Rich Aucoin @ Fox Cabaret -- June 01, 2023

Regular readers of this blog will probably be aware of Rich Aucoin’s legendary live shows, and/or how I feel about them. It’s one of the most unique, uplifting, and engaging live shows going, and your time is running our to see it. Aucoin has previously announced that after a couple more tours, he will be retiring this version of his performance. So I hope you were at the Fox Cabaret last night, or plan to be at an upcoming one throughout his Is This The Real Life? tour (or when he returns for the next one).

Arriving a little late to the venue, I missed Devours, getting there just before Petra Glynt started. With an entire table of musical gadgets stretched out in front of her, she performed what she called a “machine set”, playing and looping everything live -- except when running into a bit of tech troubles. The experimental pop sound was bolstered by her vocal prowess, going from a breathy to a harsh to fragile throughout her set, a few times letting a loop play so she could stalk the front of the stage.

Not long after, the curtains parted and a timer started counting down to the “preshow” for Rich Aucoin. After a word from our sponsor & coming attractions -- built off memes, movie clips, and mashups -- an AI introduced the show and the crowd was tasked with summoning the narrator for the night: Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Governator pumped the crowd up, getting everyone used to the frequent instructions & lyrics that would be appearing on screen, interspersed with more movie clips, viral videos, and more all perfectly synced to the songs throughout the set.

At this point Rich hit the stage, joined by drummer Tony Dallas and Pete MacDonald on bass, starting with “Space Western” to build the tension as the ‘opening credits’ flashed on the screen, giving shoutouts to people in the crowd. From there Rich burst into “Meaning in Life”, leading the first sing (yell) along, as he smoothly transitioned into synth pop bangers like “The Other” and “Brian Wilson is A.L.i.V.E.” leading the crowd from the front of the stage, shooting off confetti, and even jumping into the mass of people to dance.

Part way through the set, ‘Chapter 2’ started, where Rich transitioned into songs from Synthetic, a four-part album (the first two Seasons are out now, the other two coming within the next year). The instrumentals kept up the same energy, accompanied by psychedelic imagery on screen, while everyone continued to move, especially those on stage. Even behind his synth, Rich could barely be still for a moment, radiating energy, and Tony Dallas more than kept pace as he clattered the drums.

After a few instrumentals, Rich went into “Undead” for more crowd participation, reminded us that “We are not dead yet, we are undead”, and one my favourite of his “Want to Believe”, which was mashed up with “4 More Years” — a song that was released nearly 10 years ago but feels incredibly timely after a global pandemic with line “What good are friends you cannot touch?”.

Then it was time for the centerpiece of Rich’s set, as Tony Dallas started to unfurl the parachute. The big rainbow canvas made its way across the Fox as the entire room huddled under (or grabbed the edges) for a cathartic dance party to “Are You Experiencing?”, Rich in the middle of it all letting everyone know “When you give it all up, you get it back”

All too soon, the set drew to a close with another one of my faves, “It”, backed by the song’s music video full of recreated movie scenes. For the final goodbye, Rich waded into the crowd for one last communal experience, a big singalong to “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Or, it started that way before Rich made sure everyone was looking at the lyrics on the screen and switching up to the smash hit “All Star”... but still to the tune of the Queen classic.

Since the first time I saw Rich Aucoin perform live, back in 2011, I’ve probably seem him a dozen or so times. And somehow I am no less enthralled by his show. The way he brings everyone in the room together is almost unparalleled; I’ve probably only seen one band do it better, and that’s The Flaming Lips. I hope everyone gets the chance to experience it before the show is retired.

Sunset Rubdown @ Rickshaw Theatre -- May 15, 2023

This show has been a long time coming. Not just because the last time Sunset Rubdown played a show in Vancouver was in 2009 (when Richard's on Richards still existed) but since the reunion show was announced, it's gone through two venue upgrades (from the Fox to the Biltmore to the Rickshaw) and one postponement (when the band got stuck at the ferry terminal on Vancouver Island). But the wait was worth it as the long dormant group returned to Vancouver to kick off the second leg of their comeback tour.

