Chad VanGaalen @ The Rio Theatre -- 10/15/11

Two years, to the day. That was the last time I had seen Chad VanGaalen live; which is, of course, far too long. He was even playing at the same venue as last time, the Rio Theatre, which this time had sold out. And even though there were many other, out-of-town shenanigans this weekend, I wasn't going to miss this.

Vancouver's Flash Palace was opening the night, with an instrumental set of melodic, ambient, post-rock. The layered songs all kind of flowed together, and they had an intriguing sound, but it was also a little... droning. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mind-set for it, but the band didn't have much stage presence, ether.
That being said, I was pretty interested in checking them out further, and at the end they mentioned they were recording a new album, with vocals, so I'll definitely be keep an ear out to see how that turns out.

And after a fairly quick turnaround, Chad VanGaalen hit the stage, adorned in an incandescent tie-dye shirt. There was a bit of a strange delay at the start, where the lights were down and house music off, but he was still setting equipment up; but he soon apologized and launched into the set, with his band soon joining him. He also apologized, early on, for his last few shows in Vancouver have which he thought have been strange and... less than good, promising to make up for them. His self-deprecation continued later on as he wondered why, exactly, we were all there (him and the band included), but later made sure we knew that he was grateful that everyone was there. As usual, his banter, and stage presence in general, had an incredibly awkward charm with some hilarious moments -- such as when they came back out for the encore Chad and his bass player riffed on possible replacements and attachments for a hook-hand.

Musically, the show was top-notch; probably the best of the three times I've seen him. The set focused on his new album, Diaper Island, with a few older songs, and a few I didn't recognize --  though given the sheer amount of b-sides he has, enough to release eleven albums (on cassette) in the near future, I wouldn't be surprised if they were new. Highlights included the gorgeous "Sara", after which he played a very "VanGaalen-ized" rendition of Happy Birthday in honour of his friend's birthday, and "Molten Light", which got a good amount of [well-deserved] recognition applause. He also showed off his incredible range, with the haunting beauty of "City of Electric Lights" to the bloodcurdling screams of "Freedom for a Policeman".
His shows in the past have always been interesting, unique and a bit eccentric, but always incredible, and this one was no different. There was some obvious improvisation in the set near the end, as they were clearly straying from the setlist, and after a short solo song, "Burning Candle", to "end" it, the band came back for the encore with another new song, and then went into a really weird and hilariously awesome cover of "Summer of '69". It looked like they were about to go into another song after that, but Chad spontaneously proclaimed that to be the perfect ending for the night.
And you know what? It kind of was.

(partial) setlist
Never Cut My Hair, Shave My Pussy, Do Not Fear, Peace On The Rise, Heavy Stones, Sara, (Happy Birthday), City of Electric Light, [mystery song], [mystery song], Replace Me, Burning Photographs, I'm A Witness, [mystery song], Freedom For A Policeman, Molten Light, Rabid Bits of Time, Burning Candle.
(encore) [New Song], Summer of '69

Wachu 7 w/ Dominique Fricot & Sidney York @ Electric Owl -- 10/14/11

A while back at New Years Eve's One Night Stand, a tall gentleman by the name of Dominique Fricot won my over with his voice and presence, and since then I had been meaning to see one of his shows, but there were always conflicts. Then along came the seventh show in the Wachu concert series, with not only Fricot on the bill, but also one of my favourite new artists, Sidney York -- who I've only seen once, at a venue with sub-par sound. So how could I resist?

First up, though, was David Ward, a co-organiser of the Wachu series who plays all the shows. He and his band were incredibly tight, with a good stage presence and a pretty eclectic mix of songs, but never being too directionless. The set including a pretty cool cover of "Helter Skelter" and a funked-up number called "Pace", which got a few people singing, and at one point he was joined by Fricot & the lovely ladies of Sidney York for a song. They ended with a gospel-inspired song, which filled the till-then empty dance floor with people clapping along.
It was a fun set, and while I may not be clamouring to see them live again, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next Wachu show, especially if it has this good a bill.

