3am Mixtapes: Episode Eighty Seven: Fireworks

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 bands playing Rifflandia. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs For Your Six Senses. 

And seeing as the Symphony of Fire Celebration of Light is back starting this weekend, I figures that would be a good time for the Top Six Songs To Listen To While Watching Fireworks!

Ohh and Ahh with:

"I Used to Pray for the Heavens to Fall" by The Dears
"St Michael" by Louis-Jean Cormier
"Fancy Pants" by Bend Sinister
"That Was Was" by Dirty Three
"Starálfur" by Sigur Rós
"Last Known Surroundings" by Explosions in the Sky

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

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3am Mixtapes: Episode Seventy Six: Storms

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 bands from Kelowna BC. Some might be a little more... specific. Top Six Songs About Parts Of The Body. 

This week, it's everyone's favourite small talk topic, weather! Yup, the Top Six Stormy Songs. But not only are these songs stormy by name, but they are also stormy by nature. They sounds like the storm of the title.

Take cover with:

"Tornado" by Jónsi
"This Tornado Loves You" by Neko Case
"Tornado Alley" by Shred Kelly
"Lightning" by Chris Kelly
"Thunder & Lightning" by Bend Sinister
"Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

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

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String Fling III @ Biltmore -- 01/28/15

For the third year running, members of Vancouver's Four on the Floor String Quartet have stepped into the spolight for a show called String Fling. The event sees the quartet -- who have backed up about 87% of all Vancouver bands -- front & centre for the night, to be joined by various local musicians to fuse indie rock with classical strings. Previous years have been at the Rio Theatre, but this year they took over the Biltmore Cabaret for two nights of stringy goodness.

The members of the quartet for the night were Michelle Faehrmann on cello, Elliott Vaughan on viola, and violinists Stephanie Chatman & Emily Bach, and they were occasionally joined by Sean Bayntun on piano. Each musician joining them had a quick set of a couple songs, with the quartet playing their own pieces between each set, usually of songs written by members.


After the quartet started the show, the first performer to join them was frequent collaborator, Dominique Fricot. He took stage with his acoustic guitar and a few heartfelt songs, the strings giving them added emotional weight, especially on "Strange Lady". He also got the crowd participating in a stomp-stomp-clap along to "Those Eyes", before proceeding to act as emcee the entire night, wine glass in hand.

Hannah Epperson was also no stranger to the quartet, being a rotating member herself. Normally a looper, she eschewed her pedal for the first show in a long while, as she had actual humans backing her this time. Her soft and beautiful voice lilted over the strings, and I really liked her second song, a brand new, heavy hitting song, which included Daniel Ruiz on drums (the first of his frequent appearances throughout the night).

The tone shifted a little as Dustin Bentall got up with a bit more of a rockin' sound. As much as the softer songs fit with the string quartet, I always like how seeing things a bit rougher sound. Which was pretty darn good in this case. His first song, "I Have Not Been Sleeping" was just him with the strings, but they were joined by Ruiz on drums again and Ryan Guldemond out on backing vocals for the title track to his latest album You Are An Island.

Wrapping up the first half of the evening was legendary bluesman Jim Byrnes, just putting on a clinic. He dazzled the crowd from his stool with one of his own songs, which he joked was one of the oldest of the night, and then a cover of what was definitely the oldest of the night, "Saint Louis Blues", originally recorded in 1914 by WC Handy. It would have been hard for anyone to directly follow that, so they took a brief intermission at that point.


After the intermission the quartet was accompanied by an interpretive dancer for their song, before it was time for Mother Mother Member Ryan Guldemond. In true Ryan fashion, he challenged the audience with a song about death and attending your own funeral (or not) in his first song "End of Me" and seemed genuinely humbled and honoured to be playing with the quartet, asking them questions and even engaging Elliott in a slight guitar/viola duel at the end of a song.

There was a few repeat acts from previous years, and the next performer Tonye Aganaba was one of them. With her guitar in hand, she jokingly assured the crowd that it was in fact working, after a bit of a technical glitch from last year. Her incredible, soulful voice filling the room for one of her own songs, as well as a powerful cover of Thom Yorke's "Black Swan".

And finally, Bend Sinister's Dan Moxon was the last to play. Taking a seat behind the piano, he played a couple of the band's slower ballady songs, ending with "Careless", but first playing an absolutely gorgeous rendition of "Don't Let Us Bring You Down" -- which may have ruined the song for me, since now I only ever want to hear it with strings.

But that wasn't quite the end, as the quartet was drawn back on stage for one last song, as they were once more joined by Dom Fricot, for a fun cover of INXS' "Never Tear Us Apart".


The only downside this year was the venue. I feel The Rio was a much better place for this kind of show, as while the Biltmore was seated, it was still more of a "club" venue than a "soft seater", and from where I was sitting I could hear incessant talking and chatter all throughout the night. It detracted a little from the show, especially when the quartet was playing beautiful instrumentals.
But that is hardly the musicians' fault, and aside from that it was a great night. String Fling has continually been one of the most unique events in Vancouver, giving these amazingly talented string players, who are usually backing up other bands or off in the wings, the chance to take centre stage and shine.

Sing It Forward @ Vogue -- 01/09/15

Now in its fourth year Sing It Forward (or #SingItFwd) has returned to the Vogue Theatre for yet another sold out show. The annual charity event, put on by David Vertesi and Ambrosia Humphrey Vertesi raises awareness, community connection, and much needed funds for Vancouver's Saint James Music Academy, and over the last three years they've has raised over $100,000 for the music school.
And aside from the show itself, each year the musicians playing will go to the SJMA, hang out with the kids, teach them things, and record some videos performing with the kids.

