41st & Home @ St James Hall -- 03/15/13

It's been about a full year since the last 41st & Home, with their regular five members, but with all the members back in town they were ready to get back into the swing of things. And the first stop? St James Hall. That was where I saw them the very first time, three years ago when they were just "some band playing with We Are The City and Aidan Knight", but they've grown a fair amount in the that time.

Starting off the night was Skye Wallace with an eclectic backing band: bass flute, timpani drum, violin, and even a saw for a couple songs. Her lovely voice drove the folky sound, which filled the church venue beautifully. There was maybe a lack of variety in songs early on in the set, but as she went on the songs gradually picked up the pace, and by the end she had added a couple more members to the band, including 41st & Home's Garth Covernton on drums (who was drumming for every band that night). The last few songs definitely stood out the most, with the set as a whole building wonderfully; I would be interested in catching her live again at some point.

Next up was the spacey synth-pop of Facts. When I saw them last year as part of the Peak Performance Project, their set was plagued with some audio problems, but this time was a better.
With a swirling cacophony of new wave-y synth, the vocals bounced between three members of the band, which lead to an interesting mix of lead vocals, sometimes muddled, sometimes crisp, depending on who sang. Their set included a cover of Sarah McLachlan's "Ice Cream" and their single, the catchy "Retro Ocean". Each member of the band very upbeat with an almost frantic energy and they put on a pretty fun live show, and I'm glad they sounded a lot better than last time.

Not long after, it was time for the main event. And right off the bat, you could tell 41st and Home was glad to be back, the giant grins on all of their faces giving away their joy as they took the stage.
With projections of ambient shapes and patterns behind them (only visible after a couple songs when they got the stage lights turned off) they started off with a new song, playing a set that was about split between old material and brand new. Familiar favourites included "Eva", which build to an grandiose ending -- a trait shared by many of their songs -- and the haunting "Wilderness Eyes".
The new material sounded really good; it was unmistakably "41st & Home", but also showed some growth. Two that caught my ear were "Gold", another song that built up to a huge ending and featured great harmonizing between Thom Kolb and Patrick Fiore. The other was a slow jam that featured a little more of Sejal Narsey on vocals called "Breathe"
They brought the set to an "end" with "Gorbechev" drawing up to a completely chaotic ending, but were back for one more -- after Thom nearly thought he broke his guitar -- "Hummingbird", which wasn't quite as tight as the rest of the night. Perhaps they still had a bit of stage rust, perhaps Garth was reaching his end after being behind the drum kit all night (which would be perfectly understandable). But with that aside, they put on a good show, and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next. 

Peak Performance Project Showcase #5 @ Red Room -- 10/06/11

The Peak Performance Project is a multi-year contest in which The Peak, along with Music BC, picks 20 BC musicians/bands a year and makes them stars. The first year was won by We Are The City, and last year, Kyprios, with a ton of great bands and artists included as well.

Part one of the project was a rock & roll boot camp where they went on a week long retreat where industry pros helped them refine their craft. Phase two is a series of shows at The Red Room, four artists a night for five weeks, each playing a 45 minute set. In the last two years, the bands would all have to learn and play a cover of a classic Canadian song, but this year they will all be playing the songs they wrote about Vancouver for the Vancouver125 celebrations. Honestly, I am a bit disappointed about that, because one of my favourite aspects of the showcase series last year was seeing which song they picked and how they interpreted it. But I am sure their Vancouver songs will be great.

And here we have it. The last showcase. Starting off the night was Lindsay Bryan, whose band included drummer extraordinaire Jason Cook. She is a talented singer/songwriter, and I enjoyed her set at the time -- she had a good energy and some some well written songs, especially her Vancouver song, but there wasn't much that really stuck with me. I think I would be interested in seeing her live again at some point, especially on a night where she wouldn't be overshadowed by the following acts.

Second up was Maurice, who I had actually seen a few years ago (back when Aidan Knight was still playing bass) but completely forgot about until recently, so I was going in more or less fresh. With one of the most finely crafted set of the showcase series, JP Maurice had a great stage presence and energy, with a few tricks up his sleeve, throwing streamers out into the crowd at random times. The set started a little low key, but built up in energy towards the end, with one of the highlights being "Mistake" and a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams", which sounded kind of strange coming from a male singer, but he nailed it regardless.
Throughout the set there was a cavalcade of guest stars of other PPP artists, with members of The Boom Booms, Jasper Sloan Yip, The Belle Game, Redgy Blackout and The Matinee all coming out to help in some form or another, in a nice show of the camaraderie that has formed from the competition.

