The Belle Game & David Vertesi @ Biltmore -- 06/04/15

Almost exactly a year ago was the last time I saw The Belle Game play, at the CBC Music Festival in Deer Lake Park. I am not sure if that was the last time they played live until now, but for the last few months the band has been hunkered down to work on their upcoming album. And as they near completion, they popped up for a show here in Vancouver, to tease and try out some of their new songs.
And you know it's going to be a good show when half of Vancouver's music scene shows up, members of at least a half dozen other bands in the crowd.


First up, though, was their pal David Vertesi opening the night with his self-described Sad Dad Cruise Ship, Crooncore sound, joined by Andrew Rassmussen on keys and Johnny Andrews on drums. After an instrumental build up, Vertesi started off the set with the high energy "Soft Skin" off his album Cardiography. Most of the set revisited the album, but also included a few new songs, like the catchy "Loud Talker".

I've always said what puts Vertesi above your average singer-songwriter is the amount of emotion he puts into his songs, and that was definitely evident during the show. Especially the absolutely heartbreaking "Learn To Run" which starts off soft and erupted with raw emotion. That lead into a new song, I think perhaps called "Forever Young", that was my favourite of the set. An upbeat song with lyrical nostalgia from Vertesi's smooth baritone. He also jumping into the crowd to play guitar part way through the song, eliciting some swooning reactions.

From there he turned every late-20-early-30-something person in the crowd into a screaming fangirl, with his cover of "Say You'll be There" by the Spice Girls, and finally he wrapped up the set with "Mountainside", a great song about a doomed relationship.


It wasn't long after that the curtain was pulled back for The Belle Game, (almost) the entire band clad in white. As well as their first show in a while, it was the first show with the band's "new" lineup, slimming down from a six-piece to a quartet; they dropped their bass player entirely (with Katrina Jones picking up the bass slack with the keys and synth) and guitarist Alex Andrew moving behind the drum kit. Adam Nanji and Andrea Lo's positions remained unchanged, on guitar and vocals respectively.

The set started with an ethereal, haunting introduction before they launched into a set of nearly exclusively new songs. Which for the most part sounded very much an extension of The Belle Game's sound. Enough like their previous album not to be jarring, but new & different enough not to be stagnant. And you could hear vague influences, songs had hints of R&B, or soul, or pop -- but without betraying the sound that made their first album Ritual Tradition Habit so good. Well, there was one song that had a bit of an overdose of synth and drum pads, but the rest of the new songs were rooted in their dark, orchestral indiepop sound.

Highlights included "The River", the only old song they played, which was the stunning highlight of Andrea's powerful voice, and a new song that I had actually seen performed a few times, and was a favourite since I first heard it, called "Mess Around" (I think). It is a slow-burning song that builds up to both Andrea's voice and their rich sound soaring, filling the venue.

They brought the set to a close with another soulful jam, not bothering with the whole faux-encore leave-and-come-back deal (which I always like when bands forego that). And while it was a really good set, I think the band had the slightest bit of "stage rust" -- notably, Alex seemed a little stiff on the drums a couple times. But seeing it was their first show in that configuration, I have no doubt that they'll be a finely tuned machine before long. It was still highly enjoyable, and definitely had me eager to hear the new album.

Owen Pallett @ Biltmore Cabaret -- 05/28/15

The Road to Bestival ran through the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver the other night. The UK festival stretched its legs this year and will touch down in Toronto June 12th & 13th, and to drum up some hype they put on a series of free shows across the country, presented by Fido Mobile, with bands from the lineup. Vancouver was lucky enough to get Owen Pallett, and of course, there's no way I would miss seeing his immense talents at a venue like the Biltmore.

Hometown electronic band Gang Signs started the night out, beginning with a dark and percussive synth sound, the vocals split between Matea Sarenac and Peter Ricq (one half of Humans).
They spent most of the first song gazing downwards (perhaps at their shoes) for a darker and moody song, and I was a little weary that the whole set was going to be like that. But they slowly built the energy up as their set went on, building to more dancey and uptempo songs.
There were a couple in particular that I liked -- though didn't get the name of either -- but overall I thought it was just a good set, with some solid electro-pop. They were a perfectly good opening band.


To begin his set, Owen Pallett took the stage alone to start with some violin looping, but was quickly foiled by a faulty midi cable. However, after a quick anecdote of how he felt about playing a show for a cell phone company (in the end, he was okay with it) he got going with a few older songs from his Final Fantasy days, "That's When The Audience Died" and "This Lamb Sells Condos", putting on a clinic as he pieced each song together layer by layer.

The rest of the band, Rob Gordon and Matt Smith on drums and bass, came out after that, as they went into some newer material, starting off with the title track to his latest album In Conflict. Pallett danced back and forth between violin and keyboard, or both with his masterful looping, as his amazing voice soared over everything.
That is, until it came to an abrupt pause. As Chekhov knows, you can't introduce a broken cable in act one without it ruining the show later on, and about halfway through, "Soldier's Rock" came to a screeching halt. Owen explained the cable had been acting up all night, and while barely noticeable to the audience, he had to fix it to continue. This slowed the momentum a but while Matt vamped by awkwardly talking about some current events, but soon after they were right back into it, picking the energy right back up as "Tryst With Mephistopheles" built to a furious ending.

Owen played a few more songs alone before being rejoined by the band, and climaxing the main set with a song that has become one of my absolute favourites, the incredible "The Riverbed" driving with intensity and leaving everyone in the room breathless, before they closed with one last one, "The Great Elsewhere" from his Heartland album.

There wasn't even a pretense of an ending, though, as Owen left some reverb going, and he was soon back out alone for a few more songs. He once more engaged the audience, asking some questions and responding with his dry humour before going into a cover of Tori Amos' "Pretty Good Year". He finally decided on just two more songs, a pair of insane fan favourites, both getting huge reactions; "Many Lives → 49 MP" which had people singing/shouting along, and the ode to his Arcade Fire bandmates, "This Is the Dream of Win & Regine". Both songs, one again, gorgeously showing off his frantic bowing, and plucking of the violin's strings, for the perfect ending to the night.



setlist
That's When The Audience Died, This Lamb Sells Condos, In Conflict, Scandal at the Parkade, Keep the Dog Quiet, Soldier's Rock [attempt #1], Soldier's Rock [attempt #2], Tryst with Mephistopheles, The Passions, Song for Five & Six, The Secret Seven, Infernal Fantasy, The Riverbed, The Great Elsewhere.
(encore) Pretty Good Year [Tori Amos cover], Many Lives → 49 MP, This Is the Dream of Win & Regine.

Peak Performance Project Year Seven Launch Party with Good For Grapes & The Wet Secrets @ Fortune -- 05/27/15

The seventh (and final???) year of the Peak Performance Project kicked off last night, in style, at Fortune Sound Club.
Starting with the announcement of the Top 12 (cut back from a Top 20 last year, to accommodate the newly launched Alberta version of the Project), the bands chosen will take part in a week-long bootcamp learning everything that can about the industry, play a series of showcase shows, and take part in other challenges, all to have a shot at the giant novelty cheque for $102,700 presented to them by Music BC and 102.7 The Peak.

This year kicked off with a "Victory Tour" of last year's winner Good for Grapes, and the first PPP Alberta winner The Wet Secrets, after the live announcement of the top 12. They started here in Vancouver and will tour across BC and Alberta, finishing off in Calgary for their Top 12 launch party.


It has been something like eight years since The Wet Secrets last played Vancouver (one of their members was only 14 at the time!) and thanks to that, I had never had the seen them play live. So I was very much looking forward to it, having heard nothing but great things.