Opening the show was Nicholas Merz, whose set I caught the last half of. Alone on stage wearing double denim and a cowboy hat, Merz was behind a modified pedal steel creating loops for a bit of an avant-garde country sound, punctuated by his deep, crooning vocals. He would show off his voice even more when, a couple times at the end of a song, he strode up to the front of the stage with a bit of a soft-shoe to belt out some stark lyrics — once just himself, unaccompanied by the loops he created.
His set was either one of the most earnest performances I've ever seen, or -- and I can't quite put my finger on what makes me think this -- a very elaborate performance art piece. Either way, it was a very entertaining.

Then after a bit of a break, it was time for Sunset Rubdown as Michael Doerksen, Camilla Wynne, Jordan Robson-Cramer, and Spencer Krug hit the stage. Right off the bat, Krug apologised for the circumstances of the last show, and was incredibly grateful for the sold out crowd on an unseasonably hot Monday night. He joked that was the last they’d be speaking for a while and launched into “Snake's Got A Leg” from the groups debut album to kick off the set.

From there they ran through a selection from all four records, from “The Empty Threats of a Little Lord” to the relatively fragile “Silver Moons”, with other highlights including “Us Ones In Between”, building to an intense finish with Krug's distinctive vocals filling the theatre, and the dark and haunting “Winged/Wicked Things” sending chills through the (warm) room.

Between the familiar songs, the band teased some new material. The first time, Krug clarified it was just an old one that was never recorded, but later a new song was introduced with no such caveats. As far as I know, the band has been coy about any future plans, but fingers crossed.

Part way through the set, Nicholas Merz joined the others on stage on bass, though along with Michael and Jordan, the three of them swapped around on bass, guitar, and drums a little. And while he was behind the keys for most of the night, at once point Krug pulled out his guitar for a few songs, including “You Go on Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)” and probably my favourites of theirs, the barely-controlled chaos of “Idiot Heart”.

After a big intense jam to finish “The Men Are Called Horsemen There”, they brought the set to a close with the frenetic “The Mending of the Gown”, making the crowd work a little for the encore. But of course they were back, with just one more song, pouring all their remaining energy into the epic, winding, ten minute long “Dragon's Lair”, to cap off the nearly two hour set.

Since the breakup of Sunset Rubdown, I've seen Krug perform a number of other times; as Moonface, his collab with Siinai, solo piano shows, and even a Wolf Parade set. But as this show drew closer I started to worry that I was building the renion up too much in my head. Turns out that was for nothing, as the show more than met my expectations. The band hasn’t lost a single step, as tight as ever. Even at two hours, the show felt too fleeting, and I really hope we get to hear more from them in the future.

setlist
Snake's Got A Leg
The Taming Of The Hands That Came Back To Life
Silver Moons
Us Ones In Between
Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings
Winged/Wicked Things
Stadiums And Shrines
You Go on Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)
Coming To At Dawn
Idiot Heart
The Empty Threats of Little Lord
We're Losing Light
The Men Are Called Horsemen There
The Mending of the Gown
(encore)
Dragon's Lair

Said the Whale with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra @ Orpheum -- April 19, 2023

My favourite genre of live show is, quite possibly, “rock band plays with string section”. And ever since the release of their last album, Dandelion -- which featured some orchestral strings -- Said the Whale has been hinting & teasing at something more. So when it was announced that the Vancouver band was going to be performing at the Orpheum alongside the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, I knew there was no way I could miss it.

Under the baton of conductor David Bui, the show began with the Overture, giving us hints of what was to come, before Said the Whale took the stage going right into “Honey Lungs”. The trio of Ben Worcester (who was just providing vocals for the evening), Tyler Bancroft (on guitar and vocals) and Jaycelyn Brown (backing vocals and sitting at a grand piano in lieu of her usual keyboard) were joined by the 62-piece orchestra.

