Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Austra

Austra
Guests: Doldrums
Venue
September 12th, 2012

Austra had been a band that I had to slowly grow with. I remember listening to Katie Stelmanis and putting her music aside. I go back now and then and hear a developing artist. Austra's unique blend of electronic, synth, and opera are what drives and separates them from other bands.

Once Austra came on stage they were met with technical difficulties, but that aside they opened strongly with "The Choke." Katie's operatic inspired vocals blended and contrasted perfectly live. Their sound was large and memorable. With only one album out they played crowd favourites and unreleased gems.
"Lose It," "Spellwork" and "Beat and the Pulse" were met with the loudest cheers.

Their large sound mesmerized the audience and we swayed along. Sari and Romy who stood on either side of Katie stole my attention for most of the show. Their dancing was hypnotizing.

"Painful Like'

St. Vincent & David Byrne @ The Centre

Who: St. Vincent & David Byrne
Where: The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
When: October 20th, 2012

St. Vincent is a gloriously talented multi-instrumentalist singer songwriter. Now that's a mouthful to say. But how else would you describe St. Vincent? Alongside David Byrne (best known for being part of Talking Heads) they created eclectic and unique sounding music. A mix of genres ranging from jazz to rock to blues to soul.

They entered the stage at 7:30pm sharp and began an engaging show that would last close to 3 hours.
St. Vincent danced awkwardly whilst playing her electric guitar and David Byrne commanded the stage with his legendary presence.
They were accompanied by a horn section that added a soul and volume. The choreography that occurred on stage was entertaining and engaging.
The audience was a mix of old time listeners of Talking Heads and David Byrne and St. Vincent fans. This collaboration between the two distinctly unique artists created a blend of genres and sound.
It was electric.

For other reviews of this show click here and here

"Like Humans Do"

Scissor Sisters / Rye Rye - Commodore

Scissor Sisters
Guest: Rye Rye
Commodore Ballroom
June 20th, 2012

Some shows exude a kind of excitement that is palpable. You can almost grab at it and contain it in a glitter-filled bottle. My friend Dan and I were beyond excited for this show. We made our way to front of stage with some clever maneuvering and held our ground.
The last time we saw the Scissor Sisters was at Malkin Bowl in the pouring rain. Grrl it was pouring down and it wouldn't let up. That was a memorable show because we were in the presence of Queens. The Scissor Sister should be teaching glam lessons -- they are that fierce. They have managed to create a language that isn't degrading  but celebratory. That in itself is worth the mention.

Rye Rye opened up the show and brought two incredibly handsome dancers with her. Her infectious dance tunes were contagious and had the entire audience dancing up a storm. I loved her unique aesthetic and her style. The back-up dancers though could hold their own. Rye Rye is the perfect opener for Scissor Sisters. Loved it.

Once Scissor Sisters hit the stage sounds from all around us erupted. I remember being really excited. It's just a visual dream being in front of such personalities. Jake Shears, Ana Matronic, Del Marquis and Babydaddy together create a symbol of freedom and fun. Favourite moments include "Let's Have a Kiki" --- that song became my dance jam for a while afterwards.
What is a Kiki you ask? Well... a kiki 'is a party for calming all your nerves"
It was so. Much. Fun. 

i want to learn this dance. Notice how adorable Del Marquis is with his tambourine.

Let's Have A Kiki - Scissor Sisters


XX

The XX
Guests: John Talabot
Vogue Theatre
October 5th, 2012

I last saw The XX at Zulu records several years ago.
Their fame from then on grew quickly and they began to sell out shows.

The band, despite their assumed small sound had a great and memorable stage presence.
I remember them as timid and shy. They showed none of these attributes at the live show at the Vogue Theatre.
I loved their aesthetic. Romy, Oliver and Jaime were all clad in black and in stark contrast to their white stage design. Jaime's percussive collection grew three sizes since and their sound has evolved.
With their newest album 'Coexist' they managed to keep their signature lull and mysterious sounds.
They opened with Angels and throughout the set the audience met them with enthusiasm.

Oliver swayed and swooned the audience with his deep vocals and this bass lines.
Romy stares intensely out into the audience as if she is searching for something or someone.
Jaime is focused and with his head down he beats out the heart of the band. With his drums and his kicks. 
Romy, Oliver and Jaime together create a cohesive and engaging sound that invites the listeners into their hearts and their souls.

They put on an inspiring show.

XX - Live at KEXP

GOSSIP. Knows Best.

Gossip
Guests: Magic Mouth, Bonnie Montgomery
The Showbox Theatre
Seattle
October 9th, 2012

This is long overdue, apologies.

My friend Dan and I drove down from Vancouver to see GOSSIP.
I was obsessed with "Standing in the Way of Control" in High School and would dance to "Listen Up" in my room alone. I remember watching their video for that song and wanting to join in on the dance party.

We arrived at The Showbox while the opener was playing. Beth Montgomery a unique folk-blues band accompanied by Nathan Howdeshell on guitar. That was particularly exciting for me. I had placed Hannah Blilie, Nathan Howdeshell and Beth Ditto on gloriously unreachable platforms and regarded them as leaders in developing my sense of interests. I looked to Gossip to solve by teen angst and guide my liberal beliefs. Beth joined the band to sing a song and my inner high school love of Gossip exploded. I wanted to reach them with my love as much as they have reached me with their music.
The second opener was Magic Mouth and they were phenomenal. They are a funk-driven blues-inspired band with a fierce combination of uniqueness, nerve and talent. I danced my socks off to them.

I had noticed almost immediately that the crowd was strange. It was an all ages show and I wasn't used to being around so many young people at a show.
While the opener was playing we went and got drinks. Out of the corner of my eye at the bar, I saw Hannah Blilie with her girlfriend enjoying the show. It was a really exciting moment for me to see someone I had obsessively admired just a few feet from me. It was memorable and really set up the night to be a great one.

Once Gossip entered the stage the audience erupted with cheers
I loved the show with all of my nostalgia.
Beth's bluesy and strong voice, Hannah's persistent and driven drum kicks, Nathan's signature guitar solos and Nick's blues driven bass lines all filled the room with an enormous sound.
Beth was animated and hilariously interactive. Nathan was shy and focused on his playing. I had my eyes glued on Hannah most of the time because I had developed a slight fascination with the handsome drummer.

Men in Love drove the audience wild. I sang along to every word and rejoiced in the celebration of love. Yr Mangled Heart is a classic favourite and sent the audience into disarray. We were a fury of excited happy energy and pettiness apparently. Just arms reach away from me two audience members were in an argument after one of them tried to push past the other. Some people do not understand concert etiquette. The way you maneuver yourself from the back of the audience to the front of stage is a strategic art form. You do it as you dance. This argument turned into a physical fight that involved hair pulling, nail clawing and saliva spitting. The end result was a massive sway in energy and furious pushing.

That aside, the two girls who stood beside me did just that for the entire concert. They stood. They didn't dance, neither did they seem very happy nor excited that Gossip were just a few feet from them. I didn't like this type of energy at all. It drained me and effected how I wanted to dance to Gossip. Regardless of others peoples questionable concert etiquette I danced to my whole-hearts content.

They played Standing in the Way of Control, Heavy Cross and a Tina Turner Cover "What's Love Got To Do With It" = Memorable.

I loved this show and will always think back to this trip to Seattle with my best friend.

I wish though that the sound was louder, that the audience was wilder and that Gossip would emit the same punk angst energy that they did on their earlier records.

Nonetheless, I was not disappointed. This show will be one the memorable ones of 2012.