Gig: The Donkeys

The Donkeys (The Elwins)

Sneaky Dee's. Saturday, May 21, 2011.

From time to time you'll hear people (especially those with a few more years/gigs under their belts) bemoan the fact that all the good shows start ridiculously late — goodness knows I've lamented that no shortage of times. But by the same measure, when there actually are early shows, not so many people show up, so there's not much incentive for promoters to change their ways. Case in point for this No Shame-presented show — when I arrived at Sneaky Dee's (having made it through the Rapture with no visible harm) the evening's light was still streaming in through the windows, and there was only a handful of patrons to be seen.

The numbers on hand were thinned down even more by the fact that last-minute complications left openers The Elwins without drummer Travis Stokl. The band pressed ahead in trio configuration, with Feurd Moore shifting to fill in behind the kit.

Starting with "Forgetful Assistance", the set mostly contained songs that would end up on recently-released full length And I Thank You.¹ Unsurprisingly, being a hand short rendered the songs a little more spare than they would usually be, but that also allowed the stately pop simplicity at the heart of tunes like "Propinquity" to shine through. Compared to the lush production job on the album, this would have been a little austere were it not for the heavy doses of sunshine that vocalist/guitarist Matthew Sweeney had woven into the songs' cores.

Besides the And I Thank You songs, there was also "Time To Kill Time" (from their 2008 EP), and they closed out with "A Little Longer".² Given the improvised arrangements, it was no surprise that the band kept it short, tackling just a half-dozen songs — and then ending with a big group hug on stage for getting through it. A slightly unusual set for the band, but certainly memorable.

Listen to a track from this set here.

The encouraging cheers from members of The Donkeys during The Elwins set seemed to arise from the fact that were were short-handed as well — although they had all of their members on hand, border troubles kept one of their travelling party from making it into town. Once on stage, the band lead off with the entirely self-descriptive "West Coast Raga", which, like the bulk of the set, was pulled from their then-just-released Born with Stripes.

On the one hand this was a bit of a musical outlier, with guitarist Jessie Gulati playing a credible sitar that wouldn't make another appearance. But there were clues to their sound there, aligning with other faucets in the songs that followed: this was a band that seemed to take everyone who had performed at Monterey Pop and boiled them down into a thick acid rock paste cut with Americana rootsy-ness. There were some hints of peyote-ish psychedelia and an ability to let songs drift into a stoned-haze groove, although the band never let things drift into jammy uncomfortability.

Lead vocals seemed to rotate around a bit, but drummer Sam Sprague seemed to have the most impact. But with all of those various genres and voices, the band still managed to have a unified sound. The set also included a few from the previous Living on the Other Side like "Nice Train" and "Excelsior Lady", which hinted at a softer 70's Bread-ish AOR vibe. That didn't leave the set feeling too retro, and the band were bullish on the merits of their songs, saying of "Oxblood": "this is gonna be a big hit the next time we're around".

Ambitious visions given that they were playing to a pretty thin crowd, with maybe a half-people up in front of the stage, and a few more sitting on the stools along the east wall. There were some folks hanging out at the back, but it's always hard to evaluate how much they were even following the show. The forty-minute set closed with "Downtown Jenny", and there was no encore — although I'd put that down as much to the need to clear the stage for the following DJ night.

A solid performance, and there's no doubt this is a talented unit — triangulating their ambition, hooks and scruffiness they're somewhere on the retro-rock continuum between, say, The War on Drugs and Yukon Blonde. Given that there does seem to be a hankering for this kind of sound, with the right breaks these guys could indeed be playing to packed crowds in larger rooms. But if they've listened to all those albums by the bands they're channelling, they surely know that rock'n'roll is a damned fickle mistress.

Listen to a track from this set here.

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¹ This is, it should be mentioned, a pretty snazzy bit of work, so effortlessly refined to a warm retro-pop glow that it's easy to miss just how well-constructed the songs are. It's available on CD, as well as the band's Bandcamp and is definitely recommended.

² I only know that one from its Wood & Wires performance.

Recording: Ruby Coast

Artist: Ruby Coast

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at NOW Lounge (No Shame All-Ages matinee), March 26, 2011.

Ruby Coast - unknown

My notes for this set can be found here.

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

Recording: Modern Superstitions

Artist: Modern Superstitions

Song: No Shame

Recorded at NOW Lounge (No Shame All-Ages matinee), March 26, 2011.

Modern Superstitions - No Shame

My notes for this set can be found here.

Recording: Army Girls

Artist: Army Girls

Song: The Power

Recorded at NOW Lounge (No Shame All-Ages matinee), March 26, 2011.

Army Girls - The Power

My notes for this set can be found here.

Gig: No Shame All-Ages Matinee

No Shame All-Ages Matinee (feat. Army Girls / Modern Superstitions / Ruby Coast)

NOW Lounge. Saturday, March 26, 2011.

Following up on their look into the somewhat-underwhelming state of all-ages shows in T.O., NOW decided to be a part of the solution by turning over the Lounge on the ground-floor of their offices over to No Shame's Lauren Schreiber for an afternoon show. As I followed the signs chalked on the Church Street sidewalks into the Lounge, the show was a prima facie success, the room filled with kids of, um, all ages ranging from enthusiastic young'uns bounding underfoot to broody, Beib-coiffed tweens sullenly slouching in the booths along the walls. And on stage, I Eat Kids were probably closer to the young end of the spectrum. Representing for the ten-and-under demographic, the band's enthusiasm was so awww-inducing it was easy to overlook that they were playing songs they wrote at a pretty proficient level. Proud dad Tim Vesely (Violet Archers, ex-The Rheostatics) beamed happily at the side of the room, while a lot of friends danced around up front.

Some of that younger contingent (and their parents) slipped away after that, but there was still quite a mix on hand as rock duo Army Girls took the stage. The all-ages enthusiasm of vocalist/guitarist Carmen Elle (who noted, "I've been playing since I was fifteen") was quite apparent. Backed by drummer Andy Smith, the pair played tunes from their slim but potent songbook.

Out of breath after a churning take of "The Power", Carmen Elle commented, "when I was younger, that was easier to do." But when the sitting row of small-fry taking in the set from right up front started an organized back-and-forth wave during "Cold and Alcohol", she certainly still had enough energy to hop over and lean right up to them, happily hamming it up without missing a lick on her guitar. The set included the five songs that would later end up on the Close to the Bone EP as well as the equally-worthy "Guts".

