Show Review

Once in a while you manage to witness something you may never get to see again: a star on the rise captivating an audience in such a way that it's clear the entertainer has some serious star quality. More substance than hype, Odd Future-related singer Frank Ocean managed to silence naysayers with a terrific 70-minute set at Club Soda that saw him display his full vocal abilities.

Ocean started off the evening with a faithful rendition of Sade's "By Your Side," which left the majority of the younger crowd lost. Backed by a pair of acoustic guitars, the LA by way of NOLA native then slid into the tune "Summer Remains." The real sing-along started on third song "Thinkin Bout You." Loud piercing shrieks accompanied the first few notes of the song, and the crowd was finally excited to hear something familiar.

Backed by a simple screen showing smaller television sets that played different clips, the man born Christopher "Lonny" Breaux could have taken the easy way out by booking a DJ for the tour. Instead, Frank Ocean chose to work harder at his stage show and was backed by a four-piece band. This added an interesting dimension to beat-based songs, including the set highlight "Swim Good." Songs that normally felt club-ready suddenly had a sprawling, crescendo-like element to them, exploring the musical peaks and valleys absent in the original recordings.

The set list cherry-picked the better songs off of 2011's mix tape nostalgia, ULTRA, and his recently-released first proper studio effort channel ORANGE. The nostalgia, ULTRA cut "Strawberry Swing" was placed in the middle of the set, with the vocal hook from the Watch the Throne track "Made in America" tacked on the end. Pausing only for a second, the band began playing "American Wedding." Originally performed over the instrumental to the Eagles track "Hotel California," the newly-reimagined song stripped away the familiar guitar riff in favour of emotive atmospherics, placing Ocean's vocals at the forefront even more than the studio track could.

The 10-minute opus "Pyramids" was the perfect way to close out the set, and had the entire venue moving to a hypnotic bass line leitmotif that shook the walls. The song moved from catchy section to catchy section and the majority of the crowd was dancing and singing along without missing a beat.

The only downside to the show had little to do with Ocean himself; the young crowd had their cellphones in the air for the majority of the show, preferring to capture the event instead of living in the moment. It was a bit harder to see the stage when a wall of iPhones and Android phones were held high, blocking the view. Such are the perils of living in the digital age, and it was a small trade-off to witness such a great spectacle.

SET LIST

By Your Side  (Sade cover)
Summer Remains
Thinkin' About You
Novacane
Sweet Life
Forrest Gump
Super Rich Kids
Strawberry Swing > Made In America tag
American Wedding
Voodoo
White (instrumental)
Crack Rock
Swim Good
Lost
Bad Religion
Pyramids
Pink Matter (encore)

-Brian H hosts Countdown to Armageddon on Mondays from 8-10pm

Photo: Le Devoir

A few years back, I decided to make a solo trip to one of my second homes, New York City. While I was there I had the joy of catching Fela! The Musical, and  we all know that New York knows how to do Broadway. Needless to say, all my senses were blown, but it was actually a book that I bought after the performance that left a strong imprint in my mind for all these years; Fela: This Bitch of a Life by Carlos Moore.

This beautiful and unconventional biography of the Nigerian icon Fela Kuti was so poignant and well written that it really had my soul travelling back in time and over seas. The book often referenced the club that Fela opened called Afro- Spot, which was later renamed to The Shrine. This "Shrine" became the place where many of the most amazing musicians of this world played in rotation, where Fela performed regularly, where dancers dazzled eyes, where heat dominated, where political truth was spoken, where minds were opened, and where souls were exposed. As Fela himself explained, "Why Shrine? 'Cause I wanted someplace meaningful, of progressive, mindful background with roots." That quote resonated in my mind for years because I craved such a place for us in Montreal, and in this era.

This year my wish became reality. For three unbelievable nightcaps during the Montreal Jazz Festival, Le Savoy du Metropolis became what I would call "The Shrine", and Kalmunity Vibe Collective (KVC) electrified over 1200 souls with incredible musical talent, skill, depth and energy. 

