The Peak Performance Project Finale with Vince Vaccaro, Said The Whale & Kyprios @ Commodore -- 11/18/10

Earlier this year, I asked "Where the hell do they go from here?", about the Peak Performance Project. I though there was no way they could live up to the first year. Well, overall... I think they more than surpassed it. There were more than a few bands that I either discovered, or gained a new appreciation for, after following the second instalment for the last five months. And I certainly do not envy the judges who had to make the final decision. Even though I disagreed with the top five on a few points, they were all fine talents that deserve the money. I hope the bands involved go on to keep doing what they're doing, and I hope The Peak continues to support them, even (or especially) the ones that didn't make the top five.
But on to the show itself. The top three artists -- Vince Vaccaro, Said The Whale and Kyprios -- all had a set to play before the awarding of the monies: $100,500 for first place, $75,000 for second and $50,000 for third.

Opening the show was Vince Vaccaro, as his band slowly filtered on stage, and he came out last, blowing the conch (not a euphemism). I was struck by his energy at his showcase show, and he somehow managed to be even more energetic last night. Though, not to sound like "that guy", but I fully admit I like his older stuff better. It has a bit of an East-Coast-Rocker vibe more than the Surfer-Rock his more recent stuff seems to have, so I was glad when he pulled out "Heart In Hands", his first song I heard, and still my favourite of his. That said, he and his backing band did the songs well, and had most of the crowd hooked, even getting a song-along to the oft-covered "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King (originally). While he may not have been one of my picks for the top three -- or even top five -- with a set like this, I can see why he made it.

The odds-on favourite Said The Whale was up second. Drummer Spencer was the only one suited up, but I might be able to forgive Tyler, since he was wearing Aidan Knight on his shirt (from a Christine McAvoy photograph, if I'm not mistaken). They started off with one of my favourites, "Love Is Art/Sleep Through Fire" before launching into "The City's A Mess", getting everyone clapping along. Like Vince, and Kyprios after them, they seemed to really step up their game and put on possibly one of the better sets I have seen from them. Most of their set was from their previous two records, but they slipped in a sort-of-new song, which they've been playing live for a while. I don't think they've ever named it, so I am going to arbitrarily call it "Information Age" It's called "We Are 1980" and it had a bit more of a synth-y edge to it. That, combined with their "Last Night" song (which they didn't play) makes me interested to hear more new material.
Near the end they called up damn near everyone from their fellow bands for their Peak viral video, "We Are The Music: Musicians for (spare) Change" which had many of the members come to help out on vocals and was a pretty amazing sight. They asked everyone to stay up for their standard closing song, "Goodnight Moon", turning the stage into a full on dance party.

Last, but certainly not least, was Kyprios, looking very dapper. He came out with a single spotlight on him and started beatboxing, for his ten piece band to slowly come in and join him. He took control of the stage immediately, with his Jazz-Hop or Swing-Hop sound with an energy that would be hard to match. His songs were not only insanely catchy, but his backing band, The Chaperones, are a damn hard working band. There were also a few songs that seemed to have an almost narrative, or stream of conscious flow to them, which I really liked. And hopefully I'm not just imagining it. Fellow PeakPP member Greg Sczebel came out and joined him briefly, and he also pulled out his Canadian cover from his Red Room showcase. Starting with a medley of various classic Canadian songs, it culminated with his version of "Sweet City Woman" originally by The Stampeeders. Near the end he passed out lighters, to be lit for a song for lost friends, and he ended the set with the insanely energetic "This Is My Hit".
All day I had been thinking Said The Whale was going to take it, but as soon as he hit the stage, I had a weird feeling that it would, in fact, be Kyprios taking home the oversized novelty cheque. And as his set went on, I became more and more convinced.

And then was the moment that the room (some more than others) had been waiting for, the winners. They announced third place first, which went to Vince Vaccaro, and went right to first place, not as a slight to second, but to give first place a bit more fanfare. And, as I am sure you are already aware of, Said The Whale took second place, and first place went to Kyprios. While I, honestly, would probably not have picked him as my number one, I can not argue that he doesn't deserve it. Especially after seeing his set. The room exploded with applause and confetti, though there were a few boo's, which, come on people. I know you wanted "your" band to win, but it not only makes you look like a jerk, but even makes the band look a little worse, too. Real classy. But that was only a small pocket, and the rest of the crowd was good about it.

