Shred Kelly @ Electric Owl -- 01/31/14

As I've said more than a couple times before, one of my favourite newly-discovered bands from the last few years is Fernie's Shred Kelly. They kicked off a short BC tour the other night in Revelstoke, before hitting the Electric Owl in Vancouver.

Opening the early show was Vancouver's this is The Shoes. Usually a two piece, the duo was joined by a drummer and bass player to fill out the band. They opened with a softer song before launching into a set full of dirty and fiery blues songs, with singer Sabrina Robson's strong voice perfectly fitting for their sound.
I always have a soft spot for blues rock -- which they did very well -- but while Sabrina & guitarist Jereme Collette were definitely talented, I felt like they needed to put their own stamp on the sound, like I wasn't listening to anything new. They're only a couple years old as a band, though, so I am interested to see what's next for the band.

Not long after, Shred Kelly took the stage, immediately launching into a more-or-less instrumental song, followed by the explosive "Cabin Fever". Since they first time I saw them, the self-described "stoke-folk" band always been strong and energetic, and they were in top form that night. Especially the shared lead vocals between banjo/guitarist Tim Newton and Sage McBride on keyboard.
Part way through the set they tested out a couple new songs; the first was a comparatively dark song with Sage's powerful voice filling the room, and was possibly my favourite of the set. The other had Tim on vocals, with his ukulele, for a majestic, soaring song. It sounded like it could have easily been in a commercial for Tourism Fernie (which I mean in the best possibly way).
Other highlights were the back-to-back "Tornado Alley" and "The Bear", the former building up to a cacophonous and frantic ending, fitting its name, and the latter featuring some of the fastest hands on the banjo.
They wrapped up the main set with "New Black", but of course they were back for one more, joined by Eric Larocque for the ultimate song to blow off steam, "I Hate Work". Not only did they get people stomping, clapping, and yelling along, but when they "brought it down", everyone on the dance floor took a knee. Most of the time when I've seen bands try that, there are still a few "I'm too cool for this" people still standing, but not this time.
I think that was a major factor to why this was Shred Kelly's best Vancouver show to date; the crowd was fantastic, and each member of the band fed off that energy, leaving everything on stage.

setlist
[Intro], Cabin Fever, White River, Rowed Away, Time is Passing, [New Sage Song], [New Tim Song], Fossils & Tin, Tornado Alley, The Bear, New Black.
(encore) I Hate Work.

Young Galaxy @ Electric Owl -- 09/26/13

Three years. That's how long it had been since I last saw Montreal's Young Galaxy perform live. And even then, it was an all-too-short opening slot for the mighty Stars. With the release of their recent Polaris Prize shortlisted Ultramarine their tour saw them came by the Electric Owl in Vancouver, and I knew I was not going to be able to miss it.

I got to there part way through the opener, Human Human. It was the first time in Vancouver for the Montreal band, and they seemed intent on making an impression. In matching jackets with RUN emblazoned on the back, they wore their 80s influence on their sleeves with a synth rock sound and had a great energy to them. The fun they were clearly having on stage definitely bled into the crowd.
The two standout songs were "Control" and the last song of the set, which I didn't catch the name of. I would definitely be interested in catching them again next time they roll through town.

It wasn't long after that Young Galaxy hit the stage, with a projection screen behind them and each member dressed in all black pants and shirts, with suspenders and ties. "Blown Minded" off the Shapeshifting album started off the set that drew from their last three albums -- though nothing from their self-titled debut, which had a bit of a different sound to it --and after the band wrestled with some sound problems early on, it was apparent that they were a force of nature. All five members had an great stage presence; Stephen Ramsey bantered and joking around a little between songs, but it was lead singer Catherine McCandless that all eyes were on. She took command of the stage, stalking back and forth & occasionally crouching down at the front, and with a great intensity her incredibly emotive voice captured the crowd.
The set was full of their dreamy and spacey synthpop songs, but also had a nice diversity. Songs ranged from the thumping of the driving, danceable beat of "Pretty Boy" to the gorgeous "Sleepwalk With Me". Other highlights included the fast paced "Youth Is Wasted on the Young", and "Privileged Poor" with its hypnotic instrumental intro, and one point where Catherine backed off and yelled into the mic, giving it almost a haunting quality.
They ended the set with the huge and showstopping "We Have Everything", and after a great crowd reaction, were back out for one more song; an amazing cover of Erasure's classic "A Little Respect".