Up next was another repeat offender, 41st and Home, in their second year taking part in the Project. While I liked them last year, I honestly don't think I would have put them in my top five, but they have really taken off since then. They started with the band members slowly taking the stage and Summoning Thom, as he came from the back of the crowd, through the room with actual flags waving behind him, rallying everyone to start clapping along as they launched in to "Modern Medicine".
I've seen them a few times in the last year, but I can safely say this was the best and most impressive set I've seen from them; with awesome intensity the set was incredibly dynamic, with each member firing on all cylinders; especially Thom, on guitar and vocals, and Sejal, violin and vocals, who were really playing to the crowd. A crowd that was completely eating them up, with possibly the loudest cheering I've heard in the showcase this year after "Eva". Near the end of the set, Thom once again jumped into the crowd to get everyone clapping, and then back up to finish the set off with "Gorbachev" for an explosive climax.
It was pretty amazing to see how far they've come in the last year, and their set was definitely one of my favourites from this year.

And finaly, wrapping up the whole project was Rococode. They were a favourite of mine going in to the project, and aside from a few audio glitches -- a couple instances of feedback -- they put on as great set as you would expect from them. With their tight, insanely catchy pop rock, sounding more polished than ever.
They opened strong with a couple of songs which never fails to get stuck in my head -- "Dreams" and "Empire" -- and seemed a bit more open to the crowd than previous shows, too, with Andrew chatting a bit more and actively getting the crowd to sing along. Part way through the set they brought out some strings as they toned things down for a moment for a haunting song featuring more of Laura on vocals, before they ended with a bang with "Blood", once again getting the crowd to sing along, and bringing the showcase series to a fantastic end.

And with that, the showcase series is over. The next step now is voting for the artists, which has already begun; you can only vote once, though, so choose wisely! The polls are open until 5pm next Friday, October 14th, and a portion of each artist's total mark comes from online voting.
The top five will be revealed at on October 26th on The Peak, with the unranked top three taking part in the grand finale show at the Commodore Ballroom November 17. And that night, someone will walk atay $100,500 richer.

And just in closing, a huge thanks to everyone at The Peak and MusicBC for making this happen.

41st & Home EP Release Party @ Biltmore -- 07/18/11

It's always interesting to watch the progression of a band. The first time I saw 41st & Home was at their CD release a little over a year ago. I honestly didn't even know who they were -- I was just going to see Aidan Knight and We Are The City -- and I thought their set was okay.
Between that show and now, they took place in last year's Peak Performance Project, had some minor lineup shakeups, have been selected again for this year's PPP, recorded a new EP, and just gained a lot more experience in general.

First up was Young Liars, who had all the synth on stage with them. Their set was full of upbeat and poppy synth driven songs-- unsurprisingly -- which were good, but seemed to all kind of blended together, without much variation. Despite that, and a bit of a lack of stage presence, they were still entertaining, and a perfectly good choice to open the show.

Oh No! Yoko was up next, who I have heard a lot about to be the next big "it" band. And when I saw them the first time, I thought they definitely had potential -- and still do -- but while their hype have grown massively since then I don't think their talent has caught up to it just yet.
They were joined by Evan Konrad of Bed of Stars on guitar, and they really do put on an energetic live show with some catchy pop-rock, but, much like Young Liars, they didn't seem to have too much variation or depth. Aside from one slower, quieter song, a lot of them bled together, ending and starting abruptly. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the band, but I sometimes feel like I am one of the few people who haven't bought into the hype, I just don't seem to think they're as utterly amazing as many others seem to.

