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UNDEROATH + Norma Jean +Innerpartysystem @ Club Soda
By Brian Hastie - Countdown To Armageddon - 03/19/2009
Call me an old fogey, but I’ve been attending hardcore and pseudo-hardcore shows for close to a decade, spent many sweaty nights at L’X and Café L’Inco during my time, and have come to watch the scene somewhat closely, and during that time, I’ve noticed the degeneration of “the scene” (as the kids refer to it as) into a muddled mess of wayward children who care more about their bandanas and cool kicks (often looking like a terrible biker gang than true fans of the music they’re there to listen to.) Although this has been happening for years, Thursday night served as a reminder of the disintegration of a once-enjoyable genre of music ruined by the idiocy of the majority of the current fan base, much like how I believe that modern prog rock (think Dream Theater and Tool) is ruined by the rabid, crazed fanbase.
The thing is, though, that every scene goes through the same transformation and degradation that leads to an eventual downward spiral of generic
Things, though, started off rather serenely as the first band of the evening hit the stage of Club Soda promptly at 7. Innerpartysystem, the quartet hailing from Pennsylvania, surrounded themselves with a dizzying array of lights and toys and gave a set that wasn’t entirely un-enjoyable.
Coming out and playing the first two tracks off of their self-titled debut LP, the band was all flash and some substance, as a markedly complex light show was undertaking, bathing the audience (and most of the band, save for drummer Jared Piccone, who spent most of the night in darkness) and sometimes inundating the senses to the point of sensory overload. Their half-hour set was marked with intense electronic interludes, drowned-out vocals and missed marks.
Singer Patrick Nissley (the band’s primary songwriter) seemed to have taken notes while watching And All That Could’ve Been, as his stage persona was a clone of a watered-down Trent Reznor, clutching the microphone as if falling off a cliff and swinging the mic stand with vigour, at times.
The band’s mix of electronics (comprised of a bevy of keyboards and drum machines) and live instrumentation (in particular Piccone’s great tone, which added an edge that is largely absent on the band’s self-titled outing) came off well, although a little too well planned-out and theatrical to be considered a fully live show.
Having seen Norma Jean in a live setting numerous times, I have to admit that their move towards a more melodic direction left the audience (who largely identifies with their chugga-chugga-Botch-loving persona) rather confused. Everything was okay during set-opener (and first single from their newest album, The Anti Mother) “Robots 3, Humans 0” (which had the audience singing along, even as singer Cory Brandan Putman’s mic suffered numerous technical difficulties) and onwards as selections from both 2005’s O God, the Aftermath and 2006’s Redeemer kept the crowd moving. In the middle of the half-hour set, the band launched into their pseudo-signature song “Memphis Will Be Laid to Waste” off of their 2002 initial LP Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child. The response was near-euphoric as most of the floor of Club Soda surged back and forth, and a battalion of hardcore dancers did their thing, catching butterflies and pounding the pavement in time to the breakdowns that mark the song.
Unfortunately, though, the band followed that up with the lead-off track off of The Anti Mother, “Vipers, Snakes, and Actors”, a song whose (relative, for the band) musical complexity confused the kids who would hardcore dance and then abruptly stop as the band switched gears towards a slower downturn. Much of the crowd was unsure how to react to such a composition that found itself switching time-signatures and go from balls-out hardcore to quiet, introspective verses, but points go towards the band’s adventurous new direction, as they carry with it a “damned if they do, damned if they don’t” predilection: how do you branch out into something new without totally fucking over your fanbase? I think the answer is gradually, as the band managed to slip in some different moments in-between breakdowns. They closed off their set with an awesome rendition of “Bayonetwork” (interspersed with some of Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child track “Creating Something Out Of Nothing, Only To Destroy It”). The entire club helped the band chant the now-familiar refrain of “like bringing a gun to a knife fight” until the entire band stood still, a wall of feedback washing over the audience.
I’ll be upfront: I’ve always had a problem with Underoath. Apart from the clean vocals by drummer Aaron Gillespie, a lot of the band’s catalogue sounds entirely identical to me. A friend who had accompanied me to the show had remarked that apart from a mini drum-solo, a lot of the instrumentation was rhythmic in nature: there are two guitarists, but they largely mimic each other. There is no interplay in-between the six-stringers and very little lead guitarwork being displayed, and the same can be said of the rest of the band, musically: solid rhythmic work that strays very little from its original concept. Don’t get me wrong: I happen to think that they have a good song (yes, singular), but the song marked by a sameness that brings the compositions down. I honestly can barely tell any of it apart, and I’ve tried numerous times to get into this band.
