Plants & Animals w/ Royal Canoe @ Imperial -- 06/16/16

It's been a few years since Plants and Animals last played a show in Vancouver, but with a new album under their belts, the Montreal trio hit the road with a stop at the Imperial. And I was doubly excited, because not only was Plants and Animals back, but they brought with them another favourite of mine, Winnipeg's Royal Canoe. 

It's always nice to see Royal Canoe play on a stage that can actually fit all six members and their mountains of gear, and they spread out nicely on the Imperial stage. With a new album coming out this fall, the band played a split of new and old. There was some singing along to the introspective "Exodus of the Year" and the bombastic "Bathtubs", which is one of my favourites. The new tunes they played sounded like a natural extension of their sound, a dense sonic wall of their unique electronic indie pop. One of the new songs culminated with a brain-melting instrumental, and another, which closed out their set, was a slow, simmering R&B jam that erupted into a swirl of synth and keys. It was perhaps my favourite of the set, and made me eagerly anticipate the new material. 

During their set, Royal Canoe mentioned that Plants & Animals had a rough time getting to Vancouver, which the band themselves later elaborated on, admitting they almost didn't make it after having to abandon their van in Kelowna. Which may have been part of the reason there seemed to be a bit of a delay in the start of their set. 
But they got everything together and launched right into "No Worries Gonna Find Us", perhaps a little cathartically. From there, the set mostly featured songs from Waltzed In From The Rumbling, and while I think it took them a song or two to kind of get in the groove, the set was highlighted by songs like the slightly darker and moody "All The Time" and "Flowers", which had the crowd singing along in hushed tones as the song came to rest. 
There were only a few older songs sprinkled the set; the soaring "Lightshow", the sprawling (and aptly named) "Faerie Dance", and "Bye Bye Bye", which got a huge reaction, and saw Nicolas Basque rock out on the autoharp like few can. 
They ended the set with one of my favourites off the new album "Stay", and newest addition to the touring band Adele Trottier-Rivard joining Warren Spicer on vocals. And of course, they were back out for a couple more. First the raucous "Feedback in the Field" and finishing off the night with "Je voulais te dire", a gorgeous seven minute songs full of musical twists and turns.

Both of these bands I would count among my favourites, especially to see live, and the pairing did not let me down. It was a great show, highlighting some of the most interesting musicians the country has to offer. 

setlist
No Worries Gonna Find Us,  
We Were One, 
Lola Who? 
All of the Time, 
Flowers,
Faerie Dance,
So Many Nights,
Lightshow,
Good Friend,
Bye Bye Bye,
Stay.
(encore)
Feedback in the Field,
Je voulais te dire.

Kaylee Johnston EP Release @ Biltmore Cabaret -- 06/03/16

This past Friday, Kaylee Johnston released her new, self-titled EP -- an album four years in the making, by her own admittance -- and celebrated with a show at the Biltmore. 

Unfortunately I missed most of the first act, Matthew V, but from what I heard he had a voice that wow'd the growing crowd. The second act of the night was Windmills (aka Cory Myraas), playing his first Vancouver show in a few months. He took the stage with his guitar, drum pad, and looping gear for his "swoon-pop". Opening the set was "Face to a Name" from his most recent album Measures, as Cory harmonizing with himself and worked his looping building the song to a sweeping crescendo.
He talked with the crowd a bit between songs, thanking everyone there -- and telling a couple of his infamous "dad jokes" -- before his heartfelt songs, like "All Things End" and my favourite from the album, "Shame", as he confessed "You're a mistake worth repeating" 
Aside from his own songs, he also had a few covers in the set, including "In Waves" by Fyfe, and his version of "Lilac Wine", citing both Jeff Buckley and Nina Simone's versions as inspiration. 
It was a strong set from the Kelowna singer, and I look forward to the next time he plays. 