And finally, it was time for 41st & Home. They took the stage with faces painted, and joined by some friends; Andrew Lee playing trumpet and Christine McAvoy on saxaphone for a few songs. The band has gotten leagues better in the last year -- I'm sure in no small part due to the aforementioned Peak Performance Project -- and it showed right off the bat. Some of their songs still follow the "rise to a grand climax" structure, but their newer stuff especially is a bit more varied. They started off the set with the first couple tracks from their new Raised By Wolves EP, the instrumental "Summons", during which Thom broke a string on his guitar, which led into the handclapping "Modern Medicine". There were some feedback problems during the first few songs, but those were sorted out and not terribly distracting.
Mid way through he set they had even more friends join them when members of The Belle Game and The Ruffled Feathers came out for backup vocals on the intense "Wilderness Eyes" (which was one of the few times Andrew Lee was not on stage, despite the fact that he plays for all three bands sharing the stage) and later for some extra drumming, on the floor in front of the stage, for "Gorbachev". Other highlights were the always grandiose "Eva" and "Hummingbird", which had a very dynamic and intense ending, which was definitely helped out and given depth by the horns and sax backing the band up.
They also brought back the "Tuning Jazz" when Thom needed to tune his guitar, instead of standing around in awkward silence, or try to talk and tune, their keyboard player Patrick played some smooth jazz until Thom was ready to go. They ended the set with the title track, and last song, from the EP, without bothering with the whole faux-encore, which always makes me happy, when bands play straight through through to the end.

They put on a really fun and energetic show, and it's been pretty cool watching them progress as a band. Hopefully they will continue this upward progression to their next full length.
And, hey, they got to play last at their own CD release this time!

setlist
Summons, Modern Medicine, Memory Boy, Great Bear, Wilderness Eyes, Hummingbird, Sleeper, Eva, Gorbachev, Raised by Wolves.

songs of the indeterminate time period.

I have spontaneously decided I am going to post more previews of things I am digging. We'll see it I stick with it, or if the next one comes in another nine months. So here is the... let's call it "long awaited"... next instalment of my songs of the week month "whenever I feel like it" segment

Going to be honest, I hadn't heard much of Sidney York before I stumbled upon "Dick & Jane". The song is insanely catchy -- I bet you'll find yourself whistling along at random points during your day -- and the video, which features cameos by members of Beekeeper and Mother Mother, is really cool and fun (and unless I'm mistaken, all done in one take!). It's off her [awesomely titled] album Apocalyptic Radio Cynic which is due out May 24th.






The first time I saw 41st & Home, I admit, my reaction was a little... "meh". But in the year since then, I've seen them more and more, and they have definitely grown as a band in that time -- I can only assume their inclusion in the Peak Performance Project helped.
Just today they released a video done by the fine folks at Amazing Factory of a new song "Gorbachev" from their upcoming, untitled, un-release-dated EP, which I am definitely looking forward to.






One of my favourite albums of 2009 was from The Ghost Is Dancing, a band and album that I thought was criminally under-looked. Well, they ceased to be, and Jim DeLuca -- one of the singer/songwriters -- has formed The Natural Shocks. The first single off their upcoming album Complete With Comfortable Lighting (available June 9th) is "Heavier Than Heavy", and it is an infectious power-pop song that will be stuck in your head for days.

Beekeeper w/ Sandman Viper Command and 41st & Home @ Railway -- 04/10/11

Seems like it's been a busy few days for shows. After a taping for k-os and Hannah Georgas on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight at the CBC, it was over to the Railway Club.

41st and Home started off the night, somehow cramming five members and gear onto the Railway Club's small stage. Their set consisted of mostly new songs -- I would assume from the EP they just finished recording -- which sounded pretty good. They had the same chamber-pop-ish feel as you would expect from the band, but definitely also shows how much they've expanded that sound in the last year. Among the new ones there were a few older; "Sleeper" had part of the crowd singing along, and "Eva", a perfect song to end the set; even though it seemed Thom's guitar was a bit too low during the song.
There was also a nice moment during the set where Thom needed to tune, so instead of standing there in awkward silence, Patrick played some smooth jazz on the keyboard. It was a neat way to break that potentially momentum killing pause.

Next up was the awesomely named Sandman Viper Command. They had an odd stage setup as two of them were on stage, and two of them on the floor right in front. The band a bit more of a straightforward rock sound to them, which they pulled off quite well, and well as a good stage presence, and some funny banter/chatter. But while there was nothing bad about them, there wasn't really anything all that great either. They played a Perfectly Acceptable Set, but nothing that made me need to run out and listen to more.