Many of you may already know this nine-year veteran collective held down residencies up at Sablo Kafé, and now offers two great nights of live organic improvised music at Les Bobards on Tuesday nights, and Dièse Onze on Sunday nights. Revered for being the best live acts, jazz acts, hip hop acts, and more in this city, it was about time that they got to rock it at the Jazz Festival. My expectations were more than sky high from my prior experiences seeing this collective, and yet KVC still managed to blow my mind off this sphere. I initially planned on attending only the first of three nights, but I ended up needing a fix each night.

The first night had an under "The Congo Square" theme, so I made sure to have on my dancing shoes. When I strolled in at around 12:15, the Savoy was packed but I didn't have to wait in line, which means it was probably right under capacity at 400 heads. It took me a minute to squeeze my way to the front of the stage where I was pleasantly surprised to see each member of the band repping hard in their beautiful masks, beads and feathers. 

The outfit award definitely goes to saxophonist, Vincent Stephen-Ong, who was rocking crisp white Jordans, an impeccable white suit, and a white skeleton painted on his face. The getups and lighting were a beautiful touch to help the audience get into that festive vibe, especially for the KVC newbies who might have needed that extra push.  I was completely drenched within the first few minutes of getting there, partly because the Savoy is a carpeted room that really captures all human heat, but mainly because Jahsun (founder and lead drummer of KVC) was laying down rhythms so hard that my hips could barely even keep up. 

Being the backbone of this collective, instrumentally and logistically, I feel that Jahsun often leaves more room for the other instruments and vocalists to take their space. Staying true to the Congo theme, we got to experience drums as a highlight, which was such a treat. Another musical highlight that stuck out to me was Christopher Cargnello on guitar. Truth be told, I'm rarely a fan of guitar because I think it's a little overrated (I may have fell for too many guitarists back in my teens), but Cargnello really reignited my love for the instrument with all of his soul vibrating solos, and particularly with the strong lead he took on a few of the pieces that really set a nice tone for the other musicians to build on. 

Vocally, the wonderful Sam I Am blew me away. She strolled on stage sporting a long bright yellow mesh dress and big Donna Summer hair. She just killed us with her power notes and extensive vocal range; not to mention she's a magnificent dancer who can really break down in six-inch heels. 

Everything was shaping incredibly well until around 1:30 when the band took a much-deserved break, and poof! The Savoy emptied up faster then a jar of Nutella at a day camp. I knew the break would make KVC lose a couple of people, but it was outrageous because a good two-thirds of the audience left in search of their festival fix. That's when I really saw how much KVC really is a give-and-take experience. With all that empty space in the room, even though the musicians were still giving their everything, the vibe had lost its strength.  

The second night of the series was truly the one for the books, though. KVC didn't fall for that break trick again and decided to push through two and a half hours of performing straight, which is an amazing feat on its own, but when you think about how this is all live improvisation it's really extraordinary. The night was dedicated to the great J Dilla, so you know you that every musician was bringing their A-game. The energy in the room that was so magical that night, words really can't do it justice, but what I can say is that everything was perfectly aligned. From Jordan Peter's guitar strums, to DNA's knowledge dropping to Blu-Rum 13's rap flow, to the Nomadic Massive guest appearance, everything was right. I particularly applaud the Fredy V & Jonathan Emile duo; these two multi-talented vocalists are just natural born entertainers who have you hooked on every eye blink they make. As a duo, wow, they just owned the stage. 

At one point in the night we were all two-stepping and singing along to the live remix of "Find A Way" (ATCQ) and my musicoholic friend from New York turned to me and said "Montreal hands down owns the live music scene, New York could not possibly compare." As I looked around the room I knew we all felt the same. People's eyes were glistening with emotion, everyone was swaying on the right beat, and all the connotations were straight hitting people's minds. Even an earthquake could not have shifted the audience's focus that night. Just writing about it is swelling my heart all over again. 

After such an epic night, I just had to make it to the last of the series. I was glad to be carrying my media pass because the line-up was insane. Once again, KVC was all for the people and their enthusiasm was thrown right back at them. Attending all three nights back-to-back really brought to my attention how in-sync the musicians are with each other and the audience. Many of the musicians and vocalists had never even performed together, yet they managed to create pure brilliance right before our eyes. I must say one of the most memorable moments of the third night was when Beatbox extraordinaire X-Wam built an outrageous four-minute beat that he finished off with a beat medley mix of Michael Jackson. I've never heard so many ladies scream so high at the same time. None of us could compare to the high range of Ms. Malika Tirolien though, who just ripped it up with her insane scatting skills.

