Bahamas @ Vogue -- 10/17/14

Somehow it has been two years since I last saw Bahamas play live. The last time, it was at the Biltmore Cabaret, so to take a jump from there to a sold out Vogue Theatre was pretty indicative of how big he's become, and how well his latest album, Bahamas is Afie is doing.


Opening the night was Toronto's The Weather Station, and much like Bahamas is Afie, The Weather Station is Tamara Lindeman. She took the stage alone armed only with her guitar and breathy but powerful vocals as she wooed the packed theatre with her folky, alt-country sound.
She had a good stage presence -- not shy, but hushed, as if to urge you closer -- and she joking with the crowd, even a few times even answering single questions yelled in the direction of the stage, and was pretty captivating while playing.
Near the end of her set, she invited Afie -- who produced her upcoming album -- on stage to play the drums for the last couple songs, switching to an electric guitar.
I enjoyed her set, but I get the feeling that her live shows are the kind that are exponentially better when you know the music, and so I'll definitely have to check out her new album before she's back.


Soon after that, Bahamas himself, Afie Jurvanen, came out joined by Felicity Williams, Christine Bougie, and Jason Tait as his backing band. As they kicked off with "Never Again", Afie looked visibly glad to be there, to be playing for a packed house. He played and strut around the stage with an effortless cool and charisma, even bantering with the crowd, with his dry sense of humour.
The set began with some older songs, including the ridiculously catchy "Caught Me Thinking" before he delved into his new album. Highlights from included the gorgeous and heartbreaking "Can't Take You With Me", and the pairing of "I Had It All" and "Nothing To Me" as Afie pointed out the juxtaposition of the two song titles.

Part way through the set the band took a break as Bahamas pulled out the guitar his first album was named after, his pink strat, for "Lonely Loves" off that album, as Afie showed off his considerable talent on guitar. The band came back to end off the main set, as they were joined by Tamara Lindeman to help out on vocals for the beautiful "Lost In The Light" before leaving.
But of course, they would be back, with Jason Tait utilizing the vibraphone for the first and only time throughout the set on "Montreal" and Lindeman returning to help out with vocals. After a cover of a Bobby Womack song and newly fan-favourite "All The Time" off the new album, the crowd took to their feet for the third standing ovation of the night, and Bahamas ended things off with another beautiful song,"Snow Plow", and Afie one more time showing how grateful he was to be there.


From even the very first time seeing Bahamas, as an opening act at the Biltmore (five years ago this month, actually), I could tell he had ridiculous amounts of charisma and charm. Even in a sold out theatre venue, he still managed to make it seem small and intimate, and is such a good performer. It's no wonder, after many years of backing up bands like Feist, Jason Collet, Zeus, and more, that he went out on his own, and no wonder that he can sell out venues like the Vogue.


setlist
Never Again, I Got You Babe, Caught Me Thinking, Already Yours, Like A Wind, Can't Take You With Me, Waves, I Had It All, Nothing To Me Now, Lonely Loves, Sobering Love, Overjoyed, Okay Alright I'm Alive, Your Sweet Touch, Lost In The Light.
(encore) Montreal, Bitter Memories, Please Forgive My Heart (Bobby Womack cover), All The Time, Snow Plow.

3am Mixtapes: Episode Twenty Four: Makeotus

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 breakup songs. Or some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs With Opposite Titles.

This week, what with the proximity of that one day in February, I am stealing borrowing from Grant Lawrence and the CBC Radio 3 podcast with the Top Six Makeout Songs! It's cool, he said it was okay.

Let's get busy with:

"Keep Me High" by Adaline
"Good Sex" by Kevin Drew
"I Got You Babe" by Bahamas
"Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It" by Stars
"Getcha Good" by Jenn Grant
"Lover's Day" by TV On The Radio

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

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Shows of October

As the fall rolls along, the shows just keep coming. October looks to be another packed month, and here are the five(ish) shows I'm looking forward to most.
And I'm posting this a few days early to make sure enough people know about....



