Gig: catl / The Disraelis

catl / The Disraelis

Mitzi's Sister. Friday, July 31, 2009.

After an evening out at Cinematheque, decided I still had enough zazz to go see some music, so I grabbed the Queen car out to Parkdale. Strangely enough, though my friend A. had lived basically across the street for quite awhile, I'd never been in to Mitzi's before. Not a bad space — longish and narrow, with the low stage at the back, facing two parallel rows of tables running down the walls. A resto-bar at heart, the venue is clearly not set up with music in mind as the main focus, as witnessed by the fact that the path to the patio at the back took patrons and servers right past the stage. But nicely set up to sit down and take something in, though it would get awkward if there were too many people dancing or standing in front of the stage.

Entered with nice timing, with catl taking a break between sets. Had enough time to grab a drink, find a table and settle in before they re-took the stage. The small crowd on hand — more than a dozen, less than two — gave the proceedings a different vibe than the last time I'd seen 'em, sweating up a storm in a packed Silver Dollar at NXNE. Quite wisely planning to strike while the iron is hot, catl announced that they were using the gig as a chance to work out some of the material they'd be going in to record next week for a new album, which'd presumably give them a chance to showcase their three-piece lineup on wax. So we got a good forty minutes of low-simmerin' boogie, tasty enough to get a few people up and dancing in front of the stage — keyb player Sarah Kirkpatrick even stepping down to join in while shaking her maracas. In case there is any doubt, catl are a potent source of live entertainment — with a run of nights continuing at The Dakota you'd be well advised to check 'em out.¹

And then, The Disraelis, their set initiated by guitarist Colin Belfast, who segued from tuning to tentatively sending out a few layered bursts of sound as the other members took the stage. I'd enjoyed them when I saw them back in March at CMW, but that was a late night timeslot and the last of six bands I'd seen in one long slog, and I've felt since then that they'd be worth checking out again. This turned out to be a rather good set, enjoyable despite — because of? — the small group of mostly friends out to see them.² At any rate, the space felt ideal for the band's sound, which connotes a slightly regretful dreamy lassitude. This vibe arises not only from Cameron Jingles' tuneful slurring but also Colin Belfast's shimmering guitar lines. Drummer Dave Barnes imparts the requisite physicality to underpin that — like a slumbering drunkard tossing and turning in his sleep, but not quite waking up. This dreamy/sleepy languor gives the songs room to stretch out — most running on the other side of five or six minutes. Very good stuff. I came in with some interest but left with a more ardent devotion for this band.

Listen to a track from this set here.

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¹ It also appears that notwithstanding their ambiguous feelings towards the local blues establishment, catl are finalists in the Toronto Blues Society's "Talent Search Finals" being held August 13th in Nathan Phillips Square. Best of luck to 'em in their efforts to bring the blues back into scuzzy disrepute.

² Sometimes I feel bad that I rather tend to enjoy shows where there's not so many people around. I like it when I'm not packed in sardine-like, and I get better recordings when there aren't people loudly yammering all about. At the same time, I don't wish obscurity on the bands I like — I know it'd be better for them to be playing to packed rooms. Les gigs, c'est l'autres, I guess.