Three-band shows can be odd.
You've got the openers, then you've got the middle band, then you've got the headliners- the first band and the last band stick out, but the middle band is just... well, the middle band. At least at a festival there are lots of middle bands, so they can all be middle bands together, but at a three-band show there's only one middle band. And its weird.
Case in Point:
Said the Whale (headliners), Boxer the Horse (openers) and Chains of Love (the middle band), April 11 2012.
So my sister had seen this tour two days earlier in Montreal, and had texted me during Boxer the Horse to say "You HAVE to make sure you get there for the openers- Boxer the Horse is really good!" Since our musical tastes overlap almost entirely, I took her at her word and got there just after doors. And she wasn't wrong- Boxer the Horse are adooooorable. They're geeky and bouncy and early Beatles meets 90s high-school; not too boppy but just boppy enough. Though it took them a few songs to get really into it, by the third or fourth one in the crowd was well warmed up, dancing and nodding in time with the music. And just when I was starting to think the 90s influence was just in my head, they played a cover of the 'Better than Ezra' song from Empire Records. I'm not sure if they just look a lot younger than they are, or if they are just youngins who love 90s teen flicks, but if I wasn't already hooked, that certainly would have convinced me. They fit perfectly as an opener to Said the Whale and you could really tell why that were on the bill.
Next up was Chains of Love, a slightly ska-influenced (or maybe just because the singer's voice reminded me of early Gwen Steffani?) kind of rock-ish gal band complete with tambourine and castinettes playing lead singer. Actually they totally reminded me of Josie and the Pussycats (and yes I mean the band from the vastly underrated early 2000s movie of the same name. What? This whole show reminded me of that era!), except less psudo-punk... OK, to be fair here, I think I should pause and mention something; I am not a fan of girl singers. There is the odd exception to this rule -mostly super-London-y gals like Kate Nash, Lily Allen and Eliza Dolittle, with a bit of weirdness (a la Joanna Newsom) and some francaphones (Coeur de Pirate, Marie-Pierre Arthur) thrown in for good measure- but on the whole, they just don't do it for me. Maybe its the tone of their voices (NB all the above singers are altos...), or some left over, misguided teenage-sentiment "Girl bands are wussy" (lame and un-true, but alas the opinion of many high school aged punks/rockers...), I don't know... I just know I am not a fan.
This makes it kind of difficult to fairly review bands with female vocalists. I am aware of this stumbling block, and I try to compensate for it, but I'm not really sure how... I was quite impressed at the use of tambourine (now I know that sounds like a slight, but it is mean in earnest- very rarely do you hear tambourine used as its own instrument, not just backup, and I enjoyed that it seemed to be a pretty integral part of their sound). And the singer was pretty enthusiastic and used her long hair as long hair should be used (flipping it, but not excessively)... but she is honestly the only one I remember anything about, and there just weren't any songs that caught my fancy.
On the completely opposite end of the spectrum: Said the Whale.
Now this wasn't the best STW show I've ever been to (that distinction would go to their performance last year at The Live Lounge...) but it was mostly because the levels were just way too high. It was loud. And I mean LOUD. This is coming from the person who drives around with music so blaring that people two lanes over on the highway give me dirty looks. I like loud music. I LOVE loud music. But this concert was Too Loud.
Having said that, Said the Whale were in fine form, playing not only new material, but numerous songs from their original EP (Howe Sounds) and first LP (Islands Disappear- my favourite of their albums). Early-set monitors issues left Tyler and Ben unable to hear themselves,
but also led to an amazing sing-along version of Emerald Lake AB, which
emphasized the absolute dedication of the audience. This was an all ages (well 16+) show and it was clear this was the first real concert for many of the excited attendees. They may not have been jumping and dancing as much as some older crowds, and they may have been a little overly-squealy (As Tyler Bancroft said from onstage "I think I am going to wake up tomorrow morning with high pitched screams ringing in my ears... seriously you are going to lose the ability to sound like that as you get older!"). But I have to say; I have heard audiences sing louder, I have heard audiences sing more enthusiastically, but never before have I heard an audience sing along with Every Single Song. Seriously. Every word of every song. It was amazing.
"The Reason" was a real stand-out, with Ben pleading with the audience (as a stand-in for the intended subject of the song), and "Oh Alexandra" spawned a spontaneous whole-crowd hands-up-swaying (a la lighters, except with cellphones instead), while the ever-danceable "The Light is You" got everyone moving (man I love that song...). Pulling out the ukulele, they signed off with an adorable rendition of "Goodnight Moon" and left the stage to raucous applause.
This was a show of competing elements, pulling my reactions in opposite directions. Boxer the Horse and Said the Whale had great performances, though the sound left something to be desired. Chains of Love combined a bunch of nostalgic 90s elements, but failed to pull it all together. The audience was dedicated, but a overly high-pitched and under-dancing... Overall the show was alright, but I would certainly recommend catching Said the Whale or Boxer the Horse next time they're in town...
