Shred Kelly Album Release @ Cobalt -- 03/31/18

With a brand new album out earlier this year, Shred Kelly ended off their Canadian tour in Vancouver, with a packed at the Cobalt (just a month before it's set to close for renovations... but also probably for good). 

The Fernie band started off their set with a few songs from the new album, Archipelago, including "Don't Ever Look Back" and the title track, with the voices of Tim Newton and Sage McBride complimenting each other nicely. 
With their high-energy "stoke folk", they quickly had the crowd dancing & jumping, so much so that the floor of the Cobalt was bouncing like the Commodore (which, given the state of the Cobalt had me a tiny bit nervous). "Stereo" showed off Tim's fast fingers on the banjo, guitarist Ty West breaking a string on "Rowed Away", and other highlights from the set included one of my favourites from the new album -- and the most upbeat sing I've heard about the  inevitable heat death of the universe -- "Nova"; the darker and moody "Didn't Know"; and the giant singalong "I Hate Work", which was getting requests all night long, and in a nice cathartic moment had everyone shouting along to the titular chorus. 

They wrapped up the main set with the frantic and tempestuous "Tornado Alley" before they were back out for a couple more, starting with a drum solo by new drummer Eddie Annett, then once again bouncing the floor of the Cobalt with "Die Trying" and "New Black" to round out the night. 

Shred Kelly has an incredibly infectious energy as a live band. You can see each member having fun on stage, and that bleeds through to a crowd that can't help but sing, yell, dance, and stomp along.

setlist
Don't Ever Look Back
Archipelago
Stereo
Jupiter (Any Other Way)
The Bear
Nova
Rowed Away
Way Down
Sing to the Night
Going Sideways
Cabin Fever
I Hate Work
Didn't Know
Tornado Alley
(encore)
Die Trying
New Black 

The Dears @ Fox Cabaret -- 03/09/18

The last time The Dears were in town, they were gracing the stage of the Fox Cabaret shortly after their album Times Infinity, vol. 1. Now, two and a half years later, and after the release of Volume 2, they've returned to the same stage for an early show at the Fox. 
Which, as a side note, I think the last 3 or 4 times I've seen The Dears here, it's been an early/curfewed show, and I'm really hoping that's not a trend that continues. 

Anyway, I got to the venue just as opener Lou Canon was starting her set, out on stage alone with her keyboard and a projection screen of spooky eyes behind her. Dark synths and her haunting voice filled the room, with songs like "Coma" and infectiously catchy "Fever". She seemed to get a bit more comfortable on stage as the set went, joking with the crowd before dedicating the final song to her step-father. 

Soon after that, the screen was filled with a giant image similar to the album cover of Times Infinity vol 2 -- Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak smooching -- and The Dears took the stage to a 16-bit sounding tune (which I swear I recognised but could not place). 

They kicked off with the first song from the new album, "Taking it to the Grave" before an hour-plus mix of nearly their whole history; from the dark and moody "Who Are You, Defenders Of The Universe", to the deceptively peppy and upbeat "Whites Only Party", to the fragile "I Used To Pray For The Heavens To Fall", and one of my all-time favourites, "You And I Are A Gang Of Losers" swelling to a soaring ending. 

Even after joking about having a heart-attack on stage, Murray was still as intense and emotional as ever while performing. Switching between electric and acoustic guitars, adding tambourine or harmonica, singing to the crowd to to his wife, everything he does draws you in. While perched on the edge of the stage for "Hate Then Love", it seemed like he was personally vowing "I swear it to you" to each and every person, and they all believed it. 

After finishing off the set with the crowd singing along to "Lost in the Plot", Murray came out alone for a solo acoustic song, joking he would start once the people in the back "shut the fuck up" (leading to a short debate as to if that was more or less harsh than "get the fuck out"). First playing a gorgeous version of "Ticket to Immortality", written while he & Natalia were still expecting their first child, and then spontaneously played "There Goes My Outfit" while waiting for the band to return. Finally, they finished the night off with the perennial favourite and show-closer, "22: The Death of All the Romance". Clearly a favourite to many in the crowd (myself included), emotions poured from the band, throughout the crowd, and back, as the song built to a chaotic, apocalyptic ending, Murray leaving the stage saying the band loves us... times infinity. 

setlist
Taking It To The Grave
I Used To Pray For The Heavens To Fall
Who Are You, Defenders Of The Universe
Whites Only Party
5 Chords
Disclaimer
Here's To The Death Of All The Romance
1998
Of Fisticuffs
All The Hail Marys
You And I Are A Gang Of Losers
Hate Then Love
Lost In The Plot
(encore)
Ticket To Immortality
There Goes My Outfit
22: The Death Of All The Romance

Matt Mays @ Commodore -- 01/27/18

It's been a couple years since Matt Mays last hit a stage in Vancouver, but with his recent album Once Upon a Hell of a Time out late last year, Mays returned to the Commodore. 

Opening the night was his pal and Vancouver musician Dustin Bentall, with his dark roots-rock sound. I missed the first couple songs, arriving just as he started a cover of Lucinda Williams' "Drunken Angel" then going into some boot-stomping tunes like "Six Shooter" and "3000 Miles".
Bentall put on a strong set, and was definitely a good pairing to open the night.

