit of a hoarse voice. At one point they brought out a unique stage prop... the entire front grill of their car, which was in an accident earlier that day (between that & Meligrove Band's troubles, I'm starting to wonder...), and left it in front of Cayne for the rest of the set. I've mentioned before, but it's been really cool to see the band grow over the last year or so, and I will be sad to see David depart the band, but interested to see where they go from here.

Next up was, admittedly, the band I was looking forward to most of the night, Arkells. Besides a short set during the olympics which didn't have the greatest sound, I hadn't seen the Hamilton fivesome in almost a year. The set consisted mostly of songs from their debut, Jackson Square, but they teased a new album with a brand new song that sounded great. Very Arkellsesque, yet not so much like their old stuff as to seem repetitive. They engaged the crowd excellently, especially during "Oh, The Boss Is Coming", which had everyone shout the eponymous line, and then the back and forth "punching in/punching out". A couple times they enlisted the help of TPC member Graham Wright for saxophone, and after giving shout outs to the rest of the bands -- as well as the ones represented in the audience -- they brought Tokyo Police Club up to help out with the final song, John Lennon. Slipping in the now-usual "Eleanor Rigby" lines, they even splitting the stage/crowd between "look at all the lonely people" and "where do they all come from?" They have such raw energy and passion, and the whole band has a confidence to them that makes them one of the best live bands I have had the pleasure of seeing. I can't wait until the new album and/or they come back.

That right there would have been a show worthy of my monies, but there was still Tokyo Police Club to come! They hit the stage with an energy to match, if not surpass, the level set by the other two bands, getting everyone in the crowd into the set. With the infectious levels of enthusiasm, and the incredibly tight sound they've cultivated, I don't think there was a single person there not singing, dancing, or [off-beat] clapping along; they certainly know how to work a crowd. They focused on the new album, but of course played some old favourites, too, before bringing the set to an "end" with a little help from Arkells, then came back out with a cover of Weezer's "My Name is Jonas", and blasting through "Cheer It On", leaving the crowd exhausted.

Olympic Shenanigans: Fit the Third

Even more great shows going on around, including one of the best surprises ever! I'll back track a tiny bit, to before the Hey Rosetta!/Stars show, and I won't try to ramble on too much, but that could be difficult considering last night.

Thursday, Feb 18
Back into Richmond to see Arkells. The park was pretty packed, but sadly that was probably because they were opening for Our Lady Peace. They played a pretty decent set, starting with "The Ballad of Hugo Chavez" and going through a few tracks off of Jackson Square, with at least one new one in there. The whole set seemed a bit... off, though. I don't know if it was bad positioning, where we were standing, or what, but the whole set just didn't sound right. Instruments were murky or too high or barely audible. During "Oh, The Boss Is Coming", for example, the bass seemed overpowering while the guitar nearly indistinguishable. Due to this, it was probably the worst least-good Arkells set I've seen thus far. But even despite that, they still put on a hell of a show to the packed field, and if the response was any indication, they won over their fair share of fans that night. Some other highlights were "Deadlines", which morphed into a brief cover of "My Boyfriend's Back" and the always awesome "John Lennon" to end the set, which again included a few lines from "Eleanor Rigby".
Due to my vast indifference for OLP, we bailed before they actually came on.

Friday, Feb 19
After the spectacular Stars show, we attempted to race over to Robson Square to check out the free show Said The Whale was doing. Unfortunately, it was way too insane, and we didn't really get a decent spot, ending up behind the band. Half the songs were not very audible, and it was getting pretty late, so we took off about half way through the set. I would have felt bad, but I'll be seeing StW soon enough, when they open for Plants & Animals in May.

Saturday, Feb 20
This was quite the tricky day. Right up until the night before, I was still unsure as to what to go to. Sam Roberts, Arkells & Coeur de Pirate at Livecity Yaletown? Or Hey Ocean!, Mother Mother & Said The Whale in Surrey? That was quite the predicament. Fortunately, my decision was made by Ontario House, of all places. The night before, they announced who their surprise guest was going to be, and that made my decision right there. For you see, the surprise guest was...

Broken Social Scene.

