Said the Whale @ Vogue Theatre -- 04/30/17

Not counting their show at the Fox Cabaret last year (an intimate, one-off show where they were “warming up” the new album), it’s been over three years since the last time Said The Whale have done a proper headlining show in Vancouver. But with their new album As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide out, with their slimmed down lineup and newer sound, they hit the Vogue for a sold out, hometown show. 

With them was Toronto band Fast Romantics. I got there a bit late and just caught the last few songs from the indie-pop band, including singles “Julia” and “Why We Fight”. The band had a good energy -- especially lead singer Matthew Angus who was bounding around when not on guitar -- and from what I saw were a perfectly fitting band to start off the night. 

Soon after it was time for Said The Whale with the three members, Ben Worcester, Tyler Bancroft, and Jaycelyn Brown, dressed in crisp white shirts, and the rhythm section in darker colours. The look matched the lighting, as there was very little colour throughout the set, mostly just white spotlights, with the addition of a big wall of twinkling lightbulbs and flashing lights at the back of the stage, lighting the band from behind, casting shadows on the walls of the theatre, and adding mood and atmosphere to the songs. 

They started off with the first single from the album, “Step Into The Darkness”, playing a range of new to old, like “The Light Is You” or the deep cut “A Cold Night Close To The End” off Islands Disappear; and from catchy and optimistically upbeat songs like “Confidence” to the heartwrenching “Emily Rose” (one of my favourites of the new album). The sold out crowd sang along to favourites “Camilo (The Magician)” and “I Love You”, and when the chorus for “I Will Follow You” came around, Tyler got everyone to sing loud, announcing they were filming the crowd and performance for a new video for the song. 

After about an hour, Tyler introduced the last song as the heaviest of the night, the very personal “Miscarriage”, while the theatre fell silent (well, almost) for the absolutely heartbreaking song; as Tyler poured his heart out, I witnessed couples in the crowd hugging each other tight, and no doubt countless others were tearing up (I can guarantee at least one person was).

They finished by taking a bow and thanking the crowd profusely before leaving. I had heard from other cities that they were forgoing the tired “faux encore” concept, and that seemed to be the case as the lights came up and Semisonic’s seminal 90s classic “Closing Time” filled the theatre. But I would be surprised if most of the crowd even heard it, as the cheers and chants were drowning it out. The band returned to the stage and admitted it was a rare, true encore and everything from then would be unrehearsed. They satisfied the crowd with a few more old favourites, including “Emerald Lake, AB” and -- joking that they once again wanted to leave us with a downer -- the soft tearjerker “Curse of the Currents” as the crowd joined in to sing with Ben one last time.

I mentioned the other week how cool it is to see local band grow into bigger and bigger venues, and this was again the case with Said The Whale. From the first time I saw them at the Biltmore (with the unenviable task of following Karkwa, who had blown out the speakers) up to a sold out Vogue, I can’t wait to see where they go next.

setlist
Step Into the Darkness
More Than Ever
Heaven
Mother
Camilo (The Magician)
Realize Real Eyes
Confidence
On The Ropes
Out On the Shield
Emily Rose
Beautiful Morning
Resolutions
A Cold Night Close to the End
Big Wave Goodbye
The Light Is You
I Will Follow You
The Reason
I Love You
Lilac and Willows
Miscarriage
(encore)
Emerald Lake AB
Loveless
Curse the Currents

The Zolas w/ Louise Burns @ Vogue Theatre -- 04/06/17

There’s a weird dichotomy when it comes to following a local band get big. On one hand, in a very selfish way I miss seeing these bands in smaller, more intimate venues. But on the other, I want them to keep growing, to get as successful as they can, to play in front of as many people as possible. 
Last week I got the best of both worlds, seeing The Zolas on back-to-back nights, first at a (not-so) secret show for the relaunching of the new Railway Club, and then a “proper” sold out show at the Vogue Theatre. 

