Brasstronaut @ Rio Theatre -- 06/02/12

The first time I saw Brasstronaut live, I knew that one day I wanted to see them at a soft seat theatre venue. Something about their dense, orchestral sound just seemed like it would be a perfect fit. Last year I got a tease of that when they opened for Mother Mother at the Vogue, but I was very excited when they announced that their hometown show, in support of their new album Mean Sun, would be at the Rio Theatre.

Opening the show was Útidúr all the way from Iceland. The eight piece band was deeper and more eclectic that the usual orchestral folk-pop sound, with numerous influences, including a hint of gypsy-rock and even a bit of a Spanish flair in a song. But it never seemed like a jumble; it all came together beautifully. Even the vocal styles of the two lead singers, Gunnar Örn and Rakel Mjöll, were quite different, but meshed together very well.
The set had a great "flow" to it, with the band starting with some of their softer, lighter songs and then building in energy, until they reached a cacophonous ending. Highlights included "Words Are Moving Slow" and the lilting "Fisherman's Friend" in which they urged people to get out of their theatre-seats and dance, and got a growing crowd up at the front of the stage to do just that.
The band also had a great presence and infectious energy. With broken, but understandable English, they seemed genuinely excited to be playing, mentioning that it was one of the biggest shows they had played so far, and even pausing to get a picture of the crowd.

Not long after, the the six members of Brasstronaut took the stage, their name emblazoned on the curtain behind them. The stage was dimly lit, with the band often in silhouette as they made good use of the movie screen behind them, projecting imagery throughout the show; sometimes random patterns, sometimes a little more elaborate, like a sunset over an ocean for "Mean Sun" or space imagery for "Moonwalker".
Starting the set off with the upbeat and aptly named "Bounce", they hit on a lot from their new album Mean Sun, with Edo Van Breeman's haunting vocals and the band's intense, layered sound filling the theatre.
They had a bit of a technical snag early on, but it was soon solved and their hour-and-a-half long set went off without a hitch, with highlights including the deceptively heartbreaking "Slow Knots", the punchy "Falkland", and guitarist Tariq Hussain taking over vocals for the soft and eerily-beautiful "Moonwalker".
Rakel from Útidúr was out to help out the vocals for "Mixtape", which built to an intense ending, and was followed by one my my favourite songs, "Hearts Trompet", also starting soft but building to a grand climax, with drummer Brennan Saul showing off his immense talent by the end.
They finished the main set with "The Grove" and were joined by the members of  Útidúr for the first song of the encore, "Opportunity", before Edo asked to bring the lights down for a sleepy time, lullaby song to end the night. The lights dimmed as much as they could as they launched into "Old World Lies", and Sam Davidson quietly leaving the stage part way through, only to reappear in the back of the theatre, softly playing his clarinet and slowly making his way back to the stage for a beautiful ending.

It was a magnificent show, probably the best I have seen from the band, and they were incredibly appreciative of the support of the sold out crowd. I can not wait until the day when Brasstronaut headlines the Vogue, or even the Orpheum -- two venues the band's sound deserves.

setlist
Bounce, Mean Sun, Falkland, Moonwalker, Slow Knots, Francisco, Mixtape, Hearts Trompet, Requiem for a Scene, Fossil, The Grove.
(encore) Opportunity, Revelstoke Dam, Old World Lies.

Sweetheart Serenade @ Rio Theatre -- 02/14/12

To be honest, I don't usually pay much attention to Valentine's Day. I usually just let it slip by unnoticed, but when Hip City puts together a show like the Sweetheart Serenade, with a few local acts playing intimate acoustic sets at a venue as nice as the Rio? Well, I wasn't going to miss that.
There were five acts throughout the night, and they all had short sets, so I'll [try to] keep it brief. But first, one thing that bugged me was an incessant buzz or hum throughout the night. It wasn't that noticeable when songs were played, but it was pretty prominent otherwise; if the person on stage was transitioning or bantering. I noticed it last show at the Rio, too, but hopefully it was just a one-off thing. I usually like shows at the Rio, so I would hate for this to be a persistent problem.