Listen to a track from this set here.

It had been almost a couple years since I'd crossed paths with Modern Superstitions — they weren't even modern yet — but it seemed like they'd used their time well. They were a fairly taut unit back then, but now were also sounding more snappy — like a switchblade in the pocket of a leather jacket, sharpened and polished.

Vocalist Nyssa Rosaleen delivers with her strong voice, but still isn't super-animated on stage. Or perhaps excess flash just isn't the band's style — the best thing here might be a rock-solid rhythm section (Harry Burgess on bass and Ben Reinhartz on drums) that impresses with coiled potential more than kinetic pizazz. And guitarist Matthew Aldred still exercises a deadpan wit between songs.

All of which is to say there something pleasantly subtle about the band's delivery, a late-night vibe that was a bit at odds with the bright afternoon setting. "This next song is called 'School Days'. That's appropriate," commented Rosaleen, looking down the length of rectangular room, and commenting, "though the children have mainly left." ("Inappropriate!" shouted Aldred.) After the driving "No Shame" (titled, as the band took pains to point out, as a tribute to Lauren Schreiber, who supported the band and put them on her bills many times) they eased back for a couple slower ones, a nice change of pace before tearing back to close out the set.

Sunbleached, their debut full-length, is now near release¹ so I reckon we'll be hearing more about this band soon. After their set, they had some of the show's young patrons sidle up to ask 'em for autographs, so you can take that as a positive sign.

Listen to a track from this set here.

Proudly hailing from Aurora (or at least not taking pains to conceal their hometown), Ruby Coast was playing songs from their then-just released Whatever This Is.² Currently a core three-piece (guit/keyb/drums) playing with a bassist, the band led with the energetic "Stability" and slightly more addled "Dr.Acula".³

I have nothing bad to say about the band. They're a little yelpy for my taste, and maybe slot a little too easily into whatever cubbyhole you keep your Born Ruffians/Tokyo Police Club albums, which is admittedly not my thing.

Still, thanks to Keith Bradford's keyb work, there's an interesting commitment to atmospherics underlying the songs, and there's no doubt they're solid performers on stage — even managing to enlist some audience participation from the teenaged boys who moved up front to see them. Plus, I did appreciate that not everything was jammed into to a narrow musical spectrum, with stuff like "Liza Liza" slowing down the pulse a bit. Despite their album's newness, they even had some new material to present, and that was some of the stuff I liked the most.

Listen to a track from this set here.

Besides the ennobling notion of loading the heads of the next generation with good music before all the mersh crap can take root, I like all-ages shows because you're done efficiently early. In this case, with plenty of time before dinner and, um, the evening's rock'n'roll show. Having made their point, we'll see if NOW takes any further steps to help foster more shows like this in town.

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¹ You can hear some songs off it on their soundcloud.

² The album is available for free at their bandcamp.

³ Am I the only one who thinks it would be kinda awesome if Drew Smith did a cover of this?

Recording: The Magic

Artist: The Magic

Song: 5th Business

Recorded at El Mocambo, December 17, 2010.

The Magic - 5th Business

My notes for this set can be found here.

Recording: Everything All The Time

Artist: Everything All The Time

Song: Getting Higher

Recorded at El Mocambo, December 17, 2010.

Everything All The Time - Getting Higher

My notes for this set can be found here.

Recording: The Winks

Artist: The Winks

Song: Wakonda

Recorded at El Mocambo, December 17, 2010.

The Winks - Wakonda

My notes for this set can be found here.

Gig: No Shame & The Singing Lamb Present A Warm & Fuzzy Non-Denominational Holiday Party (Night Two)

No Shame & The Singing Lamb Present A Warm & Fuzzy Non-Denominational Holiday Party (Night Two) (feat. The Magic / Everything All The Time / THOMAS / The Winks)

The El Mocambo. Friday, December 17, 2010.

Besides having well-chosen acts, it generally feels good to go to a No Shame show. As is generally the case, when I showed up for this one, Lauren Schreiber was working the door, issuing warm greetings and collecting canned goods. And also marking hands with a customized stamp reading "W T E M" to celebrate the night's bands. "W", in this case, denoting The Winks, visiting from Montréal. I came in not knowing anything about the band, but I got a notion of what would be coming when I saw the slightly eclectic instrumentation (the band featured cello and mandolin but no guitar) and the arch look (saucy modern-day flappers).

And indeed, as the first song unfurled with skreeling stings against Todd Macdonald's plinking mandolin, the term "dramatic" crossed my mind. Perhaps a little too self-consciously so, even — which might well put it in a certain sort of Montrealish vibe. Parts of the set felt like expository excerpts from a musical rather than pop songs, more based on a shifting multi-part dynamics than singalong hooks. Which is to say, a bit out of my sweet spot.

Fortunately, the artsy sense of pagentry was carried beyond the music, so I was at least entertained by the band's performance. Vocalist/cellist Tyr Jami kept busy, whether leading some co-ordinated on-stage moves or jumping down to prowl the empty area in front of the stage. In fact, a cover of "Waiting For My Man" ended up with both Jami and her co-vocalist slumped over "dead" on the floor. The Ken Kesey-inspired closer "Wakonda" did draw me in, so there was some value here, even if I found most of the music to be only fitfully engaging.

Listen to a track from this set here.

On this night THOMAS was just the titular Thomas Gill, though he brought his band with him in laptop form. Of a set filled with new songs, Gill commented, "they're christmas-y... but they're actually also the kind of songs my band is going to start playing." With that he launched into "Jesus Was Born", with just his spindly voice and nimble guitar, and indeed it fit into the Christian lite-rock vein that he's been veering toward lately. Mid-song, he triggered his laptop, which added a smooth backing track behind him, drums and ethereal synths and the unmistakable voice of Felicity Williams.

After that, he put down his guitar and just sang, giving a karaoke air to the set, but playing some interesting stuff like "The Kingdom". At the very least, it was cool to see something that was very much a work-in-progress, as Gill averred to having knocked out some of the tracks that morning. I had described THOMAS' songs to A. as being like those mellow Jesus songs that you always skip past on Prince albums, and this was proving me dead on.

It was kinda a weird scene, with the increasingly loud crowd yapping while noise from the "Jingle Bell Rock" party bled through the ceiling from the upper room, all gradually creeping their way over the music from the stage. Undeterred, Gill beckoned to non-present bandmates as the laptop played their parts. Giving some hints of where his sound was coming from, he did a cover of "Earth: The Story So Far", from Prefab Sprout's spiritually-inclined Let's Change the World with Music album. And as for where it's headed to, there were more prominent beats on the 'gospel-house' track "When I Thought I Wouldn't Make It".