The band brought with them an impressive collection of videos that served as both interludes and driving points of the set, as they kicked things off with a spooky video featuring a post-apocalyptic encounter in-between two people before launching into “Breathing In A New Mentality”, the lead-off track from newest effort Lost In The Sound Of Separation. From then onwards, the band’s hour-plus set featured great audio-visual elements that offset the bland nature of the parade of songs played. A lot of the audience seemed to be really into them, though, as lips moved along with every word screamed.
I can see the appeal of a band like Underoath, but was largely left unimpressed by their set, which seemed satisfying on a very basic level but the lack of the band’s ability to diversify left me rather empty otherwise.
Tune into Countdown to Armageddon with Brian every Thursday from 4PM to 6PM
STREET DOGS + Hostage Life + Ashers @ Les Foufounes Electriques
By Josh Mocle - The Kids are So-So - 03/07/2009
This is the fifth time I’ve attempted to begin this Street Dogs review with some kinda hyperbolic statement about how the show blew my mind and how Foufs is the perfect venue for a punk show and how the Street Dogs revolutionize street punk in 2009 but really? Who wants to read that? Not every show has to be mind-blowing or revolutionary to be good, and believe you me, this show was GOOD…except for one teency little programming snag.
Until about two days prior to the show, Boston’s own Ashers were set to play second as direct support for the Street Dogs while the show was to be opened by Toronto’s Hostage Life. However, once (the crazy cool) Shawna G and I made it to the venue we were greeted with two things I wasn’t expecting: one, a list of set times that put Ashers on first and two, an almost empty second floor of Foufs. By the time Ashers, who feature the legendary Mark Unseen (of Boston street punk monsters The Unseen) on vocals took the stage the numbers in the place weren’t much better, leaving the band to play to a nearly empty room. Now, this is only unfortunate since Ashers were DAMN decent. Blending punk rock with a semi-classic southern rock twang (which is funny given where they’re actually from), the only downside to the whole ordeal is that Unseen’s vocal stylings are SO unique that the similarities between Ashers and The Unseen are almost undeniable. Which is sad since the band really does have a more or less unique sound, even within the notoriously generic street punk genre, but they’ll always just be “Mark Unseen’s Other Band.”
Up next was the aforementioned Street Dogs…I mean Hostage Life. These Toronto punks, while well meaning (evidently), were just way too similar to the headliners they were warming the room up for that I couldn’t even begin to take them seriously.
Finally, the mighty Street Dogs took the stage. For those unfamiliar with the history of this band, they’re fronted by Mr. Mike McColgan, who was the original singer for some band no one has heard of called The Dropkick Murphys. After leaving the Murphys to spend time as a Boston City Firefighter, McColgan returned to music along with former Bruisers bassist Johnny Rioux and a motley assortment of Boston punks to form the Street Dogs. Over the past six years the band has released four full lengths and toured the world numerous times over. That having been said, while they’ve been to Montreal numerous times as part of bigger tours, this evening's show was their first headlining gig in the city and they wasted no time showing Montreal what they can do when the night is theirs. Much to my surprise, the vast majority of the set list was drawn from their much beloved 2005 sophomore release Back to the World including this writer’s personal favorite, “In Defense of Dorchester”. Leaving no corner untouched, they hit tracks from all four of their major releases including the rarely heard “Stand Up” from 2003’s Savin Hill, their latest single “Two Angry Kids” off 2008’s State of Grace and what can easily be described as one of the best punk rock anthems of the last ten years, “Not Without a Purpose” off 2006’s Fading American Dream.
As I said before, this show was not groundbreaking. The Street Dogs don’t revolutionize and re-invent the genre in any way, shape or form…but my God do they run with it well. In this day and age when a lot of new bands are clinging to the fad-aspects of the genre, it’s nice to see a band that actually gets what punk rock should be (and while it’s still uncertain whether it SHOULD be anything in particular…I’m fairly certain the groove the Street Dogs have is it.) Tight as all hell, pouring their hearts into every note and showing the new kids how it’s done. You really can’t ask for much more than that.
For the best in new and new(ish) folk, punk, hardcore and indie rock, tune into The Kids Are So-So with Josh every Thursday from 6PM to 8PM.