And wrapping up the night was Beekeeper. They won me over from the start, with a swarm of puns before launching into an incredibly energetic set, sharing the same layout, with bass and violin on the floor, but the other two on stage. Musically they were good, with some catchy pop-rock songs that were a little all over the place, at times. But what elevated the set was the energy, and especially the charisma from the band. Lead singer/guitarist Devon Lougheed had a great presence, and sense of humour, joking and telling stories between songs. And to say nothing of drummer Luke Cyca and his inexplicable puffy shirt (didn't realise he made a deal with a low talker, perhaps?). The set of fun songs included "Sudden Cuckoo", which has been getting some air on CBCR3, one that was introduced as a 40 second song (and ended up being just that) as well as some new stuff, teasing a split 7" with Sandman Viper Command later this year. As they brought the set to an end, they brought up everyone from the dance floor onto the stage to finish off with a stage full of fans.

A pretty fun show, in all, and a good way to spend a Sunday night.

Get Your Heart On @ Sitka -- 02/14/11

To be honest, usually I just let Valentine's Day slip by unnoticed. But thanks to David Vertesi and Vancouver Is Awesome, I had a destination for the night: Sitka Surf and Skate Shop (of all places). Vertesi had organized a free Valentine's Day show -- what with his album being titled Cardiography and all -- that was a who's who of Vancouver talent. With ten acts on the poster, and a couple surprises, it was a packed night. Each played a few acoustic songs, mostly love songs, with a few covers thrown in for good measure.
(And since there were so many, with short sets, I'll [try to] do short blurbs for each)

Starting off the night was Katie Schaan, out with her ukulele. Her strong voice (more or less) silenced the crowd right off the bat, as she played a song written specifically for VDay. She also called up Thom Kolb for a cover of "In Your Eyes", which they had not only done live before, and was one of the special duet videos for VIA (see them all here).

This led straight into 41st & Home, as Thom stayed on stage, with Katie, and recruited David Vertesi and Adaline to help on backup vocals on his song about Steveston. Adaline, who was not on the bill but pulled out of the crowd, was convinced to play a song, one that had an interesting crowd participation aspect. Instead of just clapping along, she had everyone jingle their keys. Then Thom popped back with his banjo for one more song.

Next up was Steph Macpherson. She opened with a cover of The Magnetic Fields' "Book of Love", before snagging Katie and third great voice, Redbird's Savannah Leigh out to help with vocals on "Best Of You". Katie stayed on stage for Steph's last song, "Summer Salute".

Following the trend of lovely ladies with great voices was Ali Milner. She took the keys for a set consisting of a duet with Vertesi (already the heardest working guy that night) and a cover of "Heard It Through The Grapevine" that had many people singing along.

Treelines, represented by Matt Lockhart, was next. He started off with a "cover" of their song "Calendar" before a proper cover, introduced as "Neil Fucking Diamond!", getting everyone to sing along to "Sweet Caroline", flubbed lyrics and all. He ended with the new VDay song "When I Get Grown", which you can download for free from their website.

Laura Smith and Andrew Braun of Rococode followed and they seemed to play the shortest set. I had only seen them once before, so an acoustic set was interesting, and pretty cool. The songs were no less catchy than with the full band, and I am still eagerly anticipating recorded material from them.

David Vertesi needed no introduction, as he had already been on stage several times throughout the night. Dan Klenner helped out on keytar for "Gentlemen Say". At the show Friday, I mentioned I was vaguely disappointed a certain someone wasn't out to help with backup vocals... so I was thrilled when he pulled surprise guest on stage for "Mountainside". David (and the loud cheers) then convinced Hannah Georgas to play a song of her own, and she complied, singing "The Deep End"

Up next was Shad, laying down rhymes over some back tracks. Ashleigh Ball and Hannah Georgas were out to help out for "Rose Garden", and he ended with some a capella rapping. To be honest, I hadn't heard too much of him outside the singles on the radio, but he was quite impressive live.

Follow that was one of the best band names ever, Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party. Their first song had Ali Milner on organ and some strings, which the most "elaborate" setup of the night. The next couple songs were more stripped down, though, with guitar and keytar. Oh, and there were sparkles eveywhere.

And the night drew to an end with Hey Ocean!, Vertesi back on stage with Ashleigh Ball. "Beatboxer (Who Broke My Heart)" segued into Beck's "Where It's At" and the whole night was brought to an end with another cover, The Ronettes' "Be My Baby". By the end of it, the stage was full of some of the nights performers and the whole crowd was singing along.

