Gig: The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady / Still Life Still

Lee's Palace. Sunday, September 27, 2009.

Making good time over to Lee's, had a few minutes to check out the merch table, grab a drink and rest for a moment, looking over the early-arriving types grabbing seated spots along the walls. Looked like a bit of an older crowd, folks who didn't come out to as many shows as they used to, but were making an exception for The Hold Steady. Once J. — the one who's like the drums on "Lust for Life" — made an appearance, we grabbed some spots in the middle of the dance floor, figuring it'd be harder to claim 'em later on.

Openers on the night were Still Life Still, not exactly an intuitive stylistic match, so perhaps more a sign they know people who know people in order to get them some primo exposure like this. Say what you will about the lads, they are certainly working it hard — this was the fourth time I'd seen them this year, and that was with me hardly going out of my way to do so. Their total number of local gigs over the past year must be pretty impressive. None of the previous shows had totally won me over, though I'd found their album to be okay. My ultimate conclusion is that I find them to be kinda enjoyable for three or four songs, then their lack of variety leads to diminishing returns.

On this night, it certainly felt like the band was cramming in as many songs as possible into their set, rather than letting some of the songs breathe and stretch out some. They played the entirety of their Girls Come Too album, though substituting the non-album cut "Keep Your Gun" — which isn't working a radically different sound — for "Wild Bees". The mid-tempo-y¹ "Kid" and "Planets" might have worked the best, the latter with a crowd sing along for "it's a family of wolves out there, they bury their young". It seems remarkable that despite the fact that this was a very sold out show for The Hold Steady that SLS still had a large, vocal coterie of fans right up front. After the set, I looked over at J. to gauge his reaction, and he sorta shrugged and shook his head — not a strong endorsement. The overall crowd reaction was pretty similar — warm approval from those up front, not particularly overwhelming from the HS crowd they were trying to win over.

Taking the stage to the strains of The Eagles' "In The City", one could immediately see and hear who the crowd were there for. Singer/guitarist Craig Finn was immediately handed a hand-made sign reading "THERE IS SO MUCH JOY IN WHAT WE DO" — a frequent pronouncement from the stage — that was received with a smile. That's a line that encapsulates The Hold Steady pretty well: you could come to love them either because of their classic rock riffs or their literate lyrics, but when it all comes together live, it's always an explosion of joyous energy. As always, Finn was an irresistible focal point, spitting out his sung/spoken words, and always having more to say than there are lyrics in the songs, his lips moving to a never-ending off-mic stream of consciousness between lines.²

The show's very existence was an unexpected delight. I got into THS one tour too late to see them in a club, and never thought I'd have a shot at seeing them in such intimate quarters. This cross-Canada jaunt seemed to be "one for the fans", and the band, no longer really touring behind '08's Stay Positive was choosing freely from all of their albums. We got a half-dozen from '05's Separation Sunday and a trio from Almost Killed Me (2004), not to mention a handful of new tracks, including the Hüsker Dü-referencing "Heaven is Whenever". Nice to hear some stuff that isn't normally pulled out, including an extended "bar band" version of "Charlemagne in Sweatpants" climaxing with a lead guitar face-off between Finn and Tad Kubler³

I suppose I don't have a lot more objective stuff to say — this was simply a rather fantastic show. A pretty good crowd, too, well into it and with plenty hoots of joy to be heard. The band played seventy-five minutes plus a four-song encore, starting with another new one and ending with "How a Resurrection Really Feels", with the penultimate track a run through "Most People Are DJs", including an extended mid-song get-those-hands-clapping monologue talking about how the experience of listening to music at home or at a party or wherever isn't like being at a show, crowded in among people. "This is rock and roll!" shouted Finn. Precisely.

Listen to a track from this set here. Aw hell, one's just not enough. Let's go with another one here, too.

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¹ Well, everything the band does is kinda kid-tempo-y. The main rhythmic difference, I guess, is how busy drummer Aaron Romaniuk gets on the high-hats.

