Live at Squamish: Day Two -- 08/21/11

The first day was down and a huge success, but second day of Live at Squamish was the one I was most looking forward to, packed with excellent bands all around. But before I get to it, I just wanted to make note that I love how the festival booked local bands. A good chunk of the people playing during the day were local independent artists, and when you have a festival that boasts 9000 people a day, that's some great exposure for people who deserve it.

The first act I was excited to see was Brasstronaut, playing the Stawamus Stage. They played a fairly short set, starting with "Slow Knots" and with a few new songs in there; one named "JT", which had a phenomenal and spacey instrumental ending, was dedicated to John Wah's year old kid, who was attending his first festival. They ended with an energetic "Lo Hi Hopes", giving the day a good start.

Panda Watch. And by Panda Watch, I mean Said the Whale

Bend Sinister was up next on the main stage, but I sadly missed them to head to the Giribaldi Stage to catch first Shane Koyczan doing some slam poetry – he was doing short in-between sets at various times all weekend – and then the enigmatic Panda Watch. For the weeks leading up to the festival the question Who Is Panda Watch? was on people's lips, and while there was some who figured it out, others had no idea that it was actually Said The Whale (I knew a month or so ago, and it was a tough secret to keep).
After setting up and coming out with creepy looking panda masks, they played an instrumental intro before ripping off the masks and revealing themselves to play a set of all new songs, which sounded pretty great.
A couple really stuck out, including the closing song which was a love letter to their fans, a "Ben-song" which may may or may not be called "True Love", and the aptly named "Hurricane Adele", as it was a complete force of nature. One of my favourite sets of the weekend, and I am definitely looking forward to the album.

The Zolas, with guest Ashleigh Ball

After the Whales, it was back to the Stawamus Stage for another Vancouver band, The Zolas – who actually started early (which was frustrating since I ended up missing half the set). They were as energetic as ever and looked like they felt right at home up on the main stage. Before they went into "Pyramid Scheme", Zach called up Hey Ocean's Ashleigh Ball for vocals, who was then seen sprinting through the field to leap (almost literally) on stage. "You're Too Cool" had a good sized sing-a-long going, and for the closing song, "Cab Driver", they brought their parents out for some backup vocals and dancing.

The Dudes were up next, though I only saw part of their set to recharge in the media tent and wander around to look at some of the other exhibits, like the artisans market and silent disco. The Dudes are a fun band live, no doubt, but I wouldn't say I'm too big a fan of them; a lot of their songs sounds kinda... samey.

Black Mountain did not run our hearts around.

It's weird to admit, but I almost forgot to be excited for Black Mountain; there was just so much going on. But as soon as "Old Fangs" hit, I remembered how absolutely amazing the band is live; Amber Weber's hauntingly powerful voice, and Steve McBean's incredible shredding – especially on "Tyrant" – which could only be described as "face-meltingly astonishing". From the fast and frantic "Let Spirits Ride" to the relatively mellow "Roller Coaster" and the building intensity of "Queens Will Play", Black Mountain was without a doubt my favourite set of the festival.

Though there was a strange and awkward moment near the end of their set. As they were wrapping up with "Don't Run Our Hearts Around", an overzealous stagehand walked in front of the band, mid-song, to tell them it was time to wrap it up. Definitely an unnecessary and unprofessional touch.

Soon enough it was time for a second dose of Metric, after their acoustic set the previous day. And it was definitely quite a contrast to that, especially in the level of intensity from Haines; she was back and forth and dancing, a ball of energy that hardly stood still for a minute. They kicked off with "Black Sheep" (which had me momentarily thinking "Envy Adams??") and blasted through a good chunk of their catalogue. Older songs were spiced up a bit, with "Empty" featured a few lines of Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)". "Sick Muse" and "Dead Disco" were a couple more highlights before they ended with "Stadium Love"

Shake your head it's Metric

And wrapping up the festival on the main stage was Weezer. I am not going to lie, I have never been that big of a fan of Weezer, so as far as I was concerned the festival ended with Metric. But I stayed to catch a few of their songs before heading out to beat the rush down the Sea to Sky. They started with "Surf Wax America" and a couple songs in played a cover of Foster The People's "Pumped Up Kicks". They certainly have their fans, but to me they seemed to be going through the motions a bit, and there wasn't much that compelled me to stay.

All in all, I would say it was a fantastic weekend. They streamlined a lot from the first year, and I love that they included the Green Couch stage, even though I didn't get a chance to see as much as I would have liked on it. And while I liked the headliners better last year, I think they had a stronger all-around lineup this year. One thing I did like better about last year that it was on the long weekend, giving people more time to decompress after, but aside from that, I would say the second year of Live at Squamish was a triumph, and I already can't wait to see what is in store for next year.

Live at Squamish: Day One -- 08/20/11

Yeah, I guess the view is pretty good. (Haines & Shaw)

What a weekend. For a second year, Squamish was filled with music and love for the Live at Squamish music festival. Last year was incredible, and it would be hard to top, but the weather held and the gorgeous backdrop of the mountains made it a perfect setting for a festival.

