Northcote w/ The Cracking @ Biltmore -- 06/22/13

It's not easy touring across Canada at the best of times, but as Victoria's Northcote came to Vancouver, they were probably glad this particular tour was coming to an end. Not only did they have to contend with the Alberta floods, but they rolled their van into a ditch on the 401 in Ontario, totalling the vehicle and damaging some of their equipment. Luckily, the four band members were all right, and while they still had to cancel a few shows, fortunately their show at the Biltmore Cabaret was not one of them.

I missed the first band of the night, Library, getting there just before The Crackling took the stage.
Fronted by Kenton Loewen, the Vancouver band is sometimes touted as "Dan Mangan's band", since not only does he play drums for Dan, but guitar virtuoso Gord Grdina plays in both, as well as keyboardist Tyson Naylor.

They started off the set with "Ashen" from the new album Mary Madeline, and played a short set of whiskey-soaked folk songs, many of which start off soft before building to a powerful ending. Kenton's vocals range from gruff and powerful to soft and haunting -- sometimes in the same song -- and Grdina gets to cut loose more, showing off his amazing talent.

The songs are filled with intensity which was proven when, during the second song of the set, both Kenton and Gord broke strings on their respective guitars. The intensity was also apparent in the raw emotion in Kenton's voice during the last couple songs of the set; "Keep Me Drunk", which also had Kenton pull of the feat of getting most of the chatty crowd to sing along to the chorus, and the rare self-titled song, "The Crackling" which brought the set to a climactic ending. 

The set had more than its fair share of technical problems, but Kenton covered nicely, his dry humour and sometimes acerbic stage banter filled the gaps between songs. They may get called "Dan Mangan's band" for now, but I doubt they will be for long.

Not long after that, Northcote hit the stage, a folk singer/songwriter with a definite rock & roll vibe. They started off the set with the first few songs off the new self-titled album, "How Can You Turn Around" kicking things off with a bang. A lot of the songs had the same fist-pumping energy, with not too much variation to them, but frontman Matt Goud's captivating voice and Blake Enemark's guitar skills (throwing a few psychedelic endings into a couple songs) drove the high energy and fun show.
"Burn Right Past Them All" started softer and burst into an Jack & Diane-esque nostalgic anthem, and the frantic pace of "A Thousand Nights" were a couple of the highlights.

Midway through the set, the band left the stage for Goud to do a couple songs solo, but after one song, Goud broke his rented guitar and the set ground to a halt. He jumped off stage to give the guitar to his bandmates backstage and it seemed like he had to play a few more on his own than he had planned. Goud did a great job covering, with a few slower, heartfelt songs, and the band was back out to pick the set back up for the end, but the set did lose a bit of its momentum.

But they did pick the energy right back up for the last few songs, ending with "Drive Me Home", for what was ultimately a strong, and fun, set. Add that to The Crackling's strong set, and it was a great -- if a little problematic -- night of music.

The Cracking CD Release @ Media Club -- 05/25/11

Many familiar faces to the Vancouver music scene were at the Media Club last night for the CD release party, and homecoming, of Kenton Loewen's solo project, The Crackling. Loewen has played drums for a good number of local bands, most notably Dan Mangan, so it was no surprise to see a decent sized crowd (for a week day at the media club) out to support him.

First up was White Knife, playing their first ever show. Well, sort of, as the band consisted of Colin Cowan, Chris Kelly and Nick Fabin, formerly known as Analog Bell Service. The set was in the same vein as the last few times I've seen ABS, with the same style of infectious pop songs, crazy energy and good chemistry between the three. There was the usual "Sunglasses at Night" cover, slowing it down and giving it an almost creepy feel, and their own songs ranged in influence from 60s pop rock, to grunge, to straight up rock, but never felt disjointed. One of the highlights was a song that I didn't catch the name of, but started with a bit of an evil whisper/demonic voice from Colin, into slow and almost eerie vibe, before building to an absolutely explosive climax. They ended the set with an older ABS song, "Left The Park", featuring a "Mangan Moment" when Dan joined them for backup vocals, giving a bit of a Punk Mangan performance screaming out the lyrics.
I am not actually sure the reason for the name change of the band, perhaps it was because they streamlined to just three members, but I can't wait to hear what happens next.

Next up was Singing Adams, from the UK. Or rather, just the lead singer Steven Adams. He took the stage alone for a couple acoustic, folky songs before being joined first by Kenton on drums for a song, and then Colin on bass. The two of them played for the rest of the set, and if it's true that they had never met before the day of the show -- with only a half hour practice earlier in the day -- it was pretty impressive. They meshed together quite well, especially by the end; as the set went on, the songs grew in energy and intensity, and it was just fascinating to watch them become more and more comfortable with each other on stage. It ended up being a really fun set, and Adams had a really good stage presence, with more than a few of the songs being really catchy, like "Spit in the Sea".
For the last couple songs Gord Grdina joined them on stage, and they ended with a "Mangan Moment" of their own.