When they six-piece band from Edmonton hit the stage, the first thing you notice -- okay, the second thing you notice, after their matching marching band uniforms -- is their unique instrument composition. No guitar, just lead singer Lyle Bell on bass, and a strong horn section with Kim Rackel & Emma Frazier on trumpet & trombone, respectively (as well as backing vocals, and some sweet choreographed backup dancing) and Christan Maslyk rocking the sax. Drummer Trevor Anderson and Paul Arnusch on keys (and congas) rounded out the band.

But of course the spectacle of their outfits wouldn't mean a thing if they didn't back it up with their music, and they certainly did with a fun and catchy alt-pop sound. They started off with "I Can Swing A Hammer", the first song from their upcoming album, before ramping up the energy for the raucous marching song "Secret March", one of my favourites, and a song that will be stuck in your head for days.

Other highlights included "If I Was a Camera", which asked the crowd to take off their clothes, as the band went first, doffing their marching band jackets during the song, and "Get Your Shit Together", a song to listen to "when experiencing technical difficulties with the people of Earth."

And as fun as The Wet Secrets' music sounds, it often hides some darker (and, more often than not clever) lyrics. Lyle introduced one song as the happiest song about murder/suicide, and another favourite "Sunshine" is a cheery song about wanting to escape a dreary city (Edmonton) and "die in the sunlight"

Lyle was also quick to give advice to any of the top 12 bands in the crowd, and tell tales about the fun times they had in the competition last year, especially at the bootcamp, before they finished off their set with a cover of The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry".

It was a really fun set that absolutely lived up to my expectations, and proved that they are definitely worthy of having been the first Peak Performance Project Alberta winner.


It was getting late on a school night and the crowd started to thin, but as soon as Good For Grapes took the stage, their loyal fanbase rushed up to dance along with their folky sounds. The seven members filled the stage with energy and their rich sound filled the room, a set with songs that burst to life with a hint of brass and strings, and spot-on harmonies.

Their biggest song, "Skipping Stone", had people singing and clapping along, and they also included a very interesting version of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" -- which was a little amusing, since one of the challenges in the Project is to learn a "Classic Canadian cover" and yet neither cover in the night was Canadian. They wrapped up the set with another grandiose song that included the obligatory floor tom breakdown, as the crowd chanted for an encore as they left.

To be completely honest, I haven't really been much of a fan of the band over the last couple years, but I can not deny they are very good at what they do. It's just a certain sound that I have grown a little weary of over the last couple years, and I feel that while the band has certainly improved since I first saw them, they haven't really evolved much. But they did mention they just finished a new album, so it'll be interesting to hear the new material.



As for the Top 12 itself, here is the list in order of announcement:

Little India – Langley
Chersea – Port Coquitlam
Smash Boom Pow – Vancouver
Jesse Roper – Victoria
Find the Others – Bowen Island
Mindil Beach – Vancouver
Bed of Stars – Abbotsford
Mike Edel – Victoria
Windmills – Vernon
JP Maurice – Victoria
Joy District – Comox Valley
Van Damsel – Kamloops

Regular readers will/should already know how much I like Chersea, so I was happy (but not at all surprised) when she made it in. She's also the sole female artist this year, but surprisingly not the only looper. Windmills, who I have seen before and like okay, also made it in. Perhaps they'll take after Hannah Epperson, who places second a couple years ago.

Three of the twelve bands are returning; Mike Edel, Van Damsel, and JP Maurice. Honestly, I am not sure that I like returning bands with a smaller pool, especially since JP and Mike also previously placed 4th and 5th (respectively) in 2012 AND it's JP's third time in the project (not even counting his backing up other bands). Van Damsel, at least, has changed their sound a bit since they were in it two years ago, and have been getting a push recently on The Peak; I think they are the early favourites to win.

Most of the other bands I either know in passing; Bed of Stars, or have only seen their names around town; Little India, Mindil Beach and Smash Boom Pow. The rest of them I am not familiar with at all, and look forward to hearing them.

And the first chance to see them all live will be at the Khatsahlano Street Party, on July 11th, where all 12 bands will play short sets throughout the day on the Peak Stage. See you there!

Hollow Twin EP Release @ Hindenburg -- 04/26/15

It was a pretty solid lineup set for Hollow Twin's EP release. Formerly knows as Chatterton Eve, Emmalee Watts and Becky Wosk recently decided to get away from the folk-duo sound and put together a full band, with more of a soulful sound.
Admittedly, I was there as much (if not more) to see the openers, but I had heard a few songs from the new EP and was interested to check Hollow Twin out. Plus, I wanted to check out another show at The Hindenburg, which I am really liking as a venue (well, except for their use of blacklights... that I could do without).


Starting everything off at 9 sharp was The Ruffled Feathers. I hadn't seen the Vancouver six-piece in a few months, so I was looking forward to the set as they kicked off with the grandiose yet catchy "Home" from their first EP Lost Cities. They went on from there playing a set of songs old and new; "Our Beautiful House" off of Oracles made me wish I had a glass of whiskey in hand, and a newer song "Strange Dream" featured bass player Paolo Brian taking over vocals a little.
But most of the vocals throughout the night came from Gina Loes, who also swapped from guitar to ukulele a few times. Her charming voice powered the chamber-pop sound, as the band bubbled over with a fun energy that drew the growing crowd to the stage and got people, if not dancing, then at least tapping their feet.
They wrapped up with a couple of my favourites of the set, an adorable song called "It's All Right, You Can Kiss Me In The Moonlight" which featured a great violin solo from Molly MacKinnon, and the explosive, "Blueprints For Our Failed Revolution".


Next up on the night was a band that I have liked more and more each time I've seen them play, The Wild Romantics. Up until recently I had only seen them as the duo of Aleisha Kalina and Evan Miller, and I liked them okay. But last month, they were opening for Shred Kelly, with a full band, and I was really impressed.
Alisha and Evan's great harmonies were still on display, evidenced by songs like "A Monday In May" or "Memphis, TN", as the couple shared the mic a few times throughout the night with an intimacy. But as a full five piece, the band is much more rocking. And the set just built in energy and intensity as they went on, with a couple highlights being the sharp and biting "Who You Fooling" which had Evan jump into the crowd to sing with some people (those willing, anyway), and a badass rocker called "Fist Fight", that featured an almost literal guitar duel between Evan and their guitar player Rory Froese.
The couple just moved to Vancouver from the island and put the band together a few months ago, and I am looking forward to see what is next for them.


And finally, wrapping up the night was the band of the night, Hollow Twin. They played kind of a short set, with songs from on their new EP Keepers (of course) but also their debut EP before that, Noctuary. Kicking off with "Live A Little", Becky's voice fuelled the sultry jams that filled the next half hour, with songs like the soaring "Finders Keepers".
A bit of technical difficulties part way through the set slowed the momentum a little, but they got it right back on track soon after with a more upbeat, dancey song called "What I Wanted", and they drew the night to a close -- not bothering with the whole encore thing -- with "Lighthouse", the final song off the new EP.

The band put on a fine set, but unfortunately I think they fell victim so something I have seen before: stacking their album release with bands so good, that they were a little overshadowed by the end of the night.

Kathryn Calder @ Media Club -- 04/18/15

About eight or nine years ago, I went to go see The New Pornographers play a show here in Vancouver, and discovered Immaculate Machine opening for them. They quickly become a favourite, and that was due in part to co-lead singer and keyboardist Kathryn Calder (who, later in that show, joined The New Pornos on stage to fill in for the absent Neko Case). Since then, Immaculate Machine broke up, Calder officially joined of The New Pornos, and as of earlier in the week, she has three solo albums to her name.
So just days after the release her latest, self-titled album, Kathryn Calder returned to Vancouver to celebrate with a show at the Media Club.