The crowd was getting thicker and no more interested in what was going on in stage, and Gill remained self-contained and unconcerned. And myself, it's not that I didn't like the music — I've managed to overcome my initial reluctance and become intrigued by what Gill's doing¹ — and not that this wasn't an entertaining/weird scenario, but it did feel like more of a sideshow en route to the heart of the night.

That would be sets by two bands that I had come to lump together in my mind — not just for their music, but also the way I reacted to their 80's revivalist sounds the first time I heard them. For both bands I'd started with an anti-nostalgic suspicion, but eventually succumbed to the groovy fun of it all.

What with vocalist Alanna Stuart's other band blowing up pretty well, there hadn't been much from Everything All The Time lately. Additional seasoning wasn't needed to enhance Stuart's already potent stage magnetism² — her presence simply demands attention. As the band finished getting ready, she invited the crowd to get closer, and unlike the previous acts the area in front of the stage was soon filled in. With the lights now illuminating the spinning disco ball, there was an instant party vibe.

The band offers Video Hits-worthy synth rock anchored by Stuart's fabulous pipes. Like the last time I saw 'em, the band started off with a slow one that took its time to build up, while "Getting Higher" delivered more of an immediate punch. It was a pretty similar setlist to what I'd seen last time, though there was the addition of "New House", a brand new one at the slower end of the band's spectrum making its debut. That was followed by the Whitney Houston-isms of "Telephone Conversation", and then the final blast of "Start.Stop", with Stuart, fully fired up, grabbing a drumstick to smash a cymbal. At set's end, the room was definitely warmer than it had been going in.

Listen to a track from this set here.

Another point of similarity between EATT and The Magic is how many members each band has keeping busy in other projects, making it worthwhile to grab a chance to see 'em playing together when the opportunity arises. Though they'd been around, it'd actually been almost a year since I'd seen The Magic playing. They also eased into their set, with "Never Lock the Door" which starts off slightly morose but builds into an upbeat falsetto rocker, and then chased that with a mid-tempo "newish song".

There was no horn section on this night, just the core five-piece centred around Geordie Gordon (vox/keyb) and his brother Evan (keyb/keyb bass) plus Sylvie Smith (keyb/vox). There might have been a bit of rust on the band's part, and it was only after after "No Sound" that the band (as well as the crowd) started moving, Gordon asking, "did members of the Toronto Dance Academy just join us at the front of the stage?"

There wasn't quite the same energy as I remember from the heights of the last time I'd seen 'em, but not every night can have the electric lurch of a New Years' Eve. And even if Gordon wasn't quite hitting the top notes, it was still good fun. Plus, there were a couple of new-ish songs that I hadn't heard before, including a solid slower one (possibly called "Slipping Away" ). As always, the Smith-led "Call Me Up" was a highlight, after which Gordon commented, "we're finally getting warmed up!"

MIDI problems stopped things for a couple minutes, but the band kept the momentum going with drummer Aaron Curtis and guitarist Jordan Howard driving "5th Business", a rocking good bit of new wave tastiness. That energy carried over to "Mr. Hollywood", meaning that the closing segment definitely made up for the less vigourous first few songs, and keeping The Magic's rep as a party-rockin' good time intact.

Listen to a track from this set here.

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¹ Given how Gill's countenance ranges somewhere between serenity and bemused detachment, I remain curious as to how much this a musical, as opposed to spiritual enterprise. "This song is total bullshit," he cheerfully commented while introducing the last one, and though its mode of expression was a little cheesy ("When we say 'Merry Christmas', we really mean 'I love you'".) the message is pretty much the same as the other songs.

² It's rather interesting and instructive to see the different, more self-contained, body language that Stuart brings to the stage here as opposed to Bonjay. Still magnetic, but with an icy, internalized edge.

Gig: The Wilderness of Manitoba

The Wilderness of Manitoba (Leif Vollebekk / Olenka Krakus)

The Horseshoe Tavern. Thursday, November 25, 2010.

A No Shame-promoted Thursday night at The 'Shoe is probably going to get a pretty good crowd, so my main worry going into this one was whether it would be quiet enough to hear the bands. Thankfully, the fact that the whole bill was on the quieter/folky side probably kept away some of those looking for a more hootin' and hollerin' sort of show, and it worked out generally okay. The night started with the quietest of the three acts — London's Olenka Krakus who was, on this night, performing sans her Autumn Lovers. I was, admittedly, checking this out more out of curiosity than devotion, as the only other time I had seen Krakus perform, it hadn't done much for me. But she had gotten some pretty glowing reviews for her new album And Now We Sing so I tried to see if I had been missing out on something.

For this night, Krakus was getting by with the help of some Toronto friends in the form of a rotating support cast from the evening's headliners. That included Stefan Banjevic's cello and Melissa Dalton's harmony vocals on "45". "The rest of the band is drunk in London," Krakus joked with the crowd while introducing "Berlin", the first of a few songs done totally solo. The thinner crowd out for the opening slot were paying attention to her warm voice ("I believe this might be the quietest I've even seen The Horseshoe," she commented) making this feel like the right situation to properly appreciate her efforts. Still alone on stage, she did a beautiful version of Big Star's "Thirteen", her voice illustrating the yearning ache of the lyrics. This went a fair ways towards winning me over.

And then Banjevic and Dalton returned, this time joined by Will Whitwham, making a whole alternate mini-band for "Mama's Bag". Feeling at ease in front of a crowd that was playing attention, Krakus played "Shadow Walker", a fresh one, newer than her just-released album. The set closed with the older "Flash in the Pan", Whitwham getting to join in on what he called of his "favourite songs ever".

A worthy set — enough that next time around, I'll go in prepared to pay some closer attention.

Listen to a track from this set here.

The first time I saw Leif Vollebekk I was actually a little surprised that it clicked with me. I'm generally suspicious of singer-songwriters who wear their Dylan-ish influences so openly on their sleeves — if only out of a sense of their general fungibility. But something in Vollebekk's toothy smile and unaffected air — not to mention his songs — did work for me.

He's pretty open about his inspirations — there's no doubting the affinity he feels for a scuff-it-up-a-bit sonic approach. "It's out of tune — this is an homage to Neil Young," he said, launching "Off the Main Drag". "If not, the next one will be." But lyrically, he's more inclined toward Dylan, cementing that with a cover of "You're A Big Girl Now".