The evening was hosted by Tamara Stanners (of The Peak) and Cory Ashworth (formerly of the Peak) and featured some video interstitials -- including a great mockumentary about Jordan Klassen with the kids done by by Johnny Jansen. Each band got about 15 minutes, three songs a piece, and the evening went along at a nice clip; rarely did it drag or did people have to wait too long between sets. Some bands chose go to acoustic, or more stripped down sets, and others had a full band setup.


Bend Sinister kicked off the night with the SJMA kids joining them for "Fancy Pants", a super fun and upbeat songs from their new album, which included a few of the kids forming a horn section. The prog-pop band were an energetic opening for the show, and anthemic songs like "Things Will Get Better" filled the theatre.

Jordan Klassen and his band took the stage next. Jordan was, as usual, a barely contained ball of energy, opening with his newest song "Firing Squad". He went backwards from there, with "Go To Me" and a great version of an older song, "Call and Answer", exploding into an intense ending that was a little more raw & aggressive than I had seen from him in the past, which I liked.

Dear Rouge did a bit of a stripped down set, Danielle and Drew were joined only by their drummer on a drum pad, and the Four on the Floor string quartet. Their fun, dancey pop got the room moving, and they invited Jordan Klassen back on stage for a song they wrote together called "Your Ghost" before finishing off with their big single, "I Heard I Had".

Between bands, a very small girl from the SJMA came out to sing "Reflections" from Mulan, melting a lot of hearts in the venue.

Bear Mountain was definitely the most changed act of the night, from their regular sound. With an acoustic guitar in hand, Ian Bevis joked that they were nervously trying things out "sans laptops", and their normally upbeat and dancey songs like "Faded" were mellowed out a lot. But I really liked the acoustic interpretations, especially when they brought up all the kids to be a choir, mimicking the synths in "Congo", in what was one of my favourite performances of the night.

The surprise guest of the night Hannah Georgas closed out the first half of the show, joined only by Rob Tornroos on guitar. She played a couple songs, which felt all-too-short, her gorgeous voice soaring for "Enemies", followed by a cover of Rihanna's "Stay" that had many of the younger kids in the all-ages crowd singing along.

After an intermission, a few of the kids from the SJMA were back out for a little bit of bluegrass, and The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer blew up the energy for the second half of the show. The duo was joined by Jody "Miss Quincy" Peck, and proved that in a sold out, 1,200+ person venue, two guys sitting on stools can bring down the house. They played songs from their new album A Real Fine Mess, including "Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To" and the raucous "Act Your Age"

July Talk was the band I was most looking forward to, and of course ended up being my favourite of the night. Coming all the way from Toronto for the show, they played a full band set, and did not hold back. The entire band has an amazing stage presence, but especially lead singers Leah Fay and Peter Dreimanis. They're playful and outgoing and unfiltered, and that energy flows though their songs. "Guns + Ammunition" had the crowd singing (or whoo-hoo-oo'ing) along, and for "Paper Girl", they invited all the little kids on stage, Leah leading the kids in a giant dance party.

After a bit of a lull with everyone setting up his gear, k-os was out for some acoustic hip hop, with a band that included his old guitar teacher playing alongside him. Perched on a stool at the front of the stage, k-os focused on some older songs, the first three tracks from his sophomore album Joyful Rebellion. He was also the most interactive with the crowd, making sure everyone was warmed up before starting, and getting everyone to sing along to the "Man I Used To Be". At one point, he even stopping the band short just so the crowd could sing the chorus alone.

Hey Ocean!, as usual, wrapped things up. Joking that they were running out of old songs to play at the event, they promised a few newer songs, not even recorded yet. Starting off with "Loud Talker", a song that Vertesi recently released as a solo song, they then brought the SJMA kids out for their collaboration from last year, "Smile Like The Sun" before ending with another new song, "Sleepwalker".

But that wasn't quite it. They still had one more tradition, and that was to bring everyone back out on stage -- all the kids, all the musicians, everyone -- for one last cover song. This year was Queen's "Somebody To Love", and while everyone had their turns singing, they were smart in giving Dan Moxon most of the vocals as he just channelled the spirit of Freddie Mercury. I even saw other musicians on stage react with astonished awe when he nailed that impossibly high note at the end.


Like previous years, everyone from the musicians to the venue donated their time and effort, so all the proceeds could go towards the SJMA. And each year, there is something just a little bit special in the air. Maybe it's the community spirit, or all the talent under one roof, but it is one of the most unique nights in Vancouver. And this year was no different.

If you missed it (first of all, what's wrong with you?!) they were streaming the entire thing and have it archived to view by donation over at Circlework.tv. Or you can find recordings from previous years up on their Bandcamp, where I can only assume you'll be able to find this year's soon enough.

Bend Sinister & Gay Nineties @ Imperial -- 12/27/14

Just when you were getting sick of holiday parties, along comes "Relax, It's Not Another Christmas Party, Party!" A trio of Vancouver favourites teamed up for a show to benefit the Blanket BC Society for one last show of the year (in my calendar, anyway).

And it was a show that I was especially excited for, as not only are Bend Sinister one of the first "Vancouver Indie" bands I really got into years ago, but Gay Nineties are also one of my favourite [relatively] newer local bands.


Unfortunately I missed the first band of the night, The Tourist Company, who recently placed third in the Peak Performance Project (in fact, all three band this night had gone through the competition), getting there shortly before Gay Nineties hit the stage.

They were teasing their new EP, Liberal Guilt, which is out in a couple of weeks (but was on the merch table for people to pick up early) and started off with the appropriately named first track, "Intro", a slow burning build that burst into "Hold Your Fire".
The set ranged from sultry slow jams to high energy rockers; from the "shoop shoops" of "Good Times" to the driving pulse of "Turn Me On", they blended sounds from the last six or seven decades, but never in a way that felt derivative. Their sound is both familiar and fresh, taking those older influences and creating something new and interesting. The entire band also has a great stage presence, but especially frontman Parker Bossley, who has an effortless charm, looking like he would be ready to rock venues of every size.
Aside from their own songs, they slipped in their usual cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl" and the set drew to a close in the most explosive way, a psychedelic segue into their smash hit "Letterman".