² I've always imagined that Finn's additional unheard interjections would add up to a sort of Talmudic commentary on his own lyrics.

³ Or, "My good friend, Mr. Brett Favre", as Finn called him. Indeed, after a tour-cancelling bout of pancreatitis last year, Kubler is looking hale and hearty and leaner than previously.

Recording: Still Life Still

Artist: Still Life Still

Song: Pastel

Recorded at Theatre Centre, Summerworks Festival, August 9, 2009.

Still Life Still - Pastel

My notes for this gig can be found here.

Gig: Still Life Still / Kids on TV

Still Life Still / Kids on TV

The Theatre Centre (Summerworks Festival Music Series). Sunday, August 9, 2009

Subpar rock'n'roller I am, I have it as a rule of thumb to avoid Sunday gigs, so as to finish off all the chores and get to bed nice and early to start the new week all fresh etc, etc. But still, sometimes you have to break the rules to free your heart.¹ So, heading out in the middle of a beautiful/mildly terrifying thunderstorm, I ducked out during a break in the driving rain and actually made it down to the Theatre Centre a bit earlier than I'd planned. Fortunately A. arrived on the scene not long after me, so we chatted while we waited for the doors to open — mildly late, as seems to be par for the Summerworks course.

A sparser crowd on hand, not surprising given the Sunday/lousy weather situation. The night was designated a fundraiser for Sketch, an arts program for street involved and homeless youth — a cause that Kids on TV have supported in the past. On this night, we got an eight-song set again showing off their newer material and a couple old tracks. The crowd (except myself and A.) seemed largely to be there for Still Life Still and were hanging back on the seats as KoTV took the stage. Thank goodness there was an intrepid front-stander to lead the charge to the stage, although after a bit the music started to draw more people onto their feets and some dancing ensued. Adding to the multimedia spectacular, most of the songs came with flashy new video art. The disco-y "Dazzler" impressed even more in this setting and was a rockin' good time. "Poison" was beset by the same electro-gremlins that had visited Miracle Fortress on Thursday² with the sound system cutting out in the middle of the track. The band gamely took a mulligan, and when the sound died again, persevered with one more re-start and managed to get through the track³ The set ended with "Breakdance Hunx" and its attendant party breakdown — stretching her mic cord to the limit, Roxanne took to the seats to bust out a verse and John hit the dancefloor to show off his breakdancing skillz. A ripping set wherein the band overcame the technical issues and a crowd that was not necessarily there to see them.

Between sets, A. decided he wanted to be alert at work in the morning and split for home. Fortunately, changeover entertainment was provided by Masta Myst, a young rapper who has honed his craft and done some recording at Sketch. That filled things in well enough until Still Life Still were ready to go. My previous encounters with the band had left me mostly ambivalent, but I was still willing to see if there was something there to interest me. The crowd, on the other hand, were right into this, and there were plenty folks dancing and singing along straight from the get-go. It's an A&R reality I'll readily acknowledge — if it comes down to whether a band impresses me or impresses a dancefloor full of girls, I know which I'd use as an indicator of future success.

Fighting against shock-inducing rented gear, the band put together a respectable set. All things considered, SLS' decentred sound should be right down my alley — no obvious frontman, vox shared around, and instruments melding together into a smeary haze. But somehow it seems this galling limitation must not be persevered in — sometimes it feels that the band is occupying its patch of musical real estate a bit too securely. A couple "new" songs — newer than their as-yet-unreleased album — are generally cut from the same cloth. I suppose in the end it's just that what they have doesn't quite hook me in, but, truth be told, I did enjoy this more than my previous encounters, and felt like three or four songs really connected. This is already a capable live act, and I can only imagine some road work concomitant with the new album will only sharpen that further. Whether this gets them to the point where they're too successful for random women to just wander on stage mid-set to get some pictures of them remains to be seen, but I do reckon we'll be hearing plenty about 'em this fall.

Listen to a track from this set here.