I could continue this play-by-play of the most epic musical experience I've seen in Montreal... ever, but I would rather leave the incomplete imagery in your mind so you can go fill it in by checking out the Kalmunity Vibe Collective yourself on Tuesdays at Les Bobards, or Sundays for more of a jazzy night at Dièse Onze.

I really must raise my hat to the soundman at the Savoy for serving us such impeccable sound, the Jazz Fest for making the three nights possible, the 30-plus poets, singers, MCs, and musicians of KVC for sharing their talent and soul with us, and of course to Jahsun for being the backbone behind this amazing collective. 

Truly inspired by it all,
-Gold

-MF Gold co-hosts Say Word! Thursdays from 11am-1pm

I had the privilege of seeing the Melvins, currently known as Melvins Lite, perform on July 3rd at the Corona Theatre for their recent album and tour. I've seen the Melvins twice before, and each time was memorable for wildly different reasons. Would the third time be as memorable?

Not so great first impressions...

The first time I saw the Melvins was October 26th, 1993 at Metropolis when they opened for Primus (touring for Pork Soda). At the time, I didn't know the band well, but I was a massive Primus fan, and I was stoked to see them for the first time. I guess most of the crowd was there to see Primus too, because they started heckling the Melvins and chanting "Primus!" The band proceeded to play an entire set of feedback and droning noise to drown out the audience. I remember it being pretty terrible; but then again, their antagonistic response made it one of the most memorable shows I've seen. The Melvins must have thought it was memorable too, as they included part of the set on their next album Prick in a song called "Montreal."

Hive inducing?

The second time I saw the Melvins was the last time they were in Montreal at Club Soda September 3rd, 2010. They were touring for The Bride Who Screamed Murder, and had their regular recording/touring dual-drummer lineup. It was a great show, except that I inexplicably broke out in hives about halfway through their set. That can get a little distracting when trying to enjoy a concert. To this day, I still don't know what caused the outbreak.

What would make this third time memorable? Perhaps a plague of locusts?

Retox

There was no plague, but opening act RETOX did feature Locust members Justin Pearson on vocals, and Gave Serbian on drums. Their songs are a mix of punk, hardcore, and metal, and almost all of them are around a minute long. I thought that they were much more interesting live than on record, but after four or five songs, it was getting hard to distinguish one song from the next. Their set ended awkwardly when the lead singer jumped in the crowd, lost sound, got back on stage, gave up, threw his microphone on the ground, and left the stage while the rest of the band finished the song.

Melvins Lite

Melvins Lite is a new configuration of the band featuring Roger "Buzz/King Buzzo" Osborne on guitar/lead vocals, Dale Crover on drums, and Trevor Dunn on double bass (hence the "lite" version of the Melvins). For those who don't know, Trevor Dunn is an incredibly prolific bassist, best known as being a frequent collaborator with Mike Patton as part Mr. Bungle, Fantômas (also featuring Osborne), and most recently as a new member of Tomahawk.

The show started with Dunn alone on stage playing the bass intro to "Eye Flys" (the first song from the Melvins first album Gluey Porch Treatments) using a bow. Audience applause greeted Buzz and Dale as they joined on the particularly slow and sludgy opening number. They extended the introduction to around 10 minutes, which tried the patience of one particular concert-goer who started whooping and yelling "enweye!" (let's go, hurry up, come on!). It was at this moment where I had visions of that first show at the Metropolis: this was going to turn into an hour-long free-form feedback show. Just in time, thankfully, the main part of the song started, and my fears were allayed.

Just like their new album Freak Puke, the show started slow, had small interludes of weirdness, but otherwise, it rocked. As expected, they concentrated heavily on the new album, but also included interesting renditions of tracks from their increasingly large back catalog of albums. New songs "Mr. Rip Off" and "Baby, Won't You Weird Me Out" were particular highlights, as was the surprisingly good cover of the Paul McCartney and Wings song "Let Me Roll It."

My favourite part of the show was their rendition of the "A History of Drunks" from A Senile Animal. The double bass added an interesting touch to song, which didn't hamper the driving catchiness of it. The music then deviated near the end to a slow jam before picking up where it left off and when it ended, I found myself grinning from ear-to-ear. 