Not long after, Matt Mays and his band took the stage. Starting off with "Faint of Heart" from the recent album, he played a nice mix of new and old throughout the night; from rockers like "Building a Boat" and "Indio" to more chill "Spoonful of Sugar" or "Ola Volo", a song from the new album about a local vancouver artist (who also provided the cover art for his new album). 

Mays (and the whole band, really, which included his longtime friend and collaborator Adam Baldwin) were overflowing with passion, and that definitely spread into the crowd, as it was clear how much they loved to be performing. The crowd was hanging on every note, and often singing along, with songs like "Take it on Faith", or just yelling, in the case of "Travellin'".

After the ode to his hometown of Dartmouth in "City of Lakes", Mays ended the main set with a song that I would rank among my all time favourites (not just of Mays), "Terminal Romance". The crowd once more sang along with the heartwrenching lyrics as Mays poured his soul out on stage before momentarily leaving...
And of course coming back out again for another fan favourite, "On The Hood", as Mays jumped into the crowd to sing (and in an amusing moment, he ran to the backstage door to get back around to the stage... and was stopped & checked by the security dude at the door). That right there would have been enough, but they did one more encore-fakeout and came back out one last time for the old hit "Cocaine Cowgirl". 

Mays has long been one of my favourite performers, with shows that are always full of raw energy. During the show, he promised it wouldn't be quite as long until next time, and here's hoping it's true. 

setlist
Faint of Heart
NYC Girls
Building a Boat
Spoonful of Sugar
Drive On
Indio
Tall Trees
Ola Volo
Queen of Portland Street
Travellin'
Take It on Faith
City of Lakes
Terminal Romance
(encore)
On the Hood
(encore 2)
Cocaine Cowgirl

PHOTOS: JP Maurice, Leisure Club, Small Town Artillery, Year of the Wolf @ Rickshaw Theatre - January 12, 2018

JP Maurice, Leisure Club, Small Town Artillery, and Year of the Wolf
Rickshaw Theatre
January 12, 2018
Christine McAvoy Photography

The Rural Alberta Advantage w/ Yukon Blonde @ Commodore -- 11/24/17

I feel like there have been a lot of good double-bills happening this year, and this past Friday at the Commodore was right up with the rest of them. The Rural Alberta Advantage is touring their new album called The Wild, and have brought with them none other than BC's own Yukon Blonde. 

Not counting that one time I saw them this summer on an outdoor energy drink sponsored truck that turns into a stage, it's been a year and a half since I've seen a proper show from Yukon Blonde. And in that time they've been working on some brand new music which they shared with the Commodore. Playing pretty much a full set, they started with a host of brand new songs, including "Emotional Blackmail", a sultry song that bassist James Younger took lead vocals on, and a slow jam from Brandon Scott. The new songs sounded great, and was everything you love about Yukon Blonde, like their killer harmonies, just cranked up a notch.
Almost exactly halfway through the set, they played the new single (and total earworm) "Crazy", and transitioned into old favourites for the rest of the set, starting with "My Girl" which had the packed floor singing along. Jeff Innes was also in fine form, literally rolling up his sleeves to rock out, as they brought the set to a close with the ridiculously fun & upbeat "Favourite People". 
It was nice to hear the tease of the new stuff from the band, and makes me that much more excited for the upcoming album. 

I mentioned it being a while since I saw Yukon Blonde, but it's been twice as long since the last time I saw The Rural Alberta Advantage perform live. Guitarist & vocalist Nils Edenloff and drummer Paul Banwatt were joined by new member Robin Hatch on keyboards, bass, & also vocals, for a set that spanned their four albums, going all the way back to the moody "Don't Haunt This Place" up to "Beacon Hill", a song written the recent wildfires in Fort McMurray. 
Throughout the night, Nils' distinct vocals rang through the room, as well as Paul's frantically superhuman drumming and Robin doing, well, all the things at once. Highlights included older hits like "Barnes' Yard", "Vulcan, AB" (one of many Alberta themed songs) and the explosive "Stamp", dedicated to Gord, and new ones from the album like the darker "Alright" and the building energy "White Lights" (which, I was a little disappointed featured mostly blue stage lights, but whatever). 
After wrapping up the main set with the simmering intensity of the aptly named "Terrified", they were back for a few more, Nils responding to the chants of "One more song" by joking that their songs are pretty short, so they'd do a few more, as they launched into "The Build". And finally, they finished off the night with one of my favourites of theirs -- as well as a lot of others, judging by the stomping, clapping, dancing, and singing along -- one last Albertan-inspired tune, "The Dethbridge In Lethbridge". 

You know how sometimes you have those bands where you pick up their albums, and you like them, but it isn't until you see them live that you remember just how good they are? The RAA is one of those bands for me, and it's not until you feel the raw power of the trio that you remember. 

setlist
Our Love...
Muscle Relaxants
Don't Haunt This Place
Bad Luck Again
Tornado
On the Rocks
Rush Apart
Brother
Barnes' Yard
Alright
Beacon Hill (fort Mac)
Runners in the Night
Vulcan, AB
Stamp
Edmonton
Frank, AB
Wide Grin
White Lights
Terrified
(encore)
The Build
Drain the Blood
The Dethbridge in Lethbridge