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
You Can Never Sit Far Enough Away to Feel Left Out at B.A. OR An Exercise in Sweatiness
A: "Oh B.A. ..."
Q: What was the phrase most uttered at Irene's Pub and Restaurant on Good Friday?
Its difficult to adequately describe the ridiculous excellentness (and the excellent ridiculousness) of a B.A. Johnson show. I have tried on many occasions and done a reasonable job, but there is nothing like seeing it for yourself. This is gonna be an exceptionally photo-heavy post for just that reason- also because my friend Josh just got a new camera phone. (And not like Jemaine's either, one that takes honest to goodness photos...) Shall we begin?
We started off the evening with the musical stylings of the energetic and the ever-sweaty Phil Castiglione, aka Robots!EVERYWHERE!! As always, the hometown crowd sang and heckled with great enthusiasm as Phil sped through such gems as "Zombie Smooth" and "Red Hair Blond Hair" all the while battling with the magical exploding guitar (tenuously taped together for a super fast encore of 'Drunk at Work').
I've seen Robots!EVERYWHERE!! three times in as many months and am consistently impressed by Phil's ability to get a crowd going. His speedy and clever punk tunes combined with his opposite-of-serious attitude are a sure-fire hit every time, and tonight was no exception.
Next up was Remi Royale, the king of awkwardly-shirtless kareoke. Energetic and entertaining, Remi never even graced the stage, instead spending the entire performance roaming the crowd, serenading unsuspecting audience members and gettin' us going with covers of everything from 'Sweet Caroline' to 'Don't Stop Believing.' Remi's set may have more in common with Vegas-inspired performance art than the acts one normals sees at a 'pub and restaurant' but it fit perfectly at Irene's.
Time for B.A.!
For serious, B.A. is one of the most entertaining, funniest, and most inexplicably charismatic performers you will ever see. His songs are catchy and hilarious, he sweats up a storm, and he doesn't take himself seriously in the slightest. As always he was accompanied by a selection of Casio keyboards and an 'JPEG player' (aka discman) as well as the enthusiastic singing/shouting along of the excited crowd. He started numerous songs by dancing on his chair, swinging the mic by the cord, then doing jump-splits onto the stage. At one point- while dancing around, just after playing the keyboard with his nose- B.A. shouted to a non-participatory guy in the front row (who was trying his darnedest to not make eye contact) "You can't ignore me! I'm right fucking here in a dolphin tank top."
Oh B.A. ...
It is about the music (it's always at least partially about the music!) but a B.A. Johnson show is also about the show: In addition to his standard captain's hat and neck kerchief, we were also treated to a seemingly endless parade of printed sweatshirts (I believe there were three, followed by one with the sleeves cut of, before hitting the tank top and t shirt) which B.A. stripped off as they (all) got too sweaty. That guy really knows how to get the ladies hearts pumping...!
But forget the ladies, it's the dudes who reeeeally love B.A... You can easily pick out the hard-core fans (including Phil- in the words of my sister "Watching B.A. is super entertaining, but watching Phil watch B.A. is almost even better!") not only from the enthusiasm of their reactions, but from the way B.A. so sweetly picks on them throughout the show... regardless, by the end of every song practically every person is singing along. With choruses like "I always knew that Jesus was from Hamilton" (appropriately appropriate for Easter weekend...) and "I hate squirrels, I hate you squirrels, everybody, go kick a squirrel, man I hate squirrels" its practically impossible to not join in.
Like Remi Royale, B.A. also spent a good chunk of his set roaming (or should I say running) around the audience, sitting in chairs, standing on tables and jumping off benches. At one point he even had someone hold his mic while he did an elaborate air-traffic-controller style cheer-leading routine while beltin' it out... Just a small pinch of the commitment and zeal he pours into every second of every show.
Last, but certainly not least, we were all treated to the traditional encore-in-the-bathroom this time with three songs, capped off with the ever-entertaining 'Have Fun on Warped Tour.' B.A. perched on the toilet while the rest of us crammed in the [oddly smelly] girls' bathroom. It was a great view from the counter, and looking out over the cramped but enthusiastically singing crowd I couldn't help but think to myself "Who else could get twenty people to cram into a smelly bathroom and listen to a sweaty guy standing on a toilet, playing a guitar?"
Oh B.A. ...
Q: What was the phrase most uttered at Irene's Pub and Restaurant on Good Friday?
Its difficult to adequately describe the ridiculous excellentness (and the excellent ridiculousness) of a B.A. Johnson show. I have tried on many occasions and done a reasonable job, but there is nothing like seeing it for yourself. This is gonna be an exceptionally photo-heavy post for just that reason- also because my friend Josh just got a new camera phone. (And not like Jemaine's either, one that takes honest to goodness photos...) Shall we begin?
