The Acoustical Sounds of Big Sugar @ Vogue Theatre -- 03/07/15

It was without a doubt the quietest Big Sugar show I have ever been to. The Acoustical Sounds of Big Sugar was a night of, well, acoustic songs from Big Sugar, to celebrate their recent album Yard Style, a collection of new and old songs done (you guessed it) acoustically.

With no opening acts, the members of Big Sugar, all clad in white, took the stage shortly after eight wielding an assortment of unplugged instruments. They started off with a couple of newer songs from the Yard Style album, setting the tone for the first half of the night. Frontman Gordie Johnson was quick to joke about the unplugged nature of the show, admitting the only way to "turn the guitar up" was quite literal, and musing that it was the one and only time people would be cheering for flute at a Big Sugar show, after a solo during "Little Bit a All Right".
The majority of the first set focused on newer material, a lot of which had a reggae tinge to it, like "A Revolution Per Minute" and "Eliminate' Ya", and even dipping into Gordie's Grady catalogue, with "West Coast Hobo In a Boxcar Blues", re-recorded for Yard Style.
After DJ Friendlyness took centre stage to sing a Rastafari song -- which I'm not sure if it was one of theirs or a cover -- Gordie and Kelly "Mr. Chill" Hoppe were front and centre for a soft and gorgeous rendition of "Wild Ox Moan", both Gordie's voice and Mr. Chill's harmonica soaring, as the rest of the band barely chimed in.

There was a brief intermission before the band was back out for set number two, this one a little more focused on older songs, as they kicked into blues mode with "Still Waitin'". They went back as far as their eponymous debut album with the lackadaisical "Sleep In Late" and hit songs off every album since. "100 Cigarettes" dropped in a new verse about Vancouver's preferred brand of "cigarettes", and the normally furious "Ride Like Hell" was chilled way out.

The only new song they played was another from Yard Style, "Served My Time", co-written with Antigonish Nova Scotia's The Trews (who have a long relationship with Johnson, as he produced their debut album). 

As the night drew to a close, they wrapped up the main set with a pair of songs that were quite clearly fan favourites; "All Hell For A Basement", which is one of my personal faves, and "Turn The Lights On", both of which had the crowd singing and clapping along.
But of course they couldn't leave it there, as they popped out for an encore of a couple more. Another favourite of mine, their cover of Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy" (which I think they've pretty much owned by this point) and finally, a banjo'd up version of "Digging A Hole".


I've seen Big Sugar live a few times now -- once right before their breakup and a few times since they reunited -- and they have routinely been one of the loudest and most rockin' live bands I have seen. This show was, obviously, quite the opposite, but the band had no less passion. You could feel how excited they were to be stripping down the songs and playing them in a soft-seater venue. And even though I'm not sure I want Gordie trading in his double guitar for a banjo permanently, it was a really cool show.


setlist
Calling All The Youth, Heart Refuse To Pound, Little Bit A All Right, Freedom Train, West Coast Hobo In a Boxcar Blues, A Revolution Per Minute, Eliminate Ya, I Want You Now, [Friendlyness song], Wild Ox Moan.
(intermission)
Still Waitin', Sleep In Late, 100 Cigarettes, Joe Louis/Judgement Day, Served My Time, Ride Like Hell, All Hell For a Basement, Turn The Lights On.
(encore)
Dear Mr. Fantasy, Diggin' a Hole.

Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival @ Deer Lake Park -- 08/09/14

While lots of other festivals this summer have been riding the hype train so hard it's about to derail, the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival relatively quietly took over Deer Lake Park this weekend -- Saturday, to be exact -- for its 15th year. Somehow, I had missed the festival every year up until now, but with a headliner like Big Sugar, and some other strong blues and roots acts this year, I decided it couldn't be missed.

I got to Deer Lake Park just in time to make a tough decision: Rich Hope & His Evil Doers or Miss Quincy & The Showdown. Seeing in that I haven't seen Rich Hope in quite some time, I chose his set. Joined by just his drummer, he kicked off the set by proclaiming this was "music for having the sex to" and ripped into some dirty bluesy rock 'n' roll riffs. A little bit of technical difficulties didn't throw him off his game as he ripped around the stage with songs like "I See Trouble" and "Let's Jump Around Some" as well as a few covers of songs by The Sparkles and Jimmy Reid. He had a great stage presence, chatting with the crowd a little between songs, and he even hopped off the stage and onto the grass to urge people to sing and clap along with the last song of his set, "When My Light Comes Shining"

