The New Pornographers @ Vogue Theatre -- December 11 & 12, 2021

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Last year was the 20th anniversary for The New Pornographers’ debut album Mass Romantic, and for obvious reasons they couldn’t throw a big celebration then… so they delayed it a year! When I heard they were releasing a new 21st Anniversary edition vinyl, I was happy. Then I was more excited to find out they were doing an accompanying tour, playing the whole thing front-to-back. And I was even more excited that they would be playing two shows in each town; one for Mass Romantic, and a second for a full playthrough of Twin Cinema (celebrating that album’s 16th anniversary). How could someone choose just one of those shows? I sure couldn’t, so I went to both!

Opening both nights was Aoife Nessa Frances, from Dublin (if the name didn’t give it away) on her first North American tour. Joined by a small backing band of drums & keys, her voice drove the chill, alt-folk rock songs that lilted over the audience. She was an excellent opening act, and I’ll have to be sure to keep an ear out for her in the future.

Night One - Mass Romantic

With a showtune blaring over the loudspeaker, the band took the stage to massive applause. They immediately joked that we would need to do better than that, since the show was being live streamed to the world, to which the crowd happily obliged.

Carl gave a quick “we’re from here!” as the band launched into the bombastic title track, Newman and Neko Case’s voices blending together perfectly, as well as those of Kathryn Calder, on keys, and honourary member Nora O’Conner, who can be heard on both albums being celebrated over the two nights.

A few songs in, the enigmatic Dan Bejar took to the stage to thunderous cheers (and some light ribbing from Newman) for “Jackie”, as he would periodically show up through the set when needed. The band was clearly feeding off the energy of the hometown crowd, joking back & forth between songs, as they sounded near-perfect blasting through more favourites like “Letter From an Occupant” and “The Body Says No”, before the big finish of “Breakin’ The Law”.

Once the album was finished, the band took a brief intermission before returning for “a bunch of songs”, starting with the quirky Bejar-fronted “Myriad Harbour” as they went through just about the rest of their career, saving songs from Twin Cinema until the next night (well, almost). Highlights included more of Dan’s songs like “War on the East Coast”, as well as the big energy of “Dancehall Domine” and “Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk”.

Dan joined the band one final time for the absolutely beautiful “Testament to Youth in Verse” as the song swelled with a chorus of “no no no”, before ending the night with the one exception to the above. Explaining it was for the benefit of the livestream, they snuck in a single song from Twin Cinema, the perennial favourite (myself very much included), “The Bleeding Heart Show” as Neko’s voice thundered through the theatre for an incredibly emotional finish to the show. They took their bows and I was actually kind of glad there was no encore, as that was the perfect two-song combo to finish the first night.

Night Two - Twin Cinema

The second night was also the final night to the run of shows, which meant very “last night of tour” vibes – everyone clearly having fun, especially between songs where they were a bit more goofy and playful with each other and the crowd. And very grateful to be up there doing their thing (especially grateful to the one person near the front who yelled they had been to all twelve shows on this tour).

The set once again began with the title track of the album, kicking things into a high gear, especially with the early smash single “Use It”. Then right after, Newman joked how strange it was to be playing “The Bleeding Heart Show” forth in the set. Though it was no less emotionally impactful.

As usual, Bejar was on & off stage for songs like the frenetic “Jackie, Dressed in Cobras”, and they had another special guest for the show: Paul Rigby playing mandolin on “Falling Through Your Clothes”. The simmering energy of “Stacked Crooked” brought the album to a close, as they took a brief intermission before the next half of the show.

The second part of the show was close to the first night; songs spanning the rest of their oeuvre (except for Mass Romantic, of course), with a similar setlist to the previous night. They still opened with “Myriad Harbour” and the dreamy “Champions of Red Wine”, but also slipped in songs like the aptly named “High Ticket Attraction”, and “Born With a Sound” which also showcased Nora O’Connor’s voice.

After a one-two punch of “Brill Bruisers” and “The Laws Have Changed”, they brought the second night to a close with the beautiful (and pseudo-holiday?) “The Spirit of Giving”, the entire band on stage, voices all soaring to the back of the room.