It was a great end to an amazing competition, though it will be interesting to see the talent line up for next year. While the first year had a mostly unknown bands, this year had a good amount of bands that were already established. I know there was some criticism for some of those established bands being in the competition, so I'm curious to see if that will happen. Whatever the case, I can not wait to see how it goes, and I hope I can get as involved (if not more so) than I was able to this year. Thank you The Peak and Music BC!

And just for full disclosure, here are my personal picks. I thought Aidan Knight should have won the whole shebang, and my top five favourites were, in no particular order: Knight, Jess Hill, Said The Whale, Christina Maria and Adaline. That said, it was very hard to choose, as at least half of the bands I ended up really liking, and I don't think there wasn't a single one I flat out disliked.

Jess Hill, Steph Macpherson & Katie Schaan @ Cafe Deuz Soleil -- 11/17/10

Three acts involved in this years Peak Performance Project (two directly, one as a band member) came together at Cafe Deux Soleil for a really great bill. Each of the lovely ladies singing had similar sounds -- a bit folk-alt-country-ish -- but all were distinct enough to not be repetitive. They did a round, each playing two sets, but I will lump both sets together for the purpose of me being lazy.

First (and fourth) up was Katie Schaan, who had her own handmade goods for sale in the appropriately named Knitted Goods Tour. She came out alone, and I was immediately impressed with how powerful her voice was, especially for a small person. She moved from ukulele to keyboard in her first set, then was on guitar in the second, and had a great energy on stage. Though there was one moment where she was trying to tune, and the show slowed to a crawl... but she managed to hold peoples attention with a story about touring with (or without) pyjamas.
Most of her songs were, as she fully admitted, about the same thing (boys, and the emotions they stir up), and while it didn't detract from the set, I would be interested to hear her take on more. The one that impressed me the most, was about wanting to have a little more with a close friend. I didn't catch the name of, but it was a very powerful song, full of emotion, and definitely attention-grabbing.

Steph Macpherson was out next, and I was surprised to see Matt Kelly of Treelines up with her, on acoustic guitar. It seemed like it was their first time playing together, and if it was, Kelly picked up on Macpherson's songs quickly and it was barely noticeable. Aside from the pair, Schaan joined them for a few songs doing backup vocals, or leading the stomp/snap for one song. Which managed to get a good number of people participating. Both her sound and voice reminds me a little of a Kathleen Edwards, and she was very natural on stage, with an effortless air about her and pretty smooth banter.
The first time I saw her was with a full band, at her Peak Performance showcase, and it could be because I am more familiar with her music now, but I was almost more impressed with her quasi-solo act. I will definitely be interested in seeing her again with a band, though, to see how it compares.

It's not quite right to say she was closing, so the "last chapter" -- as she put it -- of the night was Jess Hill. This was the first time I has seen her solo as well, and she was no less impressive with no backup. I am continually amazed by her commanding voice; like the other times I've seen her, when she started her first set with an a capella number, the room hushed (well, as much as would be expected from a cafe). There were also a few times where she stepped off the mic and let loose. And she has the talent to back up her voice, as well. It would be easy for a single person with a guitar to be boring on stage, but her storytelling, both in and between songs, was captivating -- she prefaced one song with a story about moths and the moon that, while a little lengthy, was an interesting setup for the song (and I say this having heard it before).
She ended the set with a song I have loved each time I've seen it performed, yet still have not gotten the name of. She starts a capella again, with some crowd-screaming participation, before crashing in with a pretty intense song. Judging by the lyrics, I would wager a guess that it is called "Digging a Hole".

I have gone on about the Vancouver music scene before, and this is another example of both the talent here (and on the Island), and the sense of community. Not only did these three acts come together, but a number of other local musicians were also there to support their friends, and no doubt enjoy the great music of the evening.

Dan Mangan @ The Vogue -- 11/13/10

Not many acts can sell out The Vogue, let alone for two shows. And not many acts can sell out two shows, only six months after another pair of sold out shows. But Dan Mangan isn't just any act, and his hometown shows are always a sight to see.