We started off the evening with the musical stylings of the energetic and the ever-sweaty Phil Castiglione, aka Robots!EVERYWHERE!! As always, the hometown crowd sang and heckled with great enthusiasm as Phil sped through such gems as "Zombie Smooth" and "Red Hair Blond Hair" all the while battling with the magical exploding guitar (tenuously taped together for a super fast encore of 'Drunk at Work').
 |
| Robots!EVERYWHERE!! this time with magical exploding guitar! |
Next up was Remi Royale, the king of awkwardly-shirtless kareoke. Energetic and entertaining, Remi never even graced the stage, instead spending the entire performance roaming the crowd, serenading unsuspecting audience members and gettin' us going with covers of everything from 'Sweet Caroline' to 'Don't Stop Believing.' Remi's set may have more in common with Vegas-inspired performance art than the acts one normals sees at a 'pub and restaurant' but it fit perfectly at Irene's.
 |
| Remi Royale (courtesy of J. Pruner) |
For serious, B.A. is one of the most entertaining, funniest, and most inexplicably charismatic performers you will ever see. His songs are catchy and hilarious, he sweats up a storm, and he doesn't take himself seriously in the slightest. As always he was accompanied by a selection of Casio keyboards and an 'JPEG player' (aka discman) as well as the enthusiastic singing/shouting along of the excited crowd. He started numerous songs by dancing on his chair, swinging the mic by the cord, then doing jump-splits onto the stage. At one point- while dancing around, just after playing the keyboard with his nose- B.A. shouted to a non-participatory guy in the front row (who was trying his darnedest to not make eye contact) "You can't ignore me! I'm right fucking here in a dolphin tank top."
Oh B.A. ...
It is about the music (it's always at least partially about the music!) but a B.A. Johnson show is also about the show: In addition to his standard captain's hat and neck kerchief, we were also treated to a seemingly endless parade of printed sweatshirts (I believe there were three, followed by one with the sleeves cut of, before hitting the tank top and t shirt) which B.A. stripped off as they (all) got too sweaty. That guy really knows how to get the ladies hearts pumping...!
 | |
| B.A up close and personal (courtesy of J. Pruner) |
 |
| B.A. does gymnastics (courtesy of J. Pruner) |
 |
| The traditional bathroom encore (courtesy of L. Carson) |
Oh B.A. ...
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Seasonal Mix-Tapes
I love making mix-tapes.
ok, so technically they're mix-playlists which I make into mix CDs (because I refuse to get an ipod adapter for my car- there is just something about having to change the actual object making the music... I would have a tape deck if I could, but apparently they don't put those in cars anymore...) but the sentiment is the same. I still spend days (or weeks) gathering the songs and then hours putting them in the 'right' order, checking transitions from song to song then whittling them down to fit within the required 1.3 hours (another reason cds/tapes are superior to playlists- having to make them fit a specific time limit forces you to cut the fat!)
I enjoy making mixes for the car in general, but I've developed a habit over the past few years of making seasonal mixes that bring together all the random stuff I've been listening to. As I get songs stuck in my head I pop them onto an ipod playlist entitled "Spring 2012" or "March-May 2012" or just "Now!" I love listening to the mixes the day after I make them (and usually on and off for several weeks after that...) but theres nothing like finding "spring 2008" at the bottom of a pile and popping it in the player. Its like my own personal time machine, with every song bringing me back to a particular moment in my past.
With that said, I just finished up just one such random mix for the car ride home for easter. As promised it is a fairly random mix of songs I've had in my head over the past few months, some old, some new, but all attached to something I'm going to have fun remembering in a few years when I find it in my glove compartment :o)
Perhaps unsurprisingly (what with the pervasiveness of the internets now-a-days) I actually managed to find links to every song (with the exception of my friend Phil's 'Zombie Smooth' but hey there's a link to download the album, and its free, so go for it!). Play the whole list or select one at random!
Enjoy!
Easter Mix 2012
ok, so technically they're mix-playlists which I make into mix CDs (because I refuse to get an ipod adapter for my car- there is just something about having to change the actual object making the music... I would have a tape deck if I could, but apparently they don't put those in cars anymore...) but the sentiment is the same. I still spend days (or weeks) gathering the songs and then hours putting them in the 'right' order, checking transitions from song to song then whittling them down to fit within the required 1.3 hours (another reason cds/tapes are superior to playlists- having to make them fit a specific time limit forces you to cut the fat!)
I enjoy making mixes for the car in general, but I've developed a habit over the past few years of making seasonal mixes that bring together all the random stuff I've been listening to. As I get songs stuck in my head I pop them onto an ipod playlist entitled "Spring 2012" or "March-May 2012" or just "Now!" I love listening to the mixes the day after I make them (and usually on and off for several weeks after that...) but theres nothing like finding "spring 2008" at the bottom of a pile and popping it in the player. Its like my own personal time machine, with every song bringing me back to a particular moment in my past.
