Benefit: The C is for Cure (evening show)

The C is for Cure (evening show) (feat. Timber Timbre / Austra / Evening Hymns)

The Music Gallery. Saturday, January 29, 2011.

Following the warm'n'folksy matinée show there was time to stretch the legs out and then find some friends in the Music Gallery's fellowship room before it was time for the nightcap. It too was organized by Bruce Peninsula's Matt Cully as a fundraiser for his bandmate and friend Neil Haverty, who had been diagnosed with leukemia a few months previously. This show was a ticketed affair which had sold out pretty quickly, given that a couple of the bands might normally be seen in larger venues.

Leading off the evening was Jonas Bonnetta's Evening Hymns, who were slightly upsized from when I had seen them just a couple weeks before. Bonnetta (vox/guit) was joined by mainstay Sylvie Smith (backing vox/bass) as well as Tim Bruton (also of Matters and Forest City Lovers) on electric piano.

Now back from their journey north to Perth, Ontario to record their second album Spectral Dusk, Bonnetta's mind was mostly on his new songs. There was only "Cedars" to represent debut album Spirit Guides, and after that the set focused on the fresh stuff. There was more familiarity and confidence in the delivery of the new songs — "Arrows", for one, sounded a little more lived-in — but this was evidence that there hadn't been a radical change in Bonetta's approach, with his plaintive, emotional appeals burnished by Smith's warm voice.

There was one break from the new material for a cover of Tim Hardin's "Reason to Believe", and that fit in just fine. Owing to his treatment schedule, Neil Haverty wasn't able to be at the show, but as Bonnetta closed with a solo rendition of "Spectral Dusk", sent out as a dedication, it was easy to believe that the vibrations would resonate his way.¹

There was a very different vibe and some tangible excitement in the crowd for the show's middle act. For although Katie Stelmanis was well-known locally for her various projects — including a stint in Bruce Peninsula's choir — this was a first chance for most to see her Austra project in full force. Although those keeping an eye out had plenty of chances to see the band evolving from a "solo" project to a band, the news that Austra had signed to Domino Records and the unleashing of single "Beat and the Pulse" in the preceding couple weeks meant that there was suddenly a lot of buzz around the group and the expectation of something new.

The set, however, started with a moment that could have fit with her former musical incarnations, as Stelmanis emerged alone to take a seat behind the Music Gallery's grand piano. Lyrically though, it was almost like a manifesto, descriptive of what was about to come: "The morning I was born again / I was made into a beast". That complete, the rest of the band emerged while Stelmanis moved centre stage beside her keyboard. And as they launched into "Lose It", she revealed what sort of beast she had become.

All at once, there were lights flashing and beats pulsing and a massive amount of throbbing energy from the stage. Comparing this to the "Private Life" band of a year before is rather instructive — these are mostly the same players and mostly the same songs, but the sound and attitude are something else entirely. For one thing, the band's leader had become as emboldened as her music. I remember seeing Stelmanis a few times around the time her debut album Join Us came out. Especially vivid in my memory is seeing her open for Fucked Up, Hallowe'en '08 — in those days, playing mostly alone, even while pumping out her operatic tracks Stelmanis would often be up on stage in plaid and a trucker's hat, looking down at her keyboards, closed in on herself. Now, her look was totally different — bold, eyes on the crowd, with long hair unfurled and wearing check-me-out nylons with a long run down the left leg.

Her band were also visually striking, starting with the Tasseomancy twins (Romi and Sari Lightman) flanking her. Everyone was covered in glitter, even the shirtless Dorian Wolf on bass. The band was rather striking musically, as well, propelled by the thunderous force of Maya Postepski on drums and Ryan Wonsiak on synths tucked behind Stelmanis. And, at the centre of it all, that voice. When "Lose It" finished, such was the shock/impact that the crowd was silent for a second, breaking into applause only as the next track (b-side "Young and Gay") began.

