Portage & Main and Redbird @ Media Club -- 03/09/12

On the eve of their [almost] cross-country tour, Portage & Main and Redbird got together to throw a little going away party at the Media Club. Both bands were among my favourite new bands (and albums) last year, so I was excited to see them together.

First up was Twin River, comprised of Courtney Ewan and Andy Bishop (of Red Cedar and White Ash Falls) and joined by some familiar faces; Malcolm Jack of Sun Wizard on bass and Dustin Bromley of Pleasure Cruise and about eight other bands on drums. It was their first show in that incarnation, and they sounded pretty tight; Ewan took lead vocals for most of the set, and their folk-alt-country sound set the tone for the night. Though nothing from the set really stood out, it was still enjoyable, and I am definitely interested in hearing more from them in the future.

Next up was Redbird, led by the beautiful voice of Savannah Leigh Wellman with John Sponarski on guitar and Ben Appenheimer and Graham Serl on bass and drums, respectively. They kicked off the rootsy-rock set with "Therein Lies the Grey", immediately captivating the packed Media Club. Savannah has a great stage presence, and good banter, especially the back and forth between her and Sponarski.
A few new songs were sprinkled throughout, including one called "I Fall Again", which really caught my ear, and "The Tower", their new single which has one of my new favourite lines "Nostalgia is a fool's addiction", and after Sponarski tore it up with a solo during "In The Hands of Ghosts", the set ended with another new one, "Roll Over Me".

setlist
Therein Lies the Grey, West Wind, Wandering One, Set Me Free, I Fall Again, Oh Please My Heart, The Tower, In the Hands of Ghosts, Roll Over Me.

And finally, Portage & Main took the stage, Sponarski and Harold Donnelly splitting vocals and guitar, with Georges Couling on keys and sharing the rhythm section with Redbird. They began the set with "Nothing", and from the get go, they were firing on all cylinders. They had a great energy as they rocked through their set.
Savannah joined them for some backup vocals on "Rocky Mountain Wanderer" and they slowed down a little with "When You're Gone", but ramped the energy right back up with a new one, a dirty swamp rocker called "Sweet Darling".And after one of my favourites of theirs, the slow-building "I'd Never Climbed A Mountain", they wrapped up the show with the bar room sing along "Carolina", not only getting everyone to join in on the chorus, but pulling friends on stage to join them.

In the last year, I've been lucky enough to see both Portage & Main and Redbird multiple times each, and I can safely say that this was the best show I have seen from either band. It could have been the atmosphere -- with half of the Vancouver music scene at the packed Media Club -- or wanting to leave on tour on a high note, but both bands pulled out all the stops for a great show.

setlist
Nothing (Take What You Need), What Have I Done?, Better Man, Rocky Mountain Wanderer, When You're Gone, Tonight pt. 2, Sweet Darling, I'd Never Climbed a Mountain, Carolina.

The Second Annual Movember Mo-Off @ Biltmore Cabaret -- 11/30/11

As November draws to an end, so too do the lifespan of many men's nose neighbours. Of course I mean the moustaches sported for Movember, to help raise awareness for prostate cancer. And to end off the month with a bang was the second annual Movember Mo-Off, the brainchild of Savannah Leigh Wellman. As well as three pretty kickass bands, there were prizes for best 'stache, a barber station to shave (or just trim) the cookie dusters with before and after photos, a photobooth, moustache shaped cookies and lots of mustachioed men in attendance; to either the chagrin or delight of the ladies.

The first band of the night was Redbird, with a mix of songs off their debut EP, We're All Friends and Lovers Until it Falls Apart, and newer ones. I've mentioned before my soft spot for female singers with a strong voice and a little bit of a roots bent (an affliction I blame on the likes of Neko Case) and Savannah's great pipes and beautiful songwriting definitely fit that mould. The guitar riff on "Therein Lies The Grey" will get stuck in your head for days and "No Game" contains one of my favourite lyrics of the year, "My subtlety sabotages me / so please read between the lines".
Another highlight of the set was a new songs which I didn't catch the name of, but saw the band rocking out a little harder than the rest, with a great solo from guitarist John Sponarski.
Redbird has definitely been one of my favourite new bands this year, and I was glad to be able to see them one more time before years end.