From there it was immediately over to the main stage for The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer. I have had bad luck with the Vancouver duo's live shows, missing every once since I first saw them two years ago, so I was very much looking forward to their set. They started off just the two of them -- Shawn "The Harpoonist" Hall on vocals and harmonica, as well as percussion with his feet, and Matthew "The Axe Murderer" Rogers on guitar and a drum pedal for each foot -- but they soon brought out some help; an organist, and trio of ladies on backup vocals (including Miss Quincy herself). Hall joked that it took them from HAM 2.0 to HAM 5.1 as it really fleshed out their sound.
Highlights of their set included the rockin' "Don't Make 'em Like They Used To" from the new album, as well as a song about how Vancouver's music scene was (and, frankly, can still be) a little sleepy, "Wake Up". They ended off with the stomping (or, clapping since we were on the grass) number "Get Out", as they likely made more than a few fans that'll be there at the November 8th Commodore show they announced on stage.

Back over on the (thankfully tented and shady) Westwood Stage, the Winnipeg/Montreal Chic Gamine was hitting the stage. I had heard of them for a while, but for some reason had never heard their stuff, which I now feel silly about.
Led by Andrina Turenne, Alexa Dirks, and Annick Brémault, their three voices blended for amazing and soulful harmonies, as they also traded off on keys, snare drum and guitar. Their set started with a more soulful, almost R&B sound, including a song called "Girlfiiend" with the haunting and accusatory chorus of "does your girlfriend know?", but as the set went on they got progressively more upbeat and rockin'. With a mix of blues and soul and rock, they had a great flow to the entire set, and they teased an upcoming album with a few songs (as well as a Christmas album, but no songs from that). It's definitely something I'll have to keep an ear out for.

I took a bit of a break to grab some food while Irish Imelda May played the main stage, who sounded good from the food cart section, before it was back to see the headliner of the Westwood Stage, Wide Mouth Mason. With Gordie Johnson pulling double duty on bass, the trio immediately launched into an older tune "Why", stirring up some nostalgia in the crowd before shuffling between old and newer songs. The highlight, as with most every WMM show, was Shaun Verreault's incredible guitar playing, as he effortlessly shredded through the 45 minute set, from some of their oldest material "This Mourning" to their newer, "Go Tell It To The Waterfall" -- which Shaun also slipped in the chorus from another famous song about Waterfalls.
After a set that seemed way too short, they ended with "Midnight Rain", but the crowd was not having it and demanded one more. I didn't think it would happen as Bettye LaVette had already started on the main stage, but I was pleasantly surprised when they were back out for "Change" before thanking everyone and closing down the stage in style.

For the next couple acts I lounged in the back of the park (hiding in the sweet, cool shade) taking in the festival. First was Bettye LaVette, celebrating 50 years making music. And she definitely had both the voice and the stage presence of someone with that much experience. Her set featured many covers; Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" as well as some Tom Waits, and an absolutely soul-shattering version of "Love Reign O'er Me" originally by The Who. Her own "Close As I'll Get To Heaven" was another highlight, her 70-year-old voice brimming with soul and passion and heartbreak.
Second was Matt Andersen, filling the stage with nearly a dozen performers as he was joined by The Mellotones. He was a great guitarist and good performer, and the giant band filled out for a rich sound, but for whatever reason his style of blues just didn't resonate with me. At one point in the set he was on stage alone for a very low down deep blues song, and he dug into the Canadian Songbook for The Band's "Ophelia", and they wrapped up the set with another cover, "Get By With A Little Help From My Friends". It was certainly a good set, but for whatever reason I just wasn't into it.

And finally, just after the sun went down, the stage was set for Big Sugar. Joined by Shaun and Saf from Wide Mouth Mason on backing vocals, guitar and percussion, as well as Rich Hope for a handful of songs, the Toronto blues rockers started off with "Roads Ahead" from their newer album Revolutions Per Minute
before pulling out some old favourites, "Open Up Baby", "Diggin' A Hole", and one of my favourites, their version of "Dear Mr. Fantasy". Unfortunately, Gordie's vocals were buried during the latter, as there seemed to be some technical issues plaguing the start of the set (if the stage techs running around adjusting things were any indication).
But it soon levelled out and most of the set went off without a hitch. A lot of the songs in the set flowed into each other, either with a reggae-influenced verse from the deadlock'd keyboardist Friendlyness or seamlessly transitioning musically, and Gordie had fans joining along (or "jamming with Big Sugar" as he called it) for songs like "If I Had My Way" and the newer "Eliminate Ya". Other highlights included "Ride Like Hell" where Gordie literally turned his guitar into a revving engine and the more funky, hip shaking groove of "Little Bit A All Right", another one from their comeback album.
As their set drew to a close, they played a few more of my favourites; the second most Canadian song of the entire day, "All Hell For A Basement" and the insanely raucous "The Scene", both of which which had more jamming from the crowd. And the night was brought to an end with the Big Sugar tradition of an instrumental version of "O Canada", the crowd patriotically singing along, as Johnson finishing off by hoisting his double guitar behind his head to show off the maple leaf painted on the back.