October 1st: Dirty Three at the Biltmore
You may know them from their work with Nick Cave, but Australian trio are back for their first album in seven years. The instrumental Towards The Low Sun is dense and chaotic and brilliant, and I can't wait to see how it translates live. 

October 19th: Big Sugar w/ Wide Mouth Mason at the Commodore
Reprising their Big & Wide tour from last year, the two iconic Canadian blues rock bands team up once again to storm the Commodore. They've also got Ontario's The Balconies in tow, who I've heard about for a while now and am looking forward to checking out.
It's their first of two shows, which is good because the second night conflicts with...

October 20th: Royal Wood at the Rio Theatre
I haven't had the chance too see Royal Wood live before, always missing the shows, and I can't think of a better venue for him than the Rio Theatre. 

October 24th: Matt Mays at the Commodore
It's been a few years since Mays has been through Vancouver, but I was lucky enough to catch him during NXNE in June, and he was better than ever. Now that his new album, Coyote, is out 
Of course, it's a tough call when on the same night is...

October 24th: Bahamas & Jason Collett at the Rio Theatre
This one is going to be hard to miss. Last time I saw the two together was during the Bonfire Ball with Zeus, which is still one of my favourite shows. I may yet try and figure out a way to at least see Jason, then run over and see Mays at the Commodore...

October 27th: Aidan Knight at the Rio Theatre

Much like Royal Wood, the Rio just seems like it will be the perfect venue for Mr. Knight. The show is just in time for his new album, Small Reveal, which is one of my most anticipated albums of the rest of the year. 

And of course, the Peak Performance Project is still running at the Red Room through the month. With three showcases left, we'll still hear from Maurice, Dominique Fricot, Portage & Main and many more. The first two showcases have been pretty swell, so don't miss them. 

Bahamas @ Biltmore -- 03/27/12

Afie Jurvanen has been around the Canadian music scene for a while, playing with the likes of Feist, Jason Collett, and Zeus, but he's also got his own project, Bahamas. From the first time I saw him on stage I was won over, and since I missed him the last time he was through town, there was no way I wasn't going to be at a sold out Biltmore to catch his this time around.

Opening the night was Vancouver's own Wake Owl, who I had heard good things about, and was intrigued to see. The trio -- as opposed to a five piece they said to have been playing as recently -- took the stage armed with guitars, keys, ukulele and violin for a stripped down, yet still lush folk sound. With nice harmonies and well written songs, they drew the attention of the growing crowd, and definitely seemed to make some new fans. The soaring "Seaside" and driving, set-ending "Gold" that got people clapping along by the end were the two songs that caught my attention most, and I will definitely be on the lookout for the next time they play.

Not long after it was time for Bahamas, Afie was joined by Jason Tait on drums and backed by the immaculate voices of Carleigh Aikins & Felicity Williams. They kicked off the set with the first couple tracks from the new album Barchords, "Lost in the Light" which had all the ladies (and even a few guys) swooning over him right off the bat, and then the incendiary "Caught Me Thinkin'". The set contained a good range of songs, off both the new album and the previous Pink Strat, that were beautiful and tragic and heartbreaking -- sometimes all at once -- and perfectly performed; among the highlights were the upbeat, break-up song "Okay Alright I'm Alive" the strangely romantic "Hockey Teeth". And aside from the excellent musicianship, Afie has an amazing stage presence, so incredibly smooth and an effortless confidence, as well as funny and engaging in his banter between songs.
After they finished off the set with "Never Again", they were out for the encore, an amazing cover of Tom Petty's "You Don't Know How It Feels", getting the sold out crowd involved in a giant sing along, before capping off the night with the soft and beautiful "Snow Plow"

The only thing to mar the otherwise great night had nothing to do with what was happening on stage, but rather the crowd. I am not sure if it was because both bands were more on the quiet side, but there was a conversational din throughout the entire night that was frustrating and maddening. I do not now and will never understand people that pay money to get in a venue, only to talk through, and over, an entire set; especially the headliner. If you're raising your voice over the band to be heard, you're doing something wrong.

