The Sunparlour Players are one of those bands. Like Shout Out Out Out Out and The Burning Hell their recorded music is fine and all, but it is the live show where they really take off.
As they were soundchecking I was worried that Guelph had forgotten about this as the eBar seemed to have cleared out to some degree, but when the banjo broke out the crowds came flocking, seeing as we are what singer Andrew Penner described as their pseudo hometown. What better place to kick off an extensive tour?
And kick it off they did.
The raucous three-piece ran through a serious amount of favourites from both of their previous two albums, much to the delight of the attentive and responsive people clapping along up front.
The key difference to the live show seems to be the drumming. Not only is he lined up at the front of the stage along with his bandmates, but Rosie is seriously killer at percussion - multi-talented too! Most tunes saw a xylophone rested on his set being played by one hand while the other manned the drums, and the kick leg kept the beat. He even broke out the accordion a few times.
Dennis celebrated his birthday by accepting a spontaneous outpouring of fan-led 'Happy Birthday', a couple of pints, and then rocking out the guitar and banjo. He even set banged on the "The" kickdrum and cymbal for a few tunes too like Dyin' Today. (The band is still rocking the rattiest looking kickdrums which at one point were painted one-word-per-drum "The" "Sunparlour" "Players".)
Hollerin' and singin' is what Penner does best and last night was no exception. Belting out old favourites like John Had a Bell and a Whistle and If the Creeks Don't Rise from Hymns for the Happy he sure did make us happy. Also give him some creativity points for hanging a windchime from the stem of his instrument, and tying bells to his boots for other songs!
It was a full, energetic and upbeat set but we still wanted more. An encore screamed O'Captain, the movie-soundtrack tune Bless this City and once again a distinctly Sunparlour version of Thunderstruck! Can't wait for the new album sometime next year, and surely a tour to boot.
Sunparlour Players Set List:
Wall Sisters
Battle of '77
Joy in What You Lack
Nuclear
North
*New Song?* "Your Grandfather"
Point Pelee is the Place to Be
Pacifist's Anthem
If the Creeks Don't Rise
Dyin' Today
John Had a Bell and a Whistle
The Detroit River is Alive
Encore:
O'Captain
Bless this City
Thunderstruck
Friday, October 15, 2010
Sunparlour Playas (eBar, Oct 14)
Hoodie Good, Modern Field Recordings (eBar Oct 14)
The recognizable eBar/Hillside sound guy, Jordan, has a solo musical incarnation. It's called Hoodie Good and it is pretty good. Primarily a one-man show he plays guitar, sings, taps some keys, bangs drums, and sometimes runs a drum machine, and loops a bunch of this - all while barefoot! It was entertaining, even Tiffany's I Think We're Alone Now. Highlight was when he had a backing trio chanting and hollering along while the intensity ratcheted up and Jordan fully circled the stage, working from guitar, to beating the drums from all sides and back to his guitar. Check out the CD that was released this night, and then watch him do it live next time.
Modern Field Recordings had a stand-up drummer and a stand-up bass but the music went along more with the seated singer/guitarist, and his wooden box tapping counterpart. The songs would start out with promise but the level never elevated - the set never took off. Fun instruments like the melodica - even a synthesizer! - still didn't quite break through. I think they're okay with this since the singer did note "We want to be a band you can dance to, but we like chilling out too much."