Next up was another favourite new band, and a double shot of Sponarski with Portage & Main. They were fresh off a tour with Treelines, which would explain three quarters of the band joining John, Harold Donnelly and Georges Couling; Matt Kelly on pedal steel, Steve Lockhart (with his usual enthusiasm) on bass and Grant McKinnon keeping things incredibly tight on drums. It probably helped that they had spend the previous two weeks playing together, but as a whole they meshed phenomenally well, and it was probably the best set I've seen from P&M this year (and I've seen them a few times).
Highlights of the set were the fantastic harmonies of the catchy "What Have I Done" and the intense "Tonight pt 2", plus a new song, a complete rager, revelling in dirty southern rock. They rounded out the set with my favourite of theirs, "I'd Never Climbed A Mountain" which builds to a soaring ending, and finished in their usual way, with the great singalong "Carolina".

Finally, wrapping up the night was a band I have seen thrice in the last two weeks, The Matinée. And even thought it was the third time, it still felt fresh, as they did a good job of changing up their sets; most of the songs were the same, but they would throw in different touches, like a bit of "Another Brick In The Wall" slipped into a song and a cover of Ryan Adams' "Let It Ride". They were missing keyboardist Dave Young, but were still firing on all cylinders, with their usual blend of folk, roots and rock and great energy & presence, especially lead singer Matt Layzell (even with his self-described creepy moustache).
They didn't end up starting til around midnight, so the weeknight crowd had thinned out a little, but as soon as they kicked off with "Let Her Go", everyone there was into it, with the usual clapping/stomping break in "Sweet Water" and singing along to "Rocking & Rolling". After the great drum breakdown in "The Road", that has each member bashing on various drums, they ended the night with "Stomp", which starts with Pete Lemon shining on drums and builds to an insane climax, featuring one of many face melting guitar solos from Matt Rose.

Not only was it a night of three killer bands, but they ended up raising over $1,500 for Movember. I'd say it was a huge success.

Redbird EP Release w/ Debra-Jean & The Means @ The Kozmik Zoo -- 06/17/11

After months of waiting, the debut EP from Redbird, We're all friends and lovers until it falls apart was ready to hatch. The release party was at a new venue for Vancouver, The Kozmik Zoo (formerly The Hennessey Lounge), which is a restaurant-venue, so it had the usual problems that those tend to, such as an odd and awkward layout and more-than-usual chatter, but the sound was actually really good, and that's what matters most.

First up was Diego Zaragoza, who took the stage with just an acoustic guitar and harmonica. His set started with a little bit of generic-acoustic-singer/songwriter fare, but as the set went on he showed more depth. He also had a pretty strong voice, at one point stepping away form the mic and letting loose, he could be heard at the back of the room. For the last song of the set, he brought up Savannah to help out with vocals.
To be honest, I had a little trouble really getting into the set, since his acoustic folky sound combined with the noise and chatter didn't mesh well, but he was a good opener and I wouldn't mind seeing him play again in a quieter venue.

Next up was Debra-Jean & The Means, with Debra-Jean being, of course, formerly of Mother Mother but now off on her own. The last time I saw her, as part of the Peak Performance Project last year, I was a tad underwhelmed from her set -- but I ended up really liking it this time around. The songs had a very dark and moody feel, that were definitely driven by her stellar voice, and it seems like both the songs and her voice had a much stronger range than previously, which was my only complaint then. Debra also had a great presence, completely owning the stage for her whole set; and to say nothing of her band, the Means, who provided excellent backup.
She's only got a five song EP out right now, but I'm looking forward to what is to come from the band.