But I digress. Bahamas always delivers live, and Wake Owl was a nice treat that I am intrigued to check out again. All in all, a pretty fantastic show.

setlist
Lost In The Light, Caught Me Thinkin', Already Yours, For Good Reason, I Got You Babe, Hockey Teeth, Lonely Loves, Southern Drawl, Sunshine Blues, Overjoyed, Okay Alright I'm Alive, Be My Witness, Your Sweet Touch, Never Again.
(encore) You Don't Know How It Feels [Tom Petty cover], Snow Plow.

The Bonfire Ball w/ Jason Collett, Zeus & Bahamas @ Biltmore Cabaret -- 03/26/10

I don't even know where to begin.

For a while now, I've been yearning for a show where a few artists just took the stage together to play each others songs, especially after Monsters of Folk did the format so masterfully last year. Well, the Bonfire Ball was exactly what I was looking for. Jason Collett, Zeus & Bahamas, together in one show, not just with three different sets, but all taking the stage together, weaving together a three hour set comprised of all their songs (and more). With Zeus both touring with and backing Jason Collet on his last tour, and Bahamas (aka Afie Jurvanen) playing on both their albums, the format only seemed natural. I've seen each of these bands live before and each one I would gladly pay to see on their own, so a show like this? Awesome.

The night started off with Jason Collett hitting the stage alone for "My Daddy Was a Rock n’ Roller" before Zeus and Bahamas came out to join him for "Fire" and "Hangover Days". Bahamas took front and centre next for three songs, and then three from Zeus, with their first being the awesome "Kindergarten". The rest of the first half traded off Zeus and Collett every few songs, with "Bitch City", off Collett's new album Rat A Tat Tat, being great live, and "High Summer" having a pretty funny intro. Collett talked a bit about the differences between Canadian & American cultures (they just came back from a week touring in the States) and pointing out what the sign of a true Canadian is (the ability to make love in a canoe), a fact that tied into the song. That was pretty much the most banter for the whole show, which was a little sad; I especially missed Afie's stage banter, which is part of what won me over when I first saw Bahamas. He just oozes charisma, and was hilarious with his faux arrogance and attitude that almost reminded me of Dave Grohl. While he still still insanely charismatic, there was only a little banter.
Back to the set, though: while this wasn't the first time I've seen the new Zeus songs live, it is the first time since the album came out, so it was great to be familiar with them. "River by the Garden" and "Marching Through Your Head" were both superb live. The first half of the show ended with "Cornerstones", off the Sounds Like Zeus EP, which just tore the place down. Every time I've seen them (this will be the fourth) they just get better and better. And it's really cool to see them switching things up, as just about every song had a different configuration, with three of the four members switching off between the guitars, bass and keys, and all of them providing vocals. Very Sloan-esque of them.

I think I honestly could have left right then and been satisfied, but we still had a lot more show to go!

The second half began after a quick break with Zeus back out, with their insanely catchy "How Does It Feel?" (a slogan we decided was probably not a good idea to have on a t-shirt). They traded off for a few, with Collett's "Rave On Sad Song" being another highlight. Then there was a little of Bahamas' banter; before "What's Worse" he called out a guy who was being a little rowdy, then proceeded to sing the song to the girl he was with. There was also a great moment in the song where Afie and one of the members of Zeus had a nice guitar duel going. I can not wait until Bahamas is back for a headlining show of his own.
Collett had a bit of a love double shot with two newer ones, "Love is a Dirty Word" and "Love is a Chain", before one of my favourite Collett songs, "Charlyn, Angel of Kensington". Jason was, of course, insanely good live. This was my fourth time seeing him live (the other three times, interestingly enough, were all in '08) and I've never been disappointed.
Rounding out the second portion, Bahamas dedicated "Hockey Teeth" to a random couple who may or may not have been on their first date, and Zeus nearly blew the roof off with "You Gotta' Teller", before "ending", all together, with another of my favourite Collett songs, one which is always incredible live, "I'll Bring The Sun". The way the song builds to the conclusion, seeing everyone just go crazy on stage, it was just... wow. It blew the roof all the way off.