With the room filling in, there was a bit more background chatter by that point so I was glad to see him with a backing rhythm section, including stand-up bass. The trio brought a nice kick to "Don't Go To Klaksvik". Besides that one, there's a marked geographic theme to Vollebekk's titles, with the set also including "Quebec", "Southern United States"¹ and "Cairo Blues" all helping to mark him as the classic sort of wandering singer, soaking up everything he sees.

He did a lot of tuning between songs, but it was mostly covered with engaging banter and it didn't leave much sense of dead time sapping the momentum. And keeping things nicely mixed up, the set closed with his slowed-down take on Neil Young's "Barstool Blues", now with just Vollebekk plus his drummer, the delivery involving a loop pedal to build up a sonic backdrop of violin parts behind his electric playing. A good closer, capping off a solid set of well-written songs and earnest delivery.

Listen to a song from this set here.

Though I was no stranger to them, this was probably the first time I was eager to see The Wilderness of Manitoba. I was a little dubious after the first couple times I had seen 'em, filing their gentle folk excursions in the "merely pleasant" pile. My opinion was changed a bit by their sheer ubiquity as a local live act, but moreso by actually sitting down and listening to their full-length When You Left the Fire, which really made a case for the band.

I was worried that a show in a get-drunk-and-loud bar environment might not be the place to consolidate my appreciation, but leading off with the rollicking beat of "Dreamcatchers" (from their 2009 debut EP), it seemed like the band has learned something about grabbing the attention of a larger, maybe less-attentive crowd. Getting people onside with something upbeat allowed them to hold onto people when they followed it up with the quieter "Orono Park". As the set went on, people got yappier, alas, but never enough to impact too much on the set.

And this was a good room for the band's harmonies, which are central to their sound. With a line of microphones up front, the well-arranged four-part harmonies are one of the band's strongest points. That they are writing some strong songs to put their voices into helps as well, and I was glad to hear "Hermit", one of the selections from the album that had made me think I'd been selling the band short. The set drew mostly from the album, though they threw in the unreleased "Forest City Love" and closed out the main set with "Evening" — a signature song of sorts, and one of the original touchstones that defined the band's sound.

They returned for a couple more, closing with the seasonally-correct "November", another of the album's best tracks. No doubt playing a lot of shows and getting out on the road a bit had done the band some good — overall, they were more focused than when I'd seen 'em before, holding things together over a longer set. All told, a warming finish to a good night.

A couple different flavours on tap: check out a couple songs from this set here and here.

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¹ That one made for a weird coincidence: Krakus had played a song called "Berlin", and this song talked about listening to Lou Reed's Berlin.

Recording: The Wave Pictures

Artist: The Wave Pictures

Songs: Kiss Me + Sleepy Eye

Recorded at The Drake Underground, March 25, 2010.

The Wave Pictures - Kiss Me

The Wave Pictures - Sleepy Eye

My notes for this set can be found here.

Recording: Maylee Todd & Pegwee Power

Artist: Maylee Todd & Pegwee Power

Song: Aerobics in Space

Recorded at The Drake Underground, March 25, 2010.

Maylee Todd & Pegwee Power - Aerobics in Space

My notes for this set can be found here.

Recording: White Suede

Artist: White Suede

Song: Cold Kids

Recorded at The Drake Underground, March 25, 2010.

White Suede - Cold Kids

My notes for this set can be found here.

Gig: The Wave Pictures

No Shame presents The Wave Pictures / Maylee Todd and Pegwee Power / White Suede

The Drake Underground. Thursday, March 25, 2010.

Out for a No Shame night at The Drake. The joint is too expensive to have a drink, but it is a decent enough room otherwise to get up close to a band. And a nice combination on the night of someone I'd been meaning to see and a couple bands I hadn't heard of — a chance to hear something new.

First up in a quiet-ish room was the soulful sounds of White Suede, apparently playing their first gig. Looks like these revivalists are off to a good start, playing a well-rehearsed set of Motown-inspired soul/rock. There were also some thoughtful arrangements here, and the seven-piece played with a lean and uncluttered groove. Kritty Urinowski's vox — and some rehearsed dances moves, to boot — added a sassy counterpart to Daniel Bedard's slightly more deadpan presence. Reporting that they are working on an album, we got a half-dozen respectable originals (including the winning "Cold Kids" and "Colourblind") and the band finished off with a tribute to their roots with the tastefully-selected Holland–Dozier–Holland cover "(Come Round Here) I'm The One You Need".

There was a slight whiff of The Commitments here — I kept expecting the band to make a nervous comment about waiting for Wilson Pickett to drop in. But if there's nothing envelope-pushing about their sound, it was well-executed, nicely groovy and fit like an old pair of jeans.

Listen to a track from this set here.

The middle act was the big drawing card for me on this night, for though I've seen Maylee Todd on stage a few times before — belting out jams at a Henri Fabergé show, channelling Betty Davis at the Rock Lottery or getting a sluggish indie rock crowd moving at one of her "Sweatshop Hop" interactive exercise classes — I had not seen her doing a set dedicated to her own material. So, a chance to see her with her four-man backing band Pegwee Power, working through a range of styles, her songs swinging whiplash fast from quick to slow and salty to sweet, in a rockin' disco-funky-jazzy stew. Her set included both the jazzy sci-fi excursion "Summer Sounds" (with nice synth sounds from Andrew Scott) as well as a balladic harp and accordion duet (with stand-up bassist Chris Kettlewell pulling double duty). It's possible that her expansive, pan-genre vision might throw some people off, but Todd has such immense stage presence and star power to burn that it seems like she can carry off any song with brio. Even if she she stumbles over a line, laughing at herself all the while, it's in the service of letting the songs breathe with a loosey-goosey spirit.

Alongside the swinging "Hooked" (as catchy as its name suggests), the quieter stuff (including "Protection Plan 101", which saw Todd strapping on her harp) fell in seamlessly. And it still fit in when, not long after, she went big on the set's centrepiece "Aerobics in Space", working up to a joyful shout and imprecating her bandmates, including drummer Jay Anderson, who played the song like he was auditioning for a spot on an Ultimate Breaks and Beats compilation. The band closed with a pretty fabulous cover of Patrice Rushen's "Haven't You Heard". That name didn't ring any bells for me, but looking her up, the description of a prodigiously talented jazz musician with a string of R&B hits sounds like someone Todd could emulate. Her album Choose Your Own Adventure is coming out next month on the local Do Right! label, and should certainly gain some attention from a broader audience.