And then was time for Redbird. I had seen them [more than] a few times this year, and they just keep getting better and better. The band was firing on all cylinders last night, and Savannah Leigh especially seemed to be brimming with not only confidence, but enthusiasm as well. You could tell she was thrilled to be playing, and that translated to a great set. They kicked off with the first song from the EP, "Therein Lies The Grey" and went on to play all the songs from the album, as well as a few others. Including a brand new one called "Set Me Free", which was really upbeat, and I quite liked. Another favourite of the set was "No Game" (which I've mentioned liking a few times before). They were joined by Debra-Jean on backup vocals for a couple, "Some Birds" & "Oh Please My Heart", and her voice complimented Savannah's voice -- which is equally awesome -- quite well.
They ended the main set with "In The Hands of Ghosts", but didn't even get a chance to leave the stage before the one song encore, with Savannah breaking out her new guitar, one used and signed by a certain influence of hers, Mr. Sam Roberts. (for a moment I was almost expecting a Sam Roberts cover, but it was a Redbird song, "Treasure Map")

setlist
Therein Lies The Grey, The West Wind, The Tower, Set Me Free, Some Birds, Oh Please My Heart, Roll Over Me, No Game, In The Hands of Ghosts.
(encore) Treasure Map.

West Coast Pop w/ Yukon Blonde, Sun Wizard & Redbird @ Red Room -- 05/07/11

The penultimate instalment in the West Coast Pop! concert series, this was another one that I was really looking forward to. A band that has proven to be fantastic live and another one I have really been digging for the last couple months, it was sure to be a good one.

Kicking off the night was Redbird. Even though they don't have anything released just yet, I've been able to see them live a couple times this year (and get my hands on a few acoustic tracks) and they just keep getting better every time I see them, which makes me more and more eager for the upcoming EP.
Their too-short-set was full of energy and lots of fun, with Savannah's great voice blending really well with the folky, roots rock sound. "Oh Please My Heart" is a definite earworm of a catchy song, and "No Game", which -- despite not even being released -- has become one of my favourite songs of the year; especially with the far too relatable line "my subtlety sabotages me, so please read between the lines".

Next up was Sun Wizard, another fairly new Vancouver band, who had more of a straight ahead rock sound, with twinges of psychedelia. The four members were focused mostly on playing, with not much by way of stage banter or even too much to engage the crowd (the bassist even had the clichéd 'vaguely bored bass player' look). A couple of songs, most notably "World's Got A Handle", sounded great, but most of them were a little interchangeable, with the same kind of sound going on. But they put on a perfectly enjoyable set, and while I might not go too see a show of their own any time soon, I would not be against seeing them live again, and I could definitely see them getting better given time.

And finally, Yukon Blonde. I've had the fortune of seeing them a couple times before, but always as the opening band, so it was great to have them play a longer set. The band always puts on a great live show, and last night was no different. With their incredibly energetic, eardrum-melting power pop-rock and near-perfect harmonies, they had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands, singing along to all the older songs -- with Jeff Innes even handing over the mic to the crowd for part of "Wind Blows". There were also a few new songs sprinkled throughout the set, which were quite good, but taking the cake was one called (according to the setlist) Radio, an intense rocker that I can't wait to hear again.
The only complaint would be that a couple of times, the vocals seemed to be a bit low. But it wasn't a persistent problem, and didn't take away from their set all that much.

setlist (taken from the on-stage setlist, so some new songs may be shorthand)
Rather Be With You, Brides Song, Wind Blows, Oregon Shores, Iron Fist, Water, Blood Cops, Radio, Stairway, Babies Don't Like Blue Anymore, Nico Canmore.
(encore) My Girl, Loyal Man.

Henry & The Nightcrawlers with David Vertesi and Redbird @ Biltmore Cabaret -- 03/21/11

Originally, I was not sure if I was going to blog about this show. As you should may know, I was instrumental in the organization of it, bringing the three bands together on one night. I felt that a) blogging about it would be too conflict of interest-y, and 2) during the show I was half watching, and making sure everything was going smoothly. But after a brief twitter-poll, I decided I would, but just focus on the performances. And so, inspired by Henry and his reading poetry in lieu of stage banter, I decided to review all three sets... in haiku.

Redbird
Beautiful voices
And masterful guitar work
They don't have No Game

David Vertesi
David does it all
Shoulder shimmies to heartbreak
He is Broadcasting

Henry & The Nightcrawlers
Some new Nightcrawlers
Henry rocked On A Week Night
Poetry and all.


For all of you that came to the show support my endeavour and, more importantly, Evolution1079... thank you so much. I can't express how much it meant to me.