I missed the first opener, Ford Pier, getting to the Media Club just as he was wrapping up. But I certainly didn't want to miss Louise Burns and Her Victims, as she called her backing band. The dimly lit stage was fitting with her darker, noir-pop sound, with songs off her two albums so far, Mellow Drama and The Midnight Mass, as well as teasing her upcoming with a couple new songs -- including one that I didn't catch the name of but had almost a moody-Fleetwood Mac feel to it.
Louise joked about her stage banter (or lack thereof), rather letting the music and her captivating stage presence speak for her.
My two favourites of the set came at the end, and were on pretty opposite ends of the spectrum; first the most rocking song of the set, "Emeralds Shatter", followed by the gorgeously haunting "Heaven", Louise's powerful voice filling the room.


Thanks to the 10:30 curfew, it wasn't long before Kathryn Calder was out, kicking off with the absolutely beautiful "Slip Away" off her first album Are You My Mother?, starting soft and building to a big, indie-pop ending. She went chronological from there with "Turn A Light On" from Bright & Vivid, before the first single from the new one, an incredibly bubbly and catchy anthem "Take A Little Time".
Switching between keyboard and guitar throughout the set, Calder was visibly (and vocally) happy that the latest album was finally released, and that energy definitely came through on the songs, from the upbeat and jaunty "If You Only Knew" to the more down tempo and somewhat bittersweet "Song in Cm", featuring special guest Sam Davidson on the clarinet (who you may know from Brasstronaut).
Kathryn played right up until curfew -- not even bothering with the silly encore tradition -- finishing off the night first with perhaps my favourite off the new album, "When You See My Blood", another song that starts off slow and erupts into a chaotic ending, and the ending the night off on the heartbreaking "So Easily".


Be it with a band or performing solo, I've seen Kathryn multiple times at various points, and it is always enjoyable seeing her perform live. And I am really enjoying the new album, as well. Add Louise Burns to the mix, and it was a great night of tunes.


setlist
Slip Away; Turn A Light On; Take A Little Time; Blue Skies; New Frame of Mind; Beach; My Armour; One, Two, Three; Song In Cm; City of Sounds; If You Only Knew; Arm in Arm; When You See My Blood; So Easily.

Neko Case @ Vogue Theatre -- 04/15/15

About a year and a half after the last time she was here, Neko Case kicking off a spring tour in Vancouver, returning to the Vogue Theatre.


Due to a bit of a slow moving line outside the Vogue, I got in the theatre a few songs into the opener, Alialujah Choir. I immediately -- and correctly -- guessed that the sharp-dressed, six piece band was from Portland; their rich, folk-rock sounds, bolstered by a whole compliment of instruments ranging from keys to stand up bass to slide guitar. They even utilized a theremin for a small section on of the the standout songs, "Hell of a Trick". Frontman (more or less) Adam Shearer chatted between songs, quick with stories about a song, their hometown, or crossing the border (and mentioned they even had their own coffee at the merch table).
After a couple songs they ended their set off microphone, each member standing in a row at the very front of the stage for a completely unamplified song, even though they were battling with the chatter filtering in from the lobby. They put on a really enjoyable set, and I wouldn't be surprised if they won over more than a few new fans that night.


After a little bit of My Morning Jacket between sets (the person responsible for the between-set-music just put on their album Evil Urges and I was more than okay with that) Neko Case came out and immediately sent chills throughout the sold-out theatre with her unparalleled voice. She opened with the almost entirely a capella "Nearly Midnight, Honolulu", joined on backup vocals by Kelly Hogan, the first show back with Case since touring with The Decemberists, apparently.

From there, the whole band burst forth on the intense "Bracing for Sunday" as the show went on to spotlight Case's entire career, going all the way back to her debut album Blacklisted, and showcasing her range from the slowed down alt-country jams of songs like "The Pharaohs" to the more rocking and fiery "Man", and everywhere in between. Other highlights included the aptly-named, frantically swirling "This Tornado Loves You", the heartbreaking "Margaret vs. Pauline", and one of my favourite Neko tunes, "Hold On, Hold On".

Aside from the vast amount of musical talent on stage, the other great part of seeing Neko Case live is her banter; amusing one-offs between songs, like why one tambourine is better than the other, but especially the back and forth between her and Hogan, who definitely share the same (sometimes sick) sense of humour.

After over an hour of music, Neko & the band wrapped up the night with a few older songs in the encore, "Outro With Bees" and "I Wish I Was the Moon", before sending everyone off perfectly with "Ragtime", the final song off the latest album The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You.


Be it on her own, or with The New Pornographers, it is always a pleasure seeing Neko Case play live, and this show was no different.


setlsit
Nearly Midnight, Honolulu; Bracing for Sunday; Where Did I Leave That Fire; This Tornado Loves You; That Teenage Feeling; If You Knew; Local Girl; Nothing To Remember; Margaret vs. Pauline; City Swans; The Pharaohs; The Tigers Have Spoken; Hex; Deep Red Bells; Red Tide; Wild Creatures; Calling Cards; Hold On, Hold On; Night Still Comes; Man.
(encore) Outro With Bees; I Wish I Was the Moon; Ragtime.

Whitehorse @ Commodore -- 04/09/15

You know the story by now: Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland were both making music on their own, occasionally touring together, both even backing up Sarah McLachlan, when at some point the married couple wondered why they were doing it separately, instead of together. They formed Whitehorse in 2011, and the rest was history.
Now on the heels of their third album, Leave No Bridge Unburned, they returned to Vancouver's legendary Commodore Ballroom.

Unfortunately I missed the supporting act, Noah Gundersen, arriving at the venue mere moments before Whitehorse took the stage.

The setup was that of a full band; drum kit, keys, a large bass drum, old phone receivers fixed up as microphones, all in front of a stylized light-up "W". But it was only Luke and Melissa on stage, as they masterfully looped their songs on their own. They would often start with Luke on the drums and Melissa on keys, building layer upon layer of the song before strapping on the guitars (they both switched off between guitar & bass) to let loose with weapons like Melissa's powerful voice and Luke's phenomenal guitar chops.

Not every song was looped, though, a few of the slower songs were just the two on guitar, their great voices intertwining into great harmonies. And it was obvious the chemistry the two of them had; a frequent question I see interviewers ask the band is, "Is it hard for a married couple to tour & be together so often", but just one look at them on stage answers that question. The way they looked at each other, even the way they shared the microphone perched at the very front of the stage, told you all you needed to know.

Songs ranged from the gnarled guitars of "Baby What's Wrong" to the sultry "Tame as the Wild Ones" to the heartbreaking "Broken", a pre-Whitehorse song from Luke's oeuvre. A couple highlights of the set included "Devil's Got a Gun", with its instantly recognisable riff as the song built to a huge finale with an outstanding drum breakdown, and an older song from Melissa's solo career, "Passenger 24", which started with McClelland at the front of the stage, her voice driving the dark song before Doucet burst in with the drums, and then tore it up on his Gretsch White Falcon. He even slipped in a little bit of the James Bond theme into the mix -- perhaps a nod to the common (and correct) opinion that the band would be perfect to record a song for a Bond movie.

The main set came to a close with their current single, a driving, anthemic song "Downtown" before coming back out for a couple more; "Jane" from their album with one of my favourite titles The Fate Of The World Depends On This Kiss and finally wrapping up with a Tom Waits cover, "Gun Street Girls", giving one last showcase of their looping.