I can’t say I’ve quite been a fan of The New Pornographers for the entire twenty-one years – closer to 16 as I joined in around the release of Twin Cinema, as I’m sure many others did. But both nights were just full of an incredible amount of love and nostalgia. I’ve seen the band play live maybe a dozen or so times in that span, in a few different forms, and I can easily say these two nights were the best I’ve ever seen them.

setlist - night 2
Twin Cinema
The Bones of an Idol
Use It
The Bleeding Heart Show
Jackie, Dressed in Cobras
The Jessica Numbers
These Are the Fables
Sing Me Spanish Techno
Falling Through Your Clothes
Broken Breads
Three or Four
Star Bodies
Streets of Fire
Stacked Crooked
(intermission)
Myriad Harbour
Champions of Red Wine
Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile
Testament to Youth in Verse
High Ticket Attractions
Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk
Born With a Sound
You'll Need a Backseat Driver
Brill Bruisers
The Laws Have Changed
The Spirit of Giving

setlist - night 1
Mass Romantic
The Fake Headlines
The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism
Mystery Hours
Jackie
Letter From an Occupant
To Wild Homes
The Body Says No
Execution Day
Centre for Holy Wars
The Mary Martin Show
Breakin' the Law
(intermission)
Myriad Harbour
Champions of Red Wine
Whiteout Conditions
Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile
The Spirit of Giving
You'll Need a Backseat Driver
Dancehall Domine
War on the East Coast
Play Money
Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk
The Laws Have Changed
Testament to Youth in Verse
The Bleeding Heart Show

The Weather Station @ Hollywood Theatre -- 11/12/21

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So, uh... it's been a while? While I've seen a few outdoor events recently -- and was in the real-life audience of a livestream show last October -- The Weather Station kicking off their Canadian tour in Vancouver was the first actual, indoor live music show since last year. And not just that, but in a brand new venue, on top of that. The Hollywood Theatre is a converted movie theatre (which still has screenings) with soft seats up front, and a more open section at the back to mill around; like a hybrid of the Rio Theatre and the Imperial, here in Vancouver. It was a nice venue and I look forward to seeing more shows there.

The evening started with Jasper Sloan Yip taking the stage alone, acoustic guitar in hand, to play a few songs off his latest double EP, Strange Calm / Blushing Autumn. He started with the dreamy "Gin Fizz", and after a couple songs shifted to take a seat behind the keys for the "piano portion" of the set. Jasper’s voiced filled the room with heartfelt songs like "Strange Calm", and “Blushing Autumn”, as even he confessed to closing his eyes and getting lost in the songs. He brought the short set to an end with the final song off the new pair of EPs, “Every Night, Beside You, I Lie Awake”.

Shortly after, the stage dimmed as the opening notes of "Wear The World" rang out, as the band members of The Weather Station slowly illuminated, and singer Tamara Lindeman rose from her crouched position up front.

Performing mainly off the latest album, Ignorance, the set had an ebbing flow, with soft songs slowly building in intensity, only to fall back to a haunting calm. Lindeman mainly let the songs speak for her, but did take a moment to thank everyone for coming, acknowledging it was likely a lot of people's first show back, musing how it's still a little weird to be around so many people, and joked about making her return in an "insane grass suit" (her words) which was just all fringe.

Highlights of the set included the older, crowd favourite “Thirty”, the breathless vocals of "Better Now" (a newer song, included on the deluxe edition of Ignorance), and the simmering, controlled chaos of "Robber".
They brought the main set to a close with "Parking Lot", but of course, Tamara was back moments later for the encore. She talked about how her advocacy for climate change has thrust her into unexpected spotlights, and then, accompanied only by keys, launched into a heartbreakingly beautiful new ballad about no longer finding the stars in the night sky as alluring as she once did. The rest of the band then returned to cap off the night with Lindeman’s voice ringing out for the gorgeous "Subdivisions", the final song off Ignorance and am excellent way to cap off the night.

For a “first show back”, you couldn’t ask for much more, and I am so glad to be taking in live music again, because let’s be honest… livestream shows just don’t measure up to the real thing.

Jasper Sloan Yip
setlist
Gin Fizz
Blushing Autumn
Halcyon Dream
Strange Calm
Anew
Every Night, Beside You, I Lie Awake

The Weather Station
setlist
Wear The World
Loss
Atlantic
You And I (On The Other Side Of The World)
Way It Is/Way It Could Be
Thirty
Better Now
Look
Separated
Heart
Tried To Tell You
Robber
Parking Lot
(Encore)
[New Song]
Subdivisions

Hotel Mira @ Biltmore Cabaret -- 02/29/20

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Two weeks after the release of their latest album Perfectionism, Hotel Mira returned to the Biltmore to play a sold out, hometown show.