The first band up was The Crackling, who were some familiar faces. Kenton Loewen was joined by Gord Grdina and Colin Cowan, who all happen to be members of Dan Mangan's band as well. When I had seen The Crackling before, it was just Kenton, so it was interesting to see them as a full band; with Loewen on acoustic guitar, Grdina on electric and Cowan on stand up bass, they gave the songs a richness that wasn't necessarily missing last time, but was definitely welcome. Near the end of the set, they brought out a special guest to play the drums... none other than Dan Mangan himself, and had the crowd singing along to the awesomely named "Keep Me Drunk". It's rare that an opening band can get audience participation, but their engaging songs and stage presence won a lot of people over. Speaking of, they also had some great banter. Kenton has always come across as a pretty funny guy on stage, and when paired with Cowan, the back and forth between them was priceless.
I really enjoyed the set, though I wasn't able to grab a CD, which I regret... but hopefully next time.

After a short break, an emcee came up and introduced The Burning Hell as a "mediocre band from Ontario" before going off stage... and coming back as the lead singer. They had a folk rock feel, with the lead singer on guitar, backed up be a cello and a synth table, which included a glockenspiel, but was named as "whatever that stuff is". All of their songs told stories, and were pretty damn funny, but not in a "novelty song" way, rather with well written and intricate lyrics. There were even a couple callbacks in songs. It only took half a song for them to win me over, and I wouldn't be surprised if I was the only one. At any other show they probably would have outshone the headliner. I was unable to pick up their album as well, and I'm really hoping they're back soon and I get to rectify that.

And finally, it was time for Dan Mangan. He hit the stage with the band and launched into a new song -- I think, at least -- and then brought out the strings and horns for "Sold". He played a few from Nice, Nice, Very Nice before pulling out a newer one, that he's played live for a while now, "Oh Fortune". After that he went into a one-two punch of "Fair Verona" and "Basket", two of his most epic songs. A fair amount of the sold out Vogue was singing along to "Basket", too, and I'm sure there were not many dry eyes in the house for that. He went on to play a few more new ones, "Jeopardy" which consists entirely of questions and "Rows of Houses" (or "Rose of Houses", but that makes less sense), inspired by Stand By Me. All the new songs were impressive, and some seemed to have a bit more of an edge to them; I am very excited to hear them on the next record -- which Dan said they will begin working on in December. The set ended, as expected, with "Robots" and almost the entire house joining in.
He came back for the encore, kind of knocking the tradition, and said he would be doing something a bit special and different. First he brought out Veda Hille to join him on "The Indie Queens Are Waiting", which was great, and then played a damn good cover of Elliott Smith's "Waltz #2". I am very much of the opinion that encores should include special guests, cover songs, and other neat things you wouldn't get in the "main" set, so I quite liked those touches. To end the night, Dan not only called The Burning Hell back on stage, but enlisted the help of the audience for backup "ooh-ooooh's" for "So Much For Everyone", which is always a powerful ending to his shows, especially as he was playing [almost] completely unamplified.

It was a very good show, as you would expect, but he seemed to be a bit less talkative this time. There was some banter and back & forth with the crowd and his band mates, but it didn't seem as much as he usually does. Mangan is as great at the banter as he is a musician, so it was noticeably missing. There was another issue I had, but it was a minor quabble and hardly the fault of the band, and that was the lighting. There were some parts, all throughout the night, that it seemed like every three seconds I was getting eye-meltingly-bright lights directly in the face. Maybe I just had unfortunate seats, but it got to be quite annoying.

Those minor issues aside, it was still an amazing time, and Mangan continues to cement his place as not only one of Vancouver's, but one of Canada's greatest talents.

setlist
[new song?], Sold, You Silly Git, Road Regrets, Tina's Glorious Comeback, Oh Fortune, Fair Verona, Basket, Jeopardy, Leaves Trees Forest, Rows Of Houses, Some People, Robots.
[encore] The Indie Queens Are Waiting, Waltz #2 (XO) [Elliott Smith cover], So Much For Everyone.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin @ Biltmore -- 11/12/10

It was a full night in the city, with Brasstronaut and Hollerado also playing shows, but both of those bands I had seen earlier this year, so I went with Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. That, and they would be the least likely to be back soon.

The Lonely Forest, from Anacortes, Washington, opened the night, with a fair amount of super-fans in the crowd. They had a pretty good sound, but nothing that really set them apart. "Turn Off This Song And Go Outside" was a standout of the set, but a lot of their songs sounded kind of similar, and had the same structure. Still, I wouldn't mind catching them again. They said it was only their second time in Vancouver, but hopefully they'll be back, since they're just over the border.