The first time I saw Whitehorse, a little over two years ago at the Commodore, I had no idea what I was in store for. And this show blew that one away. I have said many times before on this very blog that I love watching looping artists, especially ones this good, and combined with their raw talent and clear passion they have towards each other and the music, it makes for a show that will be tough to top.


setlist
You Get Older, Baby What's Wrong, No Glamour in the Hammer, Boss Man, Broken, Emerald Isle, Tame as the Wild Ones, The One I Hurt, Sweet Disaster, Achilles' Desire, Fake Your Death (And I'll Fake Mine), Devil's Got a Gun, Passenger 24, Downtown. 
(encore) Jane, Gun Street Girl [Tom Waits cover].

Bear Mountain @ Celebrities -- 04/04/15

I am going to be honest here: I am not an electronic music guy. Of course, there are a few bands in the genre I like, but overall? Not really my thing. So I never thought I would be partaking in the 2015 Seasons Festival, an electronic music fest with headliners like Diplo and Eric Prydz.
But then I spotted a Bear Mountain show as part of the fest, and with their blend of electro, pop, and indie, they would definitely get me to Celebrities (perhaps the only venue in Vancouver I still had yet to see a show at).


Another plus was the opening act, Chersea. She explored a bit more of the "electronic" side of her electro-alt-pop sound for the festival. She still had the same bubbly energy and soaring vocals, they were just a little more 'robotic' than usual, with synthesizers and drum beats and at least one bass drop in the set.
Most of the set was newer songs, as she looped a myriad of instruments from keys to drum pad to synth and even a trumpet, and even the one familiar tune, "Requiem" off her Grey Matter EP, was punched up for the growing crowd to dance.
She ended her short opening set with another new song and a bit of participation, getting the audience in on the looping action, holding the microphone out to the growing crowd to record and loop their clapping along, which was pretty cool.


Next up was Sabota, featuring one half of Humans Robbie Slade and Max Ulis. The duo's set was a lot more what you would expect from an electronic festival, with both guys standing behind a table of equipment and Robbie providing live vocals. It was definitely more of a house music sound, and thus not really my speed... but they had a full dance floor moving for the set, so even though it was not to my tastes, they were clearly doing a good job.

And not long after -- the show was tightly scheduled so Celebrities could kick everyone out at 11 -- Bear Mountain took the stage. One of the thing that always impresses me of their shows is the visuals, as Kenji Rodriguez does these live on stage (as well as playing the keytar). So you get a really cool and dynamic show, different every time. Images projected on large triangles behind them, with a giant LED 'BMTN' looming over the stage, and even the house lights part of the show. At one point the stage went dark for sparse white lights to twinkle overhead, giving it a stellar feel.

They kicked off the set with the familiar "Congo" getting the sold out club jumping, and bursts of confetti came early and often, as lead singer Ian Bevis frequently asked if the crowd was ready right before songs burst forth into giant hooks. The first half of the set mostly featured older songs, like the ridiculously and insanely catchy "Faded" before they teased some new material. Bevis announced their new album was finally, after two years, done. Mastered and everything. The new songs sounded even more punchy and dancey, so I'm looking forward to it.

And I'm not sure if it was by design, to mimic the feel of a DJ for the electronic festival, but there were hardly any breaks between the songs; they transitioned from one to the next flawlessly. After nearly an hour, the band brought the main set to an end with an explosive song (I think it was "Swim") before coming back out for one more, "Two Step", a the bouncy and uplifting genre-bending song to cap off the night.


Since seeing them for the first time a few years ago, rocketing along Canada on a train as part of Tracks on Tracks, Bear Mountain has continually impressed me with their live shows. This night was no different, and I can't wait to hear the new album.

Remembering Jay Smith with Matt Mays, Dustin Bentall, Adam Baldwin, and Odds @ Imperial -- 04/01/15

It is hard to preface an event like this, so I am just going to quote was the organiser Dustin Bentall said in the facebook post:

"In March of 2013 I lost a great friend, Jay Smith. He took his life while out on the road. In an effort to celebrate his beautiful songs and spirit we're throwing a party at The Imperial Vancouver. All proceeds from this show will benefit Unison Benevolent Fund. 

Unison Benevolent Fund is a non-profit organization that provides counselling, emergency relief, and benefit programs for the Canadian music community who face personal or professional challenges due to hardship, illness, unemployment or economic difficulties."

I was actually in attendance for the Matt Mays show in Vancouver, only days after it happened, and it was the most emotionally intense shows I have ever seen. So this night, with a great lineup, paying tribute to Jay Smith, was something that was easy to support.


Starting off the night was "Vancouver's official house band", Odds. They played a quick set of a half-dozen songs from old favourites like the the deceptively upbeat "It Falls Apart" to newer tunes, "He Thinks He Owns You", which is either about a jealous boyfriend, or a jealous dog owner.
As usual, the band was full of energy, lead singer Craig Northy effortlessly chatting between their ridiculously catchy songs. They wrapped up by inviting the first (of many) special guests on stage, Barney Bentall to join in on "Someone Who Is Cool", as well as Cary Pratt (aka Prairie Cat) on percussion.


Next up was Adam Baldwin, a long time member of Matt Mays band with Jay Smith, to play his own material. He started off on stage alone (joking that he opted to drink rum instead of teaching the band his songs) with a couple heartfelt songs off his EP, "Bonnie Raitt" and the single "Love You With My Eyes Closed". After that, he was joined by what was essentially the "house band" of the night, which included Odds' drummer Pat Stewart (who actually played with every single band that night), Rick James Baker, and Brad Ferguson, and later on both Dustin Bentall and Kendel Carson. The full band setup was quite a bit more rockin', and included a cover of "Tush" by ZZ Top, with vocals from Christine Campbell.

At the end of the set, Baldwin invited up a Vancouver band to play one of his favourite songs with him. Which was The Matinée as they played the eternal 'song of the summer' "Young & Lazy" with Adam.


Not long after, the man who organised the whole night (with a fair amount of help as he was quick to point out) Dustin Bentall, with a bit of a dark roots-rock sound. He played a few songs, mostly songs from his recent album You Are An Island, with highlights being the title track and "Shine", both featuring the incredible fiddle of Kendal Carson -- I mean, how many times have you seen someone absolutely shred on the fiddle in a rock show?

After his own set, he quickly brought out a few more musicians, including Shaun Verreault and Jay's sister Chelle Fraser to for a set of some of Jay Smith's songs. It was a rockin' set with songs like "Romantic Fool" and "Hurts Like Hell", as well as a gorgeous song with just Chelle and Kendal on stage called "LA Postcard"


And finally, after a round of raffle draws, prizes donated by some of the night's sponsors, it was time for Matt Mays. He came out with Adam Baldwin for a song that they decided to play just two minutes before hitting the stage, a cover of "May the Wind Take Your Troubles Away".
They were quickly joined by the rest of the band, including, once again, Pat on the drums, and Kendal Carson on the fiddle, as they launched in to a couple songs off his latest, Coyote, both "Indio" and "Take It On Faith" which had the crowd singing along unprovoked.

Carson's fiddle really added a nice depth to the songs, especially on the softer and heartfelt "Loveless", and one of my favourite songs "On The Hood", which got the whole place jumping during the chorus, and once again singing along to lyrics that just seemed perfect for the moment. It was clearly a night that meant a lot to Mays, to see a packed crowd singing along, and that was channelled into the music and his passion while playing.

But the single most emotional moment of the night came as the band took a break, for Matt Mays & Chelle Fraser to share a microphone for an acoustic version of "Chase the Light". It is a song that was written before Smith passed, but has since turned into a perfect tribute to Mays friend. It was an incredible, tearjerking performance, and I doubt there was a single person in the audience without a tear in their eye.