Bend Sinister was out not long after, starting off with the aptly named "Thunder and Lightning" before launching into the incendiary "Hot Blooded Man" for a set that spanned just about their entire career. From their self titled 2007 EP to this year's new album and everything in between, songs ranged from the comparatively soft and slow "Through The Week" to the uplifting anthem "Things Will Get Better" to the absolutely balls-out rockers "Teacher".
Dan Moxon's voice went from raw intensity to soaring bursts as he pounded away on the keyboard with a huge energy, and the rest of the band were no slouches either. Especially Matt Rhode, who is one of the most fun bass players to watch live, the complete opposite of the cliché "bored bass face".

Part way through the set they brought out special guest Kristy-Lee Audette on trumpet to help with a few songs from the new album Animals, including the jaunty and ridiculously catchy "Fancy Pants", and my favourite from the new album, "I Got Love" a furious and almost gospel-esque song featuring a phenomenal breakdown. Other highlights included the haunting "Black Magic Woman", and an old favourite "Time Breaks Down".

The main set came to a close with the first track off Animals, the eight minute long "Best Of You" which twists and turns that pretty much encapsulates every aspect of their sound. And of course they were back out for an encore, the low-tempo "Don't Let Us Bring You Down" and then finally ending the night by inviting everyone from Gay Nineties and Kristy back on stage for a fun cover of Dan's favourite piano man, Elton John's Bennie and the Jets.

I always love when bands do that, end the night by inviting everyone back on stage for a cover that everyone can play or sing along to. It just makes the show seem more fun.


My only minor quibble with the set was that there were a couple times where the backing vocals felt a bit too loud, the harmonies overpowering  Dan's main vocals, but that wasn't nearly enough to ruin a fantastic set. Bend Sinister puts on such an amazing and high energy show, and I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing them leave it all on stage.
Combined with a great set from Gay Nineties, who I like more and more every time I see them, and it was a pretty strong musical ending to the year.


setlist
Thunder and Lightning, Hot Blooded Man, Don't You Know, Man of Faith and Virtue, We Know Better, Fancy Pants, I Got Love, Better Things To Do, Teacher, Black Magic Woman, Through The Week, It Will Never End, Things Will Get Better, Time Breaks Down, Best of You. 
(encore) Don't Let Us Bring You Down, Bennie & The Jets [Elton John cover].

3am Mixtapes: Episode Forty Two: Peak Performance Project

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 like best guitar solos. Some might be a little more... specific. Top six song titles that are questions?

Since this week The Peak and Music BC announced the new batch of bands for their battle of the bands, I thought this week we'd take a look at some of my previous favourites, the Top Six Peak Performance Project Bands!

With tunage from:

"I Got Love" by Bend Sinister
"Reaction" by Acres of Lions
"Little Wars (Causing Your Trouble)" by The Belle Game
"Letterman" by The Gay Nineties
"Stoke it Up" by Willhorse
"Joanne" by Altered By Mom

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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Bend Sinister w/ Dominique Fricot @ Performance Works -- 02/23/13

For eight years now, Vancouver Coastal Jazz has been putting on the Winterruption festival on Granville Island, a celebration filled with food and performance and arts and dance and music. This year, one of the featured shows was one of the first Vancouver "indie" bands I got into, Bend Sinister. And joining them was another Peak Performance Project veteran.

Performance Works was busy early as just as many people were there to see Dominique Fricot, who had an all star band of of familiar faces backing him up: Hilary Grist on backup vocals (and keys for a couple songs), Mike Young on bass, Niko Friesen on drums, and members of the Four on the Floor String Quartet for a few songs.

With a full band, Dom's singer/songwriter sound was rich and grandiose, especially the few songs that included strings. He played some familiar, like the catchy "Burn And Start Over" as well as a few new songs throughout the set, including one called "Mother's Day", a funky and soulful tune.

At the end of the set we got the rare opening-act-encore as Dom came back for one last song, joined by his string section for the title track to his latest EP If Baby Could Walk. 

Fricot is full of charisma and charm on stage, with a good sense of humour when bantering with the crowd, and his songs are full of emotion. But while he is definitely talented, I still think he just needs a bit more of an edge -- some extra kick -- to really set him apart.

setlist

Seashore, Those Eyes, Burn and Start Over, Mother's Day, East Coast Girls, Time is Limited, Haunted by Love, Strange Lady, Our Last Song, Out of the Scenery.

(encore) If Baby Could Walk.

It wasn't long after that when the night was kicked into high gear, with the psychedelic prog-rock-pop of Bend Sinister as they exploded with energy right off the bat with "She Don't Give it Up", the first song from the new album Small Fame. They hardly let up throughout the set with great intensity from all four members; Dan Moxon is a monster on the keys, and he was flanked by guitarist Joseph Blood and Matt Rhode on bass, both of which had rock star energy with their power stances, standing on or straddling the amps, and engaging the crowd to join in.

Highlights from the set included Jason Dana's insane drumming on "CT", the anthemic and uplifting "Things Will Get Better", and the great combo of "Hot Blooded Man" and "Black Magic Woman", an explosive rocker followed by a more sultry jam, complimenting each other perfectly.

After a cover of Billie Joel's "Movin Out" before ending the main set with the older favourite "Time Breaks Down". But of course, they were back out for a few more, including their regular cover of Supertramp's "The Logical Song" -- a band who they've drawn comparisons to -- and finishing it off with the huge and epic "Quest For Love", Moxon's showing off the raw power of his voice for a perfect ending to the set.