Aside from a few technical issues on stage, most of the day went off without a hitch. The three stages staggered in time and were setup so there was almost no sound bleed, and near constant music. I would have maybe put on another act or two on the side stages, or even "tweeners", as the last three acts on the main stage had nothing during the breaks, but aside from that minor quibble, it was a great day of blues and roots.

Big Sugar w/ Wide Mouth Mason @ Commodore -- 10/19/12

It was almost exactly a year ago that Big Sugar made their return to Vancouver, to kick off their "Big & Wide" tour with Wide Mouth Mason for an incredible show. Now both bands descend upon the Commodore Ballroom once again, for a pair of shows as Big Sugar heads out on tour while Mason caps theirs off. And opening the night was WMM's tourmates, Ontario's The Balconies, who I've been meaning to see for a while.

I got to the Commodore a shade late (of course, the one time I'm late is the one time the show on time), but only missed the first couple songs from The Balconies. The rock & roll three-piece -- comprised of siblings Jacquie and Stephen Neville on guitar and bass, respectively, and Liam Jaeger on drums -- were on right at 8, which is usually when doors open, but by the end of the set their gritty pop-rock sound and Jacquie's strong voice had drawn in a nice sized crowd.
They played a really tight set, all three members helping out on vocals, and some looping tricks, with a great energy. Especially from Jacquie, who had the presence and aura of a rock star, hardly standing still for a moment, dancing and swirling her hair while rocking out with an obvious passion.
The only downside was the mix seemed a little off, with Jacquie's voice being a little buried, but despite that it was still a good set, and I will definitely catch them again next time they come through town.

Next up was Wide Mouth Mason, with Shaun Verreault on guitar, drummer Safwan Javed and Gordie Johnson, pulling double duty for the night, on bass. They kicked off with the rocking and catchy "More Of It" from their most recent album, 2011's No Bad Days, and went into a collection of a few new songs and a good chunk of fondly remembered hits, like "Smile" and "This Mourning". Though the set was a majority of older songs, a lot of them had fresh touches, like a verse of "Who's There?" in the middle of "Why" and some of ZZ Top's "Just Got Paid" in "My Old Self". There were also solos thrown in, or just jamming; a few times it looked like Shaun and Gordie were improvising off each other on the spot.
Midway through the set Shaun also invited up someone he introduced as one of his favourite singers, Colleen Rennison of No Sinner for "Waterfall", her powerful voice blending excellently with Verreault's, and they ended with a tease of "Rained Out Parade" segueing into "Midnight Rain", a lot of the crowd joining in on the chorus.
Through the years, I've probably seen Wide Mouth Mason over a dozen times, and I never tire of watching them live. All three are superb musicians, who put on with an incredibly tight, and Shaun Verreault is one of the most incredible guitarists to watch.

And finally, it was time for Big Sugar to hit the stage, with a band larger than the two opening acts combined. The six members joining Gordie Johnson included original members Mr. Chill and Garry Lowe, new members Friendlyness and Stephane Beaudin, Wide Mouth's Safwan (also pulling double duty that night) on percussion and Reggae legend Willi Williams. They kicked it off in high gear, starting the blues rocking set with "Digging A Hole" and one of my favourite songs, the incendiary "Dear Mr. Fantasy".
The nearly two-hour set consisted of songs old and new, from their most recent, a cover of Al Tuck's "Eliminate Ya!" to "If I Had My Way" from 96's Hemi-Vision, and everything in between. The band, especially Johnson, had a fantastic energy, and the night was filled with showcases of just how incredible musicians they are; there was lots of jamming and extended versions of songs, some with reggae interludes with Williams or Friendlyness coming to the front of the stage.
They capped off the set with a few more older hits; "Turn The Lights On" had a switcheroo midway through the song as Gordie jumped on the drums and bass player Gary Lowe took front and centre on guitar. Shaun Verreault and Jacquie Neville also made their way on stage to help out with backup vocals for "All Hell For A Basement", staying for the rest of the set. And even from across the room, the look of pure joy and enthusiasm on Jacquie's face for joining them on stage was apparent.
They ended the main set with the raucous and explosive "The Scene", that transformed into an instrumental "Oh Canada", the crowd patriotically chanting along and Gordie proudly displaying the flag painted on the back of his guitar (as he played behind his head).
Of course, they were back out for an encore with just a couple more, including the title track to their comeback album Revolutions Per Minute and ended with a breathtaking performance of "Wild Ox Moan", Johnson giving it an almost gospel feel, accompanied only by the reverb of his own voice. It was an unbelievable performance to cap off a great night of music.