Listen to a track from this set here.

The headliners on the night were London's The Wave Pictures. I came in with no foreknowledge whatsoever of the trio. As they started playing, my first impression was of a peppy rock band, basic drums/bass/guit, with vocalist David Tattersall pulling out rocking solos on each of the first couple numbers. Very enjoyable stuff. With their combination of rock hooks and observational lyrics, the first sort of comparison that came up in my mind was of a mildly poppier Arctic Monkeys with a Violent Femmes undercarriage (thanks to Franic Rozycki's bass work) and heart-on-sleeve lyrics.

Which is interesting when compared to my after-the-fact impression when I sat down to listen to their Instant Coffee Baby and If You Leave it Alone albums (recently issued on this side of the pond as a double disc package), and found their recorded incarnation to be much more folk-forward. One song is a co-write with Herman Dune, and that's actually a pretty accurate sort of sign-post of their recorded sound. Though that foundation of their sound seems rather obvious in retrospect, on the scene and taking them in for the first time, that wasn't what I drew from it at all — I was enjoying some literate, frills-free rock'n'roll.

The band were equipped with some real top-notch songs, like "Leave the Scene Behind" and "Friday Night in Loughborough" (complete with catchy "la-la-la-la-la" chorus"). And switching things up, charmingly bashful drummer Jonny Helm came around from behind the kit to sing "Sleepy Eye", one arm held coyly behind his back as he sang in an unaffected voice. Not long after, Tattersall stepped down onto the floor to sing "I Thought Of You Again" sans amplification. Around the room — even in the back — everybody quieted down and leaned in to listen. Such a simple trick, but magical when it works.

I was pretty charmed by the band. And they seemed to be having a good time, both in Canada generally ("It's nice to be in Canada," Tattersall joked, "because we all worship the same Queen.") and in this bar particularly, impressed by the turnout at was, truth be told, a semi-full room.¹

They closed with the doubleheader of "Kiss Me"² and "Now You Are Pregnant" — "those two in sequence make biological sense," commented Tattersall — ending on a charming high note. This was one of those delayed reaction kind of sets, where you realize after the fact how enjoyable it was. Not that I wasn't chuffed with it at the time, but it grew on me even more in retrospect. The band already had a few fans in town — there were a couple people requesting songs — and now I'm among their number, so hopefully they'll make it back this way.

Check out a couple songs from this set here.

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¹ "It's really nice you guys came — you have really idea how many shows in a row we just did where there was nobody," Tattersall commented, attesting to the uphill climb there is for a talented but underexposed band trying to "break through" a bit in America.

² Wherein the detail-minded might note that Tattersall substituted a lyric about loving Thriller for the album version's reference to Pet Sounds.

Gig: Language-Arts

No Shame presents Language-Arts / The Pinecones / Allie Hughes

The Garrison. Friday, March 5, 2010.

Walking up to Dundas from my earlier gig, arrived at The Garrison pretty much just in time to catch the start of this Friday night No Shame showcase. First up on the evening was Allie Hughes. As the band finished setting up, I was pretty sure that this was going to be worth watching, as the Randy Lee rule was in effect.¹ Besides his violin, the band featured keybs, bass, guit and drums — a group capable of playing the carefully-arranged material, lending a sort of mellow mafia-like sophistication to the proceedings. Apparently this was only the unit's fourth gig together, but they were well-rehearsed. As for the leader, I came in knowing nothing about her but it was quickly apparent: here's someone who could really sing. Like, advanced technical proficiency. Stylistically, imagine, maybe, if Kate Bush had emerged from Laurel Canyon in the 70's with Broadway aspirations.² It's not quite unprecedented to present theatrical-styled tunes in an indie rock context, but it is a bit unusual — not to mention, I think, mildly brave. There's no doubt some folks would write off music like this for being mawkish or precious³ but in Hughes' hands, it was generally pulled off with aplomb. There were some top-shelf songs here, too, which certainly helped — as did her upbeat stage presence, keeping things nicely grounded.

Listen to a track from this set here.

Providing the rock'n'roll edge to the bill were The Pinecones, a retro-minded four-piece with flare for things Beatles-y.⁴ Leading off with "Sage", the title track of their recently-released album, the songs succeeded by nosing up against the familiar tropes of British invasion pop without quite getting too familiar — evidenced by how the band's own "Tea Tonight" slid into a cover of The Kinks' "The Village Green Preservation Society".

A broken guitar string led to some impromptu setlist shuffling as a friend in the audience pitched in to replace it while Brent Randall slid over to the keys. The band — now Toronto-based but formed in Halifax — had previously been known as Brent Randall & His Pinecones, but the contraction acknowledges an evolved democratic approach, with the band now sporting songs and vocals more spread around. They're certainly emerging at the right moment, as there seems to be an increased appetite for bands working in this tradition. The knock against 'em might be that they aren't at this point inventing anything new. But nuts to that — it's good fun to hear 'em live, and that counts for a lot. Plus, they give the impression of being serious students who could yet leap into something of a more innovative approach to new wine in old bottles.

Listen to the a couple songs from their set here.

The out-and-out rockin' of that set was the exception on the night, but it made for an effective contrast to Language-Arts. With their bookish name, it's no surprise that the band looked as if they might have met at band camp or Reach For The Top practice — in fact, I was initially worried that roving gangs of jocks might be out on the prowl for them. Their most distinctive feature is Kristen Cudmore's insistently chirpy vox, delivered in a bright-eyed sing-speak.⁵ She was backed by an equally eclectic instrumental palette: her own nylon-stringed, classically-played guitar⁶ plus keyb, double bass and co-founder Gregor Phillips' jazz-inflected drums — all of which came together in a unique sort of avant-MOR sound. While the band is technically a duo of Cudmore and Phillips — both from Nova Scotia, but based in Vancouver — they are boosted to a quartet for touring purposes. In their live configuration, the arrangements were robust and the band was clearly comfortable in treating the music as more than mere decoration to the words.

Perhaps the most immediately appealing of the batch was the "Where Were You in the Wild?", the title track of their recent album, but the other songs in the set were generally cut from the same cloth. "Benson" and "Coughdrop", to name a couple, had a nice groove going. The band got a good response from the fairly robust crowd, and Cudmore seemed genuinely pleased — if not slightly taken aback — by the positive vibes.⁷ The band played eight titles in just under forty minutes and it was good stuff, fun to listen to and certainly no cookie-cutter pop.