It was one of those rare moments where I thought to myself, "oh — well, this could get rather big." It definitely crossed my mind that this might be my only chance to see the band this close up — never mind in a sit-down environment. "Beat and the Pulse"² — the only song from the band that was widely heard at this point — was greeted with loud cheers, but they were well-deserved, as the performance was totally convincing. In a final unexpected twist, the set closed with a dark-disco version of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" — given the pervading sense of ominousness in the rest of the set, perhaps it was meant as a lighter touch for the the audience to go out on.

In taking her penchant for operatic pop and marrying it to dancefloor-friendly beats, Stelmanis has clearly given herself a bigger canvas to paint upon — something that a lot more people can "get" right off the bat that still allows her to deploy her striking talents. We spend a lot of time talking about artists "developing", and often it happens incrementally right in front of us, but it's rather satisfying to be there when something like this gels into something greater than the previous sum of its parts.³

Listen to a track from this set here.

After a final burst of MC'ing from Matt Cully, drawing winners in the day's raffles, the room was plunged into darkness as Taylor Kirk, flashlight in hand, made his way to the stage. He hung the flashlight on his mic stand, shining down on his pedals, but there was no other illumination at all. It was so dark in the sanctuary that cars passing outside cast moving brakelight streaks across the ceiling — bringing to mind childhood memories of being tucked into bed, waiting for a sliver of moonlight to provide some comfort from the night's un-namable terrors.

That would probably be about the right state of mind for a Timber Timbre gig, given Kirk's fondness for ooky-spooky evil couched in a bluesy vernacular. Having seen only his gear on stage I wasn't surprised that this was a solo set, but it is an unusual occurrence these days, as he normally performs as a trio with Simon Trottier and Mika Posen. "I haven't done this for a really long time like this, by myself," he confirmed near the start, noting it was now a somewhat discomforting experience to face the songs and the audience on his own.

After opening with "No Bold Villain" (from 2008's self-titled breakthrough), he focused on new material from the then-forthcoming (and awesomely-titled) Creep On Creepin' On, including the title track and "Bad Ritual". Playing with just his guitar, he did receive a boost from his pedals, allowing for a harmony effect on his voice in the choruses of "Black Water". "All I need is some sunshine," he sings in that song, albeit in the voice of someone who seems pretty clear that it's not forthcoming. Complementing the dark mood established by the sentiments like that, Kirk would occasionally take a pull from a skull-shaped bottle between songs. It was no surprise that he exhibited a macabre sense of humour to match:

Taylor Kirk: When I get cancer I want a festival just like this. [peering out into the crowd] Matt?

Matt Cully [from somewhere in the back]: I'm on it. [beat] Please don't get cancer.

TK: I think I'm gettin'... [gestures] I think I feel something.

MC: A sore throat is not cancer.

TK: [long pause] Cancer jokes are not funny. Forgive me. [beat] Neil would laugh.

That would serve as the lead-in to the death-obsessed "Demon Host". Closing out the main set, "Lay Down In The Tall Grass" led into "Under Your Spell" (from 2007's debut Medicinals), which ended with some wild stomping causing splattery amplifier echos. Called back for an encore, Kirk did one more old one, the thematically perfect "There is a Cure". After that, Matt Cully had only to come up to the stage and ask the crowd to give a round of applause for Neil to close out a pretty memorable night.⁴

Listen to a track from this set here.

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¹There's no release date for Spectral Dusk yet, but I imagine we'll be hearing something once summer's warmth starts to fade. The band will be playing an evening show on the first day of the ALL CAPS! festival on Toronto Island, Saturday, August 13, 2011.

² In an album where four songs begin with the definite article, it always throws me off that this isn't one of them.

³ After a buzz-explosion festival appearance and an album-release show at Lee's, Austra's upward trajectory continues with a homecoming show at the Phoenix on Thursday, December 1, 2011. Tasseomancy, whose Ulalume album is coming out in August, will be doing double duty in opening the show.