Opening the show at the Vogue was fellow Vancouver artist, and Light Organ label-mate, Louise Burns. Joined by her backing band the Young Mopes, named after her latest album, they spread out across the smoky stage, the mood and lighting reflecting her dark “gothic-pop” songs. 
One of my favourites from the new album, “Who’s The Madman?” opened the show, as Louise played from her three albums, with songs like the haunting “Emeralds Shatter” with Burns’ voice creeping through the theatre, and the almost country-inspired twang on “Strange Weather”. 
While thanking everyone for coming early on, Louise joked that people may not have known her. But even if they didn’t, they were soon won over, Burns leading everyone to sway their  arms in the air for “Pharaoh”, and a couple others. 
It was a good set, and her sound seemed to fit perfectly in a theatre venue like the Vogue. 

Between sets, the crowd was getting amped, filling the floor area and popping big when Zach Gray and Tom Dobrzanski just came out to help set up, and then even louder when the lights went down before they even hit the stage to play. 
The Zolas started off with “In Heaven” before getting everyone dancing with “Molotov Girls”, running through their entire catalogue. They played older songs like the explosive “Marlaina Kamikaze”; “Cultured Man”, which Zach thought they would never play again, but the song kept getting requested (it's always been a favourite, so I was glad); and even a brand new song about “throwing away your cell phone” during which one fan near the front did just that, tossing his phone on stage -- I think I caught Tom later mention it was called “Ultramarine”. 
Other highlights included a couple of my favourites from the new album “CV Dazzle” and “Male Gaze”, and the older “Cab Driver” a song that featured Tom’s very first piano solo.
They finished the main set with the title track to their latest album Swooner, but were soon back out for a few more, ending the night with “Escape Artist”, Zach jumping off stage and wading into the middle of the crowd, bringing down the house lights and asking everyone to use their cell phone lights, like fireflies dancing around his head as the crowd sang along to the soft song to end the night.

Since the first time I saw them play live (“...at the Biltmore…”) they’ve always been a great and energetic live band, and that has just scaled up as they’ve played bigger and bigger venues. 

The Zolas setlist
In Heaven
Molotov Girls
Get Dark
Fell In Love With New York
Ancient Mars
Cultured Man
[new song] Ultramarine?
You’re Too Cool
Frida On The Mountain
This Changes Everything
Marlaina Kamikaze
Cab Driver
Strange Girl
CV Dazzle
Swooner
(encore)
Invisible
Observatory
Escape Artist

Louise Burns setlsit
Who’s The Madman
Ruby
Pharaoh
Strange Weather
Chinook (Sing From The Valley Of Doubt)
Moonlight Shadow
Emeralds Shatter
Dusk Till Dawn
Storms

Lisa LeBlanc @ Biltmore -- 03/25/17

Vancouver Folk Fest, 2016. I was waiting for The New Pornographers to take the main stage when the tweener came out. Sometimes those between-main-set acts can be forgettable, or just there to kill time, but that night Lisa LeBlanc immediately caught my attention. So much so that I made it a point to see her full set the next day. And later in the year, her album Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen? became one of my favourites of '016. So I was pretty glad when she announced her return to our city, and the chance to see her at a "proper" venue like the Biltmore. 

First up was local singer Alexandria Maillot, in her last Vancouver show before heading out on tour (not with Lisa). She began the set joined only by guitarist Daniel Baxter for a sultry cover of a song from The Civil Wars, before being joined by the rest of the band. Her short set featured songs from her latest album Time, including the bouncy "Time (On Your Own)", and "Smitten", her strong voice carrying the smooth "bedroom folkpop". Alexandria chatted with the crowd between sets, appreciative of the audience, and slipped in a few new songs, including the final song of the night she played alone. 