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM + Saint Alvia + Dirty Tricks @ La Tulipe
By Josh Mocle - The Kids are So-So - 03/18/2009
It’s always an unfortunate circumstance when a writer needs to review two shows right after one another since there are only so many creative juices to be spread around. That having been said, I apologize to the Street Dogs for phoning in most of their review because I really need everything I’ve got to adequately describe how blown my mind was by The Gaslight Anthem… although, in all fairness, if your show was as good as theirs it wouldn’t be a problem. Don’t feel bad though…I’m almost certain that if Kurt Cobain and Joe Strummer resurrected and formed a six member super group that played both Nirvana and Clash songs that it still wouldn’t be as good those four young men from New Jersey were (but, to be fair, it would PROBABLY be close.)
Though, to be fair, the show DID have openers in the form of Montreal’s own Dirty Tricks and Burlington, Ontario’s Saint Alvia. Now, I won’t lie, I was really looking forward to Dirty Tricks. Their 2007 full length Sauve Qui Peut was easily one of my favorite records of that year, yet before now I had somehow missed every opportunity I had to catch them live. As it turns out, that may not have been a bad thing…as while the band was tight as all hell; I found their performance relatively dry. Almost as if they knew that the majority of the room was not there to see them and they were reacting in kind. They didn’t appear to have any genuine love for what they were doing, which made it really hard to enjoy it. I acknowledge that it was good, but a little more care would have been nice.
On the other hand, Saint Alvia, who I’d been a vocal non-fan of since I first caught them at Warped Tour in 2007 (back when they were still The Saint Alvia Cartel), were actually a lot more solid than I ever remember them being. After seeing the band open for folk punk legends Against Me! last September, I found my biggest critique of the band was that they kept trying to bounce from genre to genre, never really finding a foothold in any of them. This time around, it appears as if they’ve settled on a groovy, reggae influenced “Clash meets The Hold Steady” sound that they pulled off quite well. While they still aren’t my cup of tea (mostly since I already love The Hold Steady AND The Clash) and their second guitarist still REALLY wants to be Joe Strummer (to the point of embarrassment), at least this time they were consistent and their growth over the last half a year is evident as well. They’re not quite there yet, but they are showing definite improvement.
Which brings us to the headliners and the reason I finally broke my stigma surrounding going to shows at La Tulipe (which, despite being horrendously out of the way, turns out to actually be a really great venue), New Brunswick, New Jersey’s The Gaslight Anthem. When I first heard of these guys in 2007 with their debut full length Sink or Swim, I suspected that for the first time in a long time I had something special on my hands. Just a short year later they released their second record, The ’59 Sound and by that point I was POSITIVE that I might have found that one band that in will be selling out arenas in ten years and I will get to say “neener neener, I saw them when…” However, success on record and success when playing live are two monstrously different things. However, after being lucky enough to attend one of the record release shows for The ’59 Sound in August I could rest comfortably knowing that what may possibly be the most earnest rock band to come out of the east coast punk scene in the last ten years was just as tight, earnest and downright SOULFUL live. However, going into this performance I was left wondering…”was their awesomeness entirely dependent on the special status of the show? Was what I saw then the norm, or will this be a paint by numbers, 50 minute set full of new stuff and not much substance?” As it turns out, and answer to all of those was an emphatic NO. As the band took the darkened stage, singer/guitarist Brian Fallon addressed the audience as if they were old friends…”man…its dark in here…lemme tell you a ghost story from New Jersey…” before the full band launched into (59 Sound lead off track) “Great Expectations” and set the standard for the rest of the evening. Playing for well over an hour, the band managed to not only run through ALL of The ’59 Sound but the entirety of their Senor and the Queen EP (also from 2008) as well, in addition to four fan favorites from Sink or Swim (“We Came to Dance”, “Boomboxes and Dictionaries”, “The Navesink Banks” and “I’da Called You Woody, Joe”.) Through all of that, they never once let the intensity fall below and dull roar and the few breaks they did take were filled with Fallon’s innocent brand of witty stage banter. While saying he “worked the crowd” would be a somewhat inappropriate choice of words in this case, he made it clear that he in no way held himself above those in the crowd as he addressed everyone in attendance as friends and equals. If I were sharing a beer with him, I would expect there to be nothing different.
This connection to the audience and acknowledgement of their past is particularly important given how unbelievably huge this band will be in a very short time. They already went from being complete unknowns to “the next big thing” in under a year and in a few months they’ll be opening for their idol (and predominant musical influence) Bruce Springsteen in front of eighty thousand people in England. I can’t even imagine where they’ll end up after that, but I will say that a year ago they were “the next Against Me!” and I can safely say that at this point it’s more like “the next Rolling Stones.” Now before you go calling “bullshit” on me, I’ll ask if YOU have ever seen a band play a city for the first time in their three year career and have the entire 700+ person crowd sing along to every single word? I think not.