Next up was Sidney York, with six-piece band that including an oboe (Sheryl Reindhardt), bassoon (Krista Wodelet), a couple beekeepers, Devon and Luke, and Brandi Sidoryk going from guitar to keys to ukulele and even french horn. Starting with the kind of dark "Math and Fractions", the set exploded with "Cold In Here" and "Roll With Me", both showcasing Brandi's amazing presence on stage, as she was just bubbling over with energy the whole set.

After the building intensity of the title track to, Apocalyptic Radio Cynic, the guys on stage taking a break for "Go Home, Atticus Jones" with Sheryl & Krista staying out for the haunting song. The crazy infectious "Dick & Jane" not only got everyone clapping along, but also whistling (or attempting to), and after the steamy "Doctor, Doctor" they wrapped the set up with one of my favourites, "Mile High Love", with Fricot and Ward up to help with backup vocals. 

The sound was definitely better than last time, but the Electric Owl is still new and learning (hopefully) so there were a few moments of feedback, but other than that it was a great set, and I already can't wait to see her again (which will come soon enough)

And finally, rounding out the night was Dominique Fricot, who was joined by Caleb from Parlour Steps and Rococode's Johnny Andrews & Shaun Huberts as his band. Starting with a pretty rocking and catchy song, his sound and voice initially gave me a bit of a 90s vibe (but not in a stale way), and both grew in depth as the set went on. Fricot had a really good presence, and even though there were a couple lulls between songs, it was never really enough to kill momentum.
Part way through the set, former Painted Birds bandmate Shawn Berke joined them on keys for one song, which I didn't catch the name of, but was a really intense, building song and probably my favourite of the set. The band took a break for a newer song, from his upcoming album, "Haven't Seen Me Dance" before coming back for a really heartwrenching song (which, again I missed the name of) and then the stage filling with David Ward and everyone from Sidney York joining in for the last song -- with some fantastic backup vocals from Brandi -- for a great end to the night.
Hopefully it won't be another nine and a half months before I am able to see Fricot live again.

Sigur Rós: Inni

Despite the fact that I go to many, many live shows, I have never been all that into live recordings; either audio or video. Unless I was there, at the show being recorded, it just seems... disconnect.
That being said, regular readers (all 13 of you) know that Sigur Rós is one of my favourite bands, and their live show is one of the best I have ever seen, so when given the opportunity to see their new concert film, Inni at the Vancouver International Film Festival, there was no power in the 'verse that could stop me.

The film was recorded at London's Alexandra Palace in 2008 and while interspersed with some clips -- them on tour, old interviews and a show that looks like them in a very small venue -- it focuses mostly on the show. Clocking in at a little over an hour, the film is magnificently shot, directed by Vincent Morisset (who also did Arcade Fire's Miroir Noir) and does a great job of capturing the beauty and grandeur of the band live.

The song selection is a cross section of their work, going back to Ágætis Byrjun with "Ný batterí" and "Svefn-G-Englar" to "Sæglópur" from Takk... and "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" from Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust all being incredible recordings, each being so perfect that it's hard to believe they were all from the same show. The film came to an end as Sigur Rós shows often did with "Popplagið" -- "Untitled #8" from ( ) -- which climaxed with a breathtaking... no, you know what? You'll have to watch it for yourself.

If you are already a fan, it is pretty much required viewing and if you are not, you will be after seeing Inni.
The DVD, CD, vinyl, blu-ray and a super-fancy special edition are all available now for preorder, and below is a little taste of what you'll get.


Sigur Rós: Festival (Live) from Sigur Rós on Vimeo.

Peak Performance Project Showcase #5 @ Red Room -- 10/06/11

The Peak Performance Project is a multi-year contest in which The Peak, along with Music BC, picks 20 BC musicians/bands a year and makes them stars. The first year was won by We Are The City, and last year, Kyprios, with a ton of great bands and artists included as well.