By the end of the night, the store was absolutely packed to the door with people, and the atmosphere was more like a group of friends getting together to have some fun -- which is pretty much what it was. I don't how feasible it would be to plan this type of thing every Valentine's Day... but a great night full of awesome talent and covers and collaborations would certainly be a great way to celebrate again next year.

41st & Home @ Biltmore -- 01/07/11

After releasing a split magazine last month, Vancouver is Awesome and Discorder teamed up for a show at the Biltmore with some local talent.

The first band up was Facts (formerly knows as Armadillatantes) which is kind of a great name, just for the pun potential alone. They had a very electro-dance-punk sound to them that, on a couple occasions, reminded me of LCD Soundsystem-lite. Especially when one of singers attempted the James Murphy Yell, with middling success. They put on a fun dance party, but a few of their songs were a bit repetitive and their set went on for a shade too long.

Second was The Oh Wells, with dual female vocals providing a more folk sound. They weren't bad by any means, but maybe a touch bland with not much variation between the songs. Even their cover of Coldplay's "Yellow" was in the same vein as the rest of their own material. Completely inoffensive and Perfectly Acceptable Music.

Oh No! Yoko was third up -- another great band name. I had heard lots of hype around them leading up, and while I don't know if they are going to be the next big thing right now, as a few have suggested, they were damn enjoyable to watch. Very catchy tunes and a great energy on stage made for a really fun set, and especially considering all the members of the band are under 19. They, too, had a cover song thrown in, with "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", originally by Tears For Fears.
They also had a projection screen in the back, which was playing Fantasia for the whole set -- which made for a slightly awkward moment when their [underage] drummer took off his shirt and had Mickey Mouse projected on his chest. I am definitely interested in seeing them again, and seeing how they progress, because even if they don't break through now, they will soon enough.

Closing out the night was 41st & Home. They started out with just Garth on stage drumming, then one by one came out for the incredibly energetic opening song. They kept up the energy through the set, despite some technical difficulties early on. After first song, Thom's power bar went dead; after the second song, he had a broken string. But both times they were saved by some smooth jazz, so as not to have an awkward lull between songs while things were getting fixed. They played a mix of their album, Left In Places, and some new stuff, with the new material being quite compelling.
There wasn't much in the way of banter, but still a few times they joked around, like with George playing the "Floor Thom" (complete with Thom's grinning face taped on). The set came to a climax, sans encore, with their grandiose song "Eva", a great ending song.
It's always interesting seeing a band evolve, and 41st & Home has definitely grown and matured, as a band, since the first time I saw them last year.

This was a great week in music, as I was fortunate enough to see, over the course of the last three nights, nine pretty damn good local(ish) bands.

The Ruffled Feathers w/ Julia and Her Piano, Katie Schaan & Thomas Kolb @ Media Club -- 01/06/11

One good way to kick off the year, music-wise, is three nights of great local(ish) talent in a row. Night two had some acts who were all friends with each other, which always adds a nice touch to shows.

First up was Thom Kolb of 41st & Home playing a solo set. He mentioned it was his first time doing so, and only seemed a little nervous at first, getting more relaxed as he went. Playing all original material, except for one 41st & Home song, he had a bit more of a country twang to them, even breaking out the banjo for a song. I was somewhat surprised by the tone of the songs, but they ended up being quite good. The other difference between 41stThom and soloThom was he was quite a bit more chatty, telling stories behind the songs, or sometimes just completely random, but usually amusing.
The set also included his first time use of a looping pedal, which he successfully pulled off, and ended by getting a good number of the musicians playing later to come on stage with him to help on backing vocals for a song about Steveston*
*fun (and absolutely true) fact: Steveston was once known as Salmonopolis. Why they changed it, I can't say.

Katie Schaan was up next, starting with a really cool song that consisted solely of her singing over looped clapping and "ooh"s, no instruments. It definitely highlighted her incredible voice, that just seemed to effortlessly flow out of her.
Starting on keys, she gradually moved to guitar and ukulele, her set included a cover of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes", with Thom backing her up, a version of her "Last Night" song from the Peak Performance Project bootcamp (she was there as part of Steph Macpherson's band), and then ended when she called all of her friends in the crowd to come right to the front so she could serenade them with her final song.
There was also one point where she called out a certain blog for writing that all her songs were written about boys & crushes -- which, to be fair, she pretty much admitted at the time -- and went on to play a song that was decidedly NOT about any of that. (I think I got, as they say, "served")
Perhaps it was due to a bit better of a venue, but I enjoyed her set even more than the last time I saw her, so here's hoping she is back from the island soon enough.