As mentioned above, Bend Sinister is one of the first local bands I really got into, and they still remain a favourite. Their songs are amazingly catchy and there are not many other bands that can match their energy and intensity on stage.

setlist

She Don't Give it Up, Man of Faith and Virtue, CT, Jimmy Brown, Got You On My Mind, One Shot, Don't You Know, Don't Let Us Bring You Down, Things Will Get Better, Dr. Lee, Hot Blooded Man, Black Magic Woman, Movin Out [Billie Joel cover], Time Breaks Down.

(encore) We Know Better, The Logical Song [Supertramp cover], Quest for Love. 

Bend Sinister @ Venue -- 07/19/12

It's been four years since the last full length album from Bend Sinister -- 2008's Stories of Brothers, Tales of Lovers -- and while there has been a couple of EPs to tide us over since then, the wait for their third full length is finally over with the release of Small Fame last week on File Under: Music. And to celebrate, they threw a hometown album release party at Venue.

The first band of the night was Young Pacific, who I unfortunately missed, getting there just as the second band, Fields of Green took the stage.
When I saw them in the Peak Performance Project last year, I thought they had loads of potential, but they were still young and needed some time to grow as a band, to become more cohesive, and in the past year they've made huge strides; not only earning a spot in the PPP again, but they also scoring top three of this year's Fox Seeds competition.
Their sinthy, prog-rock-ish sound comes with great energy from the whole band, especially drummer Johnny who is insanely animated, and their live show has definitely gotten tighter. My favourite of the set was a song which I missed the name, but included a fantastic instrumental section that started slow and soft and then grew to a huge climax of swirling guitars and intense drumming. I am definitely looking forward to see how they fare in this year’s Peak Performance Project.

And then it was time for Bend Sinister who hit the stage and immediately launched in to “She Don’t Give It Up”, as they played the whole new album front to back. The piano driven prog rock evoked sounds from some of the classics from the 70s, but never in a derivative way; they aren’t stuck in the past, but have made the sound their very own.
The band also has an unparalleled energy; Dan Moxon is a monster on the keys, and both guitarist Joseph Blood and bass player Matt Rhode were rocking out in power stances, and coming right up to the front of the stage to get people clapping along.
Highlights included the catchy “Got You On My Mind”, the intense “My Lady” with a great instrumental breakdown, and especially the back to back combo of “Hot Blooded Man” and “Black Magic Woman”; the former being an explosive and insanely high energy rocker, and the latter a slower and more sultry jam.
After wrapping up with the psychedelic “Quest for Love” they were back for an encore of a few older songs, including the anthemic and uplifting “Things Will Get Better”, a fantastic cover of Supertramp’s “The Logical Song” and ending the night with an old favourite, “Time Breaks Down”.

Bend Sinister was one of the first Vancouver bands I really got into when I first started exploring the local music scene, and they remain one of my favourite. Especially with shows, and albums, like this. There are few bands -- local or otherwise -- that can match the energy and intensity from the band, and their live show is hard to top.

setlist
She Don't Give It Up, 
Don't You Know, 
Man of Faith and Virtue, 
One Shot, 
Got You on My Mind, 
My Lady, 
We Know Better, 
Give It a Rest, 
Hot Blooded Man, 
Black Magic Woman, 
She Lost Her Rock and Roll, 
Quest for Love.
(encore) The News, Things Will Get Better, The Logical Song [Supertramp cover], Time Breaks Down.

Bend Sinister @ Club Push -- 01/21/12

Back when I was just getting in to local independent music, one of the first bands I came across was Bend Sinister. I saw them opening a show where they blew away the headliner and soon after heard a song on the CBC Radio 3 podcast, and since then they have remained one of my favourite local bands; especially to see live. So of course I was going to go check out their show for the PuSh Festival at "Club Push" (usually known as Performance Works on Granville Island) which, in a nice "full circle" way, was sponsored by R3 and hosted by Lisa Christiansen.

Opening the night was Pleasure Cruise, a fairly new band that actually formed on Twitter, when they were looking for a vocalist and Jody Glenham answered the call. Their lo-fi, retro, fuzzy indie pop sound puts you on a beach within minutes of hearing it and Glenham's voice finds a good balance of seductive and upbeat to fit the sound perfectly.  Starting off with "Weeks & Months" from their EP Business Or... the set was filled with energetic, summery songs, and even included a cool cover of "It's my Party". Other highlights were "I Really Wanna Know" which bursts into an energetic ending, and my favourite off the EP, "Summer Fling".

Next up was Nick Krgovich, who I didn't realise until his introduction was from the Vancouver band p:ano, and more recently, No Kids. He hit the stage alone, but despite that it was just him and his keyboard, he had a myriad of effects and back tracks to flesh out his sound, with twitchy synth, looped drums and midi sax as well as a projection screen behind him that matched up various old movie clips to the songs -- and matched up quite well. At first, I wasn't sure what to think of the electronic/ambient/poppy sounds, but it definitely grew on me as he went on, with Krgovich's stage presence -- and dancing -- definitely helping.
Aside from his own songs, he threw in a few covers, the best being of k.d. lang's "Constant Craving", and while I am not sure it's something I would listen to a lot, it was definitely a really interesting set, and I wouldn't hesitate to see him again live.

And finally, Bend Sinister hit the stage to wrap up the night, starting off with a new song. In fact, the bulk of the set consisted of new material -- with Dan promising an EP in March and a full length later in the year -- that sounded fantastic. The new songs had the familiar Bend Sinister prog rock sound and Dan Moxon's distinct vocals, but you could definitely tell the growth of the band, with a few songs having a bit of a bluesy vibe. My favourite of the new songs was, hands down, "Hot Blooded Man", an absolutely intense song  which almost immediately became one of my favourite songs of theirs; and one I can't wait to hear recorded.
Among the few old songs were "Don't Let Us Bring You Down" and "Things Will Get Better", bringing people to the dance floor. And keeping with the cover song trend, they broke out their rendition of "Don't Stop Believing" before wrapping up the main set with another new one, "She Don't Give It Up". They were back out for the encore with another older song, "Time Breaks Down" before ending with the heaviest song of the set, "Quest for Love".