But on to the show itself. First up was Hannah Epperson, armed only with her violin and looping pedals. Interestingly enough (probably not that interesting), every time I've seen her has been at a show involving Zach Gray. Her set was short, but she showed off her fantastic violin skills and masterful loops, with a voice that fit perfectly for a few of her own songs, and an instrumental cover of "Can't Buy me Love". She also has the best awkwardly-charming stage banter this side of Aidan Knight, joking with the crowd between songs.
But the short set wouldn't be the last we saw of Epperson, as she was without a doubt the hardest working musician of the night.

Next up was Sunny Pompeii, the solo project of Said the Whale drummer Spencer Schoening. At first he was out alone for a couple songs with a folky charm, both original -- one that started "Last night I dreamt I kissed Neko Case" which immediately became a favourite -- and covers, before being joined by Epperson for a song and bandmate Simon Marmorek for the second half of the set. The covers throughout included the likes of Akron/Family, Grizzley Bear and Animal Collective and while Spencer's voice was a little worse for wear thanks to recording earlier in the day, their original songs were quirky and entertaining.

Next up was Tariq, who was backed by his Brasstronaut bandmate Sam Davidson on clarinet and space clarinet EWI, but performing his own songs. In contrast to Brasstronaut's ethereal sound, Tariq was more straight forward folk, almost with an alt-country twinge to the songs. He kept the theme of love songs going, though had mostly sadder love songs, and the strength of them was definitely Tariq's lyrics; a perfect example being "Front Row Seat", a love songs related through concert seating, with some clever and poignant lyrics that was not just my favourite of his set, but one of my favourites of the night.

John Sponarski, Harold Donnelly and Georges Couling of Portage & Main took the stage next. They, too, were joined by Epperson for a song, "Rocky Mountain Wanderer", and Savannah Leigh Wellman of Redbird (and honourary Portage & Main member) was also out for most of the set providing backup vocals. After the building "I'd Never Climbed a Mountain", they brought their set to an end getting the mellow crowd a bit more energized to sing along to the two-word chorus of "Carolina".
Some of their songs are as good, if not better, when stripped down, so it's always nice to see them play a more intimate acoustic show.

And finally The Zolas wrapped up the night. Zach and Tom took the stage and, once again, Hannah Epperson was out to lend her violin. They played a couple new songs, starting with "Ancient Mars" that had Tom on the drum pad, before feigning leaving, but were of course out for more; a cover of Radiohead's "Codex" and another new(ish) song "Strange Girl", where Zach decided to spontaneously jump on the drum pad mid-song for hilarious (yet awesome) results.
That seemed to be the end of it but they were out one last time -- in what may have been a rare legitimate encore -- for the crowd favourite "You're Too Cool" before ending the show.

In all, it was a really nice night, and all the performers on stage looked like they were legitimately having fun and were all really loose on stage, creating a really nice and intimate feel. Perhaps appropriate for what day it was.

We Are The City w/ Treelines & Fields of Green @ Rio Theatre -- 12/10/11

Two years ago -- to the day -- was the first time I saw We Are The City live. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. They quickly became one of my favourite "local" bands (being from Kelowna), and I have probably seen them a dozen times since. Even the brief departure of David Menzel didn't slow them down, but last night was the first Vancouver show with him back. And along with them was a couple other Kelowna transplants -- and Peak Performance Project alumni -- for a killer lineup at the Rio Theatre.

First up was Fields of Green, and right off the bat I noticed their energy, particularly that of drummer, who is almost a human analog of Animal from The Muppets, with wild arms flailing. They had a bit of a synthy, prog rock driven sound and some pretty catchy songs, with a few new ones in the set, as they had just finished recording a new album and part way through the set they switched things up with the keyboardist taking over on guitar for a few songs, and switching up lead vocals for another.
When I saw them earlier this year, I thought they were quite good, and really fun to watch, but a bit green, and I thought they have really improved in just the last couple months. I am definitely looking forward the the upcoming album, and their next show.