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Besnard Lakes Rock (and Smoke) Out the eBar (6/18/2010)
The wall of smoke was literally blinding, and the roaring guitars nearly deafening as the Besnard Lakes broke out Like The Ocean Pt.II as the closing band for the first ever Friday night eBar show. It was like listening to the record, except the record was blasting from an unknown source cutting through the fog. Fuzzing out the guitar duo and bass at the ending of the song brought it straight into the powerful Devastation from The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse. Between waves of fog the band could be seen fronted by a man in a cowboy shirt, while to his left stood his wife holding down bass duties. The other male guitarist and drummer added to the dense sound that brought up psychedelic thoughts more-so than the singer's shaggy '70's haircut. Looks aside, they rocked the place hard with the likes of Albatross and Disaster. Showing some flexibility they also featured a flute at one point and the front-man showed off his sky-high singing voice. Closing the set was an epic, drawn-out, then shred-filled And You Lied to Me, which would have been tough to top so they didn't even try with the encore. Instead they apologized before busting out a spot-on rendition of AC/DC's Dirty Deeds that was hilariously well executed. The show left my ears ringing and in a way I didn't ever want them to stop.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Young Galaxy Rock, and Not in a Good Way (eBar 6/18/10)
The lights dropped, the smoke rolled out and the multi-coloured strobes began swirling, as did the guitars. It was to be a rock show - a loud one at that with all dials set to 11. On the surface this sounds like a the setting for a great set however something didn't quite jive. Young Galaxy on album, including their rather enjoyable Polaris Prize long-listed Invisible Republic, produce pop music with rock tendencies that is quite melodic. When that works, and gains accolades, why offer something entirely different on tour? I may not be in the majority but I was disappointed with this heavy, loud set, and further disappointed that only two of the four members could be made out through the darkness. What was visible was the guy setting up for a guitar smash to end the set, only to pull out in a fake. If you ask me, they should leave the rock (and associated antics) for the rock and roll bands.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Library Voices (eBar 6/18/10)
There'd been discussion as to whether the Library Voices would headline the show, but here they were playing slot one of three at the eBar's first Friday night show ever. It has only been slightly over a year since their opening slot for Hollerado on this same cramped stage and in that time much has happened to this band out of Saskatchewan. Speaking of cramped stages, the eight-piece remains in tact (and I have a theory on that) though the male manning the keys had been relegated to the floor in front of the stage to no ill-effect as it made the show that much more personable. Out of the gate was a rocking intro song that I haven't heard from them recorded or live and it served as a proper opening before assaulting us with pop. In the aforementioned year's time LV has released a full length Denim on Denim and they hit us up with a majority of tunes from that disc, including Insider Trading off the top - a song that charges along. As catchy as their recorded material is, Library Voices are one of those extraordinary bands that really make it happen live. It is the sheer enthusiasm and joy that they pump into those instruments that invite smiles to the faces of the audience, claps to their hands and lyrics to their lips. Their happiness on stage, my theory on why they can stick it out with such a large band, becomes infectious and spreads like the plague through the crowd (if the plague caused you to dance bordering on blissful delirium). Whether they are climbing on amps, strumming from their knees (bassist), or in Carl's case - doing somersaults on the dance floor (while singing) they're something to see.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Jenny Omnichord's Board Game (& Album) Release
In a red dress and dual braids Jenny sat center-stage, omnichord in lap, but there was something different than her usual sets. The band! Jenny was playing with a full backing band on this album-release night and it totally filled out the sound which is usually just her vocals laid over the, uh, unique sound of the electronic omnichord. On this night bass lines, drum beats, some accordion and opener JJ Ipsen's keys made this a much richer affair.
As it was a release for Jenny's board game/album I was expecting to hear all the new stuff, not realizing that it has been a few years since her last solo release so what she's been playing at shows over the past year or two has gone into the album (makes perfect sense). Songs like Pain of Maybes took on a new life with the band anyhow. She reached back into her first album for tracks like Kings of London too throughout the set. Jenny was as cute and endearing as ever, even while partially flubbing a wild tempo change with an easy-going laugh. Her interaction with the crowd always seems to draw people in and make things seem very intimate, whether it be in an attic or at the eBar. The funniest moment had to be her introduction to Randy B. Found Me, yes that Randy B., though I'd ruin it if I tried to explain.
We called her back onstage for an encore - a two song affair that closed with a cover of The Pixies' Where is My Mind which was a light-hearted way to end the night.
JJ Ipsen and his five-piece opened the evening. The recorded material I'd heard before hadn't done much for me and even live I still found myself feeling rather blasé about the music. The lengthy opening set did feature a couple whistling songs which were sparse highlights.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Odd, Out-of-this-World Bill
The latest edition of The Bookshelf newspaper comes with a whole load of great news on the concert front. First there's the 1/2 page spread of Hillside performers as previously reported, and on the front is this tasty tidbit.
In June (the 18th to be exact) the eBar will be hosting a show with three great bands on their own, each with a sound much different from the next, which will make for a diverse though guaranteed excellent concert.