With that said, I just finished up just one such random mix for the car ride home for easter. As promised it is a fairly random mix of songs I've had in my head over the past few months, some old, some new, but all attached to something I'm going to have fun remembering in a few years when I find it in my glove compartment :o)
Perhaps unsurprisingly (what with the pervasiveness of the internets now-a-days) I actually managed to find links to every song (with the exception of my friend Phil's 'Zombie Smooth' but hey there's a link to download the album, and its free, so go for it!). Play the whole list or select one at random!
Enjoy!
Easter Mix 2012
- Hollerado - Hollearado Land
- Noah and the Whale - Rocks and Daggers
- Coeur de Pirate - Printemps
- Writer's Strike - Stay Down
- Lake of Stew - Hey Bully
- Robots!EVERYWHERE!! - Zombie Smooth
- Elliott BROOD - Without Again
- The Record Holder - Dear Medea
- Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billie Joe
- Graveyard Train - A Tall Shadow
- Library Voices - Drinking Games
- The Monkees - D.W. Washburn
- Sam Roberts - Detroit '67
- The Daredevil Christopher Wright - A Conversation About Cancer
- Simon and Garfunkel - Cecelia
- Punch Brothers - Rye Whiskey
- Dan Mangan - Road Regrets
- Joanna Newsom - Three Little Babes
- Marie-Pierre Arthur - Emmene-Moi
- Northcote - The Beat
- Of Monsters and Men - Dirty Paws
- Paper Lions - Traveling
Saturday, March 31, 2012
The great concert conundrum of March 30, 2012...
I know, I know, it is super lame of me to get all in a kerfuffle about a problem so small as having to choose between two concerts on at the same time, but when those two concerts arre Library Voices (at Casa Del Popolo no less!) and Northcote (at Raw Sugar and on their last tour for a while...) its a dilemma for the ages- or at least one to make me have a major John-Green-style hands-in-hair-frustration session...
To be fair, I AM seeing Library Voices in two weeks when they come through town with Yukon Blonde, but I was really looking forward to seeing them twice in a month (yes, they are THAT GOOD live), but when I heard Northcote was going to be playing the same night, I knew the choice I had to make... and it was definitely the right one.
The show was a part of the Junofest weekend here in Ottawa, and the first two performers were local fellas of the guy-with-guitar persuasion. The first performer (The Coastline aka the drummer from Sparrows) is just barely seventeen and a clear fan of Dashboard Confessional. That's not really a good or a bad thing, but its an inescapable comparison that just has to be made. In fact when a friend of mine asked him after the show "Hey did anyone ever tell you you sound just like Dashboard?" his face lit up and he gleefully responded "Really? They're like my favourite band! Thanks!"
Sometimes you get the odd experience of seeing someone in the midst of their creative development- that was exactly what it was like watching The Coastline perform. What do I mean by that? His songs are well written but all super short. His lyrics are perfectly 'that age' (When a friend becomes too cool to be friends with you anymore, when that girl moves away, when you're trying to decide what to do with your life...). And while his banter started off promisingly, it was clear he is used to being behind the drum kit, and not the main focus. Though embarrassing earnest, it was also increasingly entertaining- case in point: "So I asked her out, y'know just for coffee or whatever, but she didn't respond to my facebook message... oh man I am such a seventeen year old!" Definitely one of those acts I'd be really interested in seeing again in three or four years and remembering when I saw him play 'back in the day'
Next up was Cory Leveque, a bit older than seventeen, but also from Ottawa. Besides the excessive swearing (not offensive, just at odds with the rest of the evening- "Sorry 'bout all the swearing guys- I'm a construction worker, I can't help it!" he quipped) it felt like sitting around in someone's living room listening to the friend of a friend strummin' on his guitar and singin' about gals he'd lost and stuff he had to get off his chest. I'm sure this was helped along by our comfortable seats on the ancient corner-couch (Raw Sugar offers nothing if not eclectic and conformable seating!) but it was a nice relaxing sort of set, a good middle-of-the show, and chance to lean back and drink a pint before the always-energetic Northcote.
There was some discussion about whether we would maintain our comfy-couch seats for the entire evening, but all that went out the window when Matt, JJ and John took the stage. Yeah, we pretty much leapt over the table to stand in front with the rest of the small but very excited crowd.
Seeing Northcote perform live is an incomparable experience. The energy, the pervasive happiness, the raspy voice, enthusiastic drumming, and entertaining bass playing (I beat my previous record at Raw Sugar, this time getting hit with the bass guitar a total of three times) are tough to top. The last time I saw Northcote perform, I had never heard of them, didn't know any of the songs, and still had an amazing time (one of my top five concerts of the year). We sat right up front. I got to play the tambourine. We bought both cds because we couldn't decide on one... This time was just as enjoyable, only we looked forward to it for weeks, we already knew all the lyrics, and we chatted with Matt afterward about bands from Regina, life in Victoria and Library Voices playing in Montreal. I love Elliott Brood live, I really do. They're my favourite band, they're incredibly talented, and they are some of the nicest guys I've ever met, but I'm not sure that any performer can ever remotely hope to compare to the combination of talent and friendliness that is Matt Goud.