For the best in new and new(ish) folk, punk, hardcore and indie rock, tune into The Kids Are So-So with Josh every Thursday from 6PM to 8PM
JON LAJOIE + Nick Brazao @ Club Soda
By Brian Hastie - Countdown To Armageddon - 03/12/2009
Seeing Jon Lajoie live at Club Soda in front of a sold-out crowd proved to me that the age of transcendent internet stardom is truly at hand. The comedian’s videos have reached millions of views on Youtube and Funny or Die, and he’s self-admitted been able to spend time in L.A. developing projects thanks to those videos. The big question, though, is whether or not internet fame could translate into a viable live event that people would show up to. The answer, of course, is an enthusiastic yes, although it didn’t hurt that he was playing to a hometown audience. And to top it off, Lajoie himself is quite an adept comedian in a live setting.
Opener Nick Brazao, on the other hand, offered what would be considered a merely pedestrian set. The comedian opened up with a 5-minute bit about body hair, and then seguewayed into a number of topics that have become the standards of observational humour, such as relationships, fecal matter, television and sticky tack. Brazao has a good stage presence, but his material needs work in terms of finding something truly original to expand upon to make his act memorable.
Watching Jon Lajoie live is definitely a multimedia affair. Equipped with a projecter and backdrop, an acoustic guitar and friend Renaud Paradis (who he introduced as “Jodie Foster”, leading to several Foster-ccentric jokes during the set) on keyboard and drum machine, Lajoie makes the best of his time up onstage, delivering scattershot commentary in-between video and comedic bits that took chances and forced his audience to question their level of comfort with relation to tastefulness (jokes including a bit about a racist T-Rex who hated Asian people went over surprisingly well).
Thesplit in-between English and French audience members was pretty down the middle, which was a refreshing slice of Montreal life. Although Lajoie spoke primarily in English, he also acknowledged his French audience and tried his best to speak to both overlapping segments.
He started off the night with a quick video joke involving the swallowing a pinecone, and then another recorded bit involving the comedian drinking too much while preparing the intro video. He then came out and rapped his way through “Everyday Normal Guy” before a video (a segment entitled “Not Giving a Fuck”) was played before he returned. He re-appeared and did what he said was new material, which covered what a comedian is “supposed” to do onstage (smile, wave at audience, launch into a joke about something personal, etc.) and then launched into some songs.
Lajoie’s level of musical adeptness is surprisingly high; if he chose to take a serious stab at trying to become an actual artiste (that’s not to say that as a comedian he is not one already, all I’m saying is that public perception views comedy below the threshold of what is considered “artistic”, generally) he would have a pretty good chance at succeeding. Songs such as “Alone In The Universe” and “High As Fuck” demonstrate a strong, earnest voice whose musical accompaniment is enjoyable and catchy. He also managed to do a raucous cover of the Ghostbusters theme song, “Too Fast”, “If I Had Wings”, a new song with lyrics supposedly written by his uncle Rick about being disabled, a song about giving advice to Michael Richards (which appears in his “Bootlegs and B-Sides” video) and ended things off with a one-two punch of his “2 Girls 1 Cup” song and then “Show Me Your Genitals”, both of which found the entire audience singing along to the entire pieces.
A friend I was with who had previously seen Lajoie live a few months back commented that apart from the first 15 minutes of his set, the rest (song choice, videos shown, stand-up bits) was exactly the same. She wasn’t disappointed, though, as she explained that Lajoie’s joke stood up to multiple viewings, and the slight differing deliveries ensured that it wasn’t a true carbon copy of her first viewing. All in all, an enjoyable evening from a man who is destined for continued internet fame.
Tune into Countdown to Armageddon with Brian every Thursday from 4PM to 6PM
DIVINE BROWN @ Cabaret Du Musee
By DJ Solespin - Eclectricity - 02/20/2009
I have been a big fan of Divine Brown since her debut CD was released a few years ago, when a copy of Love Chronicles arrived at CJLO. Since then, I have played her music steadily on my show and waited patiently for her February 20th Cabaret Du Musee concert.
I arrived at the venue to see opening act Sean Jones in the lobby meeting, greeting, posing and signing copies of his This Is Love CD. I did not wait long to get my copy signed. I missed his performance, but was content to have met him and for the autograph.
Not too long afterwards, I walked through the doors to hear the sounds of Divine Brown and company. She was backed by two singers, three dancers and a small band. There were a lot of people on both floors of the venue. I chose to stay on the ground floor near the bar for an easy exit at the end of the show. It was also ideal to objectively view the concert.