Treelines was up next, starting their set off with a bang by high-kicking right in to the rocking "Ghost Towns". As usual they, they had a great energy, especially lead singer Matt Lockhart, but especially his brother and bassist Steve, who never fails to amuse me by singing along to every word of the set, even though he rarely has a microphone in front of him.
Mid-way through the set they brought things down for a moment with the heartbreaking "When I Get Grown", which saw Matt Kelly on slide guitar, and the title track for their new digital EP, Courage, which starts slow but swells to a grand finish.  After a couple more they ended the set ended with catchy "Ode to the Prairies", and that awkward moment where someone in the front threw a bra at Steve, who didn't seem too amused by it (keep in mind, it was an all ages show). Treelines always put on a fun, rocking show and this was no exception.

And finally, We Are The City hit the stage to a bit of a haunting intro and kicked off with "Happy New Year", garnering a fair amount of singing along. The set was a mix of new and old, with Menzel nailing the guitar parts from the High School EP and the trio sounding better than ever. When I first saw them, I was amazed by how tight they were, and they have gotten exponentially better since then, with a great stage presence and an incredible energy; especially Andy who is up and down more than any drummer I've seen. They also have some of the best banter, which seems less like "stage banter" and more like three friends chatting with you, which is highlighted in the way Cayne & Andy play off each other and interact.
As for the set itself, highlights included the beautiful "April" and the intense "Astronomers", both from In A Quiet World, a newer, unreleased song called "The Birds" which ebbs and flows, and "Mourning Song" off their most recent 7", with an amazing outro/transition between that and "Dark/Warm Air", which saw Andy on vocals and has a bass line that thumps right to your core.
Early in the set I was ever so slightly disappointed that they did not play the entire High School EP in order, with the Amazing Factory video playing on the big screen behind them, but that disappointment was sated when they launched into "Dark/Warm Air" and the video came on screen. That was the "last" song, but they were back out for "Angel in White", with the video projected for that song as well.

My only squabble was that there was a slight buzzing for the entirety of We Are The City's set, and while it wasn't always noticeable, there were a few times during the softer parts of the song where it was; but aside from that, it was an incredible set, and an incredible night of three great bands.

Chad VanGaalen @ The Rio Theatre -- 10/15/11

Two years, to the day. That was the last time I had seen Chad VanGaalen live; which is, of course, far too long. He was even playing at the same venue as last time, the Rio Theatre, which this time had sold out. And even though there were many other, out-of-town shenanigans this weekend, I wasn't going to miss this.

Vancouver's Flash Palace was opening the night, with an instrumental set of melodic, ambient, post-rock. The layered songs all kind of flowed together, and they had an intriguing sound, but it was also a little... droning. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mind-set for it, but the band didn't have much stage presence, ether.
That being said, I was pretty interested in checking them out further, and at the end they mentioned they were recording a new album, with vocals, so I'll definitely be keep an ear out to see how that turns out.

And after a fairly quick turnaround, Chad VanGaalen hit the stage, adorned in an incandescent tie-dye shirt. There was a bit of a strange delay at the start, where the lights were down and house music off, but he was still setting equipment up; but he soon apologized and launched into the set, with his band soon joining him. He also apologized, early on, for his last few shows in Vancouver have which he thought have been strange and... less than good, promising to make up for them. His self-deprecation continued later on as he wondered why, exactly, we were all there (him and the band included), but later made sure we knew that he was grateful that everyone was there. As usual, his banter, and stage presence in general, had an incredibly awkward charm with some hilarious moments -- such as when they came back out for the encore Chad and his bass player riffed on possible replacements and attachments for a hook-hand.

