A promising workshop between Flashlight Radio and Zeus failed to meld the two groups very well, creating chocolate and vanilla cake, not marble. Rather than play together it was mostly a back and forth that saw FR play New Constellations and Z rocking Marchin’ Through Your Head with the other band simply adding a little extra guitar and obligatory tambourine and some shakers in the background.
Read more for Jason Collett, Wooden Sky, The Beauties, Emerald City, and Chris Trapper
Chris Trapper played solo acoustic singer-songwriter stuff on his guitar or uke. It wasn’t bad but the fact that it took me away for The Canned Goods closing song was a bummer.
That early set finish did afford me the opportunity to check in on Emerald City. Like The Canned Goods they are a rather young band, but they seemed to have more unbridled energy, though perhaps less poise. Most members sang at one point or another, often overlapping too. Of note instrumentation-wise, they used a stand-up bass, as well as bowing a cello at times and included a whistle solo, which was the fashionable thing to do this weekend it seemed.
The Wooden Sky had a packed tent, and it wasn’t all due to the rain falling outside. Out of the gate they seemed to be a rockin’ band but the energy waned as the songs slowed mid-set and things didn’t quite live up to their promise. With the finale some of this was recouped on a percussion-centric that brought on a solid hand clap. The crowd reacted with more hand-clapping than seemed due, but perhaps I just wasn’t feeling it.
The late afternoon son came out in time for Jason Collett’s timeslot. From backstage while grabbing volly dinner I could hear the Angel of Kensington. Rounding to the front I saw Jason, backed by Zeus of course, playing Love is a Dirty Word including that wicked bass riff. As I’ve felt before while watching his show, if I could choose the setlist I think that it could be a great show, but with major songs missing its hard not to feel slightly underwhelmed. At least he pulled out the prerequisite I’ll Bring the Sun in the blazing sun while sweat poured down his face as he strummed his beat-up acoustic guitar, and Zeus rocking out behind him.
The Beauties had a tough task to follow-up Flash Lightnin’ but with a bit more notoriety bringing the fans out already, and the sound traveling throughout the grounds they were up to the challenge. I was stuck in line for the loo during Fasion Blues but they had plenty of other bluesy rock’n’roll tracks to fill out the set. Die, Die, Die was a rambler that played on with varied pacing and instrumental interludes but showed just how tight the band are together (following their Toronto tavern residency). They extracted a huge singalong during Devil Do which was a bunch of fun. For a finale they had a big jam during which they would encircle the drummer, build up the song, let it cool off, only to do it again and again until the top finally blew off and left us all pleasantly exhausted.
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