Dan Moxon in an amazing ball of energy behind the keys, and the rest of the band more than keeps up for one of the most energetic live shows. If this set was any indication, the upcoming album is going to be their best yet.

Dan Moxon @ CBC Vancouver -- 07/29/11

The Musical Nooner free concert series at CBC Vancouver is back. Well, it's been back for a while now, but despite wanting to see a few of the previous acts, today was the first day I was able to go check it out.

And it was a good day to do so, to see Dan Moxon (of Bend Sinister) fame with a baby grand piano on the outdoor stage, backed by drums & bass. On his own, he was much more mellow -- and a bit more folky -- than the intense energy of Bend Sinister, which gave a great spotlight to his talent on the piano and incredible voice. The set consisted of a good mix of his own songs, some covers, and a couple Bend Sinister songs. Paul McCartney's "Every Night" was covered early in the set, and there was also a slowed down and much more calm version "Julianna", which is one of my favourite BS songs, which was really cool.

Part way through they took a short break for Radio 3 host Lisa Christiansen to interview Dan, before he was back into it with David Bowie's "Starman", "Long As I Can See The Light" by CCR and a few more original., including a couple I really liked, "You Remind Me Of A Girls I Once Knew" and "New Year's Day".

The set came to an end with "All The Young Dudes" by Mott the Hoople, then another Bend Sinister tune, "Don't Let Us Bring You Down". It was actually the second time for that song, since the show was being recorded and fire trucks went by when he played it earlier -- but, of course since the universe has a sense of humour, at almost the same point in the song, police went by, sirens blaring.

It was a really cool show, and I love the concept of the free outdoor nooner shows, so I will definitely have to be back for another. And with upcoming acts like Louise Burns, Sun Wizard, Kathryn Calder & The Crackling... how could you stay away?

West Coast Pop! w/ Bend Sinister, The Racoons & Rococode @ Red Room -- 02/19/11

The West Coast Pop concert series kicked off in fine fashion last night at the Red Room, where it will be running every Saturday for the next 13 weeks. Future acts include 41st & Home, Kyprios, The Dudes, Treelines, and the show I am most looking forward to thus far: We Are The City with Aidan Knight and Analog Bell Service. There will also be more shows announced soon (like, next week soon).

As for the first show... I am not going to lie, I am still disappointed that Young Galaxy had to drop out, but Bend Sinister is always a good time, and the other band I really wanted to see was still on the bill.

That band? Rococode. I had seen this new project from Laura Smith and Andrew Braun in December at the Biltmore (and acoustic at Sitka) and was really impressed, so I was definitely looking forward to seeing them again. Despite being a brand new band, they are not unfamiliar with playing together, which helped them sound incredibly tight. Braun and Smith shared vocals -- and for at least one song, keys -- for some insanely catchy power-pop songs, and even though the crowd was a bit thin due to an early start, they soon drew everyone's attention and filled the dance floor area. I have no doubt they won over more than a few fans, and I especially can't wait until they have some recorded material out; one of their songs, "Empire", was still stuck in my head all morning.

Next up was The Racoons who, after a bit of a false start, got right into it. They were a bit harder rocking, and at times reminded me a little of The Constantines, in both sound and especially vocals. Their songs were good, if lacking a little in variety, and they had a pretty good stage presence as well. I did have some issues with the sound, though. The other two sets sounded fine, but for some reason, the bass was really overpowering; especially at the start of the set. That aside, I did enjoy their set; I wasn't overwhelmed by it, but I liked it well enough and would be interested in seeing them again.

And rounding out the night was Bend Sinister. They are always incredibly fun to watch live, and last night was no exception. Even being the first show with the new bass player, they were firing on all cylinders, with intense energy from the whole band, especially Dan Moxon. Sprinkled throughout their set were some new songs, as they teased a new release at some point. They were definitely "Bend Sinister songs", lively and enthusiastic, and one of which was introduced as "an ode to Hall & Oats". Among the older songs, "CT" and "Dr. Lee" were both highlights, being incredibly frantic, and the pairing of "Don't Let Us Bring You Down" leading into "Things Will Get Better" was pretty great.
At the end, they broke out a Billy Joel cover (I think "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)") before an intense ending with another new song (I think) and, refreshingly, just left the stage, all done with no encore. I think I've ranted before about how I think the encore break is a waste of time, now that everyone expects it, so it's always nice to see a band just use their full time without it.

In all, a damn good launch to what is sure to be an excellent concert series.

Music BC 20th Anniversary w/ Bend Sinister, Brasstronaut & Treelines

Music BC sure knows how to throw a hell of a party. They are, of course, one of the forces behind the Peak Performance Project, and a great organization supporting local music. They celebrated their 20th anniversary last night with a show at the Biltmore featuring three great BC bands.

Kicking off the night was Treelines, the latest in a long line of bands to move down to Vancouver from Kelowna. All four members exuded energy on stage, and put on a very dynamic performance. They were joined a couple times by Andrew (not Adam) Lee -- formerly of 41st & Home and currently of Ruffled Feathers -- on trumpet for a couple songs, including their Bucky nominated "Summer Song". At one point they broke out their recently released rendition of "Little Drummer Boy", which was a very Sam Roberts-esque twist on the classic. A few new songs were thrown in, as well, "Cartographer" and one temporarily dubbed "Cowbell" (I'll let you guess why). Neither of which were really that much of a departure, musically, but still piqued my interest for more new material. Even when they brought the energy down, like with "Canadian Airlines", they were still engaging, and an incredibly fun band to watch live.

