David Vertesi w/ Steph Macpherson @ Railway -- 07/06/11

Going to a lot of shows -- especially a lot of local acts -- means that you are bound to see some people multiple times. David Vertesi and Steph Macpherson are both among my "most seen" so far this year, but that didn't stop me from wanting to see them together at the Railway.

There was a little bit of déjà vu as Steph Macpherson took the stage first. She was again joined by Savannah Leigh Wellman on backup vocals, but unlike her show there two weeks prior, she did not have a full band, rather just another guitar player. As a side note, I think every time I have seen Steph perform, it has been with a different configuration of musicians.
Not unexpectedly, it was a good set, with the new songs sounded great, especially the incredibly infectious "Summer Song", and definitely had me interested in what was to come. Steph also kept crowd involved, clapping along to "Summer Song" and providing stomps and snaps to "Something In You"

Toronto's Megan Bonnell was up next, Just her at the piano, with a drummer occasionally backing her up. Her music was enjoyable, if a little bit similar-y at times, but it was her voice that kind of bugged me. It was a strong voice, but has a little bit of a Bjork-thing going on, which I have never really been a fan of. But that aside, she was quite good, with a nice intensity and passion while playing, and I quite liked her set nonetheless.

David Vertesi rounded out the night, started with a low and soft, but intense new song and then launching into the undeniably catchy "Mountainside". He had a full band with him, and while I've liked his solo sets, the full band just gives him the chance to cut loose. His set was mostly songs off his album Cardiography, which is a collection of great, emotional songs with David's smooth baritone that definitely broke some hearts (or people).
Vertesi's also joked with the crowd a bunch, coming up with an "Indie Rock Band" game highlighting the "glamorous" life it would simulate, and talked about beating Zelda and feeling nostalgic, before launching in to a cover of "Say You'll Be There". That's right, Spice Girls. And it was a pretty great cover, spurring a group of girls up front for a spontaneous dance party.

It was a great set by Vertesi, and a solid night of music overall.

setlist
[New Song], Mountainside, Broadcasting, All Night All Night All Night, Learn To Run, Caroline! A Ghost!, Say You'll Be There [Spice Girls cover], Cardiography, Soft Skin, Gentlemen Say.

Steph Macpherson with Mike Edel and The Ruffled Feathers @ The Railway -- 06/22/11

Even though I've seen Steph Macpherson a few times this year, it's always been opening for someone else. So when her co-headlining tour with Mike Edel stopped at the Railway, I was excited. And add Ruffled Feathers to the mix, and you got yourself a show.

Up first was The Ruffled Feathers, with their rich chamber-pop sound and usual assortment of instruments, from slide trumpet to ukulele, megaphone to mandolin -- which was at one point played with a bow! I have had the chance to see them a couple times this year already, and the have been improving each time. The songs, and each member of the band, were brimming with energy.
Most of the set had (the adorable) Gina Loes on vocals, but there were a lot of group vocals, as well as other members, Andrew Lee and Charley Wu (both only slightly less adorable) taking over from time to time. They ended the set with their new one, “Blueprints for a Failed Revolution” and and older one I didn't catch the name of, but started slow and soft and built to a great big ending.

Victoria's Mike Edel was up next, and he had an upbeat and energetic folk rock vibe going. His voice, at times, reminded me of both Colin Meloy or Marcus Mumford, or a bizarre cross between the two, but didn't sound like a copy of either. He had a good mix of faster, upbeat songs mixed with a few slower ones, and part way through the set, he broke out a Gretsch White Falcon, which is a guitar I want, even though I don't, and probably never will play. He also brought out another secret weapon near the end, Steph Macpherson for backup vocals on a song, and getting the crowd to join in as well.
His set did seem to go on a bit long, though. While the set was enjoyable, it definitely dragged on a little toward the end.

And rounding out the night was Steph Macpherson, whose band included Edel on guitar and Savannah from Redbird providing backup vocals. Her set had a good mix of older songs – the emotional “Letters” was a highlight -- and new. The new ones sounded really good, especially the last two; the first I didn't catch the name of, but was quite good, and the final song of the night, Steph's entry in the Shore104 Song Search Competition, was “Summer Salute” which is a fantastic song, very upbeat and insanely catchy ; definitely my favourite of the night and a great song to end the show – and start the summer – with.
(In fact I decided then and there that it would be my “summer jam” of this year).