Leading up to the show, I was worried what the turnout was going to be like with so much going on in Vancouver that night (there were at least two other shows I was sad to be missing). But I was worried over nothing, as not only was the venue packed, but the crowd was just a little eager, chanting "Lisa! Lisa!" before Lisa LeBlanc even got on stage. Starting with "(Self-Proclaimed) Voodoo Woman" its bluesy riff erupted into a raucous energy that was matched throughout the set. 
Early on there was a little bit of guitar troubles, but Lisa's charm -- and the band playing smooth jazz -- saved the momentum, as she called an audible by skipping the song, picking up the acoustic, and (I think) fielding a request for "J'pas Un Cowboy" to keep the show moving. Her set was in "franglais", as she joked, the Acadian singer from New Brunswick going from the two languages seamlessly, both in song and chatting between them. She also switched between guitars both acoustic and electric, banjo, and even triangle throughout the set. LeBlanc was a ball of electricity on stage, hardly still while rocking out with her folk-rock (that leans much more toward the latter).
She eventually did get the guitar working for "City Slickers & Country Boys", and part way through the set the band took a break for Lisa to play an acoustic song. The latter half of the set featured what she called the "Banjo 'till you drop" portion of the show, with the incendiary "You Look Like Trouble (But I Guess I Do Too)" ramping up the intensity until her cover of Motörhead's "Ace of Spades". On a banjo. And it was incredible. 
She ended the main set with "Why Does It Feel So Lonely (When You Are Around)?" but slyly mentioned "You know how these things go..." surely hinting at the usual encore. But even if it was built into the show, it was earned, as the crowd was once more chanting her name. The encore included one of my favourites of the night, the acerbic "Could You Wait 'Til I've Had My Coffee?" -- the best breakup song since "You Oughta Know" -- as well as a big singalong with the intent of teaching the Anglophones in the crowd cursing en français: "Aujourd'hui, ma vie c'est d'la marde". Finally, she finished off the night alone on stage, with her acoustic, and the song about "the dumbest idea I’ve ever had", a long distance relationship between New Brunswick & Vancouver, "5,748 km".
It was a perfect way to end, as LeBlanc was visibly overwhelmed and appreciative of the support the city was giving her.

Black Mountain @ Vogue Theatre -- 03/10/17

I never knew how much I wanted to see Vancouver psych rockers Black Mountain at a soft-seat theatre venue until this show popped up. It's been nearly five years since the last time I saw them live, so I probably would have been excited wherever they played, but the combination of their soaring sounds with the Vogue sounded like a great match. 

First up was Dutch duo zZz (pronounced exactly as it looks). I caught the last half of their set, with Daan Schinkel on organ & synths and Björn Ottenheim with drums & vocals making more noise than you would expect from two people. Björn's Billy Idol-esque yelps and the fast fingers of Schinkel created a cacophony of sound, with crashing drums and swirling synth through their set. They were definitely a strong choice to warm up the crowd.

From there it was a bit of an odd shift, as Destroyer was the other supporting act... but not full band Destroyer, just Dan Bejar alone with an acoustic guitar. Which was definitely a bit weird between the two other heavier acts, and I think a few people in the crowd were taken aback (at the very least, the guy behind me was). That being said, I always enjoy Destroyer, full band or acoustic, and it was nice to see him in a venue like the Vogue. 
Bejar is always a little enigmatic on stage, and this night after every song he would step back from the microphone, take a bow, crouching down for a sip of whiskey, a sip of beer, then right back to it. He talked to the crowd a few times, thanking everyone and introducing songs, but mainly just ran through his vast arsenal; from older songs like "Watercolours Into The Ocean" and "English Music", to newer "Times Square", and even a few that I think were brand new. His unique voice trembled through the room with his occasionally-poetically-dense, occasionally-la-da-de-dah lyrics serenading. I think in the end there ended up being a mix of those who knew and appreciated the Vancouver mainstay, those who were won over, and those who were just confused by the main with an acoustic guitar opening for Black Mountain.