Backlit by a square of colour-shifting lights, the band kicked off with the album's lead track, the eponymous "Perfectionism", starting with a high energy and barely looking back from there. Especially singer Charlie Kerr, who hardly stood still throughout the show; the personification of a ball of electricity, as he moved around the stage, up on the sides, and even into the crowd at a couple points.

The set spanned from tracks off the brand new album -- which had the crowd singing along despite only being out a couple weeks -- to older songs like "Bully For You" harkening back to the former iteration of the band, as JPNSGRLS. Highlights included the infectious chorus on "The Eyes On You", the raucous harmonies on "Jungle", as well as "Better On Your Own", featuring bassist Mike Noble and guitarist Colton Lauro hitting the falsetto backups performed by Vancouver duo Harlequin Gold on the album.

As the graphically personal "Speaking Off the Record" drew to a big, dark-80s-synth finale, they capped off the main set with another huge singalong to an old favourite "Southern Comforting", before coming back for the obvious encore. Starting soft with the heartfelt "A Song for Daisy", they then exploded into "Oh My God" and finally, ended the night with their current (hit) single, "This Could Be It For Me".

Hotel Mira seems to have a rocket strapped to them over the last few months, and if the barely-room-to-move crowd inside the Biltmore was any indication, that's the last they've seen of the venue. And with the performance they put on, it's well deserved.

setlist
Perfectionism
You Know Best
Better On Your Own
Arcade Heart
Circulation
Bully for You
3am Lullaby
Ladies and Gentlemen
Son-in-law
The Eyes On You
Jungle
Speaking Off the Record
Southern Comforting
(encore)
A Song for Daisy
Oh My God
This Could Be It For Me

We Are The City @ The RIP Store -- 01/31/20

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Earlier this month, We Are The City opened the doors to The RIP Store. In promotion for their new album, the space was meant to be a free work space open to the public, with tables, wifi, coffee, etc. But the space was also being used for not only their upcoming tour rehearsal, but also a few shows curated by the band. Local favourites like Hannah Epperson, Said the Whale, The Zolas, Brandon Wolfe Scott, and even Dan Mangan (and loads more) all stopped in to play intimate shows for up to 60-some-odd people. Now that the month had come to a close, We Are The City closed down the store with a pair of their own shows, celebrating the new album, RIP.

As the small space filled up and packed with bodies (and body heat), a projection of an Instagram livestream lit up the back wall, following the band as they made their way through East Vancouver right up to the venue, entering through the back, and hitting the stage. The trio of Cayne Mackenzie, David Menzel, and Andrew Huculiak were below a row of tube lights — sections of which illuminating each member and flashing in time to the music — as they kicked off with the soaring "Baptism", playing a selection of songs spotlighting the new album, as well as some old favourites.
And not only was the crowd singing along to a lot of those old favourites, but the new ones as well, despite the album only being out a week. They lamented on what would happen tomorrow for the quirky and incredibly catchy "You're So Clean", and yelled along to the titular chorus of the chaotic "Killer B-Side Music", sending tingled up the spine. Other highlights included the haunting “Dark Horizon”, from RIP's companion album AT NIGHT, and more singing along to "Friends Hurt"

Between songs the band told stories, joked around, and testing out a new thing they wanted to try: playing clips of a song between each of theirs. While they tuned and got ready for the next song, or just for comedic effect, they would turn up snippets of “Lady In Red" by the inimitable Chris de Burgh.
This, along with the loose banter from the band just helped bolster the intimate nature of the show, already evident by the small space of a few dozen people (many of which already knew each other and/or the band).

This intimacy was also evident as Cayne introduced the final song of the night, telling the heartbreaking story behind the album's title track "RIP". Originally written about their waning closeness with longtime friend Kyle Tubbs (of Fields of Green), his untimely passing while working on other songs for the album with the band gave “RIP” an entirely new meaning.
Nothing I can say here can aptly describe what followed, as Cayne’s strained voice, cracking with raw emotion, filled the silent room. The only sounds other than the song being soft sobs and sniffles as there was not a dry eye in the house — including Cayne, David, and Andy — for one of the most emotionally impactful moments I’ve ever experienced in live music.

It’s been a little over ten years since I first saw the band, and I’m constantly amazed how they just keep managing to get better & better, but also more and more creative. Not just with their music, but with the feature films, this store, with everything they do. And even though the album just came out… I can’t wait to see/hear/experience what’s next.

setlist
Baptism
Night Guest
Kiss Me, Honey
Friends Hurt
Obviously
You're So Clean
Dark Horizon
Keep On Dancing
King David
Killer B-Side Music
RIP