And seeing as most of his band was already on stage, this lead right into the "surprise" of the night (had you not seen it on twitter), a short set from Dan Mangan himself. He played a few songs from his upcoming album, Oh Fortune (due out September 27th) and pretty much blew away the entire room. The title track was pretty much what you'd expect from Dan, but "Post War Blues" was incredibly intense, and a lot more rocking and with more of an edge than anything on the last album, leading up to an absolutely insane ending. "Rows of Houses" was also a bit harder, and hearing them definitely had me eager for the new album.
After the last few times of seeing Dan in sold out, thousand-person-seated-venues it was amazing to watch him play in a venue like the Media Club, even for a few songs.

And with Kenton joking that it would be the only time Dan opened for him, it was time for The Crackling. Also playing with Gord and Colin (who had a really long night!), they had a very folk sound, with many songs following the formula of starting soft and working up to a big finish, but it was a formula that worked so well for them. Loewen had  a voice that went from the a low gravel  to heartfelt highs, sometimes within the same song, and a great charisma and presence on stage -- introducing each song with a story, or just generally joking around.
Highlights included the thematically dark "I Am Your Rogue/Ode to a Woman"; "Keep Me Drunk", which had the last "Mangan Moment", with not only Dan, but the entire crowd helping out on the backing vocals; and "Reticence", a perfect song to end the night on, with the finish seeing every member of the band going balls-out, resulting in a broken string or two.
I don't think there are many bands that would be able to successfully follow Dan Mangan, but Loewen and co. more than held their own, putting on a great set.

I am going to go ahead and call it now, there is a very strong chance that this show will end up on my best of the year list. Four (well, three and a half) great sets of music, and just an incredible vibe of friendship and community the whole night for a show that was just flat out fun.

setlist
The Three of You, A Joke, The Crackling, Of Deceit, I Am Your Rogue/Ode to the Woman, That's The Harm, Keep me Drunk (Dan), Geppetto, Reticence.

Dan Mangan @ The Vogue -- 11/13/10

Not many acts can sell out The Vogue, let alone for two shows. And not many acts can sell out two shows, only six months after another pair of sold out shows. But Dan Mangan isn't just any act, and his hometown shows are always a sight to see.

The first band up was The Crackling, who were some familiar faces. Kenton Loewen was joined by Gord Grdina and Colin Cowan, who all happen to be members of Dan Mangan's band as well. When I had seen The Crackling before, it was just Kenton, so it was interesting to see them as a full band; with Loewen on acoustic guitar, Grdina on electric and Cowan on stand up bass, they gave the songs a richness that wasn't necessarily missing last time, but was definitely welcome. Near the end of the set, they brought out a special guest to play the drums... none other than Dan Mangan himself, and had the crowd singing along to the awesomely named "Keep Me Drunk". It's rare that an opening band can get audience participation, but their engaging songs and stage presence won a lot of people over. Speaking of, they also had some great banter. Kenton has always come across as a pretty funny guy on stage, and when paired with Cowan, the back and forth between them was priceless.
I really enjoyed the set, though I wasn't able to grab a CD, which I regret... but hopefully next time.

After a short break, an emcee came up and introduced The Burning Hell as a "mediocre band from Ontario" before going off stage... and coming back as the lead singer. They had a folk rock feel, with the lead singer on guitar, backed up be a cello and a synth table, which included a glockenspiel, but was named as "whatever that stuff is". All of their songs told stories, and were pretty damn funny, but not in a "novelty song" way, rather with well written and intricate lyrics. There were even a couple callbacks in songs. It only took half a song for them to win me over, and I wouldn't be surprised if I was the only one. At any other show they probably would have outshone the headliner. I was unable to pick up their album as well, and I'm really hoping they're back soon and I get to rectify that.

And finally, it was time for Dan Mangan. He hit the stage with the band and launched into a new song -- I think, at least -- and then brought out the strings and horns for "Sold". He played a few from Nice, Nice, Very Nice before pulling out a newer one, that he's played live for a while now, "Oh Fortune". After that he went into a one-two punch of "Fair Verona" and "Basket", two of his most epic songs. A fair amount of the sold out Vogue was singing along to "Basket", too, and I'm sure there were not many dry eyes in the house for that. He went on to play a few more new ones, "Jeopardy" which consists entirely of questions and "Rows of Houses" (or "Rose of Houses", but that makes less sense), inspired by Stand By Me. All the new songs were impressive, and some seemed to have a bit more of an edge to them; I am very excited to hear them on the next record -- which Dan said they will begin working on in December. The set ended, as expected, with "Robots" and almost the entire house joining in.
He came back for the encore, kind of knocking the tradition, and said he would be doing something a bit special and different. First he brought out Veda Hille to join him on "The Indie Queens Are Waiting", which was great, and then played a damn good cover of Elliott Smith's "Waltz #2". I am very much of the opinion that encores should include special guests, cover songs, and other neat things you wouldn't get in the "main" set, so I quite liked those touches. To end the night, Dan not only called The Burning Hell back on stage, but enlisted the help of the audience for backup "ooh-ooooh's" for "So Much For Everyone", which is always a powerful ending to his shows, especially as he was playing [almost] completely unamplified.