And that wasn't even the end of it; Mays invited everyone back on stage, every person that had played that night, for Adam Baldwin to take over vocals on a cover of The Boss' "Glory Days", the whole venue joining in for one last song.


I have long been a fan of Matt Mays, but without hyperbole or exaggeration, this was the best show I have seen so far this year. It was an incredible night, full of so many talented individuals on stage, remembering their friend and celebrating a good cause.

And if you want to donate to the Unison Benevolent Fund, you can do that right here.


setlist
May the Wind Take Your Troubles Away, Indio, Take It On Faith, Loveless, Tall Trees, On The Hood, Cocaine Cowgirl, Chase the Light, Glory Days [Bruce Springsteen cover].

Limblifter @ Biltmore Cabaret

It's been over a decade since the last Limblifter album, I/O, and while the band has never officially called it quits -- they even did a few "comeback" shows a few years ago -- it seemed like a new record was elusive. Especially after Ryan Dahle formed Mounties with Hawksley Workman and Steve Bays and the success they have had.
But good things come to those who wait, as their fourth album, Pacific Milk, finally comes out in a couple weeks, and Limblifter hit the Biltmore to tease the album.


First up was Invisible Ray, a garage-y rawk duo from Vancouver. Fast and loud and sloppy with long hair swirling and growly vocals, there was nothing in the set that was all that bad, but nothing that particularly stood out, either. Well, except one song whose chorus was, I am pretty sure, "Destroy destruction".
I'm not always a fan of the type of hard rock they had going, that would have been right at home in the Fox Seeds competition, but as an opener, they were fine.


The second opener was Jesse Creed aka The Passenger, and was about as far on the other end of the spectrum as you could get. He took stage without a word and started putting together a set of ambient synthy tones that ebbed and flowed as one long, instrumental piece, as if in movements. The music was haunting at times, often dreamy, and could have easily been the score to a Wes Anderson movie.
Musically, I really liked it, but it was not that dynamic of a live show. Jesse was hard at work on his table of instruments, but didn't say a single word on stage, just got up, played, and left. 



Not long after that, Limblifter hit the stage. Frontman Ryan Dahle joined by Megan Bradfield on bass, Gregory Macdonald on guitar & keys, and newcomer Eric Breitenbach on drums, and they started off with some new songs from Pacific Milk. And the new songs sounded pretty great; lead single "Dopamine" had the same Limblifter feel of catchy hooks and sharp lyrics, without sounding too dated. A few of the other new albums that caught my ear were "Key of Karavana" and "Moods of Mechanics".
Of course they hit the old material as well, as they went all the way back to '96, to their debut self-titled with the turmoil in "Tinfoil", and hit about every album since -- even Dahle's solo album, Irrational Anthems with the erratic "Chop Chop".
After they brought the main set to an end with the perfect song for frustration, "Screwed It Up", they came back for the obligatory encore and a few more old favourites. "Ariel vs Lotus" got the biggest reaction of the night and "Perfect Day to Disappear" seemed an excellent choice to wrap things up, as the band started to leave the stage. But Dahle asked with a smirk if we wanted to see the band scramble as he gave the crowd one more, launching into "I Wonder If...", and the rest of the band indeed scrambled back to their instruments to finish the show off.


There was one down side, unfortunately, but it had nothing to do with the band. There was That One Guy front and centre the whole time, way too drunk, thinking it was his own private show, as he tried to converse with the band between every song by yelling at the top of his lungs, and filming the whole thing (including his yelling) with his cell phone.
But aside from That One Guy, it was a strong show from one of my favourite bands from the 90s, and I can't wait to hear what the new album has to offer.


setlsit
Hotel Knife, Chop Chop, Under the Riot, Palomino, Vicious, Cordova, Tinfoil, Dopamine, Cast a Net, Key of Karavana, Wake Up To The Sun, In/Out, Juliet Club, Moods of Mechanics, Position Open, Cellophane, Screwed It Up.
(encore) Count to 9, Ariel vs Lotus, Perfect Day to Disappear, I Wonder If...

Shred Kelly @ Electric Owl -- 03/14/15

Celebrating the release of their third album, everyone's favourite ski bum band returned to Vancouver this weekend, bringing their "stoke folk" sound to the Electric Owl.


Opening the night was fellow Peak Performance Project '014 alumni The Wild Romantics.
I had only ever seen them as a duo, the couple Aleisha Kalina and Evan Miller crafting fine folk tunes, but this time they were armed with a full band. And with the full band was a much more rock 'n' roll sound. Their voices came together harmonizing on songs like "A Monday In May", and my favourite of the set, a bit of a sassy song with a bite, "Who You Fooling".
Aleisha and Evan also had a good stage presence, especially as the set went on. They seemed comfortable enough at the beginning, but by the end they were getting more and more playful, leaning on each other and sharing a microphone, and both of them even getting right into the faces of the crowd (literally).
I think they are still a relatively young band, only a couple years old, but they're already off to a pretty good start.


Shred Kelly hit the stage not long after, the five-piece Fernie band started off with a song that encapsulates the band perfectly; Tim Newton slowly plucking his banjo until he picked up the pace to a blurry hand, joined by Sage McBride's lovely voice, the song building to raucous ending. It is a trait shared by many Shred Kelly songs as both the songs and the band exploded off stage with ridiculous amounts of energy. And the Saturday night crowd was more than happy to reciprocate; people dancing and stomping and clapping, even a little crowd surfing, and no less than two rounds of shots and a round of beers was sent up to the stage.

Pulling songs from all three of their albums, highlights included the softer and haunting "Ghost Inside My Head", the frantic "Cabin Fever", and my favourite off of  Sing to the Night, "Stuck Between", a bit of a darker song with Sage's powerful voice filling the room. And somehow the band managed to top the energy of the night with the last three songs. The tumultuous "Tornado Alley" lived up to its title; the ridiculously catchy "The Bear", with an impressive run on the keys from Sage and an even more impressive drumming from Ian Page-Shiner; and the huge "Sing to the Night", the voices of Tim and Sage blending together better than ever.

For the encore, they first warmed up everyone's vocal chords with the soft and beautiful "Jewel of the North" before one of the most cathartic singalong songs, "I Hate Work". And as everyone chanted along to the title, the band segued nicely into Loverboy's "Working For The Weekend", during which they split the room for the singalong: one half of the crowd singing along with Sage "Everybody's working for the weekend" and the other half with Tim, chanting "I Hate Work". 


When I first saw Shred Kelly, on a train car in Melville, Saskatchewan, I was suitable impressed. And in the few years since, they've barely slowed down -- touring, recording, taking part in the Peak Performance Project -- and have just gotten better and better.


setlist
Let It Go, Cabin Fever, Start Again, New Black, Leaving Town, Ghost Inside My Head, White River, Rowed Away, Time Is Passing, Stuck Between, Family Oh Family, Tornado Alley, The Bear, Sing to the Night.
(encore) Jewel of the North, I Hate Work (mashup with Working for the Weekend [Loverboy cover])

Dan Mangan + Blacksmith @ Vogue Theatre -- 03/14/15

Not counting a couple festivals and secret shows, it's been a little over two years since the last "proper" theatre show from Dan Mangan in his hometown of Vancouver. Since then he has not only released a new album, Club Meds, but also "re-branded" a little bit. The new album was much more of a collaborative effort with his long time band members -- Gord Grdina, Kenton Loewen, and John Walsh -- and so Dan wanted that to be reflected in the name. And such, the folksy strumming of Dan Mangan has turned into the psychedelic rock of Dan Mangan + Blacksmith. And together with members JP Carter and Tyson Naylor, the band hit the Vogue Theatre to end off their tour with a pair of shows at the Vogue Theatre.