It wasn't long after before Kaylee Johnston and her band took the stage. I had seen her not too long ago, opening for Radio Radio, and remember thinking she could have used a live drummer to fill out the sound. Well, not only did she do exactly that, but recruited one of the finest in the city in Johnny Andrews. 
Poised confidently in a sparkling dress, Johnston danced and stalked the stage, coming right up to the front at times, her powerful voice belting out infection pop songs like "Lonely", in which she vowed to "dance till I don't care", and the raw and eclectic "Are You The One". 
There was a slight misstep with "Kick Drum", causing her to start the song over, but she was able to get the energy back before before toning the set down for a couple songs, pulling out her acoustic guitar for the soaring "Try" and "Let's Pretend", which was dripping with heartbreak. 
Kaylee also slipped a cover into her set, doing a version of Wheatus' "Teenage Dirtbag" with Windmills providing the object of her affections (you know, the one with "two tickets to Iron Maiden") for a really fun cover. 
She played right up til curfew, capping the night off with her current single, a song that by all rights should be a smash pop hit, "Getting Over You", her voice once again filling the room and getting people dancing. 

I'll be the first to admit, I'm not always that into pop music, but Kaylee's sound has an edge to it, and a raw emotion that pours through. Plus, her voice in undeniable and the songs are ridiculously catchy. I would definitely recommend picking up her brand new EP, and catching her next time she's playing live. 

setlist
Lonely
Caught In The Thick
Are You The One
Kick Drum
Try
Let's Pretend
Teenage Dirtbag [Wheatus cover]
Gone
Getting Over You

Andrew Bird @ Orpheum -- 05/21/16

Funny story: leading up to this show I was very excited to be finally seeing Andrew Bird live for the first time. I had been a fan since shortly after Armchair Apocrypha came out, but had somehow never seen him perform. Well, that's what I thought up until about two songs in, when I realised I had seen him before. It was at the Stanley Park Singing Exhibition, a two-day mini-festival that The New Pornographers put on at Malkin Bowl in 2008. 

Faulty memory aside, I was still excited to see him perform for the first time in a long time, as he toured his latest album Are You Serious stopping at Vancouver's beautiful Orpheum Theatre, the perfect venue for the indie-folk-rocker.

Taking the stage in front of their own lighting rig, Andrew Bird and his band opened with an instrumental which, if the internet is correct, was a cover of Alice Coltrane's "Journey in Satchidananda" before going into "Capsized" off the new album. Andrew and his band opened up on the song, setting the mood for the next hour an a half. While Bird was backed by a full band, but still made use of his looping pedals as he added layer upon layer to songs. He jumped between violin and guitar, sometimes even mid-song, looping violin parts while the guitar was strapped to his back. And let me tell you, can he ever whistle. 

With an effortless charm between songs, and a captivating presence while playing, Bird's set stretching throughout his career; going back to Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs with "A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head To The Left", and of course a strong dose of the new album with songs like the heart-melting "Left Hand Kisses", which he performed both rolls of the Fiona Apple duet. Other highlights included the sweeping "Are You Serious?" which had an added intensity live, the melancholic "Lusitania", and clear crowd favourite "Plasticities".

And I just want to mention the lighting quickly, which was incredibly. Occasionally Bird was lit from the floor in front of him so his giant shadow danced on the back of the stage, but for the most part their lighting rig behind them illuminated on the band, both with traditional spotlights on them, and an LED frame, either shifting with the drums, or twinkling as Bird plucked his violin. I love it when the lighting adds to the show, and makes it even more engaging to behold. 