⁴ Time, in this case, has allowed for more of a happy ending than the slightly-awkward cæsura at the moment of this show. Responding well to treatment, Neil Haverty has been able to rejoin his bandmates, who made a return to live duty at the NXNE festival. They'll be playing again on Thursday August 11, 2011 at the Lower Ossington Theatre as part of the SummerWorks festival, when they'll be previewing tracks from sophomore album Open Flames. After hanging in limbo for most of this year, word is that it will be coming out on October 4th, 2011 — and following a tour there'll be a proper local release show for it on October 27th, 2011 at Lee’s Palace. Go and see the bands you love while they're still with us, and give them a fond hug while you have a chance — none of us can take our tomorrows for granted.

Benefit: The C is for Cure (matinée)

The C is for Cure (matinée) (feat. Snowblink / Kith & Kin / The Deeep / Steven McKay)

The Music Gallery. Saturday, January 29, 2011.

This was, first and foremost, a concert that no-one wished was necessary. The sudden and shocking christmastime news that Bruce Peninsula vocalist/guitarist Neil Haverty had been diagnosed with leukemia felt like a blow — considering the vitality with which he always conducted himself it was a sobering moment of mortality even for anyone who knew him only as a fan. So I could only imagine the how it must have felt for his family, friends and bandmates. Besides playing alongside Haverty in Bruce Peninsula, Matt Cully was also his room-mate, a closeness which galvanized into putting together this day-long pair of shows as a fundraiser. The ticketed evening show would be more of a regular concert, pulling in some big-name friends, but the matinée was more of a friends-and-family affair.

It was also pretty rigourously all-ages, with babies and elders mixing in much greater numbers than you would normally find at a show. In fact, as I entered through the Fellowship Room, I was surprised at the robust turnout for a daytime gig. Two walls of the room were taken up with tables filled with food and crafts, all being sold as part of the fundraising effort, and the event very much had the feeling of an extended family gathering. There was even a poster-sized open letter from Haverty, explaining that because of his treatment schedule he wasn't able to be present, but expressing his thankfulness at the support he had received.

Heading into the sanctuary, I found the pews to be fairly full as well. It turned out I had missed Lake Vernon Drowning who had opened things up, but I did manage to catch most of Steven McKay's set.

I suspect that the Bruce Peninsula drummer is not a wild man of rock'n'roll, given how his solo songs tend to celebrate small domestic pleasures — sentiments like "we all need more soup on Sundays / we all need more movie nights" are not the stuff of outré hedonism. "Emma Comes Home", another one of those small-pleasures songs describing his joy in anticipating his wife returning from a trip, had the crowd clapping along to the song's coda.

Friendship is another value quietly appreciated in his songs, and "Andy's House" (about teenaged hanging out) even passingly celebrated the day's hero: "Boyce and Neil / sex appeal / is really rare."

"We weren't sexy guys," McKay explained in reference to that line. But he managed to raise some knowing laughs in the room when he told how Haverty had misheard the line as the more flattering "voice of Neil / sex appeal / is really rare" — so as a tribute, the band sang it that way.

As was the case with every time I'd seen McKay play, there was a slightly-shuffled lineup of friends playing alongside him. The most essential of which were stalwart backing vocalists Allie Hughes and Alex Samaras, both extraordinary singers who embroidered McKay's more basic baritone. Alongside them were Samir Khan on bass and Thomas Gill on guitar, neither of whom I'd seen backing McKay before, but their presence was no surprise given their participation in some other overlapping projects.

Given that McKay's songs could be as reliable (or dull) as the everydayness of his subjects, it's a testament to the power of the musicians that he plays with that they instead evoke the quiet magic of shared moments. The accompaniment (and especially the soaring vocals) led one habitué of the Music Gallery to comment to me afterwards that this might have been one of the best-sounding sets ever to rise to the Music Gallery's churchy rafters.