Big Sugar w/ Wide Mouth Mason @ Commodore -- 10/22/11

"To put it politely, we fucked some shit up".
That's what Gordie Johnson had to say early on about the previous night, the first of two sold out shows at the Commodore, and the kickoff for the Big & Wide tour, seeing Big Sugar and Wide Mouth Mason crossing the country "from island to island". It was also Big Sugar's first show in Vancouver since their farewell show eight years ago. I had been to that show and the return of the band, combined with Wide Mouth Mason, had me more than a little excited.

Wide Mouth Mason hit the stage at 9:30, starting off with an older tune, "Smile" before launching into one of my favourites off the new album, No Bad Days, "More Of It". The song's lyric "the only thing better than a good thing is more of it" was apt, with Shaun Verreault improvising "the only thing better than one band with Gordie Johnson, is two bands with Gordie Johnson", referring to his status as their new bass player.
The set was a split of new, like the sexy "Sweet Little Thing" -- with a little bit of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" slipped in -- and old, including the beautiful "Companion (Lay Me Down)", which they hadn't played live in years. As usual, Verreault was amazing on the guitar -- one of my favourites to watch live -- peppering solos throughout and being a captivating front man, getting the crowd into it and singing along, especially to their hits, their first big single, "Midnight Rain" and the song they ended the set with, the first song off their first album, "My Old Self".
It was a great set, definitely getting everyone excited for the night, and even though the amount of times I have seem Mason in the last dozen years is probably in the double digits, I don't think I'll ever tire of seeing them live, especially if they keep putting on shows of this quality.

setlist
Smile, More Of It, Midnight Rain, Get A Hold Of You, Go Tell it to the Waterfall, Shut Up and Kiss Me, Sweet Little Thing, Companion (Lay Me Down), What'd I Do, Why, My Old Self.

Then shortly after 11, the lights dimmed as Big Sugar hit the stage, over half a dozen members large. Aside from Johnson, there was the familiar faces of Garry Lowe on bass and Mr. Chill on harmonica, sax, melodica, and more, and new members Friendlyness on keys and "toasting", the drummer from The Respectables, Stephane Beaudin, and backup singer Meredith Shaw; as well as Shaun and Saf from WMM pulling double duty on rhythm guitar and a second, smaller drum kit respectively.
Any notions of rust on the band were immediately dispelled as their groovy bass lines and dirty blues rock burst forth, starting with "Work It Now" off the new album, Revolutions Per Minute. The first highlights of many came early on, with everyone singing along to "Diggin' a Hole" and one of my personal favourite songs, their incendiary version of "Dear Mister Fantasy".
The entire band had an unparalleled energy, especially Johnson, who had the crowd hanging off every word and note of the almost two and a half hour set, which was packed with songs old and new, and also included a few surprise guests. Canadian blues legend Colin James joined them for "Come Back Baby" and a twelve piece mariachi band, Los Dorados, came out for a couple songs, "Turn the Lights On" and "I Want You Now".
At that point the stage emptied for an acoustic song with just Johnson on guitar and Mr Chill on harmonica, before they brought the main set to an end with another one of my favourite songs, "All Hell For A Basement" and their rendition of "O Canada" -- ending with Johnson putting his double-guitar behind his head to play, proudly showing off the Canadian flag painted on the back.
They made us work for the encore, coming back out with the hemi-revving, tire squealing intro to "Red Rover" and an incredible extended rendition of "The Scene", with a little bit of James Brown's "Sex Machine" slipped in the middle.

It was, simply put, an unforgettable show, with Big Sugar reaffirming their status as one of Canada's best rock bands.

setlist
Work it Now, Diggin’ a Hole, Dear Mister Fantasy, If I Had My Way, Roads Ahead, Givin It Up For My Shugah!, Come Back Baby, Come A Little Closer… Now Come!, Kickin’ Stones, Empty Head, Counterfeit Wings (Are Some Jive Ass Wings), Little Bit A All Right, So Not Over, Better Get Used To It, I'm a Ram, Turn the Lights On, I Want You Now, Wild Ox Moan, All Hell For a Basement, O Canada.
(encore) Red Rover, The Scene.