The Never Surprise CD Release w/ Portage & Main @ Railway -- 05/05/11

Maybe it's because I keep seeing these types of shows there, but the Railway Club is becoming more and more synonymous with good folk and roots music, for me. Last night was a pretty good example with three Vancouver bands out for The Never Surprise CD Release.

First up was The Geese -- or rather two fifths of the band. An acoustic, folky sound driven by guitar and keys, the pair had good chemistry when talking to each other, but it didn't really extend off the stage. They had songs about a variety of things, from robots to death to a cover of "Little Arguments With Myself" by Low, but they all seemed to blend together; none of the songs really stood out. Well, except for the lyrics of the last song, which was the hierarchy of Rock, Paper, Scissors... but that stood out for the wrong reasons. They were by no means bad, they were just kind of... there.

Next up was the band celebrating the release of their CD, The Never Surprise, who were joined by a couple familiar faces, Niko Friesen on drums and Robbie Driscoll on bass. They also had a more folky sound going on, but were a bit too mellow. The songs were good, and there were definitely some talented musicians on stage, they just lacked a punch, or a draw. I fully admit, though, it could have just been because I was tired, so that could have tainted my perspective. I wouldn't mind seeing them again when in a better mindset, maybe be able to fully get into it.
After they wrapped up their set, they were back for an encore with a cover of Cohen's "Suzanne" which was... okay. At least it wasn't "Hallelujah".

And rounding out the night was Portage & Main. Both front men for the band, John Sponarski and Harold Donnelly, were a bit under the weather, but while it was a little noticeable (even if they hadn't kept talking about it) it wasn't detrimental to the set; they still put on a really fun show. Even if the vocals were a bit off, which really only happened a couple times, they were still an incredibly tight band. With more of a roots-y edge than the previous two bands, highlights were the rambunctious "Tonight pt 2", the slower, more country-bent "The Morning After" and "I'd Never Climbed a Mountain" which starts slow, then builds to a great climax.
They ended the night with Savannah Wellman of Redbird joining them on vocals for a second time, and "Carolina", a great sing-along song to end the set with, which even saw a broken string from John.

setlist
Nothing (Take What You Need), What Have I Done, The Morning After, Rocky Mountain Wanderer, When You're Gone, Tonight pt 2, I'd Never Climbed a Mountain, Follow Me My Love, Carolina.

Beekeeper w/ Sandman Viper Command and 41st & Home @ Railway -- 04/10/11

Seems like it's been a busy few days for shows. After a taping for k-os and Hannah Georgas on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight at the CBC, it was over to the Railway Club.

41st and Home started off the night, somehow cramming five members and gear onto the Railway Club's small stage. Their set consisted of mostly new songs -- I would assume from the EP they just finished recording -- which sounded pretty good. They had the same chamber-pop-ish feel as you would expect from the band, but definitely also shows how much they've expanded that sound in the last year. Among the new ones there were a few older; "Sleeper" had part of the crowd singing along, and "Eva", a perfect song to end the set; even though it seemed Thom's guitar was a bit too low during the song.
There was also a nice moment during the set where Thom needed to tune, so instead of standing there in awkward silence, Patrick played some smooth jazz on the keyboard. It was a neat way to break that potentially momentum killing pause.

Next up was the awesomely named Sandman Viper Command. They had an odd stage setup as two of them were on stage, and two of them on the floor right in front. The band a bit more of a straightforward rock sound to them, which they pulled off quite well, and well as a good stage presence, and some funny banter/chatter. But while there was nothing bad about them, there wasn't really anything all that great either. They played a Perfectly Acceptable Set, but nothing that made me need to run out and listen to more.