Overall the show was fine, but Northcote's performance alone was well worth the admission price. the only bad part was that they were only able to play for an hour. I look forward to their next tour, whenever that may be, and if you happen to be lucky enough to catch them at one of their next stops or live in Victoria, you should definitely check them out. Definitely.
To be fair, I AM seeing Library Voices in two weeks when they come through town with Yukon Blonde, but I was really looking forward to seeing them twice in a month (yes, they are THAT GOOD live), but when I heard Northcote was going to be playing the same night, I knew the choice I had to make... and it was definitely the right one.
The show was a part of the Junofest weekend here in Ottawa, and the first two performers were local fellas of the guy-with-guitar persuasion. The first performer (The Coastline aka the drummer from Sparrows) is just barely seventeen and a clear fan of Dashboard Confessional. That's not really a good or a bad thing, but its an inescapable comparison that just has to be made. In fact when a friend of mine asked him after the show "Hey did anyone ever tell you you sound just like Dashboard?" his face lit up and he gleefully responded "Really? They're like my favourite band! Thanks!"
Sometimes you get the odd experience of seeing someone in the midst of their creative development- that was exactly what it was like watching The Coastline perform. What do I mean by that? His songs are well written but all super short. His lyrics are perfectly 'that age' (When a friend becomes too cool to be friends with you anymore, when that girl moves away, when you're trying to decide what to do with your life...). And while his banter started off promisingly, it was clear he is used to being behind the drum kit, and not the main focus. Though embarrassing earnest, it was also increasingly entertaining- case in point: "So I asked her out, y'know just for coffee or whatever, but she didn't respond to my facebook message... oh man I am such a seventeen year old!" Definitely one of those acts I'd be really interested in seeing again in three or four years and remembering when I saw him play 'back in the day'
Next up was Cory Leveque, a bit older than seventeen, but also from Ottawa. Besides the excessive swearing (not offensive, just at odds with the rest of the evening- "Sorry 'bout all the swearing guys- I'm a construction worker, I can't help it!" he quipped) it felt like sitting around in someone's living room listening to the friend of a friend strummin' on his guitar and singin' about gals he'd lost and stuff he had to get off his chest. I'm sure this was helped along by our comfortable seats on the ancient corner-couch (Raw Sugar offers nothing if not eclectic and conformable seating!) but it was a nice relaxing sort of set, a good middle-of-the show, and chance to lean back and drink a pint before the always-energetic Northcote.
There was some discussion about whether we would maintain our comfy-couch seats for the entire evening, but all that went out the window when Matt, JJ and John took the stage. Yeah, we pretty much leapt over the table to stand in front with the rest of the small but very excited crowd.
 |
| Actually this one is from last time Northcote was in town (by blurasis) |
Seeing Northcote perform live is an incomparable experience. The energy, the pervasive happiness, the raspy voice, enthusiastic drumming, and entertaining bass playing (I beat my previous record at Raw Sugar, this time getting hit with the bass guitar a total of three times) are tough to top. The last time I saw Northcote perform, I had never heard of them, didn't know any of the songs, and still had an amazing time (one of my top five concerts of the year). We sat right up front. I got to play the tambourine. We bought both cds because we couldn't decide on one... This time was just as enjoyable, only we looked forward to it for weeks, we already knew all the lyrics, and we chatted with Matt afterward about bands from Regina, life in Victoria and Library Voices playing in Montreal. I love Elliott Brood live, I really do. They're my favourite band, they're incredibly talented, and they are some of the nicest guys I've ever met, but I'm not sure that any performer can ever remotely hope to compare to the combination of talent and friendliness that is Matt Goud.
Overall the show was fine, but Northcote's performance alone was well worth the admission price. the only bad part was that they were only able to play for an hour. I look forward to their next tour, whenever that may be, and if you happen to be lucky enough to catch them at one of their next stops or live in Victoria, you should definitely check them out. Definitely.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Parking-Lot Encores and Stunning Production...
When I was a kid we used to drive up to the cottage late at Friday nights, and after we had brought everything up from the boat and scarfed down a few hot dogs, my dad would put on the French radio station and fall asleep on the couch while we played cards on the carpet. This was a looooong time ago, but I recently rediscovered a love of French-language music, and have been slowly building my French-concert-going repertoire. I started with a Karkwa marathon at hillside last summer, and last night added Marie-Pierre Arthur to the growing list.
I first heard Arthur on CBC radio a few years ago with her single 'Pourquoi' off of her self-titled debut. I lived in Halifax at the time and despite searching several record stores was unable to locate a copy of the album. After a while I kind of forgot about her until a friend mentioned that she was coming to town. I really only knew that one song, but I had loved it so much that I jumped at the chance to see her live. Good. Call.