Listen to a track from this set here.

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¹ The Randy Lee Rule: "Any band with Randy Lee on violin is worth paying attention to."

² Or, to give a more current point of orientation, Hughes closed with a cover of Regina Spektor's "Us".

³ And that's a finger pointed, somewhat, at myself, as I know I've been disdainful at the sort of broad emotionality associated with show tunes. But ultimately, it's arguably just a different kind of "faking it" than rock and roll delivery — which, ultimately, isn't really any "realer" anyways.

⁴ The band were pretty self-aware in that regard, and not above poking a bit of fun at themselves, introducing some of the songs in a cod-Liverpudlian accent.

⁵ The quick shorthand here would be to describe Cudmore's vox and delivery as "quirky" — and so googling provides quite a few hits. But though that certainly popped into my mind in quick order, a bit of reflection on it gives me pause, as there's a certain negative undertone to the word, especially in the manner it's applied to women to imply they are weird or somehow flawed by virtue of exhibiting intelligence. (Some of us, of course, feel the opposite way about that matter.) So let's set that descriptor aside for now.

⁶ Played with one of those around-the-neck classical straps like a saxophone player might use. Willie Nelson plays with a strap like this, so it's arguably pretty cool.

⁷ Full credit, of course, to Lauren Schreiber for getting the crowd out. Though she tends to play down the diverse skills she shows in putting shows like this together, her efforts deserve our ongoing thanks and praise.

Gig: Everything All The Time

Everything All The Time (Lioness / Rich Aucoin)

The Horseshoe. Saturday, January 30, 2010.

On a frigid Saturday night, I tried warming myself up with the strange flaming sculptures in Nathan Phillips Square, but to no avail. Needing something generating a more powerful heat, I walked down the street to this dance-y evening at the 'Shoe, another smartly-concocted No Shame event. Once again, Lauren Schreiber had gotten a nice crowd out — and an early one, too, with more bodies on hand than you might normally see when the first act started.¹ That might be because it was, as one of the performers would later put it, almost like a triple-headliner kind of show — in fact, it was mildly unusual in that the night's sets went from longest to shortest.

You could tell that something interesting was coming with Rich Aucoin², who, as I arrived, was busily hanging a blanket across the front of the stage-right area. Soon, balloons were being passed around to members of the crowd to be blown up and deposited behind the screen. When everything was ready to go, Aucoin started his set by calling everyone closer to the stage, and forming into a big circle around him on the floor. Now, artists do this all the time, but this was done with such persuasive "we're all in this show together" earnestness that he indeed soon had an impressively-sized group around him. Aucoin was fully committed to creating an interactive experience: "at some points during the show, expressing yourself through song and dance isn't enough and confetti is the only way to get your point across. So if you'd like to step forward, I will distribute these packets of to anyone who wants to express themselves through confetti."

Beyond the props were the video projections, with the songs designed to sync up, of all things, with scenes from Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, cut with stock footage and with pop-up sing-along lyrics. None of these extras would matter much if the songs didn't measure up, but Aucoin brought a pleasing batch of well-delivered DOR confections. With "here's how to sing the chorus of this one" intros and groove-pleasing centres, the songs stretched out like dancefloor-friendly 12" mixes, most stretching out to six or seven minutes.³ Aucoin's voice brought Win Butler to mind a little, nowhere more than on the anthemic "It". All the way along, he was helped along by the rhythm section, backstopped by Taylor Knox (of The Golden Dogs, plus his own band) on drums, that brought live energy to what could have been a stiffer kind of sequencer rock. On the final song, all of those balloons were sent out to the crowd and were soon ping-ponging back and forth in imitation of the brownian motion below them on the dancefloor. If there's any knock to be made on this stuff, it's that with it so tightly integrated to the backing tracks and the videos, it might feel less fresh a second time around, but Aucoin has undoubtedly come up with something seeing once.⁴

Listen to a track from this set here.

In picking this gig, perhaps the biggest appeal of the night for me was a chance to catch up with Lioness, who I hadn't seen since October '08, when they were releasing their self-titled EP. The trio is fronted by Vanessa Fischer (ex-No Dynamics) along with the ex-controller.controller rhythm section of Jeff Scheven and Ronnie Morris. The band's sound is an aggressively soulful death disco laced with bass-heavy maximalist reverberations that work like subliminal dancefloor invocations. Or as Fischer put it, on coming out after the arms-raising optimism of the previous set, "sorry, we're a little darker — it's in our hearts".

The early peak was an ace version of "You're My Heart", featuring Joseph Shabason (of the night's headliners) on saxophone, but the rest of the material was right up there as well. The set included a "really new song" that shows the band extending themselves towards a slightly more subtle place, slower and with less bass and more keybs played with pulsing intensity. Another new one, "Fire Walk With You", featured Shabason's sax matched to a "Personal Jesus"-indebted rhythm stomp. The band went forth into the night after closing with "The Night", bringing the forty minute set to a satisfying close. Good stuff, and it sounds like the band is working on new material that'll dispel any rumours that they're mere one-dimensional hi-hat rocking one-trick-ponies.

Listen to a track from this set here.

Although I had heard the name Everything All the Time being tossed around, I hadn't made any effort to seek them out before seeing some nice pieces online in the leadup to this show. As promised, the six-piece appeared on stage in a flying V formation, with no less than four keyboards radiating outward from Kieran Adams' drum kit. And in the centre of it all, striding onto the stage with fierce confidence, was vocalist Alanna Stuart. The band's stock-in-trade is soulful 80's-style dance pop — if these tunes were sent through a timewarp to a typical episode of Video Hits, they'd fit in without anyone batting an eye.

As with fellow local revivalists The Magic, this kind of music sometimes makes me feel vaguely suspicious, setting off all kinds of associations with the vapid mersh music of my youth. Because I worked hard to get past all this stuff, now I have to work a little to be able to just enjoy the pure pop pleasures of a song like "Telephone Conversation", which sounds like it mighta been a chart topper for Whitney Houston in some alternate universe. Or to not be looking for the irony in a statement like "that was our tribute to Boney M," as Stuart said after "Those Eyes". But, both of those are fine songs, and the charismatic presence that Stuart brings to the stage sells the band extremely well. As I was getting onto the streetcar after the show, the women behind me were also discussing her virtues: "She can dance without looking silly, she knows what to do with her hands," one said, adding, "and she's got a good voice." So, yeah — good songs, an entertaining time and you can dance to it, so go and check 'em out.