It had been a couple years since I saw Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, so I was a bit anxious. They hit the stage with the best prop ever, a life size cardboard cutout of Han Solo, and their incredible energy and stage presence had the crowd dancing and clapping along to their pitch perfect indie pop. I was a bit sad they didn't play "All Hail Dracula!", my favourite from their new album, Let It Sway, but the subtle energy of "Anna Lee" -- always feeling like it's just about to burst -- and "Pangea", which features some of my favourite lyrics: "pangea, we used to be together, why'd we have to drift apart?" both made up for it. They played a good mix of older and new, and at one point the drummer, guitarist and bassist did a little switcheroo and changed roles for the rest of the set. While they were not overly talkative for the most part, they still had some good stage banter & antics; dedicating a song to the lights on the mountains they thought were UFO's and player guitar around the Han Solo cutout for the first song of the encore. They put on a hell of a fun show, and I just hope it isn't another two years before I get to see them again.

The Trews @ Vogue -- 11/06/10

When I first heard The Trews were doing an acoustic album and shows, I was a little wary of how it would sound. Turns out I was foolish to doubt them, as their album was pretty great and the show at the Rio last year was outstanding. So when I found out they were coming again, I couldn't pass it up.

Opening act was Tim Chaisson, who intrigued me when he mentioned he had worked with Joel Plaskett and Gordie Johnson, then won me over with a pretty good cover of "All Hell For A Basement". From PEI, he was out with just another guy on guitar, and had a very east coast sound, especially when he broke out the fiddle to do some standards. I would be interested to see if his regular stuff is the same acoustic tone that he had, or if he was just playing acoustic for the tour. I didn't get a chance to pick up his album, but I'll definitely have to keep an eye ear out for him in the future.

The Trews took the stage, on stools, promising a more low-key show; but even The Trews low-key and acoustic is pretty rocking. "Sing Your Heart Out" got things going, and they played songs from all over their three albums, even ones that are not on their acoustic Friends & Total Strangers. They played two sets, the first consisted of just the four of them and included some great songs like "Every Inambition", and a new song, "One By One". More than a couple songs has everyone sing/yelling along and when they ended with "Poor Ol' Broken Hearted Me", on my my favourites, they turned the mic over to the crowd for the chorus.
At the beginning of the set, they tossed out a couple balloons to go around, which lasted longer here than in any other city, according to Colin. Though he seemed to be getting mildly annoyed that they kept coming on stage instead of staying in the crowd.
After a short break they brought out Jeff Heisholt on accordion, as well as Tim Chaisson and the other guy who played with Tim for some support. That set started with the great "Can't Stop Laughing" and topped the energy of the first set. "Yearning" included a great breakdown by the amazingly talented John-Angus on guitar and Tim Chaisson on the fiddle, and after the salute to the troops song, "Highway of Heroes", they pulled out another now one, "Love Is A Real Thing". The new songs were really good, and I'm curious to see what they'll be like fully electric. At one point, Colin was handed a card (from Canadian Tire) that said it was someones birthday, so they sang for her, with most of the crowd joining in. After another sing along for "Not Ready To Go", they brought the second set to a close with another one of my favourites, "Ishmael & Maggie"
But of course, they came back out for the encore with another new song, "You've Got To Let Me In", a cover of Faces' "Oh La La" and then tore the place down with "Hold Me In Your Arms", with a little bit of Zeppelin slipped in.

I've seen The Trews about a half dozen times live now, and even acoustic, they are full of such raw energy and put on an amazing show. After their acoustic show last year, I wasn't sure if they would be playing any more, but I am glad that they decided to keep going with it.

setlist
Sing Your Heart Out, So She's Leaving, Every Inambition, Den Of Thieves, Paranoid Freak, Tired of Waiting, The Love You Save, Fleeting Trust, One By One, Poor Ol' Broken Hearted Me.
(intermission)
Can't Stop Laughing, When You Leave, Travelling Kind, Yearning, Highway of Heroes, Love Is A Real Thing, Man Of Two Minds, (Happy Birthday), Not Ready To Go, Ishmael & Maggie.
[encore] You've Got To Let Me In, Oh La La (Faces cover), Hold Me In Your Arms (w/ When The Levee Breaks).