But speaking of them, it wasn't long after that before it was time for Black Mountain. Stephen McBean and Amber Webber took the stage at first, starting the older, eponymous song "Black Mountain" as the rest of the band joined them, before blowing the roof off with one of my favourites, the bone-shaking, tempestuous "Stormy High". The first half of the set actually featured a fair amount of their '08 album In The Future including the moody "Queens Will Play" showcasing both McBean's guitar shredding and Amber's powerfully haunting (and hauntingly powerful?) voice. 
Of course, they also delved into more tracks from their newest, the appropriately named fourth album IV. Highlights including "You Can Dream" and "Space To Bakersfield", the ten-minute song taking an entire theatre's collective breath away to end the main set.
Though they didn't even leave a pretense of the show being over, with the guitars still reverberating as the crowd started stomping in unison for the encore. Obviously they obliged, back out with the absolutely intense "Mothers Of The Sun", finally wrapping up after a good hour and a half with "Mary Lou" twisting and turning to an astonishing finale. 

Maybe it's because, even as a local band, they don't play all that often, they don't over-saturate themselves, I always forget just how incredible they are live. Their intensity and raw power is hard to match, and especially in a venue like the Vogue, they shone bright. 

setlist
Black Mountain
Stormy High
Florian Saucer Attack.
Angels
Queens Will Play
Tyrants
You Can Dream
Line Them All Up
Rollercoaster
Wucan
Space To Bakersfield
(encore)
Mothers Of The Sun
Mary Lou

Cobra Ramone with Miss Quincy & The Showdown and The Wild Romantics @ The Waldorf -- 03/03/17

It's been quite a while since the last time I saw live music at the Waldorf. Since the old promoters had a little trouble with the rent a few years ago, I believe they've only been doing DJ/dance party nights. But what a way to return, with three of the city's most badass bands together on one bill. (And, I don't think I can state enough how much I liked the poster)

Starting off the night was The Wild Romantics who kicked things off with a sultry number, then cranked up the rock, living up to both the 'wild' and 'romantic' parts of their name.
The couple of Aleisha Kalina & Evan Miller, splitting vocal duties, have a great chemistry on stage, playing off each other and getting in each others faces all throughout the set. They played a number of new songs, but included some familiar like the chilled out "Memphis TN", and ended off with a great pair, an incendiary new song called "Heart Attack" and the raucous "Fist Fight". 

Next up was Miss Quincy & The Showdown, Jody Peck on guitar joined by Jen Foster on drums & Jessie Robertson on bass. With their blues-tinged rock, Jody's voice went from a raw growl to soaring, sometimes in the same song. Highlights included the sexy bass groove of "Making Money", and a new one, half-jokingly introduced as they first song that is neither a sad song nor a drinking song. 
After the heartbreaking "Remind Me of Myself", they cranked the dial back up with "Wild Fucking West" and the seductive "Bad Love", before their kickass cover of Peaches' "Boys Wanna Be Her" to end things off. They're always an energetic & fun to watch band live, and this night was no different. 

And finally, wrapping up the night was Cobra Ramone (who, along with Evan, was celebrating her birthday that evening). She was joined by Trevor Snakedust on keys and the non-serpentine-named Pat Steward on drums for some straight up, boot-to-the-chest rock songs.
Cobra Ramone has a captivating stage presence, her powerful voice filling the room, with songs about breakup sex, another she introduced as written in prison, the frantic "Bang Bang", and the venomous "She Don't Know". Ramone also teased new material, including one I really liked but didn't catch the name of. 
The set came to a close with "I'm A Mess", starting low and intense before building & erupting into a bonkers climax, the perfect ending for a set. But then, after that, I witnessed one of the rarest things in live music: a legitimate encore. They had left the stage and the house music came back up, but there was still a pocket of people chanting "Cobra! Cobra!" so Ramone & the band came back out and rocked out one more song. 

Each of these three bands can put on a hell of a show, and it was a nice night in East Van to see them all share the stage.