From there they ran through a 19-song set that spanned most of their career, from softer fare like “Show Me Everything” to heavier songs like “I Love You”, the orchestra amplified everything. “The Ocean” swelled, “Level Best” was never more heartfelt, and the orchestra rocked out to “Cascadia”.

Some of my favourites of the night included the haunting “Step Into the Darkness”, and an absolutely gorgeous version of “Dandelion”, which capped off the first half of the show before intermission -- Tyler half-joking that it was something more rock shows needed to incorporate.

After seeing more than half of Vancouver's music scene in the lobby milling about, the second half kicked off hard with “Wake Up” and “Love Always”, another favourite of the evening, the orchestra just taking the already intense song to an entirely new level.

Throughout the show, the crowd was entirely engaged, nearly dead silent until the last note of a song finished, then bursting into applause. It was perhaps the only time I've seen Said the Whale headline a show where people were NOT singing along with “Camilo (The Magician)”. And you could tell the band was just as excited to be there as the crowd was, visible thrilled to be performing like this; during one song that didn't feature his vocals, Ben just sat at the front of the stage, watching the orchestra, soaking it all in.

The main set came to a close with “Big Wave Goodbye”, but of course, there was an encore soon after. First Jaycelyn came out alone to play “February 15”, written for her husband. The last time I saw them perform live, this song was accompanied by a string quartet, so I was really anticipating seeing it with a full orchestra, and the breathtaking piano-driven instrumental did not disappoint. It was absolutely the highlight of the night, leaving few dry eyes in the house and receiving a standing ovation.
Next Ben joined the stage -- joking that was not going to be easy to follow up -- going into the beautiful “O Alexandra”, and finally Tyler returning to close out the night with “99 to the Moon”, another perfect compliment of strings, sending the song soaring.

I’ve always been interested in seeing the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra play, especially when they do special “pop culture” events, but never taken the opportunity to do so. I am glad I finally have, especially for a once-in-a-lifetime event like this. At the end of the show, Said the Whale brought up Alex Clark from the VSO, whose goal it was to bring more contemporary art to the VSO, so I can only hope they can do pairings like this more often. Said the Whale’s music lent itself perfectly to an orchestral accompaniment, and my mind is already racing with what other Vancouver bands deserve the same treatment.

But even without potential future collaborations, a quick look at the calendar of upcoming shows features a live orchestra score for films like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Black Panther, & more, as well as special nights dedicated to Looney Tunes and video game music. After this, I’m thinking I definitely have to pull the trigger on nights like that more often.

setlist
Overture
Honey Lungs
The Ocean
Moonlight
Everything She Touches is Gold to Me
Return to Me
Show Me Everything
Level Best
Step Into the Darkness
Dandelion
[Intermission]
Wake Up
Love Always
Cascadia
I Love You
Sweetheart
Camilo (The Magician)
Big Wave Goodbye
[encore]
February 15
O Alexandra
99 to the Moon

Haley Blais (and friends) @ The Wise Hall -- April 14, 2023

Ever since Haley Blais released her debut album Below the Salt a few years ago, I've been wanting to catch her live, but aside from a pandemic-era livestream from the Fox and a quick set at Constellation last year, I hadn't really got the chance. So I was happy to fix that this past Friday, with a show at the Wise Hall. It was a rare seated show for that venue, but during her set Blas quipped “I refuse to believe we can enjoy anything standing up” and I can't disagree with that.

Unfortunately I ran late and missed the opener, Troll Dolly, arriving shortly before Haley Blais took the stage with her backing band, comprised of a few familiar faces; Sam Lynch, Lindsay Sjoberg, Graham Serl, and Alex Maunders.

They started off the set with the chilled out “Rob the Original”, and weaved into a few more from her current catalogue, including “Survivor's Guilt” -- with the first guest of the evening, star of the video Jake Pascoe coming out to dance & accompany on the vibraslap -- and “Firestarter”, my favourite from her debut album, a song that starts slow and soft, building to a crescendo with Blais' voice sending chills and giving goosebumps.
Throughout the night we were also teased with a number of new songs from an upcoming album, like the groovy “Matchmaker” and “Cabin”, a more rocking number that once again showed off Haley's vocal range.