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¹ Marge: "You got that from a movie poster."

² Weirdly, it's been the electronic acts, with their DI'ed gear that've been having all the bad luck with the fusebox, and not the rockers with their amps and whatnot.

³ This supremely catchy little number will be featured on the soon-coming Friends in Bellwoods II comp — start making your plans to get your mitts on a copy!

Gig: Still Life Still / Dinosaur Bones / Casa Muerte

Still Life Still / Dinosaur Bones / Casa Muerte

Velvet Underground. Saturday, May 30, 2009.

With no pressing engagements on Saturday afternoon, decided on a whim to check out this Dan Burke-promoted matinée. Mostly as a second shot at a couple well-regarded bands that I had seen already but hadn't quite made up my mind over. Meant heading into the Velvet Underground, another venue that isn't usually on my list of places to visit. But an afternoon, all-ages show at least didn't bring out the spot's usual crowd, so that was okay.

Got there in time to see Casa Muerte, a young band that showed up with a half-dozen players plus a pair of dancers/percussionists. To go with the name, the band seemed to be sort of going for a Día de los Muertos look, with a couple members in face-paint skulls. The unified look was a bit undermined — the bassist, for example, was in a Godzilla t-shirt and matching make-up. At first I thought this might indicate his willingness to stomp all over the band's sound, as he was very far up in the mix throughout the set. But as things went on, I realized that the band seemed to be victims of extremely unsympathetic inattention from the soundman, so though I had some issues with the band's sound — everything muddled together with little sonic clarity — I don't think I can lay most of it at the band's feet.

What I did hear was... okay. The band seemed to be working towards classic pop tunes with slight psych-garage twist, boy-girl vox and a penchant for ba-ba-ba backing vocals. But there's a bit of the kitchen sink thrown in here as well. The vocal interplay between Ireek Sofakia and Madame Muertes (the band's best weapon) was the most interesting element. With the dancers up front, the band at least managed to keep things generally entertaining, if not, like their sound, a little too-busy.

For the first half of their set, Dinosaur Bones were plagued by similarly lousy house sound. Vocalist Ben Fox¹ sounded at the outset like he was phoning it in — quite literally — through a tinny, distant connection. And again, the bass was up in the mix and everything was EQ'd into a very narrow band. Then, during "Sharks in the Sand", it seemed as if the soundman decided to punch the clock and start twiddling knobs, as the sound suddenly and dramatically improved, finally allowing a proper appreciation of what they were up to. Just in time, too, for their no-doubt hit "NYE", which simmers with just the right amount of mid-tempo melancholy. Dino Bones are a bit too anthemic (in that British rock magazine sense) to be precisely my cup of tea, but I certainly gots respect for them.

Listen to a track from this set here.

Taking a bit of extra time after setting up for a rugby scrum-like group hug, Still Life Still at least got the benfit of "headliner sound" and were free of any technical problems. After having seen them previously, I left with no strongly fixed opinion. A second exposure didn't strongly affect me, either, perhaps shifting my opinion towards an ambivalent "meh". There are compelling elements to their sound, and one can see how they fit them into the Arts & Crafts mould, the first few songs bringing to mind Kevin Drew's solo album. But there's also something missing — both the prickly bits and that moment of sublime lift. It may just mark me as jaded, but to my ears, what A&C are pushing here is a slightly mersh version of their signature sound.

That's just me, mind you. The crowd at hand were very well into this, and came correct and prepared, clapping along to the beat in anticipation of single "Pastel", and reacting very positively throughout. The band played just under forty-five minutes, and there wasn't really any one song that strongly grabbed my attention.²

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¹ Rock t-shirt: French Kicks.

² Although one called "Neon Blue" did the trick a little bit.

Gig: Oh No Forest Fires / Still Life Still / Arietta

Oh No Forest Fires / Still Life Still / Arietta

Lee's Palace. Friday, March 21, 2009.

