Metric & July Talk @ Pacific Coliseum -- 04/18/19

I’ve said before that it’s hard to get me out to an arena show, and someone must have heard that and accepted the challenge, because I wasn't going to miss the combination of Metric and July Talk at any venue. Especially after they added Murray A Lightburn to the bill for what I had (probably ad nauseam) been calling the best three-act bill I had seen in a long time.

Murray A Lightburn was out first, taking the stage with just his guitar under a single light. It was kind of surreal seeing a singer for The Dears on this type of stage, only weeks after seeing him do the same at The Fox, but...

Starting with "Belleville Blues", Lightburn playing a short set of acoustic material, both his solo songs from the latest album Hear Me Out, like the gorgeous “Centre of my Universe”, as well as a few Dears songs, like the powerfully emotional "There Goes My Outfit" from Gang of Losers.
After joking that he hoped he wasn't boring the audience -- the growing crowd responded with a supportive cheer -- he finished off the set with "Fan Fiction (Ballad of a Genius)" which he made sure to point out was NOT autobiographical, and then "When They See Me", which was.
From a selfish point-of-view, I would rather see him play at venues like The Fox any time, but he somehow translated that intimate performance on to the big stage.

Next up was July Talk, who were under a large, inflated, illuminated moon balloon, and behind a giant, circular projection screen (also a moon at times, but used to play video clips as well). Leah Fay gave the introduction, acknowledging they're on unceded territory, and thanking everyone for being there.
They started the set off with a bang, first with "Headsick", then going right into "Guns + Ammunition", getting the crowd to “woo-hoo-hoo” along with them. The whole band has a fantastic stage presence, but especially the chemistry between Leah and Peter Dreimanis. Not only how their sweet + sour voices intertwine, but their playful interactions on stage. The way they interact and bounce off each other (sometimes literally) is off the charts.
They also got the crowd involved, getting people to sing along to “Summer Dress”, and during a new song — introduced as being about toxic masculinity (I think called “Pay For it”) — Fay went right up to the crowd and sang to the people up front. And that wasn’t the only new song, as they previewed a few, including a more upbeat sounding — if not lyrically — “The News”.
As they brought the set to an end, they somehow managed to ramp up the energy even more, with the raw intensity of “Beck + Call”; one of my favourites, the steamy "Lola + Joseph"; and finally the haunting “Push + Pull”.
I could have left right then and been completely satisfied with the evening, but if anyone could successfully follow July Talk...

... it would be Metric. The set started off with a dark stage, only a single, thin LED strip with smoke, creating an appropriate effect for a song entitled "Twilight Galaxy". Unfortunately there was a bit of an awkward pause after the first song, as I believe they had to deal with some technical issues with a guitar... but they got the momentum back with the dance-y "Synthetica".
As usual, Emily Haines was a dynamo on stage, hardly standing still, her incredible voice ringing through the arena, and I always seem to forget just how good Jimmy Shaw is on guitar, to say nothing of Joshua Winstead and Joules Scott-Key on bass & drums. Highlights from the set included songs from the new album, like the title track “Art of Doubt” and the bombastic “Dressed to Suppress", as well as older favourites like “Gimme Sympathy”, which got every last person in the stands on their feet, and the frenetic “Gold Guns Girls” which ended off the main set.
They returned for the encore, Emily, James, and Joshua standing shoulder to shoulder at the front of the stage to go into "Dark Saturday" before ripping through a few all-time hits, like "Monster Hospital"; one of my personal favourites, The Clash At Demonhead “cover” of "Black Sheep"; and "Help, I'm Alive", which once again had the arena singing along. That could have ended off the set, but they still had one left in the proverbial tank, leaving the arena with "Now Or Never Now" off the new album.

Going in to the show, I was very excited, and everything pretty much lived up to my expectations. Both Metric and July Talk are among the most high-energy bands working and absolutely felt at home on the stage. Plus it was a great joy to hear the more stripped-down Lightburn in a setting like that as well.