Brasstronaut was the second band of the night, and the last two times I had seen them I either had to leave early or there were conflicting bands, so it was great to finally be able to see a full, proper set again. Mount Chimaera is one of my favourite albums of the year, and I am always amazed that the band is able to pull off the rich, lush sound in a live performance. Started off with "Insects", a kind of darker and ominous song, they played a good amount of the album, as well as from the Old World Lies EP. "Slow Knots" and "Six Toes" were pretty incredible live, and I can't let a Brasstronaut performance go without mentioning me favourite [looking] instrument, the Space Clarinet. The set ended with one of my favourite songs of the year, the Echo Songwriting Prize winning "Hearts Trompet". As the song grew and grew to an epic finale, each member left the stage, one by one leaving only the drummer, going nuts, and Edo at the end. It was an insanely good set and just reminded me why I like Brasstronaut so.

Finally, rounding out the night was another band to originate from Kelowna, Bend Sinister. Even though I have been a fan of the band for a few years now, I have only seen them live a handful of times; I always seem to have bad luck when it comes to seeing them. Case in point: last time I only caught the last two of their songs, because I was coming from, interestingly enough, seeing Treelines play an acoustic set. But I digress.
As energetic Treelines was earlier in the night, they had nothing on Bend Sinister. Dan Moxon has always been intense live, and this night was no different, with him actually knocking over his keyboard and mic stand at one point. He also, at various points, played the keys with drumsticks and picked it up to play it, keytar style. And that's not even mentioning the rest of the band, who more than kept up. They played a good mix of their older and newer stuff, hitting things from all their albums. Another of my favourite songs of the year, from their Spring Romance EP, "Things Will Get Better" was definitely a highlight, as well as "CT" and the always great "Time Breaks Down".

The show was one of, if not the best all-around-lineup I have seen this year, as each of the three I would (and have) see a show with them headlining with no hesitation.
I talk a lot about the "Vancouver music scene" and such, and I have a feeling it would be a mere shadow of what it is without Music BC.

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

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

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

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

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

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

An Intimate Night Of Piano Tunes With Daniel Moxon & Edo Van Breemen @ Library Square -- 08/12/10

Bend Sinister's Dan Moxon and Brasstronaut's Edo Van Breemen teamed up last night for an intimate night of piano tunes at Library Square. It was pretty much just a piano set up in the corner of the bar, with an area in front and an "upper level" (think four or five steps) with a "balcony" for people to watch from. Oh, and the place was playing the old Wonder Woman show all night on their TVs, so that got a little distracting at times.

First up was Edo, not quite doing a solo set since he had fellow Brasstronaut Tariq with him on guitar and lap steel. He played a pretty varied set, some Brasstronaut, some older stuff from his other band and also some brand new. At first, I was wondering how the Brasstronaut songs would sound stripped down like that, since the band has such a rich sound; but for the most part they were really cool and worked well. "Slow Knots" was an especially interesting version of the song, both stripped down and slowed a little.

After a short break Dan hopped up to the piano, playing about half his/Bend Sinister songs and half covers. He started with "Careless", and hit songs spanning all over his oeuvre, including the "In A Minute" song written for the Peak Performance Project (Bend Sinister took third last year). He had a couple covers in his "main" set, a McCartney and a Hall & Oates that were a bit lesser known, but the last half of his set consisted of the more sing-a-long hits like "American Pie", "The Logical Song", "The Boys Are Back In Town", "We Are The Champions" and doing somewhat of an encore with "Life on Mars".

Despite the fact that the bar was a little noisy at times, it was a really cool environment for that type of thing. It seemed less of a "show" and more of "Hey friends, I am going to play you some tunes, cool?" I know Dan has done some solo piano shows before, but I hope this kind of thing becomes a regular occurrence.

The Peak Performance Project Finale with Bend Sinister, The Left and We Are The City @ Commodore -- 01/22/10

Where the hell do they go from here? Not the bands. I have no doubt they'll all go on to do great things. I mean The Peak. This was the first year of The Peak Performance Project, a seven month long contest put on by the station and Music BC to nurture local talent. There is no way that next year, or probably most subsequent years, are going to be able to match the great bands that came out of it. Last night was the finale show with the top three bands -- Bend Sinister, We Are The City and The Left -- and unveiling of the grand prize winner. A sold out Commodore waited in anticipation to find out the recipient of $150,000 (second got $75,000 and third got $50,000). But first? Music!

First up was We Are The City. We showed up a bit late, due to my own stupidity, but I think only missed a song -- two at most. They still manage to amaze me with their live sets, with incredible energy and being so tight & seamless. During one of the songs, David even rocked so hard, he managed to break TWO strings on his guitar, while Cayne was so into it he bloodied his lip on the mic. (Andy, however, did not punch himself in the groin). They just seem so comfortable on stage, and if they were nervous, you couldn't tell. They played mostly from In A Quiet World, though threw in their new one, which I really like, This Is A Bad Mistake. They also had fellow PPP alum Adrian Glynn up to help them with their In A Minute song from the music boot camp all bands partook in. Wrapping up their too-short set was the fantastic Astronomers, my favourite of theirs and a perfect song to end a set.

Following this, The Peak's Tamara Stanners was out to emcee a bit, calling up all the other bands and announcing they would each get $500. Kuba Oms then proceeded to upstage everyone by declaring he was donating his to World Vision for Haiti, and adding he pressed 100 CDs for the night with all proceeds also go towards the relief fund.