It was a very good show, as you would expect, but he seemed to be a bit less talkative this time. There was some banter and back & forth with the crowd and his band mates, but it didn't seem as much as he usually does. Mangan is as great at the banter as he is a musician, so it was noticeably missing. There was another issue I had, but it was a minor quabble and hardly the fault of the band, and that was the lighting. There were some parts, all throughout the night, that it seemed like every three seconds I was getting eye-meltingly-bright lights directly in the face. Maybe I just had unfortunate seats, but it got to be quite annoying.

Those minor issues aside, it was still an amazing time, and Mangan continues to cement his place as not only one of Vancouver's, but one of Canada's greatest talents.

setlist
[new song?], Sold, You Silly Git, Road Regrets, Tina's Glorious Comeback, Oh Fortune, Fair Verona, Basket, Jeopardy, Leaves Trees Forest, Rows Of Houses, Some People, Robots.
[encore] The Indie Queens Are Waiting, Waltz #2 (XO) [Elliott Smith cover], So Much For Everyone.

Dan Mangan @ The Vogue -- 05/08/10

It's hard to believe this is only my fourth time seeing Dan Mangan live. But each and every time I have seen him, I have managed to be even more impressed than the last. The first few times were all intimate shows; at the Cultch, in a CBC studio, and in Red Cat Records. But this time it was at the Vogue Theatre. A sold out Vogue, no less. And what's more, he had a full compliment of instruments with him as well. That's the great thing about the hometown shows, I guess, he's able to spring for the horns and strings that add that much more to his performance.


At about 8, a single man took the stage and sat with his guitar. It was Kenton Loewen, Dan Mangan's drummer, in the guise of his band, The Crackling. It's normally a full band, but tonight was just him for a short set. I remember back at Dan's show at The Cultch, Kenton won my over with his drumming and antics, and I was interested in checking out his band for a little while, so it was cool to have him open, even if he did only play a handful of songs for about 20 minutes. The songs were all really catchy, but it was his range that was really impressive. His voice went from a low rumbling, which reminded me of either Tom Waits or Nick Cave, to great heights, sometimes within the same song. I really wish I had cash enough to pick up their album there, but I guess I will just have to wait until the next time I catch a live show, and after that, I will no doubt try my best to do so.

Next up was Jesse Sykes. She, too, normally has a full band with her, The Sweet Hereafter, but last night it was just her and one other guitarist. She had a really nice voice, but her songs were all a bit too similar, and when they were as sweet and low key and mellow as they were, they seemed to run together a bit at the end. I didn't dislike her by any means, both she and her guitarist were really talented, but a little more variety in her songs would have been welcome.

And finally, Dan Mangan himself hit the stage, with his regular band -- the aforementioned Kenton Loewen on drums, John Walsh (of Brasstronaut) on the upright bass and Gord Grdina on guitar -- as well as a half dozen strings and horns -- most, if not all of which were at his CBC Radio 3 show. He kicked off energetically with "Sold", and as he wrapped up you could see him look into the sold out Vogue with a look of amazement on his face, like he couldn't believe he was actually there. But he was, and he positively owned the room. From songs like "Road Regrets" and "Fair Verona", which soared to absolutely epic heights, to "The Indie Queens Are Waiting" performed alone on stage, each song had the audience enrapt. Near the end of the set, he did "Basket" with just the strings & horns backing him, and the crowd was dead silent.
Other highlights was the always awesome "Journal of a Narcoleptic" and "Some People", where he jumped down off the stage into the front area... and was promptly swarmed by girls, urging everyone to gather up at the front of the stage. At one point, mid way through the set, he introduced to the stage his friend & author Ivan Coyote, and played "Pine for Cedars" around a story told by her, about her true love, which was not only a great story but a great performance. Like his work with Koyczan, it's really cool to see something like this, where his music and spoken word storytelling weave themselves around each other.
He also played two new songs, one of which I swear I've heard before, but have I'm not sure where. As per my new game in which I try and guess the name of new songs bands play live, I guess either "The Desolate North" or "Oh Fortune" for the first, and the second, played in the encore, "Death And Such". The main set ended with "Robots" which, of course, has each and every person singing and clapping along. I managed to get half of it recorded on, and while it's not a great quality recording, it wasn't terrible, either. The encore consisted "Above The Headlights", and old song he rarely plays anymore, and he finished the night with "So Much For Everyone", where he dubbed the crowd The Granville Street Choir for our flawless "oooo-ooooh's" backup vocals.

As I said, each time I've seen him I've been more and more impressed, and last night was no different. He managed to still make a sold out theatre feel as intimate as sitting around in someones living room with his effortless charm and storytelling.

Setlist.
Sold, You Silly Git, Road Regrets, The Indie Queens Are Waiting, Journal of a Narcoleptic, Tina's Glorious Comeback, Pine For Cedars (w/ Ivan Coyote), Fair Verona, [New Song], Basket, Some People, Robots.
(encore) Above The Headlights, [New Song], So Much For Everyone.