Then there was the obligatory encore, which was an all-cover-song set, and if you know me, you know I love hearing bands do covers live. First saw just Bahamas on the drums and Neil Quin of Zeus on the guitar for what may have been the best cover, R. Kelly's "Ignition". Done completely straight. Yeah, it was glorious. The rest of Zeus came out for their cover of Genesis' "That's All", then for his cover, Bahamas absolutely owned the room with "I've Never Found A Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do)" by Al Green. I wouldn't be surprised if half the girls in the room fell in love with him that night, and the other half after that song. Collett pulled out some Rolling Stones for "She's So Cold", and the night ended, after more than three hours, with everyone rocking out to The Beatles' "Slow Down".

And to put the proverbial icing on the cake? Grant Lawrence and CBC Radio 3 were urging people to fancy themselves up, as if going to a real ball. So, of course, never one to pass up the opportunity to suit up, I went for it. And the cool thing is, so did a fair amount of others! Most of the Biltmore was still in the usual hipster-wear, but there was a group of us all gussied up. You could definitely tell who in the room was an R3 listener.

Three fantastic bands. A dream format. Cover songs. Suiting up. This was quite possibly a perfect show for me; it was one of, if not the, best of the year so far and will certainly be hard to top.


I managed to (mostly) keep track of the setlist. It's a bit of a doozy, so prepare for some scrolling. I also missed the titles of a few songs... they may be new, since I tried to match them with songs I know/have, but I also might just fail. If you know them, feel free to let me know so I can fill 'em in.

My Daddy Was a Rock n’ Roller (Collett)
Fire (Collett)
Hangover Days (Collett)
Your Touch (Bahamas)
Caught Me Thinking (Bahamas)
Be My Witness (Bahamas)
Kindergarten (Zeus)
I Know (Zeus)
Airplane (Zeus)
We All Lose One Another (Collett)
High Summer (Collett)
Greater Times On the Wayside (Zeus)
The River by The Garden (Zeus)
Idols of Exile (Collett)
Bitch City (Collett)
Long May You Love (Collett)
Marching Through Your Head (Zeus)
Cornerstones (Zeus)
(intermission)
How Does it Feel? (Zeus)
The Renegade (Zeus)
I Got You Babe (Bahamas)
Cold Blue Halo (Collett)
Lake Superior (Collett)
Rave on Sad Song (Collett)
Already Yours (Bahamas)
What's Worse (Bahamas)
[mystery song] (Zeus)
At Risk Of Repeating (Zeus)
Love is a Dirty Word (Collett)
Love is a Chain (Collett)
Charlyn, Angel of Kensington (Collett)
Out of Time (Collett)
Hockey Teeth (Bahamas)
Heavy On Me (Zeus)
You Gotta Teller (Zeus)
Blue Sky (Collett)
I'll Bring the Sun (Collett)
(encore)
Ignition (r. kelly cover) (Zeus [Neil Quin])
That's All (genesis cover) (Zeus)
I've Never Found A Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do) (al green cover) (Bahamas)
She's So Cold (rolling stones cover) (Collett)
Slow Down (the beatles cover) (all)

Review-kus.

Originally I wanted to review every album I bought/otherwise listened to this year. Clearly, I've slacked on that. Partially cos there have been a lot of albums that, for whatever reason, I don't feel like writing a full review for. So what I have decided to do is give a few really quick reviews all at once.... in haiku form. Here we go!
And yes, I am trying to finish off the reviews of this years albums as quick as possible, so that's why there has been (and will be) a barrage of album reviews.