Starting off the night will be the spacey pop of ex-Arts & Crafts band, Young Galaxy. Last time I caught them it was a sunny Toronto Island afternoon - and they brought out a bit more of a rocky side than displayed on their dreamy albums.
From there things are going to jump into high-gear as the Library Voices will fill the place with their large ensemble of fun, pop music. Last time I caught them at the eBar I was floored, and since then they've only gotten better. Not only that but their full length Denim On Denim (Canadian tuxedo?) is out, catchy, and ready to be heard live.
Finally are the much-loved in the indie community Besnard Lakes. This band uses a variety of instruments, in interesting ways, such as bowing a guitar, to create a progressive pop sound that a lot of people (myself not included) lose their poop over. Maybe you'll find yourself in that group?
Regardless of your style of pop there's going to be something here for everyone. An eagerly anticipated concert not to be missed!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Young & Old Man, Bell(e) Voice
Old Man Leudecke took his place, seated on the eBar stage, donning his cap, eye-glasses, suit and a banjo. From this position, with his left leg tapping out the songs the entire night he entertained a capacity crowd for a solid set. His quick strum/picking of the banjo proved quite effective in keeping people entertained, especially with such a simple one-man band (though he did swap to acoustic guitar for a two-track interlude mid-set).
Not being particularly familiar with his deeper catalogue, I still enjoyed it all in spite of the annoying drunk-talkers obstructing my view for much of the show. To plug his most recent release he got the song The Rear Guard out of the way early, which incidentally includes the basis lyrics for the album's title My Hands are on Fire. Another fan-favourite was I Quit My Job, while his song that first attracted my attention Proof of Love closed down the set. An enthusiastic crowd, even after a full hour show and nearing 1am cheered him on until Vish invited him back for another go round that ended with the joyful Joy of Cooking. A delightful closing from a lovely entertainer with charming stories, both spoken and in song form.
Solo Guelph female. Impressive bluesy voice. Sparse electric guitar. All of these three word sentences are quite basic first impressions that I find synonymous with the following three words. Patty Bell Smith. That voice of hers is tremendously powerful though the music itself is not a style that really captivates me. (I found myself listening while studying the nearly 300 separate graphic-novel-esque drawings on the eBar wall.)
Opening up the night was a diamond in the rough (not saying the rest were rough, just an unanticipated find). Pat Lepoidevin, the young man from N.B., composed songs for us with his looping pedals and a mix of violin, ukulele and guitar (often on the same song). His voice was dynamic; the backing percussion was subtle; the looping was not-so-subtle but well done indeed. I won't make the obvious reference to the other fiddle-looping dynamo because this was somewhat different, and not yet as polished but still plenty of promise. Case and point - for the final song Pat laid down the first loop and left it running, then bolted through the crowd and down the stairs. We were left murmuring, only to have him reappear a minute later to cheers, carrying an instrument he'd forgotten in the car. He then proceeded with the final track, George the Polar Bear, "a children's song performed for adults", during which he entered the crowd to walk around for a chorus singalong that left everyone smiling. This having been his first visit to Guelph, he remarked on his enjoyment of the city and I sincerely hope that will be enough to bring him back. I know I'll be back to see him again if he does!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Barbers, Theives & Players
Having begrudgingly pulled myself away from the Lorrie Matheson show at the Attic I arrived at the eBar in Guelph in time to catch most of Del Barber's opening set. Boy, am I glad I did as he was a treat. Without any prior knowledge of Del or his music I walked in to a young man seated on a chair with an acoustic guitar and a mature folk-singer's voice beyond the age on his face... Throughout his very enjoyable folk-bordering-on-country set Del proved that he is a very capable musician, picking and pounding his guitar while his excellent voice sailed throughout the quickly populating bar. Armed with an excellent cover of Neil Young's Harvest Moon and a handful of amusing anecdotes he thoroughly entertained.