Buzz Osborne, wearing what can be best described as his space muumuu (as my friend Michelle succinctly put it), was his usual surly self. He had little interaction with the crowd, but he made up for it with his guitar playing and distinctive singing. Also, hands-down, the best hair in rock ‘n roll.

Dale Crover, wearing what looked like a sleeveless Danish soldier jacket, is in my opinion one of the most underrated drummers in rock. Amazing chops.

Trevor, dressed like geekier version of Angus Young (shorts, short-sleeve dress shirt, tie, taped-up horn-rim glasses and a ball cap) was impressive on double bass; his reputation as a talented bassist is well-deserved. Switching between using a bow and using his fingers, he added a unique twist to the usual Melvins sound. He may be the best bassist the band has ever had, and I hope that this album and tour is not the last we hear of him.

The show ended with "Shevil" from Stoner Witch, and there was no encore, nor did I feel there needed to be one. I walked away quite happy.

I saw the Melvins and it was memorable for the music and the performance, and not for some other event that overshadowed it. And at least I now know it wasn't the Melvins that caused me to break out in hives.

-Idle Matt hosts Radio Fun Wednesdays from 9-10pm

Formed in Portland, Oregon in the early 1990s, the Dandy Warhols achieved moderate mainstream success later in the decade with hit singles like "Bohemian Like You" and "Everyday Should be a Holiday", the latter featured on the soundtrack for the enormously popular comedy There's Something About Mary. While the group's brush with Top-40 stardom was relatively short-lived, their music has stood the test of time for college radio crowds and those who justifiably or inexplicably lean towards 90s nostalgia in their musical preferences. The group's signature psychedelic revival meets Brit-pop sound with a hint of glam rock posturing make them an interesting and notable cultural artifact of the period, as well as a great addition to a party-bound mix tape. All that being said, why on earth would this group be touring in 2012? Could seeing the Dandy Warhols live well past their prime (in my case, last Saturday at the Corona Theatre) be an absolutely depressing waste of time?

What may be considered depressing about this situation is the fact the Dandys are touring to support their latest release, This Machine, lukewarmly received by critics due to its attempts at sounding more 'grown up' and 'sober'. If you've never seen Ondi Timoner's documentary Dig!, you probably won't fully grasp the absolute self-absorbed immaturity and drug-addled mania that inspired the group when they were churning out their most well-received material. This insanity is also part of what makes the group such interesting characters, at once absolutely repulsive (for example, Courtney Taylor-Taylor's constant cracked-out boy-model posturing on stage and off and general dick-head attitude) yet completely alluring. Considering they've lost this spark in their new music, I was concerned that their live performance would be lacklustre at best.

Opening for the group were 1776, a standard, three-piece band that sound like a combination of every monolithic rock group to ever grace a Bluenotes rock tee. Too self-aware to be charming and without a hint of stage presence, passion or attempts at musical innovation, I found the group to be a depressing reminder of who, to this day, has a stronghold over the music industry (cough, baby boomers).

Second openers were shoegazers Psychic Ills, whose frontman Tres Warren is absolutely mesmerizing and has a great voice for the drone-y sounds they produce but the group's live performance isn't exactly a forte. I really enjoyed the group's sound, but would suggest picking up a record instead to trekking out to see them in the flesh.

The Dandy Warhols' set, much to my surprise, was very engaging and sounded kind of great. While Courtney Taylor-Taylor's falsetto has become a little sad in his middle-age, he managed to pull it off a couple of times with ease; largely, the vocals had been re-arranged to accommodate his lower vocal range. The group had great energy as they performed selection of hits in chronological order, mixing in new material towards the end of the night. Crowd-pleasing hits performed included "We Used to be Friends", the oft-requested "Horse Pills", "Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" and Taylor-Taylor's solo rendition of "Every Day Should be a Holiday" (a personal favourite of the night). The Dandys kept their material fresh, linking old favourites together with unexpected, spacey jamming keeping tough critics, like yours truly, entranced in the performance instead of watching the clock, waiting for the set to end. The group had great stage presence and seemed to have a good sense of humour about what they were doing. Overall, a surprising and impressive set.

-Kelly K hosts Cut Your Hair and Get a Job Tuesdays from 1-2pm