Being incredibly paranoid, I ended up heading down far too early, so after soaking in some of the sights around the area, I met up with people and got in line around 6. For the 10:00 show. And they were not admitting people in til 9. Though considering I hadn't seen them live for almost three years (not counting the Kevin Drew show two years ago) and since it was Broken Freaking Social Scene, I was more than willing to wait in line.
After an epic wait, they hit the stage around 10. It's always interesting to see who is going to show up to the shows, and just after they came out, Kevin Drew made the introductions. There was Drew, Canning and Peroff, of course, as well as Jimmy Shaw, Bill Priddle and a few others, some new to the band. (Random aside: Canning was clean shaven, which looked kinda weird and made him look really young!) They kicked off with "Superconnected", before bringing out another BSS veteran, the lovely Lisa Lobsinger for "7/4 Shoreline".
The set consisted mostly of older songs, spanning the BSS library as well as a few from the Drew and Canning solo albums. Half way through the set they brought out a surprise, Julie Doiron! For a cover of Neil Young's "Out On The Weekend"!! They followed that up with one of my favourite songs, "Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl", with Lobsinger fitting in almost perfectly for Haines. As they set came to a close, they brought Doiron back out and rocked through one of her songs, "Consolation Prize" (which was, apparently, unrehearsed!). They finally "ended" the night with another one of my favourites, and a fantastic live song, the ten minute epic "It's All Gonna Break", dedicated to the city of Vancouver. Perhaps a sly way of getting around the contract they signed not to speak ill of the olympics? It was an incredibly sublime sight, especially to see all ten of them out there, absolutely rocking out. The song ended and members slowly filtered off with just Drew left on stage, thanking us profusely and promising to be back soon. He then spontaneously (or "spontaneously") proclaiming he didn't want to leave, and would do one more, but a song made up on the spot (or "made up on the spot"). It started with just Drew and his guitar, but he was joined first by Peroff, then Canning as the night ended with the three core members, proving that Broken Social Scene didn't need a stage full of people to be amazing.
They took their leave at 1130, but the crowd was still fanatical to see more, even though the roadie removing all instruments and equipment seemed like a bad sign. But Drew eventually made his way back on stage and apologized for not being able to play more, due to the curfew... before leading the crowd in an impromptu karaoke of the first verse & chorus of U2's I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.

The setlist was as follows:
Superconnected, 7/4 Shoreline, Backed Out On The..., Churches Under The Stairs, Love Is New, Stars & Sons, Out On The Weekend (Neil Young cover), Anthems for a 17 Year Old Girl, Frightening Lives, Sweetest Kill, Consolation Prize (Julie Doiron "cover"), It's All Gonna Break, "spontaneous" song, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (U2 a cappella sing-along cover)

It's probably a good thing I am taking the next few days off from the free shows -- partially to recharge, partially because there is nothing I need to see -- because there is no way anyone is going to be able to top that.

Arkells @ Venue -- 11/19/09

I am still positive that I will never take Venue's name seriously. But silly, pretentious name aside, they do host some incredible bands. Like Hamilton, Ontario's Arkells who were there last night.

The Novaks opened the night. They were... I don't want to say bad, because they were not. But a little boring... bland and generic. A lot of their songs sounded the same or similar. Even the slower ones just seemed like they changed the tempo. Again, they were by no means horrible; I've seen worse. Much worse. But just not very memorable.

This was the fourth time seeing Arkells, but only second time headlining, and it was probably the best and most intense of all the shows thus far. Holy crap, do these guys have an insane amount of energy. The show started a little iffy, by no fault of Arkells, as the sound was a little... terrible. A lot of it was washed out and distorted. I don't know if it was just where we were sitting or what, but it really took me out of the first few songs. Eventually it was fixed (or I just learned to listen past it) and I got to really enjoy the show. They played just about every song from their debut album, Jackson Square, with a few other surprises. There was a new song which was called Where Are You Going? I think. I could sort of see the setlist from where I was and that's what it looked like it said. It was a pretty good song. Mid way through the set they did one of my favourite things; broke out a cover song. Their choice? Based on a bar near their hometown which plays a lot of old, classic music, they chose Smokey Robinson and The Miracles' The Tears of a Clown. It was a little rock-ier, a little Arkells-ier if you will, than the original, but a pretty damn good interpretation.
The last part of the set was just a string of great songs and performances. When they got to Oh, The Boss is Coming, the crowd went apeshit. Singing along with most of it, Arkells even threw in that call & reply with the breakdown of the song. The band may still be relatively new -- I think they've been together for three years? -- but damn, do they know how to work a crowd. No Champagne Socialist is always an incredible song to hear live. They ended the main set with my favourite song of theirs, John Lennon. Again, everyone was singing along to the chorus, and there was a really cool point where they segued into a little bit of Eleanor Rigby -- just the "Ah, look at all the lonely people" -- which, again, everyone sang along to.
They came out pretty quickly after for the "encore" and kept the sing along theme going, getting everyone to sing the first verse of Amazing Grace with them, which turned into Deadlines. After that they ended the show with yet another cover, this time of Dancing in the Dark. Again, a pretty awesome variation on the song, and there has got to be some pun value in Arkells covering Bruce Springstein. (As my friend put it: "Oh, The Boss is Covered") The only thing the cover lacked was Max pulling a girl out from the front of the crowd to dance with him, Courtney Cox-style.

