West Coast Pop w/ Yukon Blonde, Sun Wizard & Redbird @ Red Room -- 05/07/11

The penultimate instalment in the West Coast Pop! concert series, this was another one that I was really looking forward to. A band that has proven to be fantastic live and another one I have really been digging for the last couple months, it was sure to be a good one.

Kicking off the night was Redbird. Even though they don't have anything released just yet, I've been able to see them live a couple times this year (and get my hands on a few acoustic tracks) and they just keep getting better every time I see them, which makes me more and more eager for the upcoming EP.
Their too-short-set was full of energy and lots of fun, with Savannah's great voice blending really well with the folky, roots rock sound. "Oh Please My Heart" is a definite earworm of a catchy song, and "No Game", which -- despite not even being released -- has become one of my favourite songs of the year; especially with the far too relatable line "my subtlety sabotages me, so please read between the lines".

Next up was Sun Wizard, another fairly new Vancouver band, who had more of a straight ahead rock sound, with twinges of psychedelia. The four members were focused mostly on playing, with not much by way of stage banter or even too much to engage the crowd (the bassist even had the clichéd 'vaguely bored bass player' look). A couple of songs, most notably "World's Got A Handle", sounded great, but most of them were a little interchangeable, with the same kind of sound going on. But they put on a perfectly enjoyable set, and while I might not go too see a show of their own any time soon, I would not be against seeing them live again, and I could definitely see them getting better given time.

And finally, Yukon Blonde. I've had the fortune of seeing them a couple times before, but always as the opening band, so it was great to have them play a longer set. The band always puts on a great live show, and last night was no different. With their incredibly energetic, eardrum-melting power pop-rock and near-perfect harmonies, they had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands, singing along to all the older songs -- with Jeff Innes even handing over the mic to the crowd for part of "Wind Blows". There were also a few new songs sprinkled throughout the set, which were quite good, but taking the cake was one called (according to the setlist) Radio, an intense rocker that I can't wait to hear again.
The only complaint would be that a couple of times, the vocals seemed to be a bit low. But it wasn't a persistent problem, and didn't take away from their set all that much.

setlist (taken from the on-stage setlist, so some new songs may be shorthand)
Rather Be With You, Brides Song, Wind Blows, Oregon Shores, Iron Fist, Water, Blood Cops, Radio, Stairway, Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore, Nico Canmore.
(encore) My Girl, Loyal Man.

The Never Surprise CD Release w/ Portage & Main @ Railway -- 05/05/11

Maybe it's because I keep seeing these types of shows there, but the Railway Club is becoming more and more synonymous with good folk and roots music, for me. Last night was a pretty good example with three Vancouver bands out for The Never Surprise CD Release.

First up was The Geese -- or rather two fifths of the band. An acoustic, folky sound driven by guitar and keys, the pair had good chemistry when talking to each other, but it didn't really extend off the stage. They had songs about a variety of things, from robots to death to a cover of "Little Arguments With Myself" by Low, but they all seemed to blend together; none of the songs really stood out. Well, except for the lyrics of the last song, which was the hierarchy of Rock, Paper, Scissors... but that stood out for the wrong reasons. They were by no means bad, they were just kind of... there.

Next up was the band celebrating the release of their CD, The Never Surprise, who were joined by a couple familiar faces, Niko Friesen on drums and Robbie Driscoll on bass. They also had a more folky sound going on, but were a bit too mellow. The songs were good, and there were definitely some talented musicians on stage, they just lacked a punch, or a draw. I fully admit, though, it could have just been because I was tired, so that could have tainted my perspective. I wouldn't mind seeing them again when in a better mindset, maybe be able to fully get into it.
After they wrapped up their set, they were back for an encore with a cover of Cohen's "Suzanne" which was... okay. At least it wasn't "Hallelujah".