I had heard the second band in the sense that the singer and man at the forefront is also the singer of the alt-country group Cuff the Duke, from Oshawa. Wayne Petti's voice immediately recalls Cuff the Duke classics for me and as much as they may try to differentiate from his primary project it was difficult for me to hear much difference. Granted Wayne Petti and the Thieves (oh I get it, Petty Theives.. ha) do their best at playing melodic rock, but with that voice it still brings up stetson-hat associations. They managed to steer clear of any strong country feel until the first half of a song near the end of the set, however they wiped that away with one of their many crashing instrumental breakdowns. With Wayne wailing on the electric guitar, and his two bandmates watching him (they haven't played together long - 3rd show in fact) they would bring a whole lot of noise and a touch of feedback to the endings of many tunes. Though it's not too markedly different than Cuff the Duke it can only be counted as a positive thing that Wayne is putting his excellent voice to good use wherever he can.
Finally it was time for the show that has become a fan favourite here in Guelph. In dapper dress the Sunparlour Players opened with recently released album Wave North opening track North. The manner in which this song is sung is earnestly, which most accurately describes the feeling put into the lyrics while singing this song both live and on album. From there the three-piece band continued their sit down set, though it was sit-down with energy! - beginning with mostly music from the CD for which this show was honouring the release. Included were tracks such as Nuclear, O'Captain, and Point Pelee is the Place to Be, some of which prominently featuring the banjo, and one even saw a xylophone being bowed. The lead single Battle of '77, which included the accordion, got a very strong reception though perhaps the biggest response was deservedly for the track If the Creeks Don't Rise. However I do have a bit of a grievance with a handful of folks in attendance. As much as I am glad that they were enjoying excellent music, I was twice as annoyed by their antics in order to show that enjoyment. Drunkenly spilling, loudly talking, carelessly bumping, disgustingly pashing, stupidly yelling - these people were detrimental to the entire crowd who wanted to see the band equally as much, but managed to enjoy the show in a way that also respected the other patrons. Nevertheless the show continued with the lead 'player', Andrew Penner, standing up from his chair midway through. He got the place jumping even higher by mixing in a handful of older songs including John Had a Bell and Whistle. By the time it came to the finale the crowd was putty in their hands and we stomped and sang along to the appropriately chosen Wave North closer Build It Up. Can't wait for the Hillside set! It was a solid closing to a solid night in which all five bands I saw delivered.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Torch Burns Bright for (and in) the Royal City
What, you may ask, are those people doing in the photograph above? The answer is simple my friends, they are paying tribute to Royal City, the band, in the Royal City, Guelph. In response to the release of a fine collection of Royal City B-sides and rarities a night was arranged to honour the indie rock band that stole many hearts (and even a Juno-nomination) during their brief existence (loosely 1999-2004). Included in the tribute evening were a laundry list of artists who knew RC, befriended RC, were influenced by RC, and were even members of RC back in the day (though as one performer pointed out, most of the band disappointingly were unable to attend).
For full disclosure I will tell you now that I was unaware of Royal City while they were still together, but have recently heard many rumblings and picked up the Royal City 1999-2004 disc. When I saw the likes of Guelph's current indie-elite honouring Guelph's past indie-elite I couldn't pass up the opportunity. And I'm glad that I didn't...
Opening with what he joked were the two shortest RC songs he could find, Gavin Gardiner of the Wooden Sky got the night rolling with a couple of simple acoustic guitar renditions.
Gavin handed over the torch, still burning, (get it?) to Magali Meagher of the Phonemes along with her accompaniment that included former Royal City member, Nathan Lawr on drums, as well as D'urb - Kyle Donnelly and a lovely singer Stephanie whose origins are unknown to me. They were the first band to imitate the 'sit down' style that RC employed by pulling out chairs for the set of a few tracks with both acoustic and electric guitar.
Nathan Lawr remained onstage but switched from drums to acoustic guitar to play one quiet, but very lovely song, after retelling stories of Vish Khanna (host, Neutron Stars) during their days of touring together. Evan Gordon contributed an excellent electric guitar solo that fit well.
Next up were the atrociously named Cry, Cry Papsmear who busted out a prerecorded electro version of I Want To Go (lazily referred to by most as Honolulu) to which they danced the robot the entire time (pictured above) and eventually got us all singing along.