Starting the night was a very short set from Calgary's Astral Swans. Matthew Swann was on stage for about 15 minutes, alone with his guitar (and a bit of a nervous energy) playing songs off his album All My Favourite Singers Are Willie Nelson, which was released on Madic Records, a label Dan started specifically to release this album.
Songs like "You Carry A Sickness" and "Attention", were powered by his haunting voice, and in keeping with the name of his album, he also did a cover of a Willie Nelson song, "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain". It sounding somewhere in between the psych-folk of the rest of his set, and the country twang of Willie.
It was a short but sweet set.


There was almost no changeover time before Hayden came out with his band. Honestly, I never really got into Hayden's music and the only other time I had seen him live was a set at the Vancouver Folk Fest main stage, the bright and sunny beach not really a good setting for the sadder songs he was playing. So I was interested in seeing him play in what was certainly a more suitable venue.

The set was a collection of alt-rock songs, many of which started softer before building to an intense ending, that spanned his career, going back to the 90s. At one point the band took leave for Hayden to play the heartfelt "Bad As They Seem", off his debut album Everything I Long For.
Hayden also went from guitar to take a seat behind the keys for "Bass Song", one of the highlights of the set for me, which built into an absolutely chaotic ending. Other highlights included the set-ending "Dynamite Walls", and "Hollywood Ending", where they were joined by JP Carter on trumpet for a song that broke down a little at the end, finishing with Hayden laughing at some on stage antics -- which they joked about after, the band in very high spirits.
Along those lines, Hayden flashed a dry, self-deprecating humour a few times, certainly most evident when he drolly exclaimed something along the lines of "This could be the best your life gets" before pausing for a moment to reflect, and adding "I fucking hope not"

But ultimately, while I can certainly respect his talent, the set didn't really do anything to convert me. Still just, not my thing.


And finally, Dan Mangan + Blacksmith arrived to moody lighting and the intro to the first song from Club Meds blasting through the speakers. They kicked right into "Offred" for a set that mostly focused on that album, and their previous Oh, Fortune. In fact, there was only one older song in the main set, and that was when the "new" sound the band had was most evident, during the ending of "Road Regrets" as it soared into a giant finale.

There were also a few opportunities for the members of Blacksmith to shine, as if to hammer the point home that they were a band now, not just Dan solo with some other guys. Guitarist Gord Grdina took over vocals on "A Doll's House", a distorted trumpet solo from JP lead into "Pretty Good Joke", and a phenomenal drum solo from Kenton Loewen brought the house down as it lead into the fierce "Post-War Blues".
But of course, some things didn't change. Dan still told a few stories and jokes -- and playfully bickered with Gord -- throughout the set, and the whole band still had a great stage presence and chemistry together.

Other highlights included my two favourite songs from the new album, "Forgettery" and the fast paced & frantic "Mouthpiece", before the set drew to an end, appropriately enough, with the final song off Club Meds, "New Skies".
There's no way that was going to be all, though, as Dan came back out alone and poked a little fun at the whole tradition of the encore (though also admitting it did feel pretty good). The theatre hushed for an incredible performance of "Basket", perhaps the only song from Nice Nice Very Nice that resembled its original, since it was just Dan on his acoustic, his gruff voice buckling with emotion.

As the rest of the band came back out, they asked the crowd what to play, before setting on "Fair Verona", and a song that Dan admitted they hadn't really been playing on this tour, the fan favourite singalong "Robots" (I assume he would have been run out of town if he didn't at least play it it in Vancouver) which had the whole crowd singing along, naturally, as well as Astral Swans and Hayden -- and at one point Gord's young daughter even joined them on the microphone.
But even that wasn't quite enough, as they played one last song, a completely reworked rendition of "Sold", the frantic song slowed way down to something that more resembled a ballad, as Dan reunited The Granville Street Choir to sing along and draw the night to a close.


It was the end of the tour, hometown show, and everyone was excited to be there; on stage and in the crowd. I've really been liking the new album from the band, and this was really my first chance to witness them really play it live. And it did not disappoint.


setlist
Offred; Vessel; Starts With Them, Ends With Us; Leaves, Trees, Forrest; Post-War Blues; Road Regrets; Pretty Good Joke; Forgettery; A Doll's House; Mouthpiece; Rows of Houses; Kitsch; New Skies.
(encore)
Basket; Fair Verona; Robots; Sold.

The Acoustical Sounds of Big Sugar @ Vogue Theatre -- 03/07/15

It was without a doubt the quietest Big Sugar show I have ever been to. The Acoustical Sounds of Big Sugar was a night of, well, acoustic songs from Big Sugar, to celebrate their recent album Yard Style, a collection of new and old songs done (you guessed it) acoustically.

With no opening acts, the members of Big Sugar, all clad in white, took the stage shortly after eight wielding an assortment of unplugged instruments. They started off with a couple of newer songs from the Yard Style album, setting the tone for the first half of the night. Frontman Gordie Johnson was quick to joke about the unplugged nature of the show, admitting the only way to "turn the guitar up" was quite literal, and musing that it was the one and only time people would be cheering for flute at a Big Sugar show, after a solo during "Little Bit a All Right".
The majority of the first set focused on newer material, a lot of which had a reggae tinge to it, like "A Revolution Per Minute" and "Eliminate' Ya", and even dipping into Gordie's Grady catalogue, with "West Coast Hobo In a Boxcar Blues", re-recorded for Yard Style.
After DJ Friendlyness took centre stage to sing a Rastafari song -- which I'm not sure if it was one of theirs or a cover -- Gordie and Kelly "Mr. Chill" Hoppe were front and centre for a soft and gorgeous rendition of "Wild Ox Moan", both Gordie's voice and Mr. Chill's harmonica soaring, as the rest of the band barely chimed in.

There was a brief intermission before the band was back out for set number two, this one a little more focused on older songs, as they kicked into blues mode with "Still Waitin'". They went back as far as their eponymous debut album with the lackadaisical "Sleep In Late" and hit songs off every album since. "100 Cigarettes" dropped in a new verse about Vancouver's preferred brand of "cigarettes", and the normally furious "Ride Like Hell" was chilled way out.

The only new song they played was another from Yard Style, "Served My Time", co-written with Antigonish Nova Scotia's The Trews (who have a long relationship with Johnson, as he produced their debut album). 

As the night drew to a close, they wrapped up the main set with a pair of songs that were quite clearly fan favourites; "All Hell For A Basement", which is one of my personal faves, and "Turn The Lights On", both of which had the crowd singing and clapping along.
But of course they couldn't leave it there, as they popped out for an encore of a couple more. Another favourite of mine, their cover of Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy" (which I think they've pretty much owned by this point) and finally, a banjo'd up version of "Digging A Hole".


I've seen Big Sugar live a few times now -- once right before their breakup and a few times since they reunited -- and they have routinely been one of the loudest and most rockin' live bands I have seen. This show was, obviously, quite the opposite, but the band had no less passion. You could feel how excited they were to be stripping down the songs and playing them in a soft-seater venue. And even though I'm not sure I want Gordie trading in his double guitar for a banjo permanently, it was a really cool show.


setlist
Calling All The Youth, Heart Refuse To Pound, Little Bit A All Right, Freedom Train, West Coast Hobo In a Boxcar Blues, A Revolution Per Minute, Eliminate Ya, I Want You Now, [Friendlyness song], Wild Ox Moan.
(intermission)
Still Waitin', Sleep In Late, 100 Cigarettes, Joe Louis/Judgement Day, Served My Time, Ride Like Hell, All Hell For a Basement, Turn The Lights On.
(encore)
Dear Mr. Fantasy, Diggin' a Hole.