The initial crowd reaction to “Old Skool Love” was textbook. I was surprised that she performed it so early in the set. It was possibly the third or fourth song. I am not sure if this happens at all concerts now, but the majority of the crowd raised and pointed their cameras and phones to the stage and sang along. It was a touching moment. I was nostalgic, remembering playing the original and reggae versions to the song on my show weeks after returning to CJLO in 2006. I did not expect to hear “Old Skool Love” so soon in the night and worried it was a mistake. I wondered if she ever performed the reggae version for audiences as well.
Songs like “Meet Me at the Roxy”, “Bebe” and “Twist My Hair” were all performed and received. Vocally, Divine Brown was in fine form. Her voice was powerful or sensitive when need be and there were no bad notes. I realized early enough that I was in the presence of one of Canada’s finest urban vocalists.
The choreographies were simple enough for her to join her dancers for a few tunes. She introduced a guitarist that did a blistering solo. I was amused by his antics while playing. The young man in the black leather jacket had a nice mix of confidence, determination and subdued flamboyance while playing.
The concert ran longer than I expected or was prepared for. Clocking in at nearly over two hours, I felt that Divine Brown truly gave the audience their money’s worth. The finale was another surprise, but the seeds were planted throughout the show. The guitarist and rock music sound gave the impression that Divine Brown had either a rocker past or at least an interest. Her performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” made me a believer. Seeing and hearing one of my favourite female urban music singers covering one of the most iconic arena rock songs of all times will be marked as one of my best concert experiences for 2009.
FLOGGING MOLLY + The Aggrolites + Dub Trio @ Metropolis
By Abby Elizabeth Schachter - The Reaktor - 02/16/2009
Flogging Molly has a very large fan base, especially in Montreal. The concert was sold out mid-day of the show and fans of this Irish punk band were lined up outside Metropolis an hour before doors were scheduled to open. Not only is Flogging Molly one of the most entertaining bands to see live, but they have this uncanny talent for picking the best opening bands. This year there were two very different bands that opened for good ol' Floggy and both were insanely good!
Dub Trio, their name couldn't be more different than their sound. Yes, there are three of them in the band but their sound is more metal than electronic and consists mainly of loud power chords. Needless to say they were awesome. These guys looked like they were really enjoying themselves on stage, almost as much as the crowd- who were shouting and dancing in the pit below.
Speaking of dancing, the venue was so packed for the show that there were absolutely no seats! The sitting area became the 'standing' area...not cool Metropolis, not cool.
Up next were The Aggrolites is a ska, reggae band. Now, the entire week preceding the upcoming Floggy show all anyone talked about was how this really awesome band were opening for Flogging Molly. So I was very curious as to whether or not these guys could live up to their reputation. They did and the crowd went mad. They were crowd surfing, dancing, screaming and singing along.
So far, this concert was the best I'd been to all year and I didn't think it would get better but it did thanks to Flogging Molly.
I've seen the band before and they didn’t disappoint, but this year they were amazing! The entire band was on that night, slightly drunk and all the more fun. Frontman Dave King is living proof that age doesn’t really matter. This guy is an energy drink… he boozed he shmoozed, sang and danced. Hell he even did a jig! (no joke) It was great. Flogging Molly is one of those ageless bands that gets better every year.
So get yer flog on and try and catch these guys the next time they're in town. It’ll make you happy. Seriously.
Tune into The Reaktor with Abby every Friday from 2PM to 4PM
THE VON BONDIES @ Les Saints
By Kelly Kay - Cut Your Hair and Get a Job - 02/15/2009
The last time I saw The Von Bondies, I had my hair cut like a Hanson brother and Miley Cyrus was merely annoying, not an alleged racist. Ah yes, The Von Bondies show on January 17th at Café Campus really solidified my thinking that 2008 would kick some serious ass; the band had an incredible amount of energy and executed a flawless set that didn’t lack soul, inspiring this young lady to dance like a maniac all through the night. That being the case, my expectations were rather high for the band when heading out to see them at Les Saints on February 15 of 2009, just over a year after they blew my mind in the plateau. Wrongfully assuming that ‘doors at 8' meant ‘starts around 10', I arrived around 9 o’clock only to find out I had missed the opener, Nico Vega, by a couple of minutes. This was a total disappointment as I was seriously fiending for some new music. Did the rest of the evening make up for it? Read on to find out!