The energy level which was raised by the previous performers was one-upped by the gang of Noah 23 rapping, Scott-o-bot of RaggMopp holding it down on the guitar, and a drummer whose name I didn't catch. This was a very creative performance with Noah laying down the Bad Luck lyrics in rhyme, as well as freestyling about Royal City. A highlight of the night for sure!
A highly anticipated brotherly duo of Evan and Geordie Gordon (The Magic, Barmitzvah Brothers) played a couple of Royal City songs, which Evan should have been comfortable with considering he was at one time a member of the band. He sang first with guitar in hand, while Geordie played an inherited, broken keyboard set to imitate an organ, over a drum machine track. Geordie took over vocals for the second track and they played on despite issues with said keyboard. I'm sure they made dad (James Gordon, musician), who was in attendance, very proud.
Greg Denton played a banjo and Arthur McInnes a guitar for a rendition of My Brother is a Meat Man.
Though Jenny Omnichord admitted to being too young to have been very aware of Royal City, just by being so involved in the Guelph scene she's come to know them well. Her three-song set of Royal City covers played, as always, on her trusty omnichords (she's got two now!). Since The Nations Will Sing we figured we might as well too and sang along - "Buuuurning Torch".
Drawing last, Andy Magoffin of the Two-Minute Miracles, came out alone with his guitar and his "City of Guelph" work shirt. Sticking to Royal City covers he did a total of three songs in a very soft manner and included the quaintly-titled Blood and Feces. He made a quip about RC lyrics in general, gaining the right considering they recorded much of their material in his own studio. Although his performance was quite lovely, it was definitely a quiet finale to a sporadically-explosive evening of covers and tributes to Royal City.
Vish, host and organizer, admitted it was his first tribute show which probably led to the 'random artist ordering' which seemed to be a mistake, especially in the end. As nice as the tribute was, I found myself craving closure. Sticking around after the final artist I half-expected a handful of performers to come up for one last song as an ensemble - something we could sing along to and hum "C.I.T.Y, Royal City" as we headed out into the night. Alas it was not to be, but the memories of Royal City were reignited and these performances burn on.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Movement in the Lion Den
The Paint Movement used the following tried and true framework for most of their songs in order to win me over with their set at the Ebar Wednesday night. The song openings would be sparse enough, as each member started up, then they'd work in a couple verses before a refrain which would be repeated as the song grew in intensity and everything became louder. By the three-quarter mark things would be soaring along before crashing to an instrumental breakdown ending. It was reminiscent of another Band I wish not to have to mention in aSSociation with Paint Movement yet again. But it is true, the five-piece rocked as hard (and as loud) as a multi-piece collective. Even with the female section limited to one tassle-booted lady in a dress, and the brass to just a sax, with usually only one wailing guitar, rounded out by a drummer and bassist, the sound was full and rich (perhaps filled out with touches of xylophone, keyboard and foot-stomped tambo). My expectations of a jazzy set were not quite met, though during the instrumental breakdowns there were elements of improvisations no doubt, but it worked nonetheless.
The set was far from perfect, whether that be due to lackluster banter, the super loud soundsystem, slight instrumental miscues, or massive amounts of feedback, but it was definitely entertaining enough to warrant me catching them again after they complete their first-ever real tour (out west over the next two weeks). I imagine after that stretch of shows they'll come back much more polished and will be that much better.
The hometown pride of Bass Lions (see what I did there?) took the stage next. Having recently been listening to (and enjoying) their disc, I was slightly disappointed by the stage performance. Could have been that their song which first caught my attention, Ransom the Sunset was given a different sound and didn't live up to the version I've become accustomed to, which put them behind the 8 ball in my head from early in the set. The double drum set, which I thought was causing the offbeat timing (til they played a song with one set that was still offbeat) added to the volume of the cranked up soundsystem, which may have been trying to compensate for the sparse crowd, but in effect muffled the lead and female-backup vocals, spoiling songs. They earned some points for a decent version of Funeral Shed and carried on with Good God Jesus which ended excellently. Most impressive was the song where they showcased their namesake, the bass guitar, to great effect. As an encore they broke out what they referred to as "party band" which had no vocals since the singer was on the second drum set, but added a guitarist from the crowd and closed up the set with some fun.