Leading up to the show, Blais had promised ‘special guests’, and delivered when she ceded the mic to her friends and peers, to put the spotlight on them. Mid-way through, Lindsey took centre stage with other members of Babe Corner out for the title track off their recently released album Crybaby; Maunders played a track from his solo project; and Dan Mangan surprised everyone with “Just Know It”, all backed by Blais on vocals.
Then near the end of the set, Blais brought out Jonathan Anderson and David Vertesi to play on one of her new songs “Reset Button”, before Vertesi went into into one of his songs, “My Parents House”, and finally Sam Lynch performed a beautiful new song that I didn't catch the name of.

After a good hour and a half, they brought the set to a big finish with a singalong to “Coolest Fucking Bitch in Town”, Blais conducting the crowd to chant the lyrics as the song wrapped up. But the sold out hall wanted one more song, and Haley indulged, coming out alone to start an older track “Small Foreign Faction”, before the rest of the band joined her and everyone let loose to cap off the night.

Leading up to the show, I had no idea who or what the “and friends” would entail, so the format of the show was a very pleasant surprise, and made for one of the most unique and collaborative shows I've seen in some time. It's rare that you see someone use almost a third of their set to let others shine, and the talent on the stage had the sold out hall rapt all evening. The crowd was (mostly) silent in all the right places, hanging on everyone — especially Haley Blais' — every note.

setlist
Rob the Original
Survivor's Guilt
Matchmaker
Be Your Own Muse
Firestarter
Crybaby (Babe Corner)
This Time (Maunders)
Just Know It (Dan Mangan)
[New song?]
Body
Reset Button
My Parents House (David Vertesi)
[New Song] (Sam Lynch)
Cabin
Coolest Fucking Bitch in Town
[encore]
Small Foreign Faction

Miesha & the Spanks @ The Lido -- April 13, 2023

The only thing better than a band playing a release show in Vancouver on the eve of their new album dropping... is playing that show in a venue two blocks away from me! It’s always nice to stroll down the street for a show at The Lido, especially for someone like Miesha & the Spanks celebrating their new release, Unconditional Love In Hi​-​Fi, which is out today.

First up was a new Vancouver band, WAIT//LESS with a couple familiar faces (members of FRANKIIE and Little Destroyer). Starting hard & fast, their punk sound didn’t let up throughout the entire set, brimming with energy. Especially from the lead singer, who hardly stood still for a moment, dancing, swinging the mic, and even hopping off stage and wading through to the back of the crowd a couple times.
I was shocked to later find out it was only their second show together, and will definitely have to keep an ear out for them in the future.

Soon after, it was time for Calgary's Miesha & the Spanks, the duo of Miesha Louie on vocals & guitars, and drummer Sean Hamilton (no relation) who also chipped in on backing vocals.

They kept up the energy that started the evening, with Miesha shredding on guitar with her gritty vocals, while Hamilton wailed away on the drums. They kicked off the set with “Lost Boys” before going into some songs from the new album Unconditional Love In Hi​-​Fi. Highlights included “So Mad”, appropriately named for the song's vitriol; the incredible summer jam of “I Can't Wait”; and my early favourite from the album, “Bully”, biting back at online jerks.

The pair also threw in some older songs like the personal “Mixed Blood Girls” and the chaotic “First Love, First Blood” before wrapped up with the catchy “Mom Jeans // Mom Genes”, forgoing the encore cliché (not that there was much room for them to leave the stage at The Lido).

The evening was an excellent pairing of bands — my ears may still be ringing a little — and I am looking forward to seeing either again, hopefully sooner than later.

setlist
Lost Boy
Dig Me Out
Heart Is On Fire
I Can't Wait
So Mad
Bully
Mixed Blood Girls
It's My Year
First Love, First Blood
I Want Fire
Mom Jeans // Mom Genes