Metric setlist
Twilight Galaxy
Synthetica
Risk
Breathing Underwater
Art of Doubt
No Lights on the Horizon
Cascades
Dress to Suppress
Love is a Place
Underline the Black
Gimme Sympathy
Sick Muse
Gold Guns Girls
(encore)
Dark Saturday
Monster Hospital
Black Sheep
Help, I'm Alive
Now Or Never Now

July Talk setlist
Headsick
Guns + Ammunition
Now I Know
Pay For It[??]
Summer Dress
Still Sacred Can Fall[??]
The News
Pretender
The Garden
Touch
Beck + Call
Lola + Joseph
Picturing Love
Push + Pull

Murray A Lightburn setlist
Belleville Blues
Centre of my Universe
I Give Up
Ticket to Immortality
There Goes my Outfit
Fan Fiction (Ballad of a Genius)
When They See Me

Murray A Lightburn @ Fox Cabaret -- 03/07/19

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you may know that The Dears are one of my all-time favourite bands. So of course I was looking forward to seeing singer Murray A Lightburn, hot off his brand new album Hear Me Out, return to Vancouver for a solo acoustic show at the Fox Cabaret.

Opening the night were a couple local acts, starting with Sam Lynch, who first took the stage alone with her guitar before being joined by Steph Chatman on violin. Her voice lilted over her soft, singer-songwriter vibes, and while some of the songs kind of had a similar feel to them, the standout of the set was the last song, which I didn’t catch the name of, but had a bit more intensity than the rest.

Next up was Jenny Banai, who I've been meaning to see perform for a while. With a darker, alt-folk sound, a lot of her songs simmered with intensity as her voice burst through. Highlights included the title track for her upcoming album, "Couch Walker", and "Water" building to an intense ending, with Banai's vocals looping over themselves. She also finished with another brand new song, which had me looking forward to the new album.

It wasn't long after when a besuited Murray A Lightburn approached a single microphone at the front of the stage, acoustic guitar in hand, and started with the gorgeous "Bellville Blues" from the new album. I've always thought Lightburn has one of the most powerful, emotion-filled voices in Canada, and it was immediately apparent on songs like heartfelt "Centre of the Universe" and "Anew".
The intimate evening also featured Murray telling a few short stories behind some of the songs, mixing in his self-deprecating humour with picks from not only his solo albums, but also a few favourites from The Dears catalogue ("favourites" being code for "the easy ones" he joked). "Lights Off" and “Ticket To Immortality” gained new life stripped down acoustically, and he poured his heart out on "Warm and Sunny Days" before shifting back to solo material, bringing the main set to a close with “When They See Me".
After making the audience work for it, he was back out for a couple more, starting with the backstory to “Whites Only Party”, where it was suggested he change the name, but Murray thought it was too funny to change — doing something others perceive as ill-advised because you think it’s amusing is something I can deeply relate to. And then capping off the night with one that ranks high on my nebulous "favourite songs" list, the heartrendingly powerful "You And I Are A Gang Of Losers". From the opening chords, I had a huge smile plastered on my face, and as Murray belted out the chorus there may have been a tear or two.

I couldn’t think of a better way to end the night, and before Murray left the stage, he thanked everyone profusely for coming. He was clearly extremely grateful for everyone showing up, and by the reaction from everyone in the room, the feeling was more than mutual.

setlsit
Belleville Blues
Centre of My Universe
Anew
I Give Up
There Goes My Outfit
Ticket to Immortality
Lights off
Warm and Sunny Days
Mass:Light
Fan Fiction (Ballad of a Genius)
When They See Me
(encore)
Whites Only Party
You and I Are a Gang of Losers

Dan Mangan @ Vogue -- 02/12/19

A little bit of snow (and of course Vancouver's notorious inability to function in the snow) wasn't going to stop me from making my way downtown to a sold out Vogue Theatre, for Dan Mangan's big hometown show. Especially because I was equally excited to see the opener.

That being La Force, the latest musical project from Ariel Engle. She was joined only by Evan Tighe on drums, starting off with a cover of Angèle Arsenault's, "Je Suis Libre" before going through songs off her latest, self-titled album.
She showed off effortless charm as she chatted with the audience between each, showing off her unique cigar-box guitar, as well as some fun vamping or ad-libs at the end of a couple songs -- or in the case of "Upside Down Wolf", a short medley of "Pump Up The Jams" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?".
Other highlights of the all-too-short set included the dark & tense "TBT", "You Amaze Me" which showcased her enchanting vocals, and the hauntingly gorgeous "Lucky One", which finished off the set.