(Special thanks to Tanis from the Sound Salvation Army for tickets to the show)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Japandroids Postponed
Heads up that the Japandroids tour has been slashed due to illness.. apparently make-up dates will be made down the line. No word yet as to whether the Fortnight show will go on with the rest of the line-up/replacements.. Canceled!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Construct a Burning Hell, Barzin!
The atmosphere of this show was jubilant, as it seemed more like a party of close friends than a concert. The crowd consisted of all sorts of local artists and members of the local scene, and the Burning Hell really played off of this to great effect. It was a fantastic show - perhaps the best Burning Hell show I've seen (which is saying a lot, not just because I've seen them many times, but because their standard show is a sight to behold!). It's difficult to describe the friendly, and light-hearted atmosphere in the room. An attempt would mention...lead-singer Mathias' ad-libbed pretend-dialogue with a rabbi during the opening number "Dance, Dance, Dance" that remarked on his love of Guelph and its residents, mentioning many in attendance by name. Carrying on they played most of the new album (since it was another CD release) including highlights such as Dancer/Romancer, Everybody Needs a Body (to Be Somebody), When the World Ends. Mathias then remarked that even in their hometown of Peterborough they wouldn't get as warm a response to that many new tracks. It wasn't difficult to enjoy these tracks, as not only were we treated to clever and amusing lyrics, but the full 8-piece ensemble were simply exuding energy which became contagious. Local violinist (and Magic frontman) Geordie Gordon was especially excited, dancing freely and surprising even his own band by sneaking sidestage to change into a severely undersized, striped, blue, one-piece, shorts/t-shirt that looked utterly hilarious. The backing female, Jill Staveley, wowed the crowd everytime she used her amazing voice. Overall the entire band was joyous and played a stellar set that eventually included some old favourites such as Grave Situation Pt. 2, and The Things that People Make. Nobody wanted to the show to end - not even the band as they returned for a medley encore. Hilariously this consisted of Nick Ferrio (bass) singing a slow and stupendous version of Destiny's Child Bills, Bills, Bills, the intro to Madonna's Like a Prayer, before the Burning Hell original, Last Will and Testament, which garnered a great singalong, leaving everyone absolutely beaming.
[Note: A couple bands opened, but this post is in reverse order]
Barzin played a more conventional folk rock set, with a full band backing including a double bass, full-blown xylophone and a lap steel (on the final track), in addition to standard guitar/drums/bass. The lead singer, Barzin himself, controlled the set by singing mostly personal narratives - many off the album for which this was a CD release. Banter consisted mostly of mixed memories of the time Barzin had lived in Guelph, while pointing out that Nick Zubeck who was backing him (and is a solo artist in his own right) had recently moved to Guelph. While not mind-blowing, it was aquieter enjoyable set that ended with a Leonard Cohen cover.
Stepped right into a male-female Nova Scotian duo, Construction-Destruction, covering a wide range of songs from an assortment of arrangements. If you made a still-photo montage of each song you'd find each one was entirely different as they cycled through drums, guitar, and bass, while also trading lead vocal duties. From the grungy electric guitar and drums, to a quaint guitar/female-sung song with a french chorus, they really did run the gamut - and there was goodness to be taken from it.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Gravity Go Green!
If I were to tweet about the Gravity Wave show last Thursday at the ebar it would go something like "Rubber boots and heavy beats; scratching and lyrics to make you scratch your head." Since I have the luxury of more than 140 characters I will treat you to a slight elaboration. This three-piece turned the volume up on their laptops and then holler-rapped overtop whilst scratching some vinyl in the background. Sampling from rather varied genres the beats they composed were out of the ordinary and sometimes too complex or odd to really find a rhythm to dance to. Lyrically they were much the same as the beats - sometimes silly, bordering on nonsensical. The DJ with the record player did have some classic bursts of phrases ie: when introduced as DJ Romantic Thief he boomed through the mic "I steal kisses!". More impressive than the frontman's garb (rubber boots, navy jacket and a shirt reading "Rad is for radical") was the extended whistling solo DJ Thief busted out that stretched well beyond any whistle solo I've ever seen (albeit they are limited). In the end Gravity Wave did manage to get a handful of people from "Guelphadelphia" (their term, not mine) on the dance floor (perhaps it was for the "Free Shit, Free Sh!T" which they kept hollering and tossing about).