Listen to a track from this set here.

The middle act of the afternoon was sonically the odd band out, but The Deeep are still well within the same orbit of friends and musical collaborators as the rest of the performers.¹ Echoing their earlier performance in the Music Gallery's courtyard, they once again brought a backdrop to put behind them on stage. But in the half-year since, the trio of musicians have come to sound a lot less like a project and more like a band. Souping up their sound, Wolfgang Nessel now had a bass, along with his array of samplers and other sonic toys, while Victoria Cheong was more tightly integrated as a part of the musical soundscape. Both worked in quilting together a patchwork of warm raggamuffin drones to serve as the palatte upon which Isla Craig — another in a string of astounding singers connecting the day's bands — could loop and layer her vocals.

As the mix of one-bar reggae loop, soaring synth line and looped vocals built up, a few of the older crowd members headed out to the Fellowship Room. Those that remained mostly leaned back and soaked up the grooves, three extended tracks, with statement-of-purpose and 12" single track "Mudd" sprawling out at the centre of it all.

Matt Cully, who had also been acting as the day's MC, ended his introduction of Kith & Kin by making a special appeal for quiet. Given that the trio's music is mostly a capella, any competing noise would definitely stand out. Composed of Bruce Peninsula's Ivy Mairi joined by the mother/daughter team of Kathleen McDonnell and Martha Farquhar-McDonnell, Kith & Kin play songs from the folk tradition. Some, like "Morning Tears", have passed through hands like Appalachian singer Jean Ritchie.

With all the tricks and noises that technology can bring to bear, I'm sometimes taken aback at how unadorned human voices added together can effortlessly create complicated structures of striking beauty, such as when the trio overlapped in and out of the round of an old Shaker work song, or a chillingly-beautiful version of the old sea shanty "Grey Funnel Line". Stunning stuff. For variety, there was one song accompanied by a hundred-year-old banjo, as well as a single original composition that saw Isla Craig return to the stage to duet with Mairi.

The group usually performs at christmastime, so this one involved finding a few new tunes for their repertoire. I'm as secular and un-xmas-y as they come, but after this I could easily see myself joining them at their next Wassail.

That set was followed by an emotional gathering on stage, as Neil Haverty's family passed along Neil's thanks as well as their own gratitude for the support they'd received. That set the stage for the matinée's finale, another band based around a radiant voice. Snowblink is an excellent band inasmuch as pretty much every time I see them I'm struck anew by how good they are. That's certainly a function of Daniela Gesundheit's vocals², but it also reflects how her and musical partner Dan Goldman are continually striving to surround her voice with new arrangements. Here. the band led off with signature song "Rut & Nuzzle", as usual with some bells handed to out the crowd jangling along plus, for added audience participation, a well-timed crying baby joining in at just the right time.

They kept the focus off themselves in a quick set, playing just three songs before Gesundheit called up members of Bruce Peninsula "past, present and future" and spread them out along the stage. She led them in a slow, simmering version of Bruce Peninsula's "Crabapples" and "Satisfied". The song was mournful and filled with sad longing rather than the urgent energy of Neil Haverty shouting how he had never been satisfied. In fact, comparing this to my memory of Haverty running past me from the stage and dashing around through the crowd in this very same venue was a potent blow, and definitely the emotional climax of the whole day.

Listen to a track from this set here.

After that, a bit of a break was welcome as the crowd cleared out, allowing a whole other set of bands to prepare for the evening concert.

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¹ The extra "e" is for "extra friendship".

² Daniela Gesundheit is a long-standing member of Bruce Peninsula's choir.

Benefit: Live Love Large

Live Love Large Benefit Concert (feat. Gentleman Reg / Kat Burns / Hooded Fang)

Metropolitan Community Church. Friday, January 28, 2011.

