Summer Live w/ The New Pornographers, Neko Case & Hannah Georgas @ Stanley Park -- 07/09/11

All year the city of Vancouver has been celebrating its 125th year, and this weekend is one of the events I have been looking forward to most: Summer Live; a weekend of free shows in Stanley Park, showcasing Vancouver talent. The first night, which I had to miss, had Mother Mother headlining, but with the lineup they had for the second night, I knew nothing was going to keep me from it.

There was music happening nearly all day, but I showed up at 6, just in time to see the gorgeous Hannah Georgas. The sound for the whole event wasn't really that great, but Hannah seemed to have the worst least good sound. The drums especially seemed a little loud throughout the set, but that aside, it was quite enjoyable. Joined, as usual, by Andrew Braun & Johnny Andrews of Rococode and Robbie Driscoll of everyone (seriously, if I had a nickel for every time I've seen him play with a different band...), she started off with “Chit Chat”, and a few more from This Is Good before a couple new songs, mentioning a new album in the works, which I am eagerly anticipating. “Your Ghost” and "All I Need", off The Beat Stuff EP, were definite highlights of the set, and she ended, after wishing Vancouver a happy birthday, with "The Deep End".

setlist
Chit Chat, Bang Bang You're Dead!, Lovers Breakdown, Thick Skin, Dancefloor, [new song], [new song], The Beat Stuff, Let's Talk, Your Ghost, The National, All I Need, The Deep End.

Next up was the person I was most anticipating for the day, Neko Case. It had been over two years since I last saw her live (not counting shows with The New Pornographers), so saying I was just a little excited is an understatement. She started, and ended, for that matter, with songs I didn't recognize, but the bulk of her set was off her last two albums Middle Cyclone and Fox Confessor Brings The Flood, with a few new ones thrown in. The new songs sounded great, and her voice was, as usual, simply amazing. From lulling the crowd with the softer songs like "That Teenage Feeling" to knocking people over with sheer power on songs like "People Got A Lotta Nerve", her voice in unparalleled. Another thing that makes Case so enjoyable live is her great banter and sense of humour on stage, especially between her and backup vocalist Kelly Hogan.
They, too, had some technical difficulties, but it is always incredible seeing Neko Case live, and I just hope it's not another two years before I get to see her again.

setlist
[mystery song], Maybe Sparrow, People Got A Lotta Nerve, Fever, The Pharaohs, Hold On Hold On, That Teenage Feeling, Middle Cyclone, [new song], Margaret vs. Pauline, [new song], Vengeance is Sleeping, I'm An Animal, I Wish I Was The Moon, Red Tide, [new song], This Tornado Loves You, [mystery song].

After Case I rushed over to the second stage to catch the last bit of The Zolas. As I got closer, I could hear the shrieks of the crowd, and Zach introduce a song as “about sex... or the lack thereof...” and I rounded the corner just in time for “Body Ash”. I only caught four songs, but they were as good as I've seen them; Zach especially seemed to have more energy than usual, bounding around stage. They “ended” with “Pyramid Scheme” -- which I don't think I had ever seen live, so I was happy to hear it -- before coming back (they acknowledged the faux pas of doing an encore while not the headliner, saying Said The Whale insisted) with “You're Too Cool”, which ended with a crowd sing-a-long.

(partial) setlist
Body Ash, These Days, Pyramid Scheme.
(encore) You're Too Cool.

At that point I made the executive decision to head back over to the main stage for The New Pornographers, and miss Said The Whale. Even though I have had bad luck with STW shows this year, I had still seen them thrice since I last saw The New Pornos. Plus... it's The New Pornographers!
They kicked off the set mentioning that Kathryn Calder was running late -- Case threatened to ground her, “With [her] grounding stick” -- so they started off with a couple older ones until Calder arrived. (To be fair, it was kind of insane getting to Stanley Park). From there they played for over an hour, hitting songs from all their albums, with loads of singing along.
Highlights of the set were "Adventures In Solitude" (despite the crowd's terrible offbeat clapping) and especially “Testament To Youth In Verse”, one of my favourites; though it just wasn't the same without Dan Bejar. In fact, I was a little disappointed that Bejar wasn't there at all, but of course it was still a great show regardless. They ended with one of my favourite songs of ever, “The Bleeding Heart Show”, which was an absolutely perfect way to cap off the day.

setlist
The Slow Descent into Alcoholism, All For Swinging You Around, Challengers, Moves, Sweet Talk Sweet Talk, Use It, Adventures in Solitude, Crash Years, All The Old Showstoppers, What Turns Up In The Dark, The Laws Have Changed, Testament to Youth in Verse, Your Hands (Together), Mass Romantic, Sing Me Spanish Techno, The Bleeding Heart Show.