The Von Bondies kicked off their set with a lackluster version of “Been Swank” (being “hip to the jive” I suppose I should know what that means, but don’t), off their 2004 hit record Pawn Shoppe Heart. Taking the casual-cool, shoegaze vibe way too far for a band that doesn’t fit into that genre of music, the band was simply unable to engage the audience. After mechanically churning out that familiar tune, they decided to spring a song off their new album Love, Hate and Then There’s You on the audience, a move that could end disastrously for any band if said album doesn’t pack the punch of their earlier work.
This nameless new song wasn’t bad, but wasn’t all that great, nor did it really sound like the Von Bondies- it kind of sounded like the Killers circa Hot Fuss. Now I’m all for artistic evolution, but the Von Bondie’s leap in the dance-pop direction sounded nothing but diluted and a little washed-up. Jason Stollsteimer’s voice lacked the dirty, Dee-troit growl we rock and roll junkies fell in love with early in the millennium and the instrumentation lacked any passion. The one saving grace in this relatively bland tune was a great, loud and crazy instrumental breakdown towards the end that put some colour in the Von Bondies’ cheeks and made them come bursting to life, if only for a few minutes.
This energy was carried on into “Going Down” off their first album, Lack of Communication. I suddenly remembered why I dug the Von Bondies; this tune was packed with enough bluesy, nu-garage swagger to get the crowd feeling a whole lotta sexy, which was an appropriate atmosphere for the day after Valentines.
Due to my limited space to complete the rest of this review, I’ll sum up some highlights and lowlights of the show, most likely concluding with a short summary you can reference if you don’t want to read this whole thing.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1) Not That Social: “I’m not that social, just a good drinker.” Words we can all relate to! I’ll admit, the female vocals were a little shaky, but overall one of the finest tunes of the evening.
2) Pawn Shoppe Heart: Apparently about J.S.’s first wife. A very captivating and gritty performance by the whole band. Thumbs up.
3) No Regrets: They turned up their amps to 11 and the crowd actually moved around a little without having to be prompted by the band to do so. I call that successful.
4) Lowlight: Another nameless new song about dancing to forget your troubles and blah blah blah. Ironically, the band had to tell people in advance to dance and continued to do so numerous times when the crowd refused.
5) Lowlight: The band plays C’mon C’mon as an encore. While it was played well and the crowd went crazy, my sad little heart tells me this will most likely be the Von Bondies’ last tour. If they plan on taking their music in the direction of Love, Hate... they should never play this song again.
To summarize, this show was somehow confusing. Half the time I was resisting the urge to rip up my notes and start dancing. The other half of the show made me want to go home because I felt so bad about the audiences’ poor reception of the V.B’s new material, as well as the bands exhausted and uninterested demeanour. Maybe the Von Bondies should take another 5 year hiatus to hang out and think about where this whole music thing is going. I give this show a 6/10.
Tune into Cut Your Hair and Get a Job with Kelly every Tuesday from 10AM to 11AM
WITCH + Earthless @ Les Saints
By Angelica Calcagnile - BVST - 02/21/2009
Ah, Earthless, the perfect soundtrack for a frigid February night. All precise, pummeling, instrumental rock, erring more on the bong hit rather than acid trip side of psychedelic. Trekking out to see them somewhere in the wilds of Brooklyn in 2007 is one of my fondest memories from that year's CMJ festival, and I knew that if this show would be anything like that one, I was in for a treat. The night before that CMJ showcase, guitarist Isaiah Mitchell somehow seriously damaged his wrist, and yet the band still played a blistering, unbroken 45 minute set, his bandage slowly unraveling all the while. That dedication to their craft, as well as their incredible musicianship left me extremely impressed that night, and I was not to be dismayed again here in Montreal.
Now, I believe that in order to be a great instrumental band, you have to work twice as hard as any band with a vocalist. After all, it's easy to distract people away from poor song structure and instrumentation with antics, banter and lyrics... any lyrics, even bad ones. With instrumental bands, however, the music stands alone. Holding the attention of a crowd can be difficult unless you're very skilled, so most fledgling bands should be prepared to soundtrack their audience's conversations, beer runs and bathroom breaks. It takes extraordinary musical craftsmanship to keep a crowd glued to their spot, and Earthless had the room doing just that. They played on endlessly, seamlessly blending together songs into one continuous track that ebbed and flowed and eddied out, only to rush back with a roar. One would think that after 45 minutes, non-stop, it might lose some appeal, and yet the prodigious display of skill onstage is riveting.