The weekend started for me with a surprise Hey Ocean! set at the Green Couch Sessions stage. They played a few songs that would not be in their set on the main stage later, including a cover of "Be My Baby". After them was Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party, who are always a lot of fun. They ended their quick set with their eponymous song that had singer/guitarist Michael Shindler out in the crowd and playing on a picnic table.
I wish I had caught more of the Green Couch stage, as they brought up some other great local acts, like Redbird, Portage & Main, Rococode and The Matinee, but there was just too much going on. It was a great addition to the festival, though, and I hope they can do it again next year.

Hey Ocean! makes me want to make a new dance up.

From there it was to the Girabaldi Stage, the second stage, for a little acoustic Metric with Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw. I am not sure the reasoning behind the last minute lineup shuffle -- Metric was supposed to headline the first night, but got moved to Sunday and the acoustic set added -- but more Metric is always welcome. They played a few Metric songs, but also threw in some covers; The Strokes, Buffalo Springfield, Shaw taking over vocals on a Neil Young's "Sugar Mountain". The set was good, but I think their acoustic show works better in a smaller, intimate setting as opposed to a big outdoor stage.

At the main stage, the Stawamus Stage, was Hey Ocean!, who always put on a fun show that is insanely upbeat and filled with catchy. Plus, Ashleigh Ball is just adorable. The set included old favourites like "Fish", which had bubbles being blown into the crowd and the set-ending "Song About California" as well as some new ones, like "Make A New Dance Up", which is one of the catchiest songs I had heard all weekend. With a great energy, you could tell each and every member of the band loved being up there and getting to play for everyone.

Stars Take Squamish to the Riot.

Following them was Stars, which was my favourite set of the day. Hitting the stage with their usual incredible energy and musicianship, they played a good mix of old and new, with highlights being "We Don't Want Your Body", the anthemic "Take Me To The Riot", and "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead", which Torquil prefaced by saying asking us to "take a minute to think of the ones we hate most" -- but was also sure to point out the breathtaking scenery and setting sun, too. They closed out the set with their hit "Elevator Love Letter" to a captivated crowd, and even though I have seen them live, multiple times and I am never disappointed and will never tire of seeing them play.

It was back to the Giribaldi stage where the plan was to catch the tail end of Shad, who was scheduled to start shortly after Stars. But the stage had been running late all day, so I got there at the second song -- which was "Rose Garden" with Ashleigh Ball from Hey Ocean! helping out on vocals. To be honest, I have never been that huge fan of Shad's music, but I absolutely respect what he does, and he puts on a hell of a live show. "Ya, I Get It" and "The Old Prince Still Lives at Home" were a couple of the highlights, the latter finished with him rapping just to everyone clapping out a beat.

I caught some of John Butler Trio next, listening from the media tent. What I heard sounded great, with amazing guitar playing skills throughout the set, and while I hadn't really heard too much of their music before the weekend, I was going to have to change that.

Explosive dancing and confetti for Girl Talk

And finally, closing out the night on the Stawamus Stage was Girl Talk, who threw one hell of a dance party. I am not sure if he was mixing live or just hit "play" on his laptop, but the entire field was turned into a huge dancing throng -- even those that don't normally dance (read: me). With a stage full of dancers (not professional dancers mind you, but people pulled up from the crowd), balloons, confetti and streaming toilet paper, and music ranging from Lady Gaga to Radiohead, he wrapped up the first night with a bang.
I am not normally a fan of dance music, but his mashups were tight and I liked that he used an eclectic selection of songs. Where else would you be able to hear Nirvana, Modest Mouse and Modern English mashed up with Kylie Minogue, Tag Team and Blackstreet?

Stay tuned (or, the interwebs equivalent of "tuned") for day two of the festival, which was stacked with the mysterious Panda Watch, more Metric and the face melting epicness of Black Mountain, among others.

Rococode w/ Elias & The Belle Game @ Electric Owl -- 08/18/11

Was it ever a busy night in Vancouver. With no less than five events worth going to, it was a tough decision. But based on a complex series of deciding factors, I came to the conclusion that the Electric Owl was the place to be.

First up was current Peak Performance Project contender The Belle Game. I've seen them a couple times in the last month, and they've really impressed me. Packing the stage with half a dozen members -- including The Ruffled Feathers's'es' Andrew Lee -- they have a grand and layered sound with a great intensity; an intensity that was taken out on the floor tom that took a beating. The set seemed a bit short, but included a new song and their current Peak single, "Sleep To Grow", leaving me wanting more; which may be rectified this coming weekend at Live @ Squamish.