It was a fantastic day of music, and I am now convinced that Hannah Georgas and Neko Case need to tour together... but I have to admit, it did end on a little bit of a sour note. During The New Pornographers final song, I could see something thrown on stage – looked like a water bottle – which just reminded me of the video of Case snapping when a CD was thrown on stage at a show.
After the song the set was done and nothing was said, but after the usual cheering, there ended up being no encore. I chalked it up to curfew, but according to Chris Coburn of The Peak, who was emceeing, there was no encore because Case did not want to go back out due to the thrown object. Which, good. Artists should not have to deal with that kind of crap, and as much as I wanted an encore, I fully support them in not going back out.

David Vertesi w/ Steph Macpherson @ Railway -- 07/06/11

Going to a lot of shows -- especially a lot of local acts -- means that you are bound to see some people multiple times. David Vertesi and Steph Macpherson are both among my "most seen" so far this year, but that didn't stop me from wanting to see them together at the Railway.

There was a little bit of déjà vu as Steph Macpherson took the stage first. She was again joined by Savannah Leigh Wellman on backup vocals, but unlike her show there two weeks prior, she did not have a full band, rather just another guitar player. As a side note, I think every time I have seen Steph perform, it has been with a different configuration of musicians.
Not unexpectedly, it was a good set, with the new songs sounded great, especially the incredibly infectious "Summer Song", and definitely had me interested in what was to come. Steph also kept crowd involved, clapping along to "Summer Song" and providing stomps and snaps to "Something In You"

Toronto's Megan Bonnell was up next, Just her at the piano, with a drummer occasionally backing her up. Her music was enjoyable, if a little bit similar-y at times, but it was her voice that kind of bugged me. It was a strong voice, but has a little bit of a Bjork-thing going on, which I have never really been a fan of. But that aside, she was quite good, with a nice intensity and passion while playing, and I quite liked her set nonetheless.

David Vertesi rounded out the night, started with a low and soft, but intense new song and then launching into the undeniably catchy "Mountainside". He had a full band with him, and while I've liked his solo sets, the full band just gives him the chance to cut loose. His set was mostly songs off his album Cardiography, which is a collection of great, emotional songs with David's smooth baritone that definitely broke some hearts (or people).
Vertesi's also joked with the crowd a bunch, coming up with an "Indie Rock Band" game highlighting the "glamorous" life it would simulate, and talked about beating Zelda and feeling nostalgic, before launching in to a cover of "Say You'll Be There". That's right, Spice Girls. And it was a pretty great cover, spurring a group of girls up front for a spontaneous dance party.

It was a great set by Vertesi, and a solid night of music overall.

setlist
[New Song], Mountainside, Broadcasting, All Night All Night All Night, Learn To Run, Caroline! A Ghost!, Say You'll Be There [Spice Girls cover], Cardiography, Soft Skin, Gentlemen Say.

The Tom Fun Orchestra @ David Lam Park -- 07/04/11

As the Vancouver International Jazz Fest wrapped up for another year, they put on a day of free shows at David Lam Park, and closing out the festival was one of my favourite live bands, The Tom Fun Orchestra. I've seen them twice before, in small clubs, and while both were amazing shows it was really cool to see them on a big outdoor stage on a beautiful evening.

They took the stage seven members large with no two members playing the same instrument (well, if you count acoustic & electric guitars as separate) and launched into a new song, "Miles Davis". It was a perfect song to start the set, with a great energy, and they even slipped in a few covers; a verse from "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, and some of Bonnie Tyler's "It's a Heart Ache". From there the set was a a mix of old songs, from 08's You Will Land With A Thud, and new ones. They didn't mention when/if a new album was due, but if the live songs are any indication, it will be pretty amazing.
The new songs sounded very "Tom Fun", their eclectic mish-mash folk, roots, blues, rock and punk, which is complimented perfectly by Ian MacDougall's gravely, raspy vocals. I didn't catch the name of most of the new ones, but my favourite started off calm and exploded into the usual Tom Fun cacophony of noise.

They brought the set to an end with "You Will Land With A Thud", somehow topping the energy that they had all night, which was no easy feat. You could tell throughout the set that they were having loads of fun, with MacDougall talking and joking between songs, from effectively stalling while they fixed a couple technical difficulties, to praising the crowd and city skyline, to inviting a couple people in cardboard robot heads from the crowd on stage to dance.

And while there were a couple small technical difficulties through the set, as mentioned, they were mostly nothing too distracting, except for one; the female vocals (not Carmen Townsend, but I didn't catch her name) were a little too low, so sometimes you couldn't hear her. But that aside, it was an incredibly fun set, and I already can't wait to see them again, and especially for the theoretical new album.

My Morning Jacket @ Orpheum -- 06/29/11

I have a list of bands that I have not seen live, but need to. And had you asked me before yesterday, My Morning Jacket would have been in the top three. Having been a fan of the band since 2005's Z, I was growing increasingly sad that they had not come through town. Sure, Jim James had been here with Monsters of Folk and had done a few MMJ songs, and they had been at a couple nearby festivals, but a show of their own in Vancouver seemed elusive. But as excited as I was to finally see them, and with all the stories I had heard about their live show being beyond incredible, was I setting the bar too high? I went in to the show with equal parts excitement and nervousness, on the chance I had overhyped myself.