Listen to a track from this set here.

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¹ There is also a sort of built-in crowd that just seems to go to the 'Shoe by default, to hang out there regardless of who's playing. For a good while, I was standing behind this knot of vaguely biker-y middle-aged dudes pounding back the Buds, holding down a patch of space near the front of the crowd — like just in case all this dance-rock folderol was a put-on and maybe Blue Cheer would be making a surprise appearance or something.

² For those like me with a partial recall for names, I will note that Rich Aucoin is not to be confused with his older brother Paul, leader of The Hylozoists and seen on the stage with many other local bands — including this one, where he was playing bass.

³ Only a stab at Daft Punk's "Human After All" clocked in at under four minutes.

⁴ Or, apparently, more than once. A comment from Rich, below, brings up the fact that he's thinking two steps ahead of me here, and is making new "mixes and videos every month so that it's a different show for the folks who come back to see it again [...] trying to do everything i can to make it a new experience each time." So you can see (and hear) something different when he makes his way back into town again over the next couple months. I would especially draw your attention to his show with Japanther at the Whippersnapper Gallery on March 11th — I'm guessing that this might be one of the last shows put on there before that space shuts down.

Gig: The Wilderness of Manitoba

No Shame Presents: The Wilderness of Manitoba / Ghost Bees / Casey Mecija

The Garrison. Thursday, January 21, 2010.

Out on a Thursday night to check out this No Shame presentation at The Garrison. Nice to note some little signs of things "settling in" there. The famous blank red walls are now broken up a bit with some non-art — black, fabric-covered squares looking like Velvet Elvis paintings yet unborn. Plus, I noted a strip ad in eye's clubs page lending a sense of established permanence to the place and alerting the larger world a bit more to its existence.¹

I arrived in a bit of a haze, heading over after a rather baffling film and spent my first few minutes there staring blankly off into space trying to sort it all out in my head, dizzy with idea of reincarnation or eternal return or the universal similarity of human experience. Or something like that, I think. Fortunately K. — a bit sad for having a connection for some Dinosaur Jr. tickets not come through — showed up and re-focused me on the present.

In a weird, back-to-back sets coincidence, the first artist of the night, Casey Mecija, was also the last I'd seen at the last show I'd been at. This time out, things were even more stripped down, with the bulk of the set being a truly solo affair, just Mecija with her guitar and kickdrum. Different enough to make it feel like I wasn't just getting the same set twice, and a nice chance to hear the new material again and let it sink in a bit more. She led off with two of the same new songs heard at the Daps show, and then was joined on a few songs by Jeff Debutte (from The Acorn) adding some sympathetic, understated guitar lines and backing vox for a couple more new ones. The night's chatty crowd was a bit of a bother during the set, although with the venue still filling up, it wasn't too bad at the start. A gap to change tunings amped up the chatter a bit, though, and from then it didn't really abate, even when Mecija launched into the much-loved "The Otherside".² The set ended with another run through Nathan Lawr's "Barking at Your Door" — "I wish I'd written this one," Mecija told us.

Listen to a track from this set here.

Somewhat to my surprise, by the time that Ghost Bees were on stage, the place was packed. And folks were getting a little restless waiting for the set to start, not helped by a lengthy wait for the band to get everything plugged in and ready to go. Definitely a bit of a rough set-up day for the band — sometimes that just happens, but the slow start and frequent gaps between songs didn't help things along. Once things were underway, they started with one of those zither-y songs, filled with the close harmonies of twin sisters Sari and Romy Lightman accompanied by their uncanny looks directed at each other (implying "we're communicating telepathically!"). The band's effectiveness was being undermined by the loud music from the front room making its thumping presence felt over the delicate sounds on the stage, which seemed like a lack of care on the management's part towards the punters trying to watch the show.

Meanwhile, of all the gigs that I was expecting to see a steel drum solo, a Ghost Bees show might have been near the bottom. But there it was — an interesting idea, it was sort of played with a melancholy edge as a segue while the band's "secret" guests took the stage for a trio of songs. Although masked, John O'Regan would probably stand out in any crowd. The hooded keyboardist, meanwhile, might have remained shrouded in secrecy until beginning to sing — Katie Stelmanis' lovely, distinct voice quickly giving the game away. The four-piece played a slow, dirgeful tune that lumbered along a bit like a sleepy golem.³ The final song with the expanded lineup was a little more animated and showed the potential here, as the twins traded lines back and forth with Stelmanis and O'Regan, like an excerpt from some creepy opera.

But overall, I'd file the set under "not wholly successful experiment". Certainly the venue and crowd had something to do with the somewhat difficult reception this engendered in me, but part of the problem could also be gleaned when the twins came back out, unaccompanied, to play (as a slightly-unearned encore) their signature song "Sinai" ("You came tumbling and I was sorry") — which has a bit of something catchy to it, something you could hum to yourself afterwards, while the other material, well, not so much. I guess I'm glad that Ghost Bees are challenging themselves and their audience, but for myself, I need a bit more of a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down.

Although the last time I saw the Wilderness of Manitoba I found them pleasant but not compelling I knew I'd be seeing them again for further evaluation. As K. found a chair to sit a bit between sets, I told her that this would probably be down her alley, what with it featuring banjo and curly-headed boys and all that. Tired, she stayed sitting down as the band emerged at about quarter after midnight, but had moved up to where I was standing after a couple songs, giving a nod of approval. The band's central elements remain in place — the rootsy sound backed with harmonies and singing bowls, but it did seem tightened up some over the past few months. Plus, the set included some new material, such as "St. Petersburg", "Orono Park" and "White Water", the latter featuring a very fine string intro from Stefan Banjevic. The new songs seem like a nice extension of their original burst of material. Of those, "Evening" still works pretty effectively, and showcases why no small number people are utterly convinced by this band.

But not everyone, I guess — the crowd was still chatty during this set. Less so than during Ghost Bees, but still enough to be a distraction. As for me, on our way over to the bus stop after, I admitted to K. that there's still something about the band that keeps me from totally buying in. She promptly told me I was crazy and wrong, so take that under advisement. Still, I would yet like to hear the band in a fully sympathetic environment.

Listen to a track from this set here.