Much like Schaan, last time I saw Julia & Her Piano it was at a chatty café (in fact, the same café, just different times), and I mentioned wanting to see her in a better setting, so her being third up was nice. It was just, as the name implies, Julia McDougall on stage behind a piano, with her smooth voice and catchy folk-pop songs grabbing the attention of the [strangely] seated crowd. She was also incredibly vivacious, with a kind of dorky charm (which I say in an absolutely positive way), joking around between songs and being just generally full of energy. Even when she messed up a song a little, she rolled with it, joked about it, instead of letting it get to her.
The set ended with a song that usually included a trumpet solo from Ruffled Feather's Andrew Lee, but he was not on stage, so she improvised something... which mostly consisted of mocking and embarrassing Lee, who was sitting right by the stage.

Finally, closing out the night was Ruffled Feathers, which included the aforementioned Andrew Lee, formerly of the aforementioned 41st & Home. They had a very upbeat and poppy sound, incorporating instruments like the trumpet and mandolin (how can you not love a mandolin?). The set was also pretty fun to watch, with members using a megaphone, a couple coming through the crowd, and a few small bubble wands being handed out to people in the front. Aside from a couple giveaways -- a draw for t-shirts and throwing paper airplanes with a download code for their EP -- there wasn't too much banter/talking between songs, but they had enthusiasm to spare while playing.
Most of the set consisted of the more high energy songs, but there were a few slower, more relaxed ones as well, as well as the requisite dance-with-that-special-someone song (introduced as such, even). They seemed to imply that were written by various members, and while there wasn't a vast difference between songs, there were definitely a few that stood out more than others, and that could be the reason.

In all, it was another fun night in local(ish) music, and while all four acts of the night put on good sets, I think ultimately, Julia and Her Piano kind of stole the show.

Nadia Von Hahn CD Release w/ 41st & Home @ Media Club -- 10/26/10

Fittingly enough, when 41st & Home didn't play last for their own CD release party earlier this year, I wondered why an act would not be headlining their own shindig. Looks like there would be some sort of strange karma to go around for the Nadia Von Hahn CD release. Admittedly, I wasn't that familiar with Von Hahn, but was there more to see a couple of the other acts that night. (There were also five sets, so I'll try to keep things brief.)

First up was Chantel Upshaw, whose three piece consisted of drums, keys and a laptop. With the occasional triangle or wood-sticks claves. It's been a while since I had seen a triangle at a show... The as-yet-unnamed band played a short set of her light but soulful sound. She had a good presence, but okay banter. Sometimes engaging -- like when introducing "Hypnotized", about numerology -- but other time letting the silence fill the room before the next song. A good set, and perfectly acceptable opener for the night.

Next was one of the acts I was there to see, Christopher Arruda. At his Peak Performance Showcase, I kind of liked his solo tunes a bit better than the ones with his full band, so I was intrigued to see him take the stage alone, with just his keyboard. I've always been a sucker for piano-driven rock. While the sound was less "chaotic and apocalyptic" -- as I described his full band sound -- and more subdued, he managed to keep up a level of intensity and passion to his songs. I've seen full bands that were not able to get that kind of power behind them. I look forward to seeing him again, full band or not, and only realised too late that I forgot to pick up his album, or new EP.

City of Glass was after him, and while they were good, there was something about them that nagged at me through their entire set. They sounded very familiar, and I couldn't place if it was like a certain band, or if they just had that familiar sound about them. It was a good, if a little generic, indie-pop-rock sound that never really stood out. I wouldn't mind seeing them again, to give them another shot... but I won't go out of my way to.

Taking the stage next was Nadia Von Hahn. She came out with a full band, in a 20s Flapper dress, with a sound that very much fit her attire. In fact, she did a cover of  "Why Don't You Do Right?" near the end of her set which was very fitting. She had a really captivating stage presence, and some good banter, especially with (and by) her guitarist. Her sound was very interesting, and I look forward to listening to the album -- which was given out to everyone with the purchase of a ticket, in a gift bag that also included candy. Best CD release ever.