The Left took the stage next. They were the band I cared least about of the night. Not to say I didn't like them; the few songs that I heard on The Peak were pretty good, but I just never really got into them. Anyway, their set was pretty damn catchy, and I might have to look into more of their stuff. They were even the only band to come back and do an encore, due to the chanting of "The Left" after they... left. Their sound really reminds me of someone, and it has since I first heard them, but I just can't seem to put my finger on it.
And in a completely random turn, at one point, near the end, they were joined on stage by two Green Men*
*Just as an aside, people in Vancouver have been obsessed with the Green Men... but I wonder how many people know they the whole thing is from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Finally, after one more interlude to talk about the whole process, Bend Sinister was out, and with one of the most crazy elaborate stage setups I've seen in a while. The best part was the floor lamp over the keyboard, but they also had a gong by the drummer and even some lovely backup singers (including Adaline). They opened by teasing The News, but turned it into Yours Truly and followed with a set that included a good sampling of older and newer material. A couple more PPP members even helped out, as Ben Sigston jump on they keys while Adaline came out front and centre to duet with Dan Moxon on Give In To The Night. As always, the band had a crazy intense energy that is damn near unparallelled, and tore the place down. Again, their set seemed far too short as they ended the night with Things Will Get Better, which is a new one I've heard live a few times and can not wait to be able to get on a record.

Finally, it was time to announce the winners. They brought out the big wigs and bean counters before making the announcements, which I am sure most people have heard by now, so I won't drag it out with false suspense. Third place went to Bend Sinister, which was met with an equal amount of cheers and jeers -- it seems like the majority of people there were hoping/thinking they would do better. Second went to The Left, and the place erupted as they realized that only one band remained to claim first place: We Are The City! It couldn't have happened to three nicer, and more talented, guys.

I have enjoyed the hell out of the Performance Project since the start and this show was an incredible way to cap off the event. If they can even get half the talent next year, it'll still be one hell of an event.

One Night Stand II @ The Media Club -- 12/31/09

I think the best way to describe what happened last night would be that it was like watching a huge group party of Rock Band. Except instead of your tone deaf, rhythm-less friends, it was actual, talented musicians. And instead of plastic instruments, it was the real thing. One Night Stand saw members of a whole bunch of local bands join forces and celebrate the new year by collaborating for nearly three hours of cover songs. Bands represented included: Bend Sinister, Said The Whale, The Painted Birds, Elias, Poor Places and The Gentle Infidels with Laura Smith and Hannah Georgas. Numbering around a dozen members in total, there was a lot of rotating on and off stage for any given song.


They hit the stage at ten to play the first of three sets, which consisted of:
Gimme Some Lovin' (The Spencer Davis Group)
Want You To Want Me (Cheap Trick)
Bohemian Like You (Dandy Warhols)
I Melt With You (Modern English)
Last Night (The Strokes)
Billie Jean (Michael Jackson)
Lola (The Kinks)
Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springstein)

Gimme Some Lovin' (perhaps best known form The Blues Brothers) had all of them on stage to kick things off, starting things off with a great energy. Maybe it was just cos it was the first set, but they still seemed to be getting into the swing of things, not to say anything was bad, but as the night went on they got looser and more comfortable (and possibly more drunk!) on stage, with the sets getting progressively more energetic. And interestingly enough, this was the second time I'd heard a cover of Dancing in the Dark this year!

They took a short break and were back at Eleven for some more fun:
Sweet Emotion (Aerosmith)
Whip It (Devo)
Crazy (Gnarls Barkley)
Don't You (Forget About Me) (Simple Minds)
Heroes (David Bowie)
Paper Planes (MIA)
El Scorcho (Weezer)
Beat It (Michael Jackson)

Sweet Emotion included not one, but TWO cowbells (one of which was played with such intensity that she broke the drum stick) and Whip It included the Devo hat, which stuck around the rest of the night.
I like that they went into more ambitious covers, with both Crazy and Paper Planes working great. The latter surprisingly awesome and hilarious, with everyone on stage channelling their inner gangsta'. I'm also curious to know how many people in there heard Heroes and thought it was a Wallflowers cover...

Another break just before midnight, for the countdown and celebrations before they were back to the music.
Against All Odds (Phil Collins)
Rebellion (Lies) (Arcade Fire)
The Weight (The Band)
Just What I Needed (The Cars)
Drinking in LA (Bran Van 3000)
Hey Jude (Beatles)

Against All Odds was the first song played after midnight, for people to slow dance... or sway by themselves...
Rebellion was a pretty damn good cover that tore things up, with the whole crowd screaming along to the LIIIEEES LIIIEEESS parts and from then on it was crazy energy til the end. The rest of the songs had most everyone singing along as well, even to Drinkin' In LA -- which was complete with Henry from Bend Sinister "storming" off stage due to his hatred of the song.
The night ended with Hey Jude, which again saw everyone on stage... all the band members AND random people who felt they were entitled to jump on stage too. There was kind of a funny/awkward moment where some drunk girl kept trying to wrestle the mic away from Hannah Georgas. But ultimately, everyone, both on stage and off, was singing/yelling along, especially at the end of the song. It was a pretty damn good way to end the night and welcome the new year.

There is a saying or superstition, I guess, that says that whatever you're doing at midnight is what you'll be doing for the rest of the year. If that's the case, I can't wait for whatever shows & music this next year has in store.

Bend Sinister w/ We Are The City @ Venue -- 12/10/09

Finally, my Bend Sinister bad luck streak is over! I had previously only seen them either opening or doing otherwise short sets; it seemed every time that they came for a show of their own, there was something conflicting. But finally, thanks to the first of the two Christmas parties sponsored by The Peak, I got to see them. All three bands of the night are bands from the Peak Performance Project, a 20 band contest to help nourish local talent. Being a fan of Bend Sinister from before, they are my top pick to win, but We Are The City has definitely impressed me as well, so I was glad that my two favourites from the PPP were playing a show together.

We Are the City was first up, and holy damn! Had I seen them and not known anything about them, I would never have guessed that they have only been a band for a few years... and are so young. Not only did they have a great energy on stage, but they were incredibly tight & seamless, and -- if their stage banter and joking is any indication -- they seemed incredibly comfortable and at home on stage. I certainly wasn't expecting them to be bad or anything, but I have seem bands that have been around for way longer be much sloppier on stage. It was pretty amazing. They hit most of the songs off In A Quiet World throwing in a new one, This Is A Bad Mistake. The highlight of the set was my favourite song off the album, Astronomers, which even had a nifty space theme on the giant LED screen behind them.