They lost me briefly during an extended jam, (with drummer Mario Rubalcaba trying to rein the guitarists in and back on track on a couple of occasions to no avail), but despite that thankfully relatively shortlived bout of wankery, they were as tight and on target as possible. Earthless is not a band for everyone. Their bluesy, ponderous, psych-inspired rock doesn't appeal to all, but if you like heavy music, this threesome strips it down to its barest bones with surgical precision, and that's mastery all music lovers can understand.
Up next was New England's Witch. Having seen them on two previous occasions all the way back in 2006, once supporting the mythical Blue Cheer here in Montreal, and shortly thereafter with Teeth of the Hydra at CMJ in New York City, I was looking forward to a rematch after all these years. I couldn't wait to hear my old favorites from their first self-titled record, and get an introduction to their latest album, which I have managed to avoid since its release. "It's really not that good," I had been told, over and over, and knowing that some stuff sounds better live than on record, I decided that going in fresh was perhaps the best way to try the new material on for size.
From what I gathered, Witch's new stuff is a pretty radical departure from their debut album, and I was unhappily surprised to discover that the band has matched their live sound to the new record. While the first album deftly tapped into the sound and atmosphere of a funeral dirge signaling the end of the Flower Power movement, the new songs have lost a lot of fuzz in favor of fast, messy, angry execution. I was surprised to hear a song or two even dipping into rolling punk rock beats, undoubtedly comfortable Dinosaur Jr. territory for J. Mascis on drums, but not the vibe suited to the much-loved tracks from the first album. Earlier songs that once swelled and sprawled under soaring elfin vocals are now filtered through a layer of grit and rage, and lead singer Kyle Thomas' once sweet, haunting Bolan-esque vocals have been replaced with grating, strident shrieks. On their own, the new songs are probably not that bad, but when you show up expecting to hear Black Sabbath, and get Black Flag instead, you're either going to get your mind blown, or go home disappointed, and I think a lot of fans of the band's first release aren't cleaving to the new album for just that reason. Similarly, I left disappointed that night, if only because what I once knew as a rare, shining diamond of throwback psychedelic drone has morphed into just another generic rock band. That said, the band's last song that night was the mighty “Seer”, the standout track from the first record. That one last taste somewhat sweetened the otherwise bitter quality of that performance... it was a final reminder of just how good it once was.
Finally, the CJLO magazine has been subjected to a lot of bitching on my behalf about Les Saints, and while I could mention the abominable state of the venue, which is steadily sliding from upscale rock club to dive bar (seriously, I dig the fancy fountain sink in the women's washroom, but it'd be even nicer if it, you know, worked), I will mention that I had a really pleasant time that night. The staff is always very polite and courteous, and for the first time in a long time, so was the crowd. Of course, doom/drone shows are always the best for that kind of thing, since at these sausage fests overt appreciation of the music beyond head-nodding is generally non-existent. Oh, and girls, if your ideal man is long-haired and/or bearded and/or flannel clad, there are some good pickings at these shows, as the lovely Steph from Twee Time will attest to... "So this is where all the hot guys are!" The music ain't that bad, either.
Tune into BVST with Angelica every Wednesday from 7PM to 9PM
TOM FUN ORCHESTRA + Amanda Mabro @ Petit Campus
By Jessica MacDonald - Marvelous Darkness - 01/28/2009
The Tom Fun Orchestra and Amanda Mabro at le Petit Campus was a wild and wonderful experience! The show started a tad late, after I hurriedly shuffled upwards through the blizzard at an incline of 45 degrees up the steep and slippery slope of St. Laurent, but the waiting period provided a chance for me to get the best seat in the house: a quaint little table with 2 chairs for me and my photographer right at the front! The atmosphere was cozy, with a small but nicely-lit stage occupying the back wall and ample dancing space separating the stage from the seating area.
Amanda Mabro took the stage in a modest but classy black dress along with her partners in crime known only as “The Cabaret Band.” They started the show off with a big and loud song that encapsulated the very essence of cabaret with a ragged edge of garage. With gusto and flair she belted out a series of darkly dramatic melodies with a powerful, low voice that suited the swing-style drums and old-timey silent-film-cabaret piano perfectly. I was happy to have found an excellent Canadian artist to feature on The Marvelous Darkness!
When at last The Tom Fun Orchestra appeared onstage, I was surprised they all fit. The eight-piece band squeezed onto the stage along with their drum set, bass, two guitars, trumpet, violin, banjo and accordion. With such a combination of instruments, one might have expected an overdose of audacious aural output. But the metaphor of too many cooks in the kitchen—or in this case, too many musicians on the stage—was only an issue in terms of physical space. There was plenty of room in the music for all of those lovely, lovely instruments, whose sounds melded together in a harmonious confluence of Cape-Breton-based musical magnificence.
