The Matinée @ Commodore -- 04/04/12

With festival season fast approaching, we're starting to get a glimpse of what is going on and who will be where. The other day Live at Squamish had a big party at the Commodore with The Matinée and Current Swell to unveil who will be joining them on August 24th through 26th up at the Logger Sports Grounds and Hendrickson Fields.

The Matinée was up first, drawing everyone into in immediately by getting the growing crowd to stop and clap along to "L'Absinthe", building up an energy that would just build throughout the set. As well as older favourites like the interminably catchy "Let Her Go" and the great sing along "Sweetwater", they teased a new album with some new songs, including my favourite "ScooterFruit" (thankfully a working title) that explodes into massive ending, with the band rocking out and some great shredding from Matt Rose & intense drums from Pete Lemon. The other stand-out new track was called "Young and Lazy", that instantly grabs you, with a classic roots-rock feel that will no doubt be a huge song for them. I'm calling it now: if it's released as a single in time, it'll be the song of the summer.
They ended off, as they do, with "The Road", including the great breakdown which had every member pounding away on the drums, and the entire room stomping along. As usual, it was a great, high energy show from the band, and I already can't wait to see them on the big stage in Squamish.

Unfortunately, I had to skip out on Current Swell, and the lineup unveiling, due to another show (seriously, it seemed like everything was happening Wednesday night), but the lineup looks like it is coming along nicely; Tragically Hip and City and Colour are the big headliners, which I think is a good pair (even if I'm not that big a fan of City & Colour) and it's got a pretty solid lineup all around. Some bands I am definitely looking forward to include Plants & Animals, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Kathleen Edwards, Mother Mother, and local favourites like Rococode, Maurice, Wake! Owl and The Matinée. They've also got The Sheepdogs, Lights, Chromeo, The Airbourne Toxic Event, and more rounding out the lineup, promising that there will be at least one or two bands for everyone.
It's a pretty good lineup overall, but I think they need at least one more bigger "name" as a draw. But don't get me wrong, I will definitely be heading up there for the weekend, as the last two years up there have been an absolute blast.

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.

Live at Squamish. Day two, part two. -- 09/05/10

Down to the final entry. I will take this moment to give my eternal thanks to everyone who made this possible. From the festival organizers, to the bands, to my friends (and my friends in bands), and the new friends I met there. The lineup was as good as any two-day festival can be, the setting was gorgeous, the festival itself was incredibly well run and everything was organized. My only complaint was that while the grass at the main stage was incredibly nice and comfortable to sit on, the field at the second stage was very much less so. And when that minor annoyance is my only complaint, I think that the whole place did a damn good job. But the day was not over. Let's take a look at the rest of the acts!

I had only seen Tokyo Police Club live once before at a show that, frankly, I was attending more to see the opening band. At the show they raced through their entire set in about 45 minutes and were done. That being said, they were still enjoyable. That show was three years ago, so I was interested to see how they had progressed. As they hit the stage, it was obvious that they still had the same levels of enthusiasm -- especially keyboardist Graham Wright, who reminds me of a hummingbird -- but learned to pace themselves a bit more.
But they sounded even tighter and more energetic, which made the set really fun, and everything sounded great. People were clapping and singing along when appropriate and dancing up a storm, especially when they got to the hits. The set made me appreciate them that much more, and I will have to be sure to catch the show next month (especially since Arkells will be there, too)


And then, the dudebros were out in force for Bad Religion. I can't really say I'm much of a fan of the band, but it was obvious that they had been around for 30 years. In a good way. They knew exactly how to put on a show, with good energy, stage presence and banter. And they made it seem pretty effortless, from where I was standing. A few of their songs sounded kinda... same-y, but less like they were all the same song, and more like they've just found their groove and have stuck with it. That, and the lead singer has a pretty distinctive voice.
It was nice to see they we're not super serious about things, as well, as some bands of their ilk seem to be. When they first came out, the bassist was wearing the head of the festival's mascot, Square the bear, and played the first few songs with it on before proclaiming it was too darned hot.