It's always rather nice to go to places off the gig map — anything on the other side of the Don Valley always feels like an expedition. And I'm generally enthusiastic about any gig I can get to in a church — they generally have good acoustics and nice architecture, but there's not a lot of reasons for secular types to visit 'em in their regular function. All that said, I might not have headed out to Riverdale for this one were K. not eager for a chance to see Gentleman Reg. And anyway, it was for a good cause, a fundraiser for the Friends For Life Bike Rally, which raises millions of dollars for the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation.

Lots of room in the pews as we arrived, grabbing spaces up front while a folksy guitarist finished off a quiet set for the earlycomers. I'd never been to the MCC before — a nice old church, and it was cool to hear the crowd being welcomed by Rev. Brent Hawkes, the senior pastor, and a true Toronto hero. Looking around as we settled in, I noted it was very much not a typical bar/gig crowd. Besides the charity auctions and fifty-fifty draws and so on, there was also some "local" talent interspersed around the marquee acts — and there were a few times where it felt like two separate events that were a little awkwardly melded together. Perhaps especially so when one of the show's organizers decided to reward herself with a musical set in the middle of everything else.

Once the main event of the night got started, Hooded Fang sounded quite good in the big churchy space, with room to provide some natural reverb to Daniel Lee's voice. He took advantage of the wireless microphone to roam a bit — there was some elbow room given how the multi-tiered stage/pulpit was used to accommodate the band's numbers, with the drums and keybs raised up behind the other bandmembers. It was the same adjusted lineup as the band's New Year's Eve show, with Matt Beckett (ex-Bicycles) subbing in again for bassist April Aliermo.

The band led off with "Land of Giants" from the debut EP, but otherwise played selections from their full-length Album. The crowd was appreciative, but it was more of a sway-in-your-pew sort of vibe than leap-up-and-dance. "Highway Steam" actually got a couple guys up dancing, but despite their efforts to get more folks to join 'em, most people settled for enthusiastic clapping along to the band. Appropriate to the night, the set closed with "Love Song".

Listen to a song from this set here.

Moving from the sanctuary to the church's hall, there was a long break after that, and while the hors d'oeuvres were most welcome, the organizers weren't keeping as tight a rein on the schedule as they might, meaning that Kat Burns' set was cut down to keep things running on time. Leaving the rest of her Forest City Lovers bandmates behind for the occasion, Burns played solo with guitar, leading off with "Tell Me, Cancer". Unfortunately, she'd only play three songs on the night, winding up with "If I Were a Tree". She enlisted the audience to snap their fingers in time for that one, and gave the impression that she was just starting to get warmed up.

Listen to a song from this set here.

After that, it was a quick changeover for headliner Gentleman Reg, playing in trio configuration, with Reg Vermue joined by Kelly McMichael on keybs and Jon Hines on second guitar. They opened with a couple of Jet Black songs ("To Some It Comes Easy" and "Coastline") before mixing things up with a pair of covers. Their arrangement of Stevie Nicks' "Wild Heart" has been around for a while now, and it was joined by a slowed-down run through Sheryl Crow's "If It Makes You Happy", which worked very well in this configuration, with the McMichael singing the chorus as a counterpoint commenting on Vermue's laments in the verses.

Hynes moved over to the drumkit, keeping time on a couple of Vermue's now-large stock of as-yet-unreleased songs. These days, this is really the highlight of any Gentlemen Reg set, given the quality of the material he's building up. After that, the set closed with a quieter version of "We're in a Thunderstorm" before Reg was called back for one more. There were several in the audience shouting for "Boyfriend Song", but he went instead with "You Can't Get it Back", leaving Hynes to handle the guitar as he leaned around while singing.

Listen to a song from this set here.

A good finish to the evening — hopefully much was raised for the cause, and I'm guessing that the organizers learned a lot that will make their next one run more smoothly. Meanwhile, like at most non-bar shows, it was done at a decent hour, and it was just a short walk down to grab the Carlton car to head back homeward.