Waking the Arkells

Having made the mini-commute up Highway 6 from Hamilton (okay so they're actually on tour..) the five-piece fireballs otherwise known as the Arkells were ready to rock Guelph's eBar. Bursting out of the gate with the album opener, Deadlines, they kept it rolling right into Pullin' Punches and they didn't stop there! Literally playing through a bunch of equipment malfunctions (broken strings, busted mics), and the drummer apparently keeping time despite a high fever - they didn't miss a beat. In fact, I can attest to his ailment as when I bumped into him immediately following the show he was so parched he literally couldn't even speak to order a bucket of water. The vocals were mixed a little low but seemed to be sung strongly. It seems that for a fairly young band their chops are sufficiently sharp as evidence in songs such as John Lennon and Abigail. Actually they played nearly all of their debut LP, Jackson Square, and most every song had an instrumental breakdown in it that gave the band a track-ly chance to showcase their skills; never letting the energy wane. The place was packed and I imagine everyone in there enjoyed the performance as much as I did - especially when they wrapped up with their breakout Oh, the Boss is Coming!

The later set of this double-headlining bill was The Waking Eyes. Admittedly they were just gravy on top of the solid meal of Arkells but we stuck around nonetheless (though this was not the case for a solid portion of attendees). It turned out to be an excellent decision since the 'peggers put on an excellently entertaining show. They couldn't match the Arkells energy but they eclipsed them on variation and diversity. Besides the drummer the rest of the guys seemed to play interchangeable rolls, from trumpet to harmonica to guitar n bass to keys - even swapping lead and backing vocals (every member, including the drummer, was mic-ed for vocals). This led to a wide-range of song-styles, all of which were worthwhile. I guess their mini-radio hit of yesteryear, Watch Your Money, is a thing of the past as they didn't whip it out. The latest single All Empires Fall got a live rendition, as did their upcoming release which was excellent (but I didn't catch the name of). It was a decent set and we all got a kick out of the second song of their two-song encore when they broke out =W=eezer's Undone, the Sweater Song - playing it fantastically, including every word of the lead-in banter.