Next up was Elias, who were having a bit of a homecoming, since they hadn't played a Vancouver show in quite some time. They were joined by Juno Winning Bass Player Peter Carruthers, and had a great intensity and stage presence that you would expect from a band that has been working as hard as they have for as many years. The set included a fair amount of new stuff -- songs that were played for the first time (and possibly last, they joked) -- and a few I really dug, including one with just Brian Healy and Peter on keys, and another near the end that featured more of guitarist Rob Tornroos on vocals.
Despite the fact that, at times, they are a bit "Fox-Rock" for my taste, they put on a darn good live show, and I just hope they don't wait a year before seeing them play live again.

Rounding out the night was another member of this round of the aforementioned PPP, Rococode -- who are one of my favourite new bands this year. With vocals split between long time collaborators Laura Smith, on keys, and Andrew Braun, guitar, and joined by Johnny Andrews and Shaun Huberts -- drums and bass, respectively -- they may be a new band, but the experience they all have with previous projects gives them an awesomely tight sound and insanely energetic show.
Early on in the set was the fantastically infectious "Empire", and they didn't let the energy down, with "Weapon" and the cacophonous "Blood" being other highlights. They ended the set with a song I didn't catch the name of, but had Andrew taking over the keys from Laura, bringing the set to an explosive climax.

All in all, it was a night of great fun and an excellent showcase of local talent.

Ali Milner @ Backstage Lounge -- 08/13/11

After an early show with the Ruffled Feathers at the Biltmore, I zipped over to Backstage Lounge on Granville Island to see Ali Milner. I had first seen her play a couple songs at the Valentine's Day shindig earlier this year, but hadn't had a chance to see her play a full show since then.

As I arrived, Mark Hildreth was just finishing off his set (I was certain I recognized him, and it turns out he is Joshua in V). He did an okay cover of Cohen's “Hallelujah” at the keyboard, which was his “last” song, but was back for a couple song encore, with a very jazz/pop/soul style over some backtracks from his laptop.

Finally to wrap up the night was Ali Milner, joined by a full band, with a jazz-influenced sound driven by her incredibly smooth and soulful voice. As well, she had a great presence and confidence on stage, with charming banter between songs, and I wouldn't be too surprised if a few people left the room smitten by her.
Highlights of the set were “I Can't Wait Forever” and a sexy cover of Nirvana's "Lithium" -- I always love to see bands play cover songs, to see how they interpret them, and this was a really cool rendition -- as well as the last song, which I didn't catch the name of. With its grooving bass line, it got everyone up and dancing and it was the most energetic song of the set.
But that wasn't quite all, as she was called back out for one more, another cover, this time "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"

A really good set, and an excellent way to wrap up the night of music (though my two shows paled in comparison to someone's four), I am definitely looking forward to seeing Milner again, and hopefully soon.

Ruffled Feathers @ Biltmore -- 08/13/11

It was a bit of a busy night in music, and so I ended up catching a couple of shows. First was off to the Biltmore for an early one, and then late starter at Backstage Lounge.

I got there a little late, so only caught the tail end of Mercy Years. It was their first show, and they had a pretty catchy indie-pop-rock thing going, with boy/girl vocals. Nothing groundbreaking -- the whole time they reminded me of someone, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it -- but still pretty fun. Their last song was definitely the best of what I heard, ending with big group vocals. It was their first show, and they sounded pretty good for it, so I wouldn't mind seeing them again.

Next up was Rags to Radio, who had a bit more of a garage sound. They had a good energy, but a lot of the songs sounded pretty much the same – especially at the beginning of the set; even their cover of "Money (That's What I Want)" sounded pretty similar. They also had more than their fair share of "whoa-oh's" in lieu of actual lyrics, which was a little distracting.
But that being said, with things like a cowbell-conga-line going through the crowd you could tell they were having fun, and I really liked the last song -- which had more of a brass and drums, big band/swing style -- so that showed me they had potential, but they definitely need work, musically.

Closing out the night at the Biltmore was The Ruffled Feathers, who just keep getting better each time I see them. Fresh back from Oregon where they recorded their new album, they were as tight as ever with their incredibly infection chamber pop and each member (be they in a shirt and tie, fancy dress or tank top) overflowing with enthusiasm and joy, and that definitely seeped into the crowd.
Kicking off the set with "Blueprints for a Failed Revolution", the bulk of the set had Gina Loews on guitar (or ukulele) & main vocals, backed by trupeteer Andrew Lee & Charley Wu, on keys and mandolin. But the two of them also had their turn on vocals, and Gina swapped with bassist Matty Jeronimo for the last song, highlighting the band's diversity.
They showed off their new songs -- my favourite of which was one that may or may not be named "Trick of the Light" -- as well as covering Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros' "Home", after their own "Home", complete with their own modified dialogue in the middle between Gina and Charley.

It was a really fun show, and I can't wait until the new album is out -- and speaking of which, in case you missed my post about it, the band has a Kickstarter Project going to raise the money to get their album professionally mixed. They're a little over half way to their goal, but they only get the money if they reach that goal, so if you have an extra few bucks, why not help out?

But it was only 11 when they ended and the night was not done yet, as it was off to the Backstage Lounge next... (post coming later this evening)