Pink Strat by Bahamas
(debut solo LP from Afie Jurvanen, who has played for the likes of Feist, Jason Collett, Hayden, Zeus, The Stills and more)
After supporting
Afie steps in the spotlight
For his time to shine

Download Already Yours by Bahamas

Invisible Republic by Young Galaxy
Some moments it soars
Yet others, not so much
A bit less dreamy

Download Firestruck by Young Galaxy

Armistice by Mute Math
Just like their debut
With more, needless, production
Bit of a let down

Download Backfire by Mute Math

No One's First and You're Next EP by Modest Mouse
A bunch of outtakes
Were left out for a reason
Just seems like filler

Download Perpetual Motion Machine by Modest Mouse

Bay of Pigs EP by Destroyer
Thirteen and a half
Twists and turns and genre shifts
Simply amazing

Download Bay of Pigs by Destroyer

Amy Millan @ Biltmore Cabaret -- 10/24/09

Another early show at the Biltmore last night, for them to do their weekly club night. This one ended even earlier than the previous ones, around 10:30, but none of the music seemed rushed. Both bands got a solid set, and it was even a little bit better than normal, cos it started rather quickly and there was a very short turn around time between the two bands. Of course, they only do this on the weekends, when I don't have to get up early the next day... on the weekday shows, they run as long as they feel... but I digress!

Opening band of the night was Bahamas, one of those bands where it's just one guy; in this case Afie Jurvanen. While not new to the scene at all -- he's worked with Great Lake Swimmers, Hayden, Zeus, Jason Collett, The Stills, Feist and more -- this is his first album himself, and first show in Vancouver. And you could tell he was a pro, cos from the minute he hit the stage, he owned the room. With a kind of bluesy folk rock and some awesome guitar skills, he was joined on stage only by a drummer and had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand for his all too short set. His dry wit and faux arrogant swagger made for some hilarious stage banter, and his charismatic stage presence and overall attitude really reminded me of Dave Grohl. He ended off the set in the greatest way possibly, asking the crowd to help out singing the chorus of the next song, though not saying what it was... but after a couple lines, pretty much everyone recognized, and sang along to.... Purple Rain. That, my friends, was probably the single greatest live cover I have (personally) seen all year.
Needless to say, I picked up his album as soon as his set was done (purchased it from Jurvanen himself, no less).

Up surprisingly shortly after -- perhaps the Biltmore learned their lesson with Rain Machine -- was Amy Millan. She started the set off with an old gospel song and then launched into her own solo material, playing pretty evenly from both albums. She seemed pretty loose on stage, sharing stories, mocking the olympics and thanking us for coming when we "could have bought some weed instead". The most amusing story was either her in the washroom before hand, with a random girl next to her asking if she could "spare a square", not realizing it was her; or the time she, Amy Millan, met Amy Mann.
Her beautiful voice was definitely the focus of most of the songs, but she was backed with some pretty great musicians in their own rights (interestingly enough, no drummer). Her light and folksy songs and the chill atmosphere had the crowd pretty mesmerized from the moment she hit the stage.
One of the highlight of the show would has to be when a random member of the crowd asked to sing backups on Baby I and, amazingly enough, Millan said okay! The song was a little later in the set, but when she got to it, she invited the young lady on stage. That kind of thing could have gone either way, but I have to say, she was pretty good! And that was pretty great of Millan to agree to that. Most artists would have just said no or blown her off, but you just know that she made that girls night, year, life by allowing her on stage to sing with her.
Millan "ended" the set after about an hour, then came back out solo for the encore, but was quickly joined by special guest, friend and band mate... Torquil Campbell! They proceeded to do an acoustic version of the Stars song Calendar Girl, which was just superb. After the song, Campbell took a bow and Millan finished off the night with a couple more of her songs.
The only song I wished they would have played was Blue In Yr Eye, but other than that, it was a pretty awesome set. A pretty awesome night, overall, even, as Bahamas came very close to upstaging Millan!

And interestingly enough, this was the second show this year where Torquil popped up on stage for a surprise appearance. It's great living in (or near) a city where so many amazing musicians live.