In the indie rock game, you pays your money and you takes your chances. On a Friday night with no big plans after seeing a movie, $7 seemed like a fair investment in some unknown qualities. On the whole, none of the three bands I saw blew my mind, but it was still a decent evening.

If nothing else, it was a stirring sign of community spirit, and really encouraging to see a large, young crowd out for four local bands on a Friday night. All the bands, as well, seemed to be a mutually supportive bunch — I guess it wasn't just a comment on the lack of gender balance on the stage that the event was dubbed "BroFest". I think my favourite part of the night was when some of the bandmembers brought out their handcrafted, paint-splattered BroFest banner up to mount on the stage, which turned out to be done on the back of a CMW banner from last week. That's some top-notch DIY creative re-purposing.

First up were Arietta, a complete unknown quantity to me. I guess I would file them under that broad (and vaguely pejorative) term "modern rock" — they sounded like their music could be slipped right into the playlist of The Edge or some such.¹ Which is to say they were probably objectively "good", but didn't interest me at all. The frontman looked like he had misread one of those lists of don'ts: two-handed microphone gripping, leg up on the monitor for emotive bending over, etc. But at least he was a good enough vocalist to justify his presence in the band. In their defence, the band did look like they were making some efforts at mixing up their sound a bit, but some textures like melodica were totally lost in the mix. They sound like they could do well for themselves, and had (for a band going on at 9:30) a reasonable crowd of folks down on the dancefloor. And ultimately, if you can make nineteen-year-old girls wiggle, that's probably a better predictor of success than my taste. If I were a mersh A&R man, I'd snap these dudes straight up.²

Next up were Still Life Still, probably the band on the bill I was most curious about. Having the phrase "recent Arts & Crafts signees" slapped next to your name probably creates a certain set of expectations. A five-piece unit playing a sort of smeary version of that dance-ified post-punk thing, they come across as having a not-yet-settled sound, a few competing ideas not totally integrated into one concept. At first they evoked a sort of Born Ruffians/D'Urbervilles kind of vibe, and I found the first part of the set the least interesting. As things progressed, that was undercut by a sort of Modest Mouse feel, and that made things go down a little better. A woozy, slowed-down number in the middle was the best of the bunch, and I could begin to see what Kevin Drew might have seen in this lot. Once the easy dance beats gave way to the hazier stuff with ragged, collective vox, it began to make more sense to me. With an EP and an album forthcoming from A&C, I can only imagine there'll be plenty more chances to see them in the next few months, so I reserve the right not to make up my mind yet.³

They were followed by Oh No Forest Fires, another crew that I had heard some good things about. They played a sort of guitar rock skewed by rapid-bursting spazzy asides exploding out from broken powerpop dreams. Their best weapon was charismatic frontman Rajiv Thavanathan, who can apparently find his way around a melody but seems to have some inner compulsion to step on it like a wayward spider.⁴ The set ended with a raucous cover of "Footloose", with the stage crowded by members of all the night's bands plus some from Great Bloomers. The band was fun, energetic and full of good vibes. I dug them, and I appreciated the music, but I wouldn't declare myself a convert.

After seeing Dinosaur Bones last week, I knew I wanted to see them again, but after the end of ONFF's set past midnight I could feel myself fading — not in an ideal state to try and appreciate their subtleties. So I headed out. A la prochaine, Dino Bones.

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¹ Caveat: I really have no idea what commercial radio sounds like in this decade, so this is largely a supposition on my part. In my imagination, this is what bands on the radio sound like.

²All the lads of Arietta, save the singer, were all wearing white t-shirts on stage, leaving me wondering if this was an attempt at a unified look or if when they all met up backstage before the gig they were all, like, "Bro! You wore a white t-shirt today? I wore a white t-shirt today!"

³ Tangential note: the bass player had a five string, which I normally associate with limpid funk-lite. Are there any examples of quality rock bands with a five-string bass? Could this be the first?

⁴ A couple songs led by the bassist/keyb player Matt Del Buono were less successful, and didn't totally fit in with the rest of the set.