And finally, to close out the whole shebang, there was The Decemberists. They were one of the best last year I saw last year, and while I was sure they were not going to do the whole Hazards of Love, a part of me was still hoping. Well, those hopes were dashed, but they still put on an incredible show. They played songs from all over their career, including "O Valencia", with a little bit of "Dracula's Daughter" slipped in (he didn't explain it, but fans know Colin Meloy considers Dracula's Daughter the worst song he's ever written, and he usually prefaces it as such) and the multi-part "The Crane Wife". After the call and answer "la-di-da-di-da" of "16 Military Wives", he spoke the line of the festival, saying "now that we're friends and have developed a rapport... here's a song about infanticide" and launched in to the brilliant "The Rake Song". From there, he ended the set with mostly tracks from The Hazards of Love. They also played a few new songs, teasing us with news that a new album is in the works. (To get a taste, see the embedded video. You can't see much, but you can hear it just fine). The new songs were very much Decemberists, and I can't wait to hear the rest.
Even though the crowd had thinned out a little by the time they were done, it was still a fantasmic way to end the festival, as they put on quite possibly my favourite set of the weekend.

I gushed about the festival enough above, so all I am going to say is... I can't wait to be back next year.
(that, and check out my picture set on the flickr!)

Live at Squamish. Day two, part one. -- 09/05/10

After a first day that would be hard to top, I was looking forward to see where the second day would take me. And not to mention the night, where Leigh, acting Vancouver is Awesome Indie Music editor for this month, got us invited over to The Peak's Tamara Stanners' house, where there was a bonfire (something our campsite was sorely lacking), where we shared s'mores with members of We Are The City, Said The Whale, The Dudes, The Zolas, Adaline, other Peak people and more. I can't even begin to describe how much fun was had there. But enough shameless name-dropping.
While the first day had some stage-hopping, the second would be spent plunked down at the main stage for the day -- there were a couple I was interested in on the second stage, but they conflicted with acts I wanted to see more. Delayed slightly by a trip to Grilled Fromage, a Squamish restaurant that makes only grilled cheese sandwiches (seriously, it is way, way better than you'd think) we arrived at the overcast site just in time to catch...

You Say Party. It isn't their first live show since the passing of their drummer Devon Clifford, but I think many will mark this as their triumphant return. Honestly, I've never been that big of a fan of the band, but that's more just because they're just not for me; I don't dislike them and they certainly do what they do very well. There was a decent sized crowd amasses for being so early in the day -- crowd that lead singer Becky Ninkovic was noticeably moved by, thanking them for their support with a slight quiver in her voice. Aside from the old material, they played a trio of new songs, which showed that they won't be slowing down anytime soon.

Next up was South African band Civil Twilight. I've heard the band likened to folks like Radiohead and Muse, and I can see both similarities, but at the same time they have enough of their own sound to not seem derivative. It was also pretty incredible how intense a sound they made with just three members.
There are a few things in music that I have a soft spot for, and playing guitar with a bow is one of them (I blame Jónsi), so when they came out and used that in the first song, then at least once more, they definitely had my attention.
They also did a couple of covers, including "Teardrop" by Massive Attack and, what I thought may have won Cover of the Weekend, "The Immigrant Song". They put their own spin on it, without butchering it, and the lead singer was actually able to match Robert Plant's wail. A few of their songs were a little... similar, but I think I may have to check out more from them.

After them was yet another Vancouver band, Mother Mother. They are one of those bands that I always forget how much I like them until they pop up again, so it's always nice to be reminded of how great they are. Aside from the songs off O My Heart, including "Hayloft" which I still think is one of the catchiest songs, they also played a few new songs, "Simply Simple", "My Baby Doesn't Dance", and "The Stand", the latter of which was my favourite of the three. Rumour has it they're sitting on a new record, which will be out early next year, so there is that to look forward to! With their gorgeous harmonies and tight musicianship, I have no doubt that their power-pop goodness won over anyone in the crowd that may not have already known them.

Yet again, since there was so much to see and do, I have decided to split the weekend into four parts. Coming up: Day two, part two: Tokyo Police Club, Bad Religion and The Decemberists. And I have posted the weekends pics on my flickr, check them out!