Rah Rah @ Media Club -- 03/05/15

I didn't even notice that The Media Club had (apparently?) been closed for the last couple months, but the other day they celebrated their grand re-opening with one of Regina's finest, as Rah Rah teased their upcoming album, Vessels, out this spring
Though, it didn't seem like much had changed; there was a fresh coat of paint and the bathrooms were not as dank as they once were, but it may still be a work in progress.


First up was Savvie opening the show. Recently transformed from the folksy Redbird, Savannah Leigh Wellman has tongue-in-cheek called her new sound "Sex Rock" (though doesn't specify whose tongue in whose cheek), with crunchy guitars and reverb-drenched vocals to get your hips swaying.
The set was pretty much a shorter version of her recent album release show, playing most of the recently released Night Eyes, with songs ranging from the sly "Break You In", the grittier "Gravity", and the smooth groove of "I Fall Again". My favourite of the set, "Dreams of Surrender", was an intense heartbreaker of a song with Savannah's vocals soaring and culminating with Jason Blood shredding on guitar.


Not long after, the five members of Rah Rah packed the stage. There wasn't as much instrument-switching as previous shows -- most notably, Erin Passmore did not hop behind the drum kit, rather stayed up front on keyboard and guitar. Nearly all members shared vocal duties, but the bulk were split between Erin and Marshall Burns, as they burst out the gates with what I think was a new song, followed by "Art and a Wife" from their previous The Poet's Dead.

The set spanned all three albums as well as teased their upcoming Vessels, with a few songs that really got me excited for the new record. Particularly one called "Chip Off the Heart" (and probably not the mondegreen "Chipmunk for Hire") with Kristina Hedlund on lead vocals. Other highlights included "Henry" with its gang-vocal chorus, the chaotic climax of "First Kiss", and "20s", with a line that has started to hit a little too close to home, "I spent my twenties on rock & roll, I'll spend my thirties feeling old".

As the main set came to a close, they finished with a pair of songs that could only come from a Regina band. First "Duet for Emmylou and the Grievous Angel" which is my favourite of theirs, likely a shared sentiment as just about everyone in the room was singing along, especially "in Regina... Saskatchewan" as Erin and Marshall's voices blended together beautifully. Then they closed out with "Prairie Girl", Erin's voice once more soaring over the ridiculously catchy song.
But of course, they came back out for a couple more, leaving the crowd with a couple more new songs, one sweet song, and one that they were playing live in front of people for the first time ever.


Rah Rah is a ridiculously fun band live, each member full of energy and enthusiasm, and the show was a great tease for the upcoming album. When they first released "Good Winter", I liked it, but I thought it wasn't that big of a departure from The Poet's Dead. But the other new songs sounded like a really great step forward, and I am looking forward to Vessels even more now. And eagerly anticipating the following tour.

Stars & Hey Rosetta! @ Vogue -- 02/28/15

Five years ago this month, I saw Stars with Hey Rosetta! opening for them at the Orpheum. It was a great show, which Hey Rosetta! nearly stole, so much so that Torquil even said something along the lines of "that's the last time they ever open for anyone!"
Well, I'm glad that's not quite the case, as the pair of bands wrapped up a Canadian tour with a pair of sold out shows this weekend at the Vogue Theatre.


I was even more excited given the fact that I hadn't even seen Hey Rosetta! live in almost four years.
In front of a giant golden backdrop, they filled the stage, seven members large (eight, when Stars' Evan Cranley joined them part-way thought the set), with everything from violin, cello, french horn, xylophone, members occasionally switching around, playing different instruments. The big band created Hey Rosetta!'s lush, sonic wall of sound, with powerful songs that erupted into a swell of strings and horns.

Starting off with a "Soft Offering (For the Oft Suffering)", and lead singer Tim Baker behind the keyboard, a lone spotlight on him before the rest of the band joined in. They grew the intensity with "Gold Teeth" and finally exploded with "Yer Spring", culminating in a jam that saw Tim Baker, now on guitar, taking a running leap off hey keyboard stool. Other highlights included "Red Heart", which had a little bit of "Black Heart" slipped in, and the incredibly emotional "Welcome". They ended with the beautiful "Bandages", starting with Tim on acoustic guitar before the rest of the band slowly joined in.

They played a nice, hour-long set which made it feel more like a co-headlining spot than an opening spot, which was as it should be. And I especially liked the lighting for their set. A lot of it was backlit -- but not so much that you couldn't see the band -- and a few times, they would dim the stage lights with a spotlight on the prominent instruments. It was a nice touch.


setlist
Soft Offering (For The Oft Suffering), Gold Teeth, Yer Spring, What Arrows, Young Glass, Neon Beyond, Red Heart / Black Heart, Kintsukuroi, Welcome, Bandages.


After a quick break, Stars immediately got the sold out theatre dancing with "From The Night" the first song off their latest album, No One Is Lost. The amazing energy from the whole band was immediately apparent, especially lead singers Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan. Besides both putting a great amount of passion into their singing, Torquil danced like he didn't care, and more than once Amy could be seen air-drumming along to Pat McGee.

As their shows are wont to do, the set spanned every possible emotion. From the vitriolic "We Don't Want Your Body" to the heartbreaking "Dead Hearts", from the bitter "One More Night" to the gorgeous "Elevator Love Letter", no one can go from love to death, from joy to sorrow, faster or better than Stars.
But the absolute highlight of the set was one of my favourite Stars songs, "Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It". The song started and half of Hey Rosetta! emerged on stage in 80's gear, neon spandex and headbands, with an amazing choreographed dance to go along with the song. And perhaps because of that, if lifted both Torq and Amy for an amazing performance; I actually got chills as Torquil spat out the lines "But if you like it sing along / Sing 'cause you don't know how to say it" and "Take the weakest thing in you / And then beat the bastards with it". 

The set drew to a close after a rousing "Take Me To The Riot" with the opening synth of the title track to No One Is Lost started for the final song, only for Torquil to interrupt and make sure to slip in one more song. And after an incredibly heartfelt love letter to the fans, he got out his melodica for the opening strains of "Your Ex-Lover is Dead", the crowd singing along to every single word. 

For the encore, Amy and Evan Cranley came out alone, joined on backup vocals by Kinley Dowling of Hey Rosetta! by popular demand, for the soft and lovely "Favourite Book", before the rest of the band emerged. They did a quick audience poll for the last song, with "Calendar Girl" winning out, as they ended the night with Amy Millan's gorgeous vocals, and the conclusion of the song seeing Torquil drop his mic, rip out his in-ear monitors, and jump down into the crowd, yelling at the top of his lungs the final words of the song, "I'm alive"


It's ridiculously cheesy to put into words, but there's something about seeing Stars perform live that just makes me want to be better. Seeing the love the band has for their music, for each other, for the fans, even for Hey Rosetta! is quite something, and as long as they keep making music, I will keep showing up.


setlist
From The Night, Fixed, We Don't Want Your Body, Backlines, You Keep Coming Up, A Song is a Weapon, Are You Okay?, Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It, Look Away, Dead Hearts, Trap Door, One More Night, Elevator Love Letter, Take Me To The Riot, Your Ex-Lover Is Dead, No One Is Lost.
(encore) My Favourite Book, Calendar Girl.

Sam Roberts @ Commodore -- 02/27/15

It's been a few years since I last saw Sam Roberts and his Band play live, and apparently nine years since they last graced the stage of the Commodore Ballroom. Which is probably why they were playing back to back sold-out shows this weekend, on the heels of last year's latest album, Lo-Fantasy. 

I caught the first of the two nights, unfortunately missing both local acts that opened the show, Pigeon Park and The River & The Road. 