Aside from as a member of Broken Social Scene, the last time I saw Ariel Engle performing her own music was as AroarA (with her partner, The Apostle of Hustle himself Andrew Whiteman) in someone's backyard after a promoter unceremoniously cancelled their show last minute. And while that show was special on it's own merits, it was much more fitting to see her playing somewhere like the Vogue.

It wasn't long after that Dan Mangan hit the stage with his band, kicking things off with the first song off More or Less, "Lynchpin". The evening focused mostly on the new album with songs like heartbreaking "Fool For Waiting", the amped up energy of the infectious "Troubled Mind", and "Lay Low", my favourite off the new album and what would have been the best song to use as an excuse for missing the show.
He also gave just as much time to his breakout Nice, Nice, Very Nice, as "Can't Not" segued into "Road Regrets" and the sold out theatre sang along, as well as songs like "Pine for Cedars", showing his roots with lyrics filled with references to the city.
Part way through the set, the band took a break for Dan to perform a few songs solo on his acoustic guitar, fielding requests for the unreleased "There Is No Such Thing As Wasted Love" and playing the soul-crushingly sad "Basket", before being joined by Carleigh Aikins for a beautiful version of "Indie Queens Are Waiting".

Dan was giving it all to the hometown crowd, and the crowd was happy to reciprocate, offering Dan an extended ovation when he mentioned the troubles he had writing this album, nearly bringing him to tears. But also making him laugh and lose his place in "Jeopardy" when someone earnestly answered the lyric "What time is it?"
There were also many times during the night the audience joined in to sing, including three in a row to end off the night as the main set ended with another old favourite, a slowed down version of "Sold". Then Dan returned after mere moments with perhaps the greatest Canadian singalong, as every single person joined in with "Robots".
Finally, the night ended with every single person that had been on stage coming out, including a horn section, and Dan wading into the crowd. He stood atop a chair, with the house lights shut off, and a large light he called The Hammer illuminated him, while everyone on-stage & off provided backing vocals -- and even harmonies -- for "So Much For Everyone".

It's been a few years since I've seen Dan Mangan perform, and even more since the last "full band" show, and I think I forgot just how good he is. How he can command any room, even a sold out Vogue Theatre, and make it feel like an intimate living room show.

La Force setlsit
Je suis libre [Angèle Arsenault cover]
Can't Take
Upside Down Wolf
You Amaze Me
TBT
Lucky One

Dan Mangan setlist
Lynchpin
Cold in the Summer
Can't Not
Road Regrets
Pine for Cedars
Lay Low
Which Is It
Race to the Bottom
Just Fear
There Is No Such Thing As Wasted Love
Jeopardy
Basket
Indie Queens Are Waiting
Fool For Waiting
Troubled Mind
Mouthpiece
Peaks & Valleys
Sold
(encore)
Robots
So Much For Everyone

Hillsburn @ Biltmore -- 02/08/19

A couple years ago at the Vancouver Folk Fest, I went to go see a workshop and discovered Hillsburn, who I liked enough to make sure I saw their full set that weekend, too. Flash forward this weekend, their first time playing headlining a show in town, at the Biltmore Cabaret, coinciding with a recent release of the "deluxe" version of last year's album The Wilder Beyond.

The Haligonian five-piece took the stage with the first song off the newer album, the soaring and intense "Strange Clouds", which started off the set with a bang. Vocals were split between Rosanna Burrill -- who also played violin -- as well as her brother Clayton and songwriter Paul Aarntzen, with songs like "Sun Ought To Shine" providing stellar harmonies between the three. Or the darker and melancholic "With The Larks", which built to a huge ending, their three voices bursting off the stage, giving me goosebumps (and likely also the guy near me whose reaction was a stunned "holy shit!!").
Rosanna was definitely the most energetic and expressive of the three, moving around the stage and going up to each member of the band throughout the set and singing with (or even just at) them.

They ran through tracks from their two albums, highlights including the more upbeat "Cover It Up"; the boisterous "Run Down" with a nice stomp & clap-along; and my favourite off the album "Young Desire", a sweeping anthem that ended the main set with Rosanna singing her absolute heart out, getting the crowd to join in on the call & response, and even jumping onto the floor and working her way through the audience.
But they were only gone a moment before popping back out for one last song, the slower and heart-wrenching "Time of Life" which built to an incredible violin solo, leaving the crowd emotionally exhausted.