And wrapping up the night was Beekeeper. They won me over from the start, with a swarm of puns before launching into an incredibly energetic set, sharing the same layout, with bass and violin on the floor, but the other two on stage. Musically they were good, with some catchy pop-rock songs that were a little all over the place, at times. But what elevated the set was the energy, and especially the charisma from the band. Lead singer/guitarist Devon Lougheed had a great presence, and sense of humour, joking and telling stories between songs. And to say nothing of drummer Luke Cyca and his inexplicable puffy shirt (didn't realise he made a deal with a low talker, perhaps?). The set of fun songs included "Sudden Cuckoo", which has been getting some air on CBCR3, one that was introduced as a 40 second song (and ended up being just that) as well as some new stuff, teasing a split 7" with Sandman Viper Command later this year. As they brought the set to an end, they brought up everyone from the dance floor onto the stage to finish off with a stage full of fans.

A pretty fun show, in all, and a good way to spend a Sunday night.

United Steel Workers of Montreal with Redbird & The Sumner Brothers @ Railway -- 02/22/11

I don't know why, maybe it's by design (in fact, it probably is) but the Railway Club always seems to have a lot of great folk, roots rock, or alt country acts. Last night was a trio of bands that would definitely fit into that.

First up was The Sumner Brothers, and they started their set in a most excellent way, proclaiming "This song is about a giant" before getting right into it. They had a very folk, almost bluesy sound as the titular brothers shared vocal duties, which both contrasted and complimented each other. Both deep, one more smooth and one with a gritty rumble, but full of emotion; one of the brothers was singing through clenched teeth a couple times. He also changed instruments a few times, going from guitar to keys to banjo to soprano sax.
As well as their own songs, they covered Neil Young's "Hey Hey My My (Into The Black)" and did a pretty good job of it, and ended with the  traditional song "Pay Me My Money Down".
They put on quite an entertaining show, and I would be interested in checking them out again.

Next up was Redbird, who I was quite looking forward to seeing. It would be my first time seeing them play a full band show since August, and thus my first time seeing the current lineup in full; who meshed very well together, despite being fairly new. Since that August show, I had seen and heard some acoustic songs, so it was interesting to see those same songs with the full band feel to them. The set started off with "Oh Please My Heart", which is one of the songs I knew acoustically. When the full band kicked in on it, I knew they would make the songs stronger than they already were.
Another song that I was more used to acoustic -- and one of my favourites of the songs I had heard -- was "No Game", and I was a little surprised by how much of a rocker it ended up being. But pleasantly so, as it worked very well. Definitely made me more excited for the upcoming EP.
There were, however, some technical problems with the set -- for a couple songs, Savannah's mic seemed low, and her vocals were drowned out a little, but it wasn't a persistent issue (at least not during Redbird's set) and not terribly noticeable or anything.
I've always liked the roots rock, as well as being a sucker for strong voices like Savannah's, and so the more I see Redbird, the more I am enjoying them. I am certainly looking forward to the next time I will be able to see them live (whenever that might be)

And finally was the United Steel Workers of Montreal. I had heard a lot of good things about them, so was quite intrigued. They hit the stage six people strong, and I immediately noticed there was no drummer -- just guitars, stand up bass, banjo, mandolin and accordion. The launched right into it, and pretty much set the tone for the rest of the night when they broke a string during the first song. And not only that, but they managed to joke and banter enough to keep the crowd entertained while the guitar was being restrung.
Despite being from Montreal (imagine that, a band who is actually from their namesake) they gave off more of a maritime, folk-alt-country feel, reminding me a little of the Tom Fun Orchestra, with the dual male/female vocals and raucous, fun sound. They put on a show that was just plain fun to watch, with the singer even going into the crowd and involving those in the front, from singing to/at them to getting them to shout to actually dancing with a guy. And of course, it was made that much better by the fact that the music itself was actually really good, very catchy.
The aforementioned mic problems reared up again, though, as Felicity Hamer seemed to be continually having issues with any mic she tried. But they didn't let that slow them down as they soldiered through their set.
The encore consisted of the incredibly powerful "Jesus We Sweat", and a slower song that they encouraged everyone to dance for, promising that any pair of people who did so would be getting laid that night.

Definitely a great trio of bands that, despite the technical difficulties, each put on a great show.