And rounding out the night was Portage & Main. Both front men for the band, John Sponarski and Harold Donnelly, were a bit under the weather, but while it was a little noticeable (even if they hadn't kept talking about it) it wasn't detrimental to the set; they still put on a really fun show. Even if the vocals were a bit off, which really only happened a couple times, they were still an incredibly tight band. With more of a roots-y edge than the previous two bands, highlights were the rambunctious "Tonight pt 2", the slower, more country-bent "The Morning After" and "I'd Never Climbed a Mountain" which starts slow, then builds to a great climax.
They ended the night with Savannah Wellman of Redbird joining them on vocals for a second time, and "Carolina", a great sing-along song to end the set with, which even saw a broken string from John.

setlist
Nothing (Take What You Need), What Have I Done, The Morning After, Rocky Mountain Wanderer, When You're Gone, Tonight pt 2, I'd Never Climbed a Mountain, Follow Me My Love, Carolina.

Mother Mother w/ Brasstronaut @ Vogue -- 05/04/11

Surprisingly, I had never seen Mother Mother headlining a show of their own. Of the handful of times I had seen them, it was always opening for someone or at a festival or something. So I was eager to catch their first of two sold out shows. The second is at the Commodore tonight (with the excellent Rococode opening), but last night was an all ages at the Vogue, with another band who is great live, and I haven't seen a while.

The first time I ever saw Brasstronaut, I knew I wanted to see them in a soft-seat theatre venue. I don't know why, it just seemed really appropriate. So I was definitely excited to see them opening. They played a decent length set, with (I think) a couple new songs; one I didn't get the name of and one possibly called "Prozak". Both were great, keeping with the bands rich and lush sound -- a sound that I am always impressed by, especially live. Among the older songs, "Six Toes" and "Requiem For a Scene" both sounded as great as usual, and they ended with one of my favourite songs of last year, "Hearts Trompet". It built until a grandiose climax, and as it ended, the members of the band left one by one until all that was left was Edo on keys and Brennan exploding on drums.

setlist
[new song?], Six Toes, Hands Behind, Requiem for a Scene, Prozak[?], Slow Knots, Hearts Trompet.

Shortly after (love those curfewed shows) Mother Mother hit the stage to piercing screams, kicking off with a couple older songs before getting into the new album, which made up the bulk of the set. The band had a fantastic energy and presence on stage, somehow managing to engage every single person in the sold out Vogue. And they seemed genuinely blown away from the support of the fans, with Ryan mentioned a couple of times how overwhelming it was to see everyone there.
The songs from the new album sounded great live, with highlights including the raucous "Problems", the almost eerie "Born in a Flash" and of course, "The Stand", which was one of the many songs to get recognition applause and have everyone singing along; a sold out crowd yelling "everybody's fucked and they don't even know". That led seamlessly into "Body of Years", which included a bit of Pixies slipped in, with "Gauge Away" -- appropriate, as Ryan and Jasmine covered the Pixies at One Night Stand, and since they were playing a show of their own across the street -- and the set ended with "Calm Me Down", a perfect song to go out on.
Though they were back for the customary encore, the whole crowd singing along to "Arms Tonight" and ending with an older one, "Verbatim", once more thanking everyone profusely for coming.

It was definitely the best show I have seen Mother Mother put on -- and probably the best for Brasstronaut as well -- for a great all around package of a show.

setlist
Ball Cap, Oh My Heart, Original Spin, Problems, Simply Simple, Oleander, Born in a Flash, Ghosting, Getaway, Baby Don't Dance, Polynesia, Chasing It Down, Angry Sea, The Stand, Body of Years (w/ Gauge Away Pixies cover), Hayloft, Wrecking Ball, Calm Me Down.
(encore) Arms Tonight, Verbatim.

West Coast Pop w/ Young Liars, Oh No! Yoko and Kingdom Cloud @ Red Room -- 04/30/11

Another Saturday, another West Coast Pop show. This one was focused on young local(ish) talent.