Finally, 41st & Home wrapped up the night. And I will try not to rant, but because of the terrible schedule of the public transit system, it was either leave early... or be stranded in downtown until 3:30 in the morning. I chose the former, so had to bail after only two songs, which I felt terrible about (and mad, since they were the act I was there to see most). I will say, the song they opened with -- which I think is a new one -- was probably the best single song I have seen them play live; a cool intro and great energy behind it. Second up was "Great Bear" which, as many of their songs do, starts slow and builds to a grand climax. Hopefully they'll play again soon enough, and I'll be able to catch the whole thing.

Oh, and through much of the last half of the show, the balloons were flying, bouncing off everyones heads-- accidentally or less so. No one can resist a good game smack-the-balloon! (Not a euphemism.) Aside from the Terrible Translink Tragedy, it was a pretty darn good night in music.
And I can't help but wonder if I'll see Von Hahn headline someone else's CD release party in a few months.

The Peak Performance Project Showcase #3 @ The Red Room -- 09/23/10

The Peak Performance Project is a multi-year contest in which The Peak, along with Music BC, picks 20 BC musicians/bands a year and makes them stars.
Last year it was won by We Are The City, and they have barely slowed down since winning. This year it seems like the competition is a lot tougher; at least half the bands I have either liked before the contest, or have grown to like because of it. I definitely do not envy the judges on who should take it come November.
Part one of the project was a rock & roll boot camp where they went on a week long retreat where industry pros helped them refine their craft. Phase two is a series of shows at The Red Room, four artists a night for five weeks, each playing a 45 minute set, which includes a cover of a classic Canadian song. I always love it when bands play covers live, so that is one aspect I am definitely looking forward to. That, and seeing who everyone picks (I am going to keep a running tally on how many Neil Young and Leonard Cohen songs we get -- so far, one Young, no Cohen).

This week was unique, in that each of the artists I had heard before this years project, and each one I was looking forward to seeing, in varying degrees. First up was Christina Maria, who I was quite interested in seeing live. She hit the stage in a sequin dress and launched into her single "Carolina", immediately wowing the crowd. A couple songs in, there was some technical difficulties, causing the mics to turn off, but she finished the song like a pro. Then after waiting for a minute or two, she decided to just keep on going, shushing the crowd (which in itself was no small feat) and starting the next song just at the front of the stage, unamplified. It was a really cool moment, and she gets points for rolling with the problems. Midway through the song, the problem was fixed and they just kept going. She looked completely natural on stage, and had great charisma & presence, not to mention a really good energy, eliciting a sing-a-long from the crowd. There was also an overhead projector with images throughout the set, but I'm not sure how many people were paying attention, as it was off to the side. And a mbira made a brief appearance for a song. As for her cover, she broke out the Bruce Cockburn (not Barenaked Ladies) classic, "Lovers in a Dangerous Time". It was a pretty good version of it, which she made her own, but not really straying too far from the original (or BNL version, for that matter).
She was definitely impressive live, and based on the sets I've seen so far, I wouldn't hesitate to put her in the top five.

Second up was 41st & Home, who I saw at their CD release party (that they didn't even play last at, for some reason). They had a really rich sound, with good energy and intensity, but a few songs may have been a bit.. similar-y. Good, absolutely, but maybe just a little lacking. Their cover was Tom Cochrane's "Life Is a Highway", which was a bit more of a mellow and slowed down version. It was definitely an interesting interpretation of it. From then, they played a couple songs that were a bit slower paced, before closing the set with "Sleeper", which had the members came up to the front, one by one, for a sing-a-long to the ending. They, too, all seemed pretty comfortable on stage, and seemed to even relax more as the night went on; there wasn't much banter, especially at the beginning, but by the end they were joking around a bit more. And visibly enthused at being there. Though the set was quite good, there were still times you could tell they were a relatively new band, and I have no doubt given time, and a larger catalogue of songs, they'll be great. 

Next up was a veteran of the Project, Ben Sigston. He was in last years and reapplied for this years, making it in by a hair, after two of the initial twenty dropped out. He had members of Familia as his backing band, and the first song almost had a bit of a bluesy-roots feel to it, but over the set he kind of went in a variety of directions with his sound. While nothing ever seemed out of place, I think I liked his more rootsy stuff better than the rest. He did seem pretty charismatic, too, even if he didn't talk all that much (and sharply dressed, as seemed to be a theme for the night). His cover was "Still Believe in Love" by Jacksoul, which was good, but I am not overly familiar with the original, so I can't speak to how different it sounded. Like 41st & Home, I think he's got a great potential, and maybe just needs a little more work. Hopefully this Project will be a great help to them.