Not only does Marie-Pierre have an amazing voice- throaty and deep but crisp, she could make singing the alphabet beautiful- but her band members were equally talented- and entertaining! Each of them were super into their playing, but not so much that they weren't able to interact with the others and with the audience. Quite the opposite in fact. Playful banter and a post intermission (yes there was an intermission, weird but it worked, and made for an excellently long concert!) sing-off between the drummer, guitarist, keyboardist and guitar/banjo player during a rousing cover of "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Now I don't usually write about concert production unless its really really bad- I mean if the band has to stop part way through their set to help the sound-guy re-mix (Cuff the Duke at Maverick's.... yeesh!) it kind of needs to be at least touched on- but the production side of this concert completely blew me away. We walked in to the very small university-type auditorium space- not usually the ideal venue for a rock show- but the thin layer of smoke hovering in the air and the old-school speaker-cabinet-style lighting made it work. The sound quality was crazy good- clear vocals, perfect balance, enough bass to feel but not too much, crisp keys, guitar and drums, and plucky banjo- everything sounded like the way it was most ideally meant to sound. And the lighting... perfect. Rock'n'Roll but with all these little touches that just brought it all to life.... fantastic!
Despite the lecture-hall setting, the crowd was clearly in a head-bopping mood and lost no time in getting into the music. By the time the band broke out the banjo for a few folkified re-imaginings of some of their older stuff people were all but dancing in their seats (ok, ok, there were a number of us actually dancing in our seats...). Throw in a couple of audience sing-a-longs and she had us in the palm of her hand.
The second half started off with an incredibly sad ballad to a friend departed then segued into upbeat and boppy tunes like 'Emmene-moi' and 'Pourquoi' before finishing off with a powerhouse of four quick ones culminating in a huge standing ovation. Capping it all off, a grinning Marie-Pierre shouted 'meet us out in the parking lot!" before running off stage... a slightly confused audience looked at one another before quickly deciding she was serious and filing out into the parking lot. We were then treated to several acoustic sing-a-longs in the surprisingly beautiful acoustics of the concrete and pavement on an unseasonably warm March evening.
Before the show, while eating at a Thai restaurant down the street, I had a sneaking suspicion that the small brunette and overly bearded dudes at the next table might possible be the band we were about to see... It seems odd now to have been unsure of what they looked like mere hours before having them emblazoned on my brain at one of the most memorable concerts I've ever been to...
I first heard Arthur on CBC radio a few years ago with her single 'Pourquoi' off of her self-titled debut. I lived in Halifax at the time and despite searching several record stores was unable to locate a copy of the album. After a while I kind of forgot about her until a friend mentioned that she was coming to town. I really only knew that one song, but I had loved it so much that I jumped at the chance to see her live. Good. Call.
Not only does Marie-Pierre have an amazing voice- throaty and deep but crisp, she could make singing the alphabet beautiful- but her band members were equally talented- and entertaining! Each of them were super into their playing, but not so much that they weren't able to interact with the others and with the audience. Quite the opposite in fact. Playful banter and a post intermission (yes there was an intermission, weird but it worked, and made for an excellently long concert!) sing-off between the drummer, guitarist, keyboardist and guitar/banjo player during a rousing cover of "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Now I don't usually write about concert production unless its really really bad- I mean if the band has to stop part way through their set to help the sound-guy re-mix (Cuff the Duke at Maverick's.... yeesh!) it kind of needs to be at least touched on- but the production side of this concert completely blew me away. We walked in to the very small university-type auditorium space- not usually the ideal venue for a rock show- but the thin layer of smoke hovering in the air and the old-school speaker-cabinet-style lighting made it work. The sound quality was crazy good- clear vocals, perfect balance, enough bass to feel but not too much, crisp keys, guitar and drums, and plucky banjo- everything sounded like the way it was most ideally meant to sound. And the lighting... perfect. Rock'n'Roll but with all these little touches that just brought it all to life.... fantastic!
Despite the lecture-hall setting, the crowd was clearly in a head-bopping mood and lost no time in getting into the music. By the time the band broke out the banjo for a few folkified re-imaginings of some of their older stuff people were all but dancing in their seats (ok, ok, there were a number of us actually dancing in our seats...). Throw in a couple of audience sing-a-longs and she had us in the palm of her hand.
The second half started off with an incredibly sad ballad to a friend departed then segued into upbeat and boppy tunes like 'Emmene-moi' and 'Pourquoi' before finishing off with a powerhouse of four quick ones culminating in a huge standing ovation. Capping it all off, a grinning Marie-Pierre shouted 'meet us out in the parking lot!" before running off stage... a slightly confused audience looked at one another before quickly deciding she was serious and filing out into the parking lot. We were then treated to several acoustic sing-a-longs in the surprisingly beautiful acoustics of the concrete and pavement on an unseasonably warm March evening.
