TRICKY WOO + The Leather Uppers @ Petit Campus

By Angelica - BVST - 10/08/2005

As I get older and the weather gets colder, it becomes more and more tempting to not go out on a Saturday night. I came close to skipping out on last weekend's hot date: Tricky Woo with Top Brass and The Leather Uppers. I then remembered that that not only are Tricky Woo one of my favorite bands, they've been doing this since I was still trading stickers with my friends (well, almost) so my encroaching old age is certainly not an excuse.

Subsequently, I dragged my ass to Petit Campus (now doubled in size and in ticket price, by the way) just in time to see The Leather Uppers round out their set. This fun, bouncy rock n'roll two-piece got heads bobbin' and hips shakin', but once again it was the almighty Woo that really rocked the crowd.

I last saw Tricky Woo at the 2004 edition of Pop Montreal (read that review here). It was a triumphant return for a band that had more or less been off the rock n'roll radar for the past three years. They proved that they were back in fighting form, and Montréal quickly forgave them for abandoning us in our time of need.

Over the past year, the Woo have clearly spent some time figuring out how to pay us back, returning with a much-needed kick in the ass and yet another lineup change. Saturday's show was the official launch of First Blush, their killer new record, and the band proudly showed off their new sound. Of course, for these rock revivalists, "new" is a relative term. This material is less MC5, more Deep Purple, a little less "Since I've Been Loving You" and a little more "Black Dog". The audience was clearly primed for proto-metal, as both the new material and the old favorites got everyone hot and bothered. It made my heart glad to see some good old-fashioned dancing, and I still can't keep my heart from fluttering when I hear the crowd roar along with such touchstones as "Fly the Orient".

The set was sadly super short, and even a wonderfully destructive encore couldn't keep the crowd from baying for more. That's okay, because I predict plenty more Tricky Woo to come. If Saturday night proved anything, it's that this old dog has a few more tricks left up its sleeve.

[Tune in to BVST every Thursday from 6pm to 8pm]