Guelph buzz band, Green Go who's night it was (Borders CD release) took the stage shortly before midnight. Opening with Ghosts of the Future I was very impressed to hear them replicate the electronic-sounding song without the use of computers or samples. However it is a rare case that you want a band to sound exactly the same live as on record. So the very next song proved that this would not be the case, as they rocked out a completely revamped version of You Know You Want It, complete with interlude and ad-libs. Considering a portion of their buzz has been generated based on their remixing capabilities (of such acts as the D'urbs, Gentleman Reg) it was not surprising to hear this change-up. After this point the show seemed to take a bit of a nose-dive, which may be attributed to abandoning the second drum kit for a guitar, or could be due to my lack of familiarity with most of the tunes from the rest of the set. It wasn't bad by any means, but the synths/keys, bass, guitar could really have used the double drums for that extra oomph. In fact, nearing the end of the set someone jumped back on them for an instrumental that really got things going again, and remaining on percussion for the finale and they managed to close out strong.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Holler. with your Library Voice
The Library Voices collective took to the stage, nearly outnumbering the sparse but enthusiastic crowd at the Ebar. There were a whack of instruments played by the assorted 8 members cramped onto the stage. The females held down the keys/synths/xylophone (alternating with an accordian and melodica), while the males played bass & drums, a couple electric guitars and notably a rented sax (since they recently had ten grand worth of equipment ripped off). It seemed that every member kept a tambo close at hand too. Self-proclaimed "pop as fuck" they layered on the sounds to make joyous and full-bodied pop tunes one after another. Noting the intimacy of the small crowd they slowed things down and played a lovely quieter number about the Book of Love. The entire Hunting Ghosts EP was played, including the R3 fave, Step Off the Map and Float which was excellent. During the final track the obscenely tall bass player picked up a drum and held it in the body slam position above his head while the short-in-stature, long-in-drumstick drummer banged away on the drum whilst standing on an amp. Spectacular!
Up next were the 4-piece outfit known as Hollerado, from (rhymes with) Quebec. They played some gritty rock'n'roll with a couple electric guitar riffs buzzing over deep bass lines and hard-hitting percussion. This was the standard for all but their regular-rotation R3 single, On My Own, which was more slow and steady. Banter was rather amusing as they pointed out the celebrities in attendance that included a member of The Arkells and the dude from the back of the $5 bill (the skater. I know, I was hoping for Sir Wilfred too!). All these people took in a solid rawk show.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
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.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Good-bye-Spy
Ruby Coast took the stage first as it was the hometown heroes' special night. They played their jangly indie rock to a fairly thick and boisterous crowd. Youthfulness showed, not in an excessively energetic way, nor in a completely inept technical manner but it was present. On a few tracks I thought I could close my eyes and just as easily it could be Tokyo Police Club on stage banging out a new tune. A couple highlights were More than Television, and I Live with Monsters though I feel like they've only ever written 8 songs and all of them were played last night. Besides the d-bag that kept hopping on stage to totally obscure most of the band with his pudgy face it was a solid show. (7)
In their final show (at least for awhile they say) Spymachine 16 didn't change things too much from their regular shows. The six-piece sung ensemble over the prominent keys, ripping through most of their hits including I Lost my Edge Last Night and On Struggles for Change and Hope. The ebar was hosting a solid crowd to witness their last spectacle and most of the patrons were bopping around to their infectiously upbeat indie rock. It was a loose show that saw the girl on keys with the pointless stage banter hop up for some crowd surfing, causing her fellow band members to laugh through their lyrics. The dbag returned again much to my chagrin - even daring to interrupt the "lead" singer's song intro by grabbing the mic and flapping his oversized lips. After a round of thank-you's and goodbyes - both to the audience and to other members they closed out their last tune and fell into a round of hugs all around. A swell cap to a seemingly fun but somewhat shortlived band's life - part of me hope's that the evil Jerkmachine 61 will resurface in the future, if only to force Spymachine out of hiding to vanquish their arch-enemy. (6.5)