First up, though, was Everest, a straight up rock band with definite 70s and 80s influences. Their sound was catchy and the songs upbeat and energetic, but they were without much variety. Of the handful of songs they played, only one really stood out, "Let Go" off their latest album On Approach where the lead singer got behind a second drum kit.
The whole band was pretty stoic, too -- the bass player, especially, who hardly moved -- with one exception; one of the two guitarists had more than enough energy for the rest of the band, jumping around.
They were a good choice in opener, playing Perfectly Acceptable (if a little forgettable) music.

And then at 8:30 sharp, the lights dimmed and the smoke rolled out as My Morning Jacket took the stage. In his long coat and scarf, Jim James took command from the very first minute. Just his presence alone commanded the attention of every last person in the Orpheum, as he strode across the stage throughout the set, occasionally running from one end to the other, jumping around, and even throwing in a few power slides when appropriate. Even when he was hunched over the microphone, draped in a cloak, you almost couldn't tear your eyes away.
Almost, because the rest of the band was in fine form.. Patrick Hallahan on drums, Bo Koster on keyboards and especially Two-Tone Tommy on bass, but especially Carl Broemel on guitar, pedal steel, and saxophone were all on top of their game. They were in front of five large screens that adapted to the songs, from random colours to album art to flying scenery, the screens (and lighting) added to the mood of the set without being too distracting.

Started off with "Victory Dance", the first track form the new album Circuital, the song set the stage for the rest of the night. Building with swirling guitars and flashing lights, it was the perfect opener, and from there they wove through the band's catalogue. With songs off all but one of their six albums, they showed off the vast range of their oeuvre, from the heavy rocking "Holdin On To Black Metal" to the poppy "Off The Record" to the soft and beautiful "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)" and everything in between.
The highlight of the set for me was definitely "Dondante", one of my favourite songs of all time. An incredible experience, it starting soft and calm before exploding into writhing cacophony of guitars and keys and the sound of minds being blown, before the ten minute epic came to a close with a perfect sax solo from Broemel.
Any other band would have called it a night there, but not MMJ. They saw that there were still a couple faces left un-melted and blew through a few more, including the psychedelic "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream pt. 2", and then coming to a close with the straight up rocking "Mahgeetah".

But a mere two hours wasn't enough for the band, as they came back out for an encore of a few more older ones, including another one of my favourite MMJ tunes, "Anytime" and ending the set with "One Big Holiday", a song that has one of the best opening riffs in music.

After nearly two and a half hours, any fears I had of them not living up to the hype were completely demolished. My Morning Jacket is a breathtaking live band, and it was not only one of, if not the best show I have seen all year, but definitely goes up there as one of the best shows I've seen.

setlist
Victory Dance, Circuital, Outta My System, Off the Record, Gideon, First Light, You Wanna Freak Out, Wonderful (The Way I Feel), Golden, The Way That He Sings, I'm Amazed, What A Wonderful Man, Holdin' On to Black Metal, Slow Slow Tune, Dondante, Smokin' From Shootin', Touch Me I'm Going To Scream pt. 2, Mahgeetah.
(encore) Wordless Chorus, The Day Is Coming, Anytime, One Big Holiday.

Brasstronaut @ Performance Works -- 06/27/11

It's that time of year when Vancouver International Jazz Festival is in full swing. And while I have missed more of the shows than I would have liked to, one of the two shows I knew I didn't want to miss Brasstronaut at Performance Works on Granville Island. (The other is The Tom Fun Orchestra at David Lam Park, this coming Sunday at 8:45. It's free, and you need to be there.)

They took the stage as the emcee asked us to "give a warm welcome to... the... brass-tronaut" and launched into "Requiem for a Scene". It was their second of two back-to-back shows of the night, but that just means the band had a longer chance to warm up. Any kinks they may have had were worked out, and they sounded better than ever. The songs were all very tight; the fast ones pounding through you, the slow washing over you, and everything in between. Some of them got longer and cooler intros, like "Hearts Trompet" which got a spacey, ethereal intro -- fitting since it was played on the Space Clarinet.
There were also a few new songs thrown in; one that they introduced as unnamed (but was "Hollow" on the setlist) sounded very dark, both musically and with the echoing vocals. They sounded really cool, and I am definitely looking forward to their next release.
The whole band also seemed a lot looser on stage, as there was more banter and joking around than any of their other shows, which was great. They engaged the audience (sometimes individually) and had a few funny stories. That, combined with the great sound at Performance Works, culminated to probably the best show I have seen them play yet.

setlist (as stolen from the scrap of paper on stage)
requiem for a scene, hand behind, six toes, hollow, hearts trompet, bounce, insects, lo hi hopes, Fan, JT.
(encore) old world lies, slow knots.