After a love letter to Chicago with "Pulaski at Night", the band closed out the main set with "Armchairs", but the final notes held and techies fixed some things on stage, so it was more obvious than usual they'd be back. First, Bird crowded around the microphone with two of his bandmates for an acoustic cover of Neil Young's "Harvest", and stayed as the energy swelled to a climax for what would have been a perfect closer, "Give It Away". 
But then in what seemed like a "true encore moment", Bird stayed out alone while the band left, and took centre stage one last time. He introduced the final song as one he hadn't played in a long time, but that it just felt right in this setting before going into "Weather Stations" from the '03 album of the same name. His layered violins and haunting whistle filled the theatre as the rapt crowd 

It was a beautiful show, hearing Bird's majestic songs in a venue like the Orpheum, and I was really glad to see him for the first time... again. 

setlist
Journey in Satchidananda [Alice Coltrane cover]
Capsized
A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head To The Left
Tenuousness
Lusitania
Are you serious?
Truth Lies Low
Puma
Left Handed Kisses
Roma Fade
Three White Horses
Giant of Illinois
Plasticities
Valleys Of The Young
Pulaski at Night
Armchairs
(encore)
Harvest [Neil Young cover]
Give It Away
Weather Systems

An Evening with Said the Whale @ Fox Cabaret -- 05/07/16

Said the Whale are doing things a bit backwards. Instead of releasing a new album and then touring, the Vancouver band is road testing their new material on a cross country tour. Billed as "An Evening With Said the Whale" the shows consist of two separate sets; one with deep cuts and brand new material, and after an intermission, a "regular" set from the band.

They were joined by David Vertesi, pulling double duty filling in on bass and also opening the show with his own "sad dad cruise ship" songs. Which is both the name of this new album and the genre he proudly claims as his own. Vertesi was on stage alone, just his smooth baritone and heartfelt songs off both his albums, like the endearing "Gentlemen Say" and "Loud Talker" (which, sadly, seemed like instructions to some people at the back of the venue). David chatted with the crowd between songs, joking that we were here for the birth of the next big genre (the aforementioned 'Sad Dad Cruise Ship') and urging people to pick up his album at the merch table with his "pay what you can" model. 
Vertesi also pulled out a cover that has become a staple to his sets, earnestly introducing it as a song that meant a lot to him growing up, "Say You'll Be There" by Spice Girls. Every time I've seen him play the cover, it gets a nice reaction and a singalong, and this night was no different. He ended the short set with "Mountainside" one of the catchiest songs about a doomed relationship you'll hear, promising he'd see us sooner than we think. 

Not long after, the theme from Rick and Morty blared (to the delight of at least two people) as Said The Whale emerged for the first of their two sets, energized by the sold out, hometown crowd in the intimate venue. They launched straight in to "We Are 1980" off '012's Little Mountain before diving back for older songs and deep cuts; "Plans for the Future" and "Live off Lamb" from Howe Sound/Taking Abalonia, and especially "False Creek Change" being particularly poignant on this 30th anniversary of Expo '86, with Ben Worcester admitting he almost teared up while singing that song since it doesn't really have the same meaning or get the same reaction as their played it across the country. 
Halfway through the set they shifted into some brand new songs, talking a little about each. "Fucks To Give" -- a "mini rock opera" as Tyler Bancroft explained, about unrequited love -- was a stand out, as well as a song I didn't catch the name of dedicated to a friend they had lost. The newer songs seemed a bit heavier and denser, both in sound and thematically, which culminated with the final song of the first set. Tyler introduced "Miscarriage" opening up about his own personal experiences with the subject, with the song starting off a slower heartwrencher, that shifted to an almost prog-influenced finale. An intense song, and easily one of the best songs they played that night. 

After an intermission, they were back for set number two, the darker and synthy "Resolutions" kicking it off. This set was a much more "traditional" Said the Whale set, as they still pulled from all their albums, but this time hit more of the singles and fan favourites, with upbeat and rollicking songs like "The Light is You" and "Emerald Lake, AB". Another highlight was the emotion-dripping "Love is Art/Sleep Through Fire", a favourite of mine and, if the reaction was any indication, many others in the room as Tyler and Ben harmonized on a note they held for a preposterously long time. 
They broke out hit singles like "I Love You" and "Camilo (The Magician)" close to the end of the set before finishing off with "Goodnight Moon", another favourite, the lullaby building to a joyful ending and Tyler rocking out as hard as one can on a ukulele. 