Part one of the project was a rock & roll boot camp where they went on a week long retreat where industry pros helped them refine their craft. Phase two is a series of shows at The Red Room, four artists a night for five weeks, each playing a 45 minute set. In the last two years, the bands would all have to learn and play a cover of a classic Canadian song, but this year they will all be playing the songs they wrote about Vancouver for the Vancouver125 celebrations. Honestly, I am a bit disappointed about that, because one of my favourite aspects of the showcase series last year was seeing which song they picked and how they interpreted it. But I am sure their Vancouver songs will be great.

And here we have it. The last showcase. Starting off the night was Lindsay Bryan, whose band included drummer extraordinaire Jason Cook. She is a talented singer/songwriter, and I enjoyed her set at the time -- she had a good energy and some some well written songs, especially her Vancouver song, but there wasn't much that really stuck with me. I think I would be interested in seeing her live again at some point, especially on a night where she wouldn't be overshadowed by the following acts.

Second up was Maurice, who I had actually seen a few years ago (back when Aidan Knight was still playing bass) but completely forgot about until recently, so I was going in more or less fresh. With one of the most finely crafted set of the showcase series, JP Maurice had a great stage presence and energy, with a few tricks up his sleeve, throwing streamers out into the crowd at random times. The set started a little low key, but built up in energy towards the end, with one of the highlights being "Mistake" and a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams", which sounded kind of strange coming from a male singer, but he nailed it regardless.
Throughout the set there was a cavalcade of guest stars of other PPP artists, with members of The Boom Booms, Jasper Sloan Yip, The Belle Game, Redgy Blackout and The Matinee all coming out to help in some form or another, in a nice show of the camaraderie that has formed from the competition.

Up next was another repeat offender, 41st and Home, in their second year taking part in the Project. While I liked them last year, I honestly don't think I would have put them in my top five, but they have really taken off since then. They started with the band members slowly taking the stage and Summoning Thom, as he came from the back of the crowd, through the room with actual flags waving behind him, rallying everyone to start clapping along as they launched in to "Modern Medicine".
I've seen them a few times in the last year, but I can safely say this was the best and most impressive set I've seen from them; with awesome intensity the set was incredibly dynamic, with each member firing on all cylinders; especially Thom, on guitar and vocals, and Sejal, violin and vocals, who were really playing to the crowd. A crowd that was completely eating them up, with possibly the loudest cheering I've heard in the showcase this year after "Eva". Near the end of the set, Thom once again jumped into the crowd to get everyone clapping, and then back up to finish the set off with "Gorbachev" for an explosive climax.
It was pretty amazing to see how far they've come in the last year, and their set was definitely one of my favourites from this year.

And finaly, wrapping up the whole project was Rococode. They were a favourite of mine going in to the project, and aside from a few audio glitches -- a couple instances of feedback -- they put on as great set as you would expect from them. With their tight, insanely catchy pop rock, sounding more polished than ever.
They opened strong with a couple of songs which never fails to get stuck in my head -- "Dreams" and "Empire" -- and seemed a bit more open to the crowd than previous shows, too, with Andrew chatting a bit more and actively getting the crowd to sing along. Part way through the set they brought out some strings as they toned things down for a moment for a haunting song featuring more of Laura on vocals, before they ended with a bang with "Blood", once again getting the crowd to sing along, and bringing the showcase series to a fantastic end.

And with that, the showcase series is over. The next step now is voting for the artists, which has already begun; you can only vote once, though, so choose wisely! The polls are open until 5pm next Friday, October 14th, and a portion of each artist's total mark comes from online voting.
The top five will be revealed at on October 26th on The Peak, with the unranked top three taking part in the grand finale show at the Commodore Ballroom November 17. And that night, someone will walk atay $100,500 richer.

And just in closing, a huge thanks to everyone at The Peak and MusicBC for making this happen.