The eight-piece ensemble stormed the sound waves with a rip-roarin’ opening number full of folkish but rockin’ energy. I was surprised that the whole crowd wasn’t up on their feet from the moment the first note was struck. Fronted by the deep, gravelly voice of lead singer-songwriter “Tom Fun” (or “Robot Orbison”, according to the band’s MySpace), the band’s eclectic sound was fueled by pure Cape Breton energy. The deep and rough lead vocals were paired nicely with the female backup vocalist, whose unique voice brought an edge of modern indie-band girl-vocals to the mix. Mingling elements of folk, rock, blues, roots and punk, the band’s stage presence was both visually and aurally powerful.
Clap-along songs were vigorously clapped along to, danceable songs were vigorously danced along to, and sing-able choruses were vigorously sung along to. It was a fully interactive and engaging concert. Not a moment of time in any of the songs allowed my mind enough space to wander. The band held my attention consistently, which is quite a feat considering I have the attention span of half a dead gnat. Not only did they hold my attention, but I was completely, thoroughly entertained for the entire set, and found myself dreading the end of the show—or better yet, hoping the show would never come to an end. Alas, as all things do, the show eventually drew to a close, nearly ending on what I thought would be a disappointing note: a song introduced as a lullaby—not that lullabies themselves are without merit—but for a closing piece? Fortunately, my distress was done away with when they broke into an energetic closing number that left the audience feeling fulfilled and utterly satisfied. Well, I can’t speak for everyone with utmost certainty, but I would judge by the deafening chorus of “huzzahs” that the rest of the crowd felt the same as I did: cheering enough to squeeze an encore out of the band, which was also sublime.
Tom’s delightful inter-song dialogue was peppered with just the right amount of good ol’ east-coast sailor cuss words, including one song’s introduction, which consisted of: “This song is called, ‘Fuck Wednesdays. Fuck Snowstorms on Wednesdays’.” and then proceeded to play a slower, soft tune. The heavy snowstorm that night was attributed to Mother Nature being so excited about the arrival of the band that she “took a dump all over the city”. The following song was dedicated to Mother Nature, who was allegedly in the house. A vague reference to Willy Wonka was made, and a brief conversation was had between Tom and a drunken spectator. He also claimed to have written a song for us, the audience, specifically. Thanks, Tom. And thanks for the best show I’ve been to in ages. If ever offered the opportunity to behold The Tom Fun Orchestra live in concert, grab it in a firm grip and be steadfast.
Tune into The Marvelous Darkness with Jess every Thursday from 1PM - 2PM
THE PLANET SMASHERS + The Creepshow @ Club Soda
By Johnny Suck - Turn Down the Suck - 02/13/2009
The odd thing about The Planet Smashers is that I know they're a great band and I know I'll enjoy the show, but I never go see them. My guess is that it’s been at least 6 years since the last time I saw them. The thing that sticks out in my memory about that last time is that it seemed like I and my friend were the only two people in the audience who weren't dancing. Well this time I was flying solo, so take a guess how many people there were standing still…
Me not dancing isn't anything against The Planet Smashers, they're awesome, it's just dancing doesn't make sense. In fact, I have to give them credit for getting the-number-of-people-that-fit-into-a-sold-out-Club-Soda to do something so ridiculous. It really is impressive. Out of all the bands that I've seen live (which is a lot) The Planet Smashers have, by far, the best ability to get the crowd moving…
Anyway, The Planet Smashers delivered exactly what they were expected to: a nice, deep set of pure fun. What they do, they do well and the only surprise I can think of was the relative youth of the crowd. For a band that’s been around for so long, where were all of the old fans? I guess no one listens to ska after 20…
As for openers The Creepshow, they were, you know, alright. The only really negative thing about them was the singer's lame stage banter. The keyboardist and bassist were both pretty funny though, it's too bad that the singer didn't leave the talking up to them - but being the hot chick of course she's going to be the face/voice of the band. As for what actually counts - the music, I have no complaints. Not being familiar with them, I was expecting them to sound somewhat… creepy (come on, they're called The Creepshow!), but they didn't. That was pretty surprising. I would have preferred some creepiness/darkness over their pure upbeat poppiness, but that's just me. Despite not being their target audience, I still didn’t mind standing there for the duration of their set.
Tune into Turn Down the Suck with Johnny Suck every Wednesday from 9PM - 11PM
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