Recording: Doomsquad

Artist: Doomsquad feat. Not The Wind, Not the Flag

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Recorded at The Art Gallery of Ontario ("Long Winter: AGO First Thursdays Takeover"), January 2, 2014.

Doomsquad feat. Not the Wind, Not the Flag - unknown

Full review to follow. The AGO's First Thursdays have been serving up local music as one segment of its interactive mix'n'mingle monthly series, while Long Winter has been curating DIY art alongside the concerts they've been throwing at the Great Hall. On paper it makes for an appealing crossover opportunity to combine the two. And while the LW crew brought some cool ideas (and a tasty mix of musicians) down to Dundas and McCaul, the execution was somewhat inelegant. Putting the headlining bands in galleries on the opposite ends of the 5th floor contemporary wing allowed for two distinct environments — and both sets were really good — but the experience was marred by making patrons wait in a distinctly unfun lineup to get there. [Given the recent capacity issues at the Great Hall as well, Long Winter is in danger of its brand becoming synonymous with waiting in line.]

Doomsquad took full advantage of this high-concept night to step up their set with something different. First and most plainly apparent, they constructed a sort of cagelike improvised tent structure that was covered in chicken wire, keeping the band at a cool remove from the crowd. And as the set went on, assistants slowly covered them with layers of plastic sheeting. (Whether this was meant to signify a post-apocalyptic hoedown, a Brechtian verfremdungseffekt or a tribute to Christo was left for the chattering classes to discuss amongst themselves afterward.) And sonically, the band got a boost from local free-improv godheads Brandon Valdivia and Colin Fisher, who helped them to stretch out their grooves so that the songs veered into a dark-edged, no-wave Fela zone — a strange but appealing sort of party.