Peak Performance Project Showcase #4 @ Red Room -- 09/29/11

The Peak Performance Project is a multi-year contest in which The Peak, along with Music BC, picks 20 BC musicians/bands a year and makes them stars. The first year was won by We Are The City, and last year, Kyprios, with a ton of great bands and artists included as well.

Part one of the project was a rock & roll boot camp where they went on a week long retreat where industry pros helped them refine their craft. Phase two is a series of shows at The Red Room, four artists a night for five weeks, each playing a 45 minute set. In the last two years, the bands would all have to learn and play a cover of a classic Canadian song, but this year they will all be playing the songs they wrote about Vancouver for the Vancouver125 celebrations. Honestly, I am a bit disappointed about that, because one of my favourite aspects of the showcase series last year was seeing which song they picked and how they interpreted it. But I am sure their Vancouver songs will be great.

The fourth showcase was my most anticipated, featuring two bands I had seen before and enjoy live, and two that I had not seen live before, but was most looking forward to seeing.
(Also, the night featured five different musicians named Matt.)

The Matinee kicked off the night, and boy did they ever kick it off with a bang. I had heard nothing but good things about their live show and they more than delivered. Starting with a slower tune, they quickly burst forth with a driving, folky roots-rock sound.
Lead singer Matt Layzell has an amazing charisma on stage and Matt Rose is a phenomenal guitar player, to say nothing about the rest of the band. They had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hand, clapping along with "Sweetwater" and singing along at various points. There was also a fantastic moment in the middle of "The Road" where they brought out a couple extra drums for a breakdown, with each member bashing away. The whole set came to an explosive ending, which saw Rose smashing an acoustic guitar.
The set was pretty amazing, and I think it would be fair to say it was my favourite showcase of the project thus far.

Up next was Redgy Blackout, the other band I was really looking forward to. And they, too, definitely lived up to my expectations. They put on a really fun and energetic rock show, and as well as their own songs, they broke out a great cover of Arcade Fire's "Wake Up", which I loved (see above mini-rant about covers). Another highlight was Scott cracking out the trumpet (and top hat) for a jazz-infused "Who Am I", my favourite song of the set. 

They had a bit of a lull, though, and some lost momentum when they brought out a piano for their Vancouver 125 song and technical difficulties ensued, but they brought it back by the end of the song which featured a good number of the other PPP band members joining them for a song-along. They ended with the beautiful "Alexandria" and an energetic "Bottom of the Sea". 

Behind Sapphire was up next, hitting the stage with kind of a weird -- and long -- intro wearing Asian masks before launching into "Oh My, What A Fine Day". They passed out glow sticks, that they were wearing, and disposable cameras (I think) through the crowd. As usual, they had a great energy and looked like they were having the most fun on stage, but for whatever reason the sound for the set really wasn't the best. Grant's vocals were not coming through very clear and the whole thing just seemed really muddy, which really detracted from their set.
It was more a disappointment than anything, really; I have seen them before and know they can do a lot better.

Finally, it was Treelines closing out the night. They (high)kicked off their set with some straight up rock, and a pretty intense energy. Especially from frontman Matt Lockhart, but especially from his brother Steve, on bass, who is always belting out the lyrics, whether he is mic'd or not. They played a good mix of songs from their Young Man EP and newer ones, including "Courage" which featured a slow burn to a soaring chorus and "When I Get Grown" with Matt Kelly (now also from CBC's Cover Me Canada) on pedal steel and featuring Michelle Faehrmann on cello.
Their Vancouver song, creatively titled "The Vancouver Song", featured either the silliest or most brilliant lyrics, and was really a simple, straight forward, and descriptive, love letter to the city.
And they brought it to a close in fine fashion with "Ghost Towns", getting everyone at the front of the stage jumping and dancing along.

It was definitely the best all-around showcase thus far, though next week looks like it could be just as good. For the final week, we'll see Maurice, Lindsay Bryan, 41st & Home and Rococode wrapping everything up.