Next was Run The Red Light, whose stage setup was quite opposite of WATC's, with a smoky atmosphere, small towers of LED lights back-lighting them. They, too, had a good stage presence, but not so much banter or talk between songs. When they started, their sound reminded me somewhat of Mute Math, and through the show there were more than a few times where the similarities were reinforced. They were not bad, but seemed to lack variety. A lot of their songs, even the cover of Sarah McLaughlin's Possession (yeah, that's right), sounded a little similar. I'd probably check them out again if they were part of a good bill, but probably wouldn't on their own.

And finally, Bend Sinister. Even after seeing them opening for Young Galaxy about a month and a half ago, I was still absolutely blown away. These guys are absolutely amazing live and seem to get better every time I am able to see them. They started off with Things Will Get Better, which they most certainly did, since right after was one of my favourite songs, Julianna. I am pretty sure I had never see them do that live before, so that was pretty damn awesome. CT, and a few other songs through the night, showed off Jason Dana's intense drumming and after a new song (which I didn't catch the name of, but will dub Cruel Joke because why not) and bringing things down with Give In To The Night, they launched into Brothers Of Humankind, which absolutely brought down the house with its incredible intensity and power. And I've said it before, and I am sure I will say it again, but Dan Moxon is an animal on the keyboard. They ended the night in the best possibly way, by announcing they had a cover song they've been working on for a while, and it was time to bust it out. After a familiar opening, you better believe they had everyone in the place singing along to the opening lines "Just a small town girl..." That's right, Don't Stop Believin'. Epic!
Even though they played for about an hour, it still seemed too short of a set and I already can't wait until they come back.

An awesome night of music, with my two top picks for the Peak Performance Project sharing the stage. If one, or both, of these bands doesn't make it into at least the top three of the Peak Performance Project, I think I will lose a little bit of faith in the station.

setlist, with what seems to be the new norm of me getting all but one song.
Things Will Get Better, Julianna, CT, New Song (which I dub Cruel Joke), Careless, Give In To The Night (w/ reprise), Brothers of Humankind, Dr Lee, [mystery song], Don't Stop Believin' (Journey cover)

Young Galaxy w/ Bend Sinister @ The Biltmore -- 10/28/09

I think I mentioned this previously, but I am gonna start out by complaining... why oh why, Biltmore, do you put curfews on your weekend shows, so they and at or before 11... and yet your weekday shows go on all night?! I know they end early Saturdays for club nights after, but I'm an old man now (apparently)!! I have to get up early (and in this case, write a midterm the next day)!! But I digress. Last night was one hell of a bill at the Biltmore with Bend Sinister opening for Young Galaxy. As much as I love Young Galaxy, I think I was going as much, if not more, to see Bend Sinister. They are definitely one of my favourite local bands, yet I always seem to have bad luck seeing them live. Every time they had a show, something else was going on. But I've broken my Bend Sinister Bad Luck Streak, even if it wasn't a headlining show. Which I hope they do soon.

On to their set itself. Bend Sinister hit the stage a little after 10 (see!) and started with The News and followed with a couple more from their newest album, Stories of Lovers, Tales of Brothers. The set focused mostly on that, with a new song and a few older ones thrown in, and greatest of all, a cover song. I have mentioned before how much I like live covers, and when they started talking about the Peak Performance Project (perhaps click right here and give them your vote?) they mentioned one of the "challenges" they were given was to learn a cover of a classic Canadian song. While talking about it, Dan Moxon hit the first few notes on the keyboard, and immediately everyone knew what it was and cheered. Their cover was the Guess Who classic, These Eyes. And it was a pretty glorious cover. It was a pretty straight cover, with the end a littler Bend Sinister-ized.
The whole set, all five members of the band had an insane energy, with guitarists Joseph Blood & Henry White and bassist Joel Meyers all over the stage, at the front and almost in the crowd. Even Jason Dana and Moxon, when stuck behind the drums and keyboard (respectively) had crazy levels of energy. And damn, is Moxon an animal on the keys. it's one thing to hear him playing on the album, but to actually see him play, it's mind boggling.
The only thing I was disappointed by from the set was they didn't play Julianna, which is my favourite of theirs, but seeing as the set was pretty short to begin with, being the opening band, I guess I can't expect everything. And I suppose they more than made up for itwith their sheer awesomeness. At that point I would have been satisfied to go home, but there was still more to come!

After not too long of a break, the curtains pulled back to reveal a stage of smoke, and a few silhouetted figures started to play. The smoke started to dissipate -- but not before the lasers! came on -- and revealed Young Galaxy looking surprisingly glam-y, with hooded robes, gold face paint and crazy hats. The smoke would return every few songs, completely enveloping the stage and band members before dissipating again and again. It was cool the first time, but I they may have went a little overboard on it -- a notion that co-lead singer Stephen Ramsay seemed to echo at one point, with smoke swirling around him.
Musically, though, they were pretty damn solid. Songs came mostly from the new album, with a few older ones thrown in for good measure. Swing Your Heartache was definitely one of the highlights of the set, as well as Long Live The Fallen World, from the new album. Despite being the first track, it turned out to be a great closer. The end of the song saw them go absolutely batshit insane and build up to a chaotic climax for the show. The encore saw only part of the band come back out, with other lead singer Catherine McCandless taking lead for a really light and mellow tune before departing. It was a nice contrast to the crazy conclusion of the "main" set, almost a denouement to the show. The set, overall, seemed a lot shorter than it was.
It was a good, solid show and I have few complaints, but something about it just didn't seem to click for me. Maybe it was Bend Sinister being so (too?) awesome, maybe it was just it was kind of late, I dunno what it was, but everything seemed a bit... off. I'm sure it was me, though, and not by any fault of Young Galaxy, and I would snatch up tickets in a heartbeat next time they come back.