Of course, no one believed they were really done as they came back for a few more, including one last personal favourites, "My Government Heart" as Tyler spat out the lyrics through grit teeth. And after Ben fielded an impromptu Q&A from the (probably drunk) dudes at the side of the stage, they ended with one last tearjerker, getting nearly the entire room first silent, and then singing along to "Curse of the Current" letting everyone into the spring night. 

It's been a while since I have last seen Said the Whale doing a "proper venue" show, a couple years at least, and it was great to see them on top of their game. Plus, the new music sounded strong and I look forward to hearing it recorded. 

Setlists:

David Vertesi
Soft Skin
Gentlemen Say
Loud Talker
Waterways
Say You'll Be There
^[Spice Girls cover]
Mountainside

Said The Whale
(set two)
Resolutions
Out On The Shield
On The Ropes
BC Orienteering
Narrows
The Light Is You
Emerald Lake, AB
Loveless
Love is Art/Sleep Through Fire
Black Day In December
I Could Smoke
I Love You
The Reason
Camilo (The Magician)
Goodnight Moon
(encore)
Mother
My Government Heart
Curse of the Currents

Said the Whale
(set one)
We Are 1980
Plans For The Future
Live Off Lamb
O Alexandra
Big Sky, MT
False Creek Change
Step Into The Darkness
Fucks To Give
Out Of My Skin
[new song]
[new song]
Miscarriage

Aidan Knight @ Biltmore Cabaret -- 04/29/16

It's been a while since Aidan Knight was last in Vancouver (I think the last show was in late '013 at the Rio Theatre). But hot off the release of his latest album Each Other, Aidan returned to a sold out Biltmore Cabaret. 

Laura Sauvage opened the show, taking the stage alone with her electric guitar. The solo project of Les Hay Babies member Vivianne Roy, she was charming with an effortless stage presence, as she went through songs off her latest album Extraordinormal. 
Sauvage weaved stories with her songs, occasionally telling the crowd what they were about; "Rubberskin" about an old friend who passed away and was... eaten by cats, and "You Think I'm Cruel" about a terrible first date with a guy who was maybe a little oblivious. 
It was an enjoyable set, and I would like to see her again, especially with a full band backing her. 

Thanks to the curfew, it wasn't long before Aidan Knight with his Friendly Friends took the stage. They started with "You Are Not Here", blending seamlessly into "The Arp" as the first chunk of the set focused on the new album Each Other. 
Which Aidan joked about, promising there would be something for the people who had waited since the last show. Throughout the set he chatted and joked between songs, and even had such command over the crowd that everyone (for the most part) silenced when he requested it for the quieter songs; no easy feat, especially at the Biltmore. 
The new tracks culminated with favourite off the new album, the slow-burning "What Light (Never Goes Dim)", as the band took a break and Aidan was alone to play the now-classic, joyful "Jasper" which had the entire sold out room singing along. 
After a few more older ones, including the sombre "Altar Boys" and "The Master's Call", the main set ended with "You Will See The Good in Everyone" building to a furious swell, which would have been the perfect ending...
Except for the fact that Aidan was back out alone to perform one of the most soul-shattering songs, "Margaret Downe". It is one of my favourites, and as Knight belted out the sorrow and regret, I suspect there were more than a few tearful eyes. And finally, the rest of the band returned once more for another old favourite, "Knitting Something Nice", one again culminating in a blistering ending, leaving the crowd satisfied???

As I've seen Aidan Knight perform over the years, his shows have become more and more rich and layered, as his music as grown in scope. This has probably been the best I've seen him perform, and I hope it's not another couple years before he is back. 

setlist
You Are Not Here
The Arp
Each Other
All Clear
The Funeral Singers
What Light (Never Goes Dim)
Jasper
Untitled
The Master's Call
Altar Boys
A Mirror
You Will See The Good In Everyone
(encore)
Margaret Downe
Knitting Something Nice For You