Before the show, while eating at a Thai restaurant down the street, I had a sneaking suspicion that the small brunette and overly bearded dudes at the next table might possible be the band we were about to see... It seems odd now to have been unsure of what they looked like mere hours before having them emblazoned on my brain at one of the most memorable concerts I've ever been to...
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Sometimes I take mixes a liiiiiiitle too seriously...
I may or may not have spent about six hours over the past three days assembling an epic mix for my friend's thirtieth birthday. It came about in something of the following fashion:
Throw together a playlist, pshaw, who do you think I am? Someone who... just... throws together a playlist?!? I mean really....
Making a mix is a delicate and time consuming thing. Making a mix for someone else is doubly so, but making a mix for someone else's party, and a Big Birthday at that... well apparently that takes a very. Long. Time.
I don't perhaps give computers the respect they're due... manually randomizing things is near fracking impossible! Clicking on songs, scrolling down the list and dropping them wherever they happen to land, then repeating over and over and over again... yeah that was a good two hours right there.
... the most important part of any mix-making venture. Sure the songs you pick are important, but having them flow properly, having the chords blend seamlessly or jar your ears in just the right way, having the right balance of boppy, slow, old, new, clear, grungy... that takes time. Three. Hours.
It may be fifteen point three hours long (in the words of my sister: "Sweet Jesus, when is she even going to have time to listen to all that!?!") , but I take my mix-making responsibilities seriously, especially when the fate of a thirtieth birthday hangs in the balance (or so I like to think)!
"So I'm gonna make the cake, and pick up the beer, and turn on the Christmas lights [our 'grown-up' version of balloons tied to the front porch]... anything else you'd like me to take care of"
"... Oh yeah, you could throw some music together, maybe a playlist or something...?"
Throw together a playlist, pshaw, who do you think I am? Someone who... just... throws together a playlist?!? I mean really....
Making a mix is a delicate and time consuming thing. Making a mix for someone else is doubly so, but making a mix for someone else's party, and a Big Birthday at that... well apparently that takes a very. Long. Time.
Step 1) Alphabetically go through my entire itunes library looking for songs my friend would like.
Step 2) Secretly rip several of her favourite CDs onto my computer and added some of those songs.
Step 3) Cull the list, removing any excessively represented bands (max of three songs per group)
Step 4) Begrudgingly remove songs I knew were on there more for me than for her.
Step 5) "Randomize"
I don't perhaps give computers the respect they're due... manually randomizing things is near fracking impossible! Clicking on songs, scrolling down the list and dropping them wherever they happen to land, then repeating over and over and over again... yeah that was a good two hours right there.
Step 6) Song-to-song transitions
... the most important part of any mix-making venture. Sure the songs you pick are important, but having them flow properly, having the chords blend seamlessly or jar your ears in just the right way, having the right balance of boppy, slow, old, new, clear, grungy... that takes time. Three. Hours.
It may be fifteen point three hours long (in the words of my sister: "Sweet Jesus, when is she even going to have time to listen to all that!?!") , but I take my mix-making responsibilities seriously, especially when the fate of a thirtieth birthday hangs in the balance (or so I like to think)!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
The Epic Detour that is making car-mixes
So I recently read Amy and Roger's Epic Detour- yes I know its YA fiction, but I am kind of on a huge YA fiction kick right now and have stopped trying to justify it because YA FICTION IS AWESOME. Seriously. Why are so many amazing authors writing for teenagers and pre-teens? Nevermind, I don't care why, I will read their books anyway and enjoy every last one of them. Ok, so maybe not every last one. maybe just the really good ones. but there are lots of them! LOTS!
Back on track here- I'm not going to tell you too much about the book, not because it wasn't excellent, but because that's not really the point of this. All you do need to know that the book is about an epic road trip which, like all good road trips, involves a lot of listening to music.and there are lists. Tracklists of the playlists. Lists of the lists. Also lots of other random ephemera that I completely fell in love with, but the lists, the tracklists!
In situations like these, the Garden State Sondtrack situations, the High Fidelity situations, the times when you read something or watch something and its soundtrack just resonates with you you are presented with this amazing opportunity to discover a craptonn of new music, music that you not only enjoy as individual songs, but music that you enjoy as a collection, whose particular bands get to become a part of the type of music you like, not just the albums you have on our ipod. What I don't normally expect, is to see lists of music in a book populated by groups and songs I already know and love. Sure there wasn't any Elliot BROOD, but there was plenty of The Decemberists, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Sufjan Stevens, Frightened Rabbit, Pedro the Lion, Carla Bruni... not your normal run-of-the-mill bands, but also not your normal-indie-darlings either. Sure there was some The National in there, but the randomness of everything else just made me want to listen to every song in the book right then and there. Author Morgan Matson not only hit upon a musical recipe that happened to resonate with me, she was also right on in the important relationships between roadtrips and music. Music Mixes, Road Trip Mixes to be precise.