And closing up the night, Adaline. She was another repeat entrant, but she was automatically entered by making the top 5 last year (though not the top three). Despite liking her music since then, I had somehow never seen her live, so I was glad to remedy that. As the stage was set with smoke and lasers (and mannequins) she came out while her backing band (which included Laura Smith and Robbie Driscoll) and proceeded to blow the crowd away. Her strong voice seemed like it should have clashed with her electronic-infused rock, but it really worked. After a few songs, she pulled out the into-the-crowd trick, deciding to do a whole song with her keyboard in the middle of the dance floor. Though there was a bit of a miscommunication, so the set came to a halt as they had to move the keyboard between songs. She played it off a bit, but it definitely hurt the momentum of the show (especially since, as she was last, it was past midnight) and the song was a bit of a slower one. But the transition back on stage was a lot more smooth, and they brought back the energy to end off the set. Which included her cover of "Sunglasses At Night" by Corey Hart, definitely the best cover of the night.
(So while the Leonard Cohen count is zero, and the Neil Young count is one... the Corey Hart count is two?)
Adaline also major points for being in a car accident earlier that day, and not letting her affect the show in the least. Had I not known about it, I never would have guessed by her performance. She is definitely another strong contender for

This may have been the best overall week of sets, and while it was a tough call, I think Christina Maria won the night, even with great performances all around. Next week should be another good night, with Steph Macpherson, Christopher Arruda, Behind Sapphire and Said the Whale playing!

41st & Home CD Release Party w/ Aidan Knight, We Are The City & In Medias Res @ St James Hall -- 05/21/10

I have complained enough before about the heat and stuffiness that can arise at St James Hall, so I will dispense with that and just get onto the show itself.

Due to a myriad of reasons, partially my own failing, partially the universe conspiring against me, I got there a little late. I thought I had missed half of Aidan Knight's set, since there was supposed to be a 730 sharp start time, but I later found out I came in part way through the first song, so that was a relief! For his set there were nine people on stage; a couple of The O'Darlings, who are on his album Versicolour, as well as We Are The City. I was wondering how he would sound live, since his album can be pretty lush, and I was not disappointed. The last half of The Sun was fantastic, and the set just got better from there. Knitting Something Nice was another highlight, with the intensity building throughout the song, and Jasper was a great way to end the set. He had a pretty good stage presence as well, and even through his somewhat nervous banter, you could tell he was incredibly comfortable on stage. I can't wait until I have the chance to see him live again.
setlist:
The Sun, [new song], North East South West, Altar Boys, Knitting Something Nice, Jasper.

Next up was We Are The City, and their set was way too short. It seemed just as they were getting started, they were done. Despite playing only a handful of songs, they were as energetic as ever. Even though this is the fifth time I've seen them in the last few months, they never fail to entertain and amaze. They played a few off of In A Quiet World, and the songs seem to be evolving slightly when played live. Nothing too drastic, just a few additions, which give the songs that much more of a kick. They also threw in a new one (which I am going to guess is called Morning Song) before ending, as they usually do, with Astronomers.
I'm glad they'll be playing the Biltmore in a few weeks, where hopefully they'll play a lot longer.
setlist:
There Are Very Tiny Beasts In The Ground, There Are Very Very Big Lights in the Sky, April, Morning Song[?], Astronomers.

After them was 41st & Home, whose CD release party it was. They, too, packed the stage with members, and their rich sound interested me at first, though some of their songs seemed... not generic, but just lacked a kick. They were good, but nothing really caught my attention. Until their last two songs, which really grabbed me. Most of their songs seemed to start off slow or quiet, and build to a horn-filled ending, but those seemed had a grandiosity to them that I was was present in the rest of their set. If I wasn't incredibly broke, I would have no doubt picked up their CD, but I will be sure to keep an eye out for the next time they are playing.

Unfortunately, I had to bail at 11; I figured a show at St James would be done by then, due to the curfew, but In Medias Res was only just going on. I'm not really sure why they were going on last, since it was 41st & Home's CD release party, but oh well. From what I caught, they were not too bad, and while I may not go to a show with them headlining in the future, I wouldn't be adverse to seeing them live again.