I arriving just in time for Sam Roberts Band to hit the stage, with a giant LED screen behind the band. Most of the time the screen had shapes, colours, and patterns to go along with the songs, but a few times it had something more specific; old clips of Detroit in 1967 for the appropriate song, or a direct feed from a camera that was sitting on stage, pointing out into the crowd.

The Montreal band delved into Lo-Fantasy early with "Shapeshifters" and "Human Heat" kicking things off, before hitting songs from all previous albums (and showcasing just how many hits the band has). There was lots of singing along throughout the night, which started early with "Where Have All The Good People Gone?" and lots of dancing (well, weak-moshing/jumping, perhaps to prove that "Them Kids" did not, in fact, know how to dance to rock 'n' roll). Other highlights included the jangly keyboard of "Detroit '67", the driving, anthemic "Kid Icarus", and the dark and kind of brooding mood of "I Feel You".

"Chasing the Light" closed out the main set, but instead of the normal silence to tease the inevitable encore, there had glitchy, synth beats pumping out with a video on the big screen, leading up to a countdown for the band to reappear. They promised the crowd "We're All in This Together" before one last singalong, "Brother Down", that ended with Sam jumping into the photo pit to get right up with the crowd, and even grabbing the camera that fed to the big screen and playing cinematographer.

That ending right there would have been pretty good, but they weren't quite done. After an hour and a half, they still had one song left in the tank. One song that is not only my favourite Sam Roberts song, but unarguably their most epic, the ten-minute long "Mind Flood". The song ebbed and flowed with swirling psychedelic guitars and cacophonous drums, to built to an intense climax for the perfect ending to the show.

setlist

Shapeshifters, Human Heat, The Last Crusade, Where Have All The Good People Gone?, Golden Hour, Fixed to Ruin, Let It In, Detroit '67, Metal Skin, Kid Icarus, I Feel You, Hard Road, Them Kids, Bridge to Nowhere, Chasing the Light. 
(encore) We're All In This Together, Never Enough, Brother Down, Mind Flood. 

Gay Nineties album release @ Fox Cabaret -- 02/26/15

Though they released their Liberal Guilt EP at the end of last month, Gay Nineties took to the Fox Cabaret Thursday night to celebrate with the official record release show.
And, strangely enough, of the three shows I've seen at the Fox Cabaret since it opened last year, two of then have been Gay Nineties.

Local boys JPNSGRLS ("Japanese Girls", as opposed to, say, "Japan's Grills") opened up the night, as they started the set with a Goonies reference, the lead singer yelling "Hey you guys!" before launching into a set worth of hard, fast, and raw indie rock. .
Singer Charlie Kerr hardly stood still for a minute, bouncing around stage, miming the lyrics, and even holding the mic stand upside down; he had energy and enthusiasm to spare, and more than once had the fans at the front of the stage singing along. Highlights from the set included the frantic "Smalls" and a song dedicated to sci fi nerds "A Girl From A Different Dimension".
They also did something that I'm not necessarily a fan of, the opening band encore. After they finished up with "Brandon", there were a few calls for an encore and the band came back out to play one last song -- to their credit, though they did ask if there was time, and there was plenty.


Then, after a little too long of a break while DJ Owen Ellis spun, the lights dimmed and the sound of wind chimes filled the cabaret while Gay Nineties took to the stage. They started, appropriately enough, with the first track of the EP, the building intensity of "Intro" exploding into their current single, "Hold Your Fire". Going through the entire EP over the course of the night, weaving older songs in as well, the band showed off their sound that is a distillation of a few decades and genres, that blended together well without ever feeling derivative; hook-filled rockers like "Hold Your Fire", the slightly sleazy "Turn Me On", the groovy hip shaking "Good Times", and the soulful harmonies of "Tangled" all came together for a fun set.
The entire band was on point, especially Malcolm Holt's drumming -- including tossing his drumstick high in the air and catching it literally without missing a beat several times throughout the set -- but especially Parker Bossley, who has an effortless confidence and presence on stage. As they ended the set with the ridiculously catchy "Letterman", Parker lead the crowd in a call-and-response, perched on the edge of the stage, sharing the microphone with fans along the front.
And of course they were back for more, one last song, a rockin' cover of David Bowie's "China Girl", dedicating it to JPNSGRLS.


It's almost hard to believe that Liberal Guilt is only Gay Nineties' second EP; they are still a relatively young band that hasn't even released a full length album, but they've already come out swinging. And judging by the show, I doubt they have any intention of slowing down.

Arkells @ Commodore -- 02/20/15

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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


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


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

Savvie Album Release @ Hindenburg -- 02/13/15

About four and a half years ago was the first time I saw Savannah Leigh Wellman performing live, under the moniker Redbird. It wasn't long after that when she released the EP We're All Friends and Lovers Until It Falls Apart, which I was quite taken by -- especially thanks to her strong voice and lyrics.
Flash forward a few years, and now Savannah has scrapped her folksy singer-songwriter sound in favour of a decidedly more rock & roll direction, with something that she has tongue-in-cheek dubbed "Sex Rock". Her brand new album, Night Eyes, was released just last week, and she took to one of Vancouver's newest venues, the Hindenburg, to celebrate.


Unfortunately, thanks to another show happening on the same night I missed both opening acts, Jody Glenham and Black River Killers, arriving just as the latter wrapped up.


Joining Savvie on stage was a band that consisted of a few familiar faces; Nick Petrowich (of Willhorse), Joseph Blood (of Bend Sinister), Jody Glenham (of, uh, Jody Glenham), and Brendan Krieg (who I believe was part of Savannah's old old band), and to celebrate the album's release, they played it in its entirety, front to back.

The tone was set right off the bat with "Break You In", which teases "I could be the one to break you... in" and the mood continued on with the crunchy guitars and reverb-drenched vocals of the first single "Without You", as Savannah owned the stage with a confidence and presence fitting to the term "sex rock".

Other highlights of the set included the catchy, gritty-pop of "Gravity" and the smoother "I Fall Again" which, like many of her songs, simultaneously makes you want to drown your sorrows in whiskey, and get right back out there -- or as Savannah put it between songs, lamenting on the fact that the next day was Valentine's Day: "don't sit at home feeling fucking sad, sit at home feeling fucking sexy"

But my favourite of the night (which is, unsurprisingly, a favourite from the album as well) came exactly halfway through with a heartwrenching and passionate song of a doomed romance called "Dreams of Surrender". Savannah's soaring voice wailing in the choruses literally gave me chills, as the song built to a huge ending with Jason Blood letting loose on guitar. 

They ended the set with "The Tower", the only song released as Redbird reworked for her new sound, with Savannah warning that "nostalgia is a fool's addiction", and which once more saw Blood shred on the guitar for its explosive climax.
But, seeing as they were playing the full album, Savannah came back out alone, guitar in hand, for the hidden track on the album as an encore. It was a beautiful, stripped down song that was a great ending to the set, both sonically and emotionally.


As someone that had stated before that the whole "folk singer-songwriter" thing is starting to wear out its welcome, I have been really digging the new direction Wellman has taken. I quite like the album, and this was a great debut show. If I'm not mistaken, it was only the second or third time the band had done a show together, and aside from a couple small things, they seemed to be working pretty well together.
Plus, it was my first time at the Hindenburg, and I really liked the venue. It had a nice layout, and sounded really good. Hopefully there will be more shows there worth checking out in the near future.


setlist
Break You In, Without You, Trust the In Between, Gravity, It's OK, Dreams of Surrender, Beautiful Pain, I Fall Again, Where We Wanna Be, A Blur and A Haze, The Tower.
(encore) [secret song]

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.