Musically, the show was top-notch; probably the best of the three times I've seen him. The set focused on his new album, Diaper Island, with a few older songs, and a few I didn't recognize --  though given the sheer amount of b-sides he has, enough to release eleven albums (on cassette) in the near future, I wouldn't be surprised if they were new. Highlights included the gorgeous "Sara", after which he played a very "VanGaalen-ized" rendition of Happy Birthday in honour of his friend's birthday, and "Molten Light", which got a good amount of [well-deserved] recognition applause. He also showed off his incredible range, with the haunting beauty of "City of Electric Lights" to the bloodcurdling screams of "Freedom for a Policeman".
His shows in the past have always been interesting, unique and a bit eccentric, but always incredible, and this one was no different. There was some obvious improvisation in the set near the end, as they were clearly straying from the setlist, and after a short solo song, "Burning Candle", to "end" it, the band came back for the encore with another new song, and then went into a really weird and hilariously awesome cover of "Summer of '69". It looked like they were about to go into another song after that, but Chad spontaneously proclaimed that to be the perfect ending for the night.
And you know what? It kind of was.

(partial) setlist
Never Cut My Hair, Shave My Pussy, Do Not Fear, Peace On The Rise, Heavy Stones, Sara, (Happy Birthday), City of Electric Light, [mystery song], [mystery song], Replace Me, Burning Photographs, I'm A Witness, [mystery song], Freedom For A Policeman, Molten Light, Rabid Bits of Time, Burning Candle.
(encore) [New Song], Summer of '69

Hey Rosetta! @ Rio Theatre -- 03/04/11

Aside from their all-too-short opening set for Stars last year, it had been far too long since I saw Hey Rosetta! play live, so I was quite excited for their show last night. Especially at the Rio Theatre, which is a surprisingly great venue to see live shows in. Not surprising that a movie theatre has great sound, and the seats are incredibly comfortable. Which also have cupholders for your... beverage of choice. It also must be a rarity across Canada, as every show I've seen there, the band has made a comment about how odd it is to be playing a movie theatre.

Up first was Gramercy Riffs from St John's. They had a bit of a pop-rock flavour, with harmonizing male/female vocals, and were really fun to watch. The band was tight, and put on a good set, but while they weren't necessarily generic, they weren't really much of anything I hadn't heard before. A couple songs followed the 'start poppy and then explode into dense guitars and rocking drums' template, and the songs were incredibly catchy, but a bit repetitive. Ultimately, though, I quite enjoyed them and they were a pretty great pick to open for HR! and Perfectly Acceptable Music.

And then was Hey Rosetta!, taking the stage to an instrumental intro. They started the set off, appropriately enough, with "Welcome", from the set a high energy for the night. "Yer Spring" kept the energy up, as they went into some older songs. They played a good amount from their repertoire, spanning all three of their albums. They also proved how great a live band they are, as midway through "Another Pilot" all the stage lights went out and the band finished the song in the dark, without missing a single note.
Throughout the show, front man Tim Baker was oozing both charm and energy; talking between songs, joking about the movie theatre, and jumping and dancing around while playing -- even when he was on the keys, he was chair-dancing a little. Other highlights of the set were the intense "Young Glass", the beautiful "We Made A Pact" and the "closing" song "Red Heart", which got recognition applause.
For the encore, Tim came out wearing a Newfoundland (and Labrador) flag -- that someone had put on stage for them -- as a scarf, and his acoustic guitar for "Bandages", getting everyone to sing along by the end of it. Following that, Mara Pellerin from Gramercy Riffs came out for an awesome cover of "Time After Time". I always love it when bands do covers, and this was a great interpretation of the song, making it very Hey Rosetta-esque. The set wrapped up as appropriately as it began, with "New Goodbye", bringing the show to an intense and climactic ending.

There were a few songs that I was a little sad they didn't play -- "Yer Fall", "Parson Brown", "Handshake the Gangster", and "Holy Shit (What A Relief)" namely -- and at the beginning the sound mix seemed a little off, but it was fixed soon enough and the show was pretty amazing, those minor quibbles aside.

selist
Welcome, Yer Spring, Another Pilot, There's An Arc, Bricks, Young Glass, I've Been Asleep For A Long, Long Time, We Made A Pact, Swing The Cellar Door, Seeds, Red Heart.
(encore) Bandages, Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper cover), New Goodbye.