Kicking off the night was Kingdom Cloud. I had heard good things about the young Kelowna band, so was eager to see them live; and they did not disappoint. The trio hit the stage in matching white jeans, blue shirts and scarves and launched into a very energetic set of infectious pop. All three members were brimming with enthusiasm, especially Evan, the lead singer/guitarist and keys, who was all over the stage. And the drummer, who sliced her hand open early on but kept going, despite the blood. They had some great, catchy songs -- with awesome titles like "Turbo Ranger" and "Love Goblin" -- though some of them sounded maybe a bit similar-y.
It was a really fun set to watch, and especially considering they're all pretty young, I have no doubt they'll grow from a good band into a great band sooner rather than later.

Next up was Oh No! Yoko from Abbotsford. With more of a rock edge to their pop, they had good energy, but lacked a little in banter or crowd interaction. They, too, suffered the problem of a lack of variation in songs, but that's not always a terrible thing when the songs are so catchy. The set also included a pretty cool cover of Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule The World". Another young band that has the potential to go on to big things, I will definitely be looking forward to what they do in the future.

And finally was Young Liars, hitting the stage with almost as many keyboards as members. The synth heavy set was full of poppy songs, but at the risk of sounding repetitive myself, they also had some pretty same-y sounding songs. Though as all three bands are still young, with one (or no) albums out, it's a lot easier to cut them slack for something like that. They were a bit lacking in stage presence, too, but still put on an enjoyable set nonetheless.

In all, a good night of music. It's always interesting to see bands progress, and these were three up and comers that will no doubt have bright futures.

The Trews @ The Roxy -- 04/26/11

I have seen The Trews over a half dozen times now, and whether acoustic or electric, they're always been in good sized venues. Which is great, but when one of my favourite live bands announced a string of fan-only dates in smaller venues, I knew I had to go.

Before the show, though, a brief tangent. I know I am in the minority being Vancouveronian who couldn't care less about the Canucks in the playoffs, but I was still a little dismayed when I found out that The Roxy would be playing game seven while The Trews were playing. I went to see a rock show, not a hockey game. It wasn't as distracting as it could have been -- I am guessing the fact that since it was a private show for dedicated fans helped a lot -- but it was still a little annoying. The band, however, were really great sports about it; they definitely knew their audience and were thinking of their fans... and even had a little fun with it. Colin mentioned it a couple times, joking "don't fuck it up!", improvising some lyrics about the game, and even pausing for the penalty shot... while they played their rendition of the Hockey Night in Canada theme.

As for the real show, The Trews were definitely on top of their game. From the insanely high energy of songs like the [appropriate] hockey anthem "Not Ready To Go" to the more mellow songs like "Dreaming Man", they proved why they are one of Canada's best live bands.
The set was heavy on the new album, obviously, including my two favourites from it, "One by One" and "I'll Find Someone Who Will", which were slotted with a couple of my old favourites, "Poor Ol' Broken Hearted Me" and "Can't Stop Laughing".
And despite the game, The Trews had the crowd wrapped around their finger, with everyone singing along to the aforementioned "Not Ready To Go" and "Poor Ol' Broken Hearted Me".

Another interesting thing about seeing the band live is the covers they always slip in. During "So She's Leaving" there was a little Rolling Stones, and "Tired of Waiting" had a bit of Buffalo Springfield. The song also had some fantastic guitar work from John-Angus, who is just a phenomenal guitar player. My face melted on several occasions thanks to him.
They ended their set after over an hour with "Hold Me In Your Arms" before coming out (just after the Canucks won) for a one song encore, somehow managing to top the energy of their entire set with "Burning Wheels"

setlist
The World I Know, People Of The Deer, Not Ready to Go, So She's Leaving (w/ She's So Cold - Rolling Stones), Paranoid Freak, Stay With Me, Hope & Ruin, Misery Loves Company, Poor Ol' Broken Hearted Me, One By One, Can't Stop Laughing, I'll Find Someone Who Will, Dreaming Man, Tired of Waiting (For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield), Hold Me In Your Arms.
[encore] Burning Wheels.