Sometimes you see a band and their sound is just bigger than their venue-size, and that was absolutely the case with Hillsburn. It's going to be a crime if we never them in big theatres, venues like the Vogue.

setlist
Strange Clouds
Everything Is New
Sun Ought To Shine
Born Only To Love You
Everywhere
With The Larks
Bad Behaviours
When We Were Young
Cover It Up
Run Down
Caught In The Rain
Bury My Heart
Young Desire
(encore)
Time Of Life

Mother Mother w/ Said the Whale @ Orpheum -- 02/07/19

Not counting things like #SingItFwd (or even Skookum, where I only saw part of their set) it's been quite a while since I've seen a full, 'proper' show from Mother Mother. So what better way to correct that that at the historic Orpheum Theatre, especially with the friends they had opening for them.

Those friends being Said the Whale, who took the stage exactly one hour before their new album was set to drop (well, on streaming and digital), flanked by two big Cascadia flags. They kicked off with their first hit "Camilo (The Magician)" to get the crowd pumped, before showcasing songs from the new album, like "Record Shop" and "Love Don't Ask", along with their most recent hit, the instantly infectious "UnAmerican", and "Level Best", a gorgeous song Tyler Bancroft wrote for his son, during which I could hear more than a few people letting out some tears and an aaawwwww or two.

Of course, they also included some older songs, like "Step Into The Darkness", which saw Ben Worcester pouring his heart out at the front of the stage, and one of my all-time favourites, a song that I haven't heard live in a while, and it always brings chills when they play it; "Love Is Art/Sleep Through Fire", which I still think is the best blend of Ben & Tyler's voices.

The last time I saw Said the Whale was a couple months ago, for a pop-up show at Save-On Meats, with about 100 other people as a teaser for their new single. Now to see them in front of nearly 3,000, on the cusp of their new album release, was pretty great.

After a brief intermission, the lights went down and smoke filled the stage as the members of Mother Mother launched into "I Must Cry Out Loud", the first song off their latest album, followed by the title track to Dance and Cry. Ryan Guldemond's wild vocals (and even stage presence) burst through in songs like "Let's Fall In Love" and "Bottom Is A Rock", as the whole band was so incredibly tight and full of energy.

During "Body of Years", Molly Guldemond stepped forward for a haunting cover of Radiohead's "Creep", the sold out room singing along. In fact, most of the set the audience was joining in, not just with old favourites like "Get Out The Way" but even newer ones, with people enthusiastically singing (sometimes even louder than the band, which... well, that's a discussion for another day).

In a nice stretch of songs, Ryan shouted out to everyone here with a relative before playing "Family", thanked everyone for sticking with them from the beginning while playing an acoustic version of "Dirty Town" harkening back to their earliest days, and finally reminiscing about cutting their teeth with bands like Said the Whale, before inviting them back to sing backup vocals on "So Down". There were actually a few times during the night where the setlist seemed very meticulously crafted, with songs arranged thematically, or even just by title (like "Get Up" following "So Down").

After over an hour, the main set came to an end, first with a song that remains my favourite of theirs, the frantic "Hayloft", which segued into a giant, bombastic extro and lead directly into "Bit By Bit", another huge singalong to end the set.

But naturally, that wasn't going to be all, as Ryan & Jasmine Parkin returned to the stage, this time Ryan on keys while Jasmine took centre stage to sing "Biting on a Rose", her incredible voice ringing through the theatre. And finally, after more thanks for coming, and thanking the entire touring crew, they drew to a close with another perennial favourite, "The Stand", which is as quirky and offbeat as it in catchy and memorable.

I wouldn't say I 'forgot' how good Mother Mother is -- especially live -- but this night was an excellent reminder of that, and of just how many prolific songs the band had produced over the years.

MM setlist
I Must Cry Out Loud
Dance and Cry
O My Heart
Let's Fall In Love
Monkey Tree
Get Out The Way
Bottom Is A Rock
It's Alright
Body of Years (w/ Creep [Radiohead cover])
The Drugs
Family
Dirty Town
So Down
Get Up
Hayloft
Bit By Bit
(encore)
Biting On A Rose
Ghosting
The Stand

STW setlist
Camilo (The Magician)
Step Into The Darkness
Record Shop
Love Don't Ask
Love Is Art/Sleep Through Fire
UnAmerican
Wake Up
Level Best
I Love You