In the final analysis, this show was... okay. Maybe it was just in the wrong venue — the same bands playing at the Music Gallery, say, or Holy Oak would probably have gone over much better. It does make one wonder — what can the Garrison do to facilitate quieter shows? It's mildly amusing that in a venue that was quickly becoming famous for overwhelming volume that the bands were getting overwhelmed by crowd noise. But it's probably a good thing that bands playing quieter music didn't just have the volume knob cranked up — which'd probably just lead to people talking louder anyways. The biggest part comes from the atmosphere and culture being created at The Garrison. Is this just going to be a — ugh — hipster hangout, or is this going to be a place where people come to listen to music? I wonder what would happen if, for a show like this, the venue simply set up a few rows of chairs in front of the stage — would that be enough to get people to settle down and pay attention?⁴

Regardless, kudos to No Shame champion Lauren Schreiber, who packed the place out on a Thursday night with home-grown talent. I bet there were touring acts with higher profiles passing through town this same week playing to less crowded rooms, so it's worth celebrating what was going on here. The next step is being able to hear it as well.

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¹ The admirably minimalist website, however, could use a slightly sharper eye at the controls, this show being listed as the sic-inducing "Wilderness of Manaitoba + Ghost Bees + Casey Macida".

² In a more just world, there's be a roadie at the ready to hand Mecija a different guitar for a seamless transition.

³ It was, however, a chance to see that O'Regan unleasing his inner Wyrd Visions, showing off some hitherto undemonstrated guitar skills in unfurling melancholy minor key folk lays.

⁴ My first idea — roving docents with cattle prods issuing escalating warnings to the yapping folks — is, admittedly, probably a non-starter.

Gig: Daps All-Ages & No Shame Afternoon Extravaganza

Daps All-Ages & No Shame Afternoon Extravaganza (feat. Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees, Lightmares, Spiral Beach, Times Neue Roman, Pick A Piper, Laura Barrett)

Rolly's Garage. Saturday, June 20, 2009.

Despite a late night before, managed to get up on Saturday and head down for this all-ages matinée. The fact that it was put on by the capable folks behind the No Shame and Daps All-Ages series made it feel like the quality control had been taken care of and some good bands guaranteed.¹ Plus, I was interested in checking out the venue, a converted auto repair shop, on the happenin' Ossington strip. It was grey and drizzly out, but by showing up in time for the first act I managed to avoid the full-on rain that came a bit later.

It was also worth the early start to catch Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees, a Halifax DOR outfit fronted by Rebekah Higgs. I'd seen Ms. Higgs in her solo incarnation at a CMW showcase in '08, and had vaguely enjoyed her tunes but wasn't particularly struck by them. So it was a surprise to see the magnetism that she unleashed in this context. Sampling and manipulating her own vocals, Higgs led the three-piece backing band (guit/drums/beats and effects) through an energizing set of 80's-flavoured dance rock.² She even stepped in front of the monitors to challenge the slight crowd at hand to get into it and dance. Good songs, good energy, and a lot of fun.

The all-ages element felt in effect for Lightmares, a young trio out of Sudbury who played a quick, five-song set of energetic rock'n'roll. Bassist Nicholas Millard — a dead ringer for Dennis the Menace — sounds like he's absorbed a Four Seasons compilation³ and put it to good use with his falsetto backing vox behind guitarist Jamie Millard's leads. The band bashed out their tunes with gusto, and it sounds like they're starting to get a handle on the songwriting process. Worth keeping an eye on.

Listen to a track from this set here.

In the original announcement the next band up was Swirling Shores, listed as "An unforgettable showcase of fearless performance style and sophisticated songwriting skills". Given that there's a million bands out there I've never heard of, it didn't seem strange that that didn't strike a chord, although as it turned out, I was apparently the only one not in on the open secret that this was an undercover show for Spiral Beach, concealing themselves from the NxNE authorities. So, after having seen them the night before and being entertained beyond my expectations, it was a nice turn to have a chance to reinforce my new disposition. Opening up with an improvised goof to call bassist Dorian Wolf to the stage, the band played a half-hour set that semi-overlapped with the previous night, although the first part of this show had more of a gently swirling vibe until kicking things into dancing gear with "Made of Stone" and "Dominoes". All told, the sort of lucky chance that really turned me around on the band.

A pleasing change of direction after that, with hip-hop crew Times Neue Roman taking over. Consisting of Rob Bolton's raps backed by live keys and DJ augmenting their well-produced tracks, the band had a variety of musical flavours, ranging from electro to reggae.⁴ I'd broadly put Bolton's flow into the broad category of "post-Eminem" — though to say much more would put me seriously out of my depth and probably reveal my ignorance about contemporary rap music. The band did a good job of bringing it live, with the keys and turntables adding a spontaneous feel, and the crowd that had assembled by this point were fully appreciative. They even had a fair number of fans out, calling, at set's end for a track called "Hands" to cap things off. I had no expectations coming in, but was fairly impressed.

Listen to a track from this set here.

Next up were the rhythmically intense Pick A Piper, with two drummers at the centre of a frenzied squall, towering over the guitar and bass in front of them. The songs were built up from pre-recorded synth lines and juxtaposed the tribal pummeling against more gentle and rhythmic elements. I recognize the band's talents, especially in keeping two drummers going full-bore without them stepping on each other, and having strongly defined dynamics allowing the songs to build up and ease off. There were some undeniably good moments when everything simmered nicely in a groove, but sometimes I got the impression that, with the drums pounding away, there was no other gear to shift into. A powerful band, but not necessarily with a strong power over me.

The show was completed with the highlight of the afternoon, a set from the always-awesome Laura Barrett, playing solo but bearing a fancy new bass pedal.⁵ Playing a mix of old and newer material, she managed to charm those hearing the songs for the first time as much as the older hands. By the second song, most of the audience was sitting down and paying close attention. In a spontaneous moment, during "Robot Ponies" Rebekah Higgs started to throw in some harmonies and was quickly invited up front for a do-over duet version. The set closed with the lovely "Deception Island Optimists Club", ending a most pleasing afternoon's proceedings.

Listen to a track from this set here.

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¹ Not to mention the work that had gone into the funky art decorating the space. And the barbeque.

² Revealing cover: Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted".

³ Or possibly a whole lotta Weezer.

⁴ Though I wouldn't've picked them as a bunch to have a band name based on a font joke. I wonder if anyone has broached the issue of them starting a beef with noise-punks Times New Viking?

⁵ And also bearing biscotti, showing that entertainer's knowledge that the surest way to an audience's heart is through their stomach.