Random covers, insane energy, great stage show and, above all else, fantastic music. What else could one ask for in a show?

Setlist:
Blueprints, The Ballad of Hugo Chavez, Tragic Flaw, Abigail, Heart of the City, I'm Not The Sun, Where Are You Going? (??), Pulling Punches, The Tears of a Clown (Smokey Robinson and The Miracles cover), Oh The Boss is Coming, No Champagne Socialist, John Lennon.
(encore) Deadlines, Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springstein cover)

Sam Roberts Band @ Deer Lake Park -- 08/03/09

What better way to spend BC day than at the beautiful Deer Lake Park with some terrific music? I certainly can't think of anything better.

This was the third time seeing Hamilton Ontario's Arkells live, and they just keep getting better every time. Starting off with the albums lead track, Deadlines, their all-too-short set consisted mostly of songs from their debut album, Jackson Square. They did, however, throw in one song which I think was new, and probably called something like Strong Country Boy, if the chorus is to be believed. Songs like The Ballad of Hugo Chavez and No Champagne Socialist sounded awesome like, but one of the highlights of the set would have to be John Lennon, which is one of my favourite song of theirs. It was phenomenal, with a fantastic instrumental interlude, of sorts, mid-song, and the band going nuts. They closed the set with their first single, Oh, The Boss Is Coming which would have brought the roof down, had it not been an outdoor venue. Through their whole set they managed to keep up an incredibly high energy, with it only building in enthusiasm until the end.
I managed to keep track of the setlist, which was:
Deadlines, Pullin' Punches, The Ballad of Hugo Chavez, No Champagne Socialist, Strong Country Boy(?), John Lennon, Blueprints, Oh, the Boss is Coming!

Next up was Vancouver's own Mother Mother. I admit, while I like their singles (some more than others), I am don't know if I would consider myself a fan of the band. They're good, for sure, but they seem to be a little, I dunno... over hyped? That being said, I did enjoy their set. With infectious chords and near-perfectly harmonized melodies, a great stage presence and a knack for catchy indie-folk-pop, they put on a damn good show. Singles like Body of Years were pulled off flawlessly, but it was songs like Wrecking Ball and O My Heart, the ones that are a little more... harsh and raw, that I liked better. I don't think the set made me want to run out and get their new album, as it was pretty much what I expected it to be, but I am definitely interested in seeing how the band progresses and wouldn't mind seeing them again.

Then finally, straight out of Montreal, Sam Roberts Band. Compared to the show earlier this year, I think I liked the setlist for that one better, but overall this was a much better show. Possibly due to the setting, as Deer Lake park is a beautiful venue. He kicked off with Detroit '67, which got everyone into it, but it wasn't til a few songs in that everyone really got jumping with Sam leading everyone in a chorus sing-along of Where Have All The Good People Gone?, which had a really awesome extended intro and ending. Most of the set was focused on his more energetic material, with the majority being from the new album (which is to be expected) Though he did break out the odd mellower song, like Lions of the Kalahari & Uprising Down Under (a song that, I still maintain, will never be as good live as the album version, if only for the lack of Matt Mays) and -- aside from the obvious singles -- he did delve as far back as his first EP, The Inhuman Condition, for This is How I Live.
Brother Down was another massive sing-alone which had everyone yelling out the chorus before the set "ended" With A Bullet.
When they came back out, they kept up the same zeal as the rest of the set, playing the last two singles they hadn't played, Them Kids & Don't Walk Away Eileen. Those were followed by the last song of the night, the same one he closed the show earlier this year with. Mind Flood. The song, perhaps my favourite Sam Roberts song, runs about 8 minutes on the album, but was stretched into almost 16 minutes of insanity, swirling, psychedelic sounds, and, well, there is no better way to describe the song as a Mind Flood. It was quite the spectacular display and, again, heightened by the beauty of the venue.
I was also able to keep tabs on their setlist, and so:
Detroit '67, Love at the End of the World, The Resistance, Where Have All the Good People Gone, Lions of the Kalahari, Fixed to Ruin, This is How I Live, Hard Road, Up Sister, Bridge to Nowhere, Uprising Down Under, Brother Down, With a Bullet.
(encore) Them Kids, Don't Walk Away Eileen, Mind Flood.

I kind of wished they had swapped Arkells & Mother Mother, as I like the former better than the latter and would have liked them to have a longer set... but that minor complaint aside, it was a superb night of music. And what is it with Sam Roberts and his knack for choosing awesome tour mates. Of the three times I've seen him (not counting arts crappy fair), he has played with the following bands: Jets Overhead, The Stills and Broken Social Scene; The Stills again; and now Arkells & Mother Mother. I can't wait to see him again, if only to see who else he brings.