Music puts quotes on your life. Not for everyone, sure, but for a lot of people, myself included, there is something about the right song at the right moment that can make you cry, make you smile, make everything make sense in a way that few other things can. On top of that there is something about listening to music in the car, about taking the music with you, about how the relationship between the lyrics and the tune and the landscape become reciprocal... (Like how I cannot hear Graveyard Train without being transported to a five hour drive through Algonquin park having left all of my other cds securely sitting on my dresser... You wouldn't think that Australian Horror-country would make me think of the Canadian shield and fields full of cows, but now it does. Just like Snow Patrol is a tire graveyard in Cape Breton, and Eve6 means three am in the middle of the summer driving down the 404 ).
There's the pre-existing album relationships sure, but those created by the mix tape are even stronger. Because each song had to have some sort of significance to you to end up on the tape to begin with, some reason for being. And then you get to experience the changing of that relationship, the slow shift from "I loved that song Amy played at that party" to "This song is a place, is a road, is a specific time and a specific place during a drive I'll never forget."
As an aside here I'm just going to mention that I AM aware that no one makes mixtapes anymore. I realise that now its a mix CD or more often a mixed playlist on your ipod, but I am always going to call it a mixtape because thats what they are to me and thats how I approach them- carefully crafting the song-to-song transitions, the lengths of the album, balancing how many you've got of each band, each type of music, making one for keeping you awake, one for sunny days, one for the rain, one for snowstorms... I've got nothing against youngins, but I would be lying if I didn't say that I instantly have a certain level of respect for someone if I find out they grew up making actual mixTAPES.... Because its both the act of creating the mix and the process of its transformations that makes it so special.
Amy and Roger... made me want to take an epic road trip, sure, but what it really made me want to do was sit down and spend hours and hours creating new car mixes and then take them out for a stroll, listening as they shift and change and become places in my memory. What more could you ask of a song?
Back on track here- I'm not going to tell you too much about the book, not because it wasn't excellent, but because that's not really the point of this. All you do need to know that the book is about an epic road trip which, like all good road trips, involves a lot of listening to music.and there are lists. Tracklists of the playlists. Lists of the lists. Also lots of other random ephemera that I completely fell in love with, but the lists, the tracklists!
In situations like these, the Garden State Sondtrack situations, the High Fidelity situations, the times when you read something or watch something and its soundtrack just resonates with you you are presented with this amazing opportunity to discover a craptonn of new music, music that you not only enjoy as individual songs, but music that you enjoy as a collection, whose particular bands get to become a part of the type of music you like, not just the albums you have on our ipod. What I don't normally expect, is to see lists of music in a book populated by groups and songs I already know and love. Sure there wasn't any Elliot BROOD, but there was plenty of The Decemberists, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Sufjan Stevens, Frightened Rabbit, Pedro the Lion, Carla Bruni... not your normal run-of-the-mill bands, but also not your normal-indie-darlings either. Sure there was some The National in there, but the randomness of everything else just made me want to listen to every song in the book right then and there. Author Morgan Matson not only hit upon a musical recipe that happened to resonate with me, she was also right on in the important relationships between roadtrips and music. Music Mixes, Road Trip Mixes to be precise.
Music puts quotes on your life. Not for everyone, sure, but for a lot of people, myself included, there is something about the right song at the right moment that can make you cry, make you smile, make everything make sense in a way that few other things can. On top of that there is something about listening to music in the car, about taking the music with you, about how the relationship between the lyrics and the tune and the landscape become reciprocal... (Like how I cannot hear Graveyard Train without being transported to a five hour drive through Algonquin park having left all of my other cds securely sitting on my dresser... You wouldn't think that Australian Horror-country would make me think of the Canadian shield and fields full of cows, but now it does. Just like Snow Patrol is a tire graveyard in Cape Breton, and Eve6 means three am in the middle of the summer driving down the 404 ).
There's the pre-existing album relationships sure, but those created by the mix tape are even stronger. Because each song had to have some sort of significance to you to end up on the tape to begin with, some reason for being. And then you get to experience the changing of that relationship, the slow shift from "I loved that song Amy played at that party" to "This song is a place, is a road, is a specific time and a specific place during a drive I'll never forget."
As an aside here I'm just going to mention that I AM aware that no one makes mixtapes anymore. I realise that now its a mix CD or more often a mixed playlist on your ipod, but I am always going to call it a mixtape because thats what they are to me and thats how I approach them- carefully crafting the song-to-song transitions, the lengths of the album, balancing how many you've got of each band, each type of music, making one for keeping you awake, one for sunny days, one for the rain, one for snowstorms... I've got nothing against youngins, but I would be lying if I didn't say that I instantly have a certain level of respect for someone if I find out they grew up making actual mixTAPES.... Because its both the act of creating the mix and the process of its transformations that makes it so special.
Amy and Roger... made me want to take an epic road trip, sure, but what it really made me want to do was sit down and spend hours and hours creating new car mixes and then take them out for a stroll, listening as they shift and change and become places in my memory. What more could you ask of a song?
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