The first time I saw Young Galaxy was six years ago at a smoke-filled Media Club. I enjoyed that show and every time I've seen them since, they have gotten exponentially better. Each time leaves me in awe.
I just hope it's not another three years before next time.


setlist
Blown Minded, Peripheral Visionaries, Pretty Boy, In Fire, Out the Gate Backwards, Sleepwalk With Me, Privileged Poor, Youth Is Wasted on the Young, Hard To Tell, Cover Your Tracks, Fall For You, New Summer, We Have Everything.
(encore) A Little Respect [Erasure cover]

Jeremy Fisher @ Electric Owl -- 02/16/13

It was a busy night in Vancouver last night, concert-wise, but there was only one I had my eye on: Jeremy Fisher at the Electric Owl. It's been a while since Fisher was last in town, and the was the last stop on a short West Coast tour in support of his latest album, Mint Julep.

Vancouver's own Hilary Grist opened the show, but unfortunately I arrived too late, getting to the packed venue moments before Jeremy Fisher took the stage. Armed with just an acoustic guitar, and occasionally a harmonica, Fisher mentioned early on that the setlist was curated from requests taken earlier that day on his Facebook page -- and even a couple songs yelled at him mid-set -- so it consisted of songs new and old, and a few he had rarely played live.

He started with "On My Mind", his most recent single, and went for a little over an hour, playing old hits like "Cigarette" and "Shine A Light", which had the captivated crowd singing and clapping along, and more new songs, like "Tetris Song", a love song that borders between sweet and corny (in a good way).

Other highlights of the set were the ridiculously catchy "Scar That Never Heals" and a "dead bride wedding song", as Jeremy introduced it, called "The Bride is Dead", which is exactly what the title implies. It is a sad & darkly hilarious song, and while it's not yet recorded, I've seen him play it live a few times, and it may be one of my favourite songs of his.

He wrapped up the main set with "High School", eliciting a huge ovation, and came back with time for one more before the curfew; a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer" with Hilary Grist helping out on vocals, and the crowd singing along to the "lie la lie" chorus.

Fisher is a fantastic live performer; he talks and jokes with the crowd (sometimes individually) and effortlessly weaves stories into the songs themselves, whether they're directly related to the song or random non-sequiturs. Few artists have that ability to totally engage the crowd like he does -- especially if it's just a guy with a guitar on stage -- and even if it's venue brimming with people, he makes it seem like an intimate show in someone's living room.

setlist
On My Mind, Shine A Little Light, Laissez Faire, Scar That Never Heals, Left Behind, The Bride Is Dead, Remind Me, Cigarette, Ain't Got Nothin' But Plenty Of Time, Built To Last, Tetris Song, Canned Goods, Sula, Lay Down (Ballad Of Rigoberto Alpizar), Lemon Meringue Pie, High School.
(encore) The Boxer [Simon & Garfunkel cover].

The Tom Fun Orchestra w/ The Strumbellas @ Electric Owl -- 11/23/12

The first time I ever saw The Tom Fun Orcheastra live was back in '09; it was their first Vancouver show, at a crappy pub with mediocre opening bands, and they didn't even go on stage until 1am, thanks to a lengthy turnaround due to the venue not letting the eight piece band set up beforehand. In short, it was a bit of a gong show.
But as soon as they played, they turned the whole night around. They took what could have been a terrible night, and with the power of their live show, wowed everyone in the room.
I've seen them every time they've been back since (which is not often enough), so I wasn't going to miss them at the Electric Owl. Especially since they were touring with a band that I had been meaning to see for a while, so that worked out well.

That opening band was Lindsey, Ontario's The Strumbellas. The six members took the stage and from the opening song, I was struck by their stellar harmonies and upbeat, alt-country "folk-popgrass" sound. The insanely catchy "Lakes" was a great example of said harmonies, and their whole set was bubbling over with energy. Other highlights included "I Just Had A Baby" with the lyrics "I have cried to bigger men than you, I have lied to better friends than you." and yet another song to get stuck in your head long after the show, "Sheriff".
Each member had a great enthusiasm and stage presence, with a lot of funny banter -- most of which was off the cuff ribbing of other band members; especially from lead singer Simon Ward. You could tell they were all having an absolute blast on stage, and that excitement was definitely infectious. I have no doubt that I'll make sure to see them next time they're through town.

It wasn't long after that Cape Breton's The Tom Fun Orchestra hit the stage, now down to seven members with instruments ranging from accordion and banjo and horns, for a rich and lush eclectic mish-mash folk, roots, blues, rock and punk. The sound is driven by the distinct and unique rough gravel of Ian Macdougall's voice, which contrasts beautifully with the lovely voice of Breagh Potter; their different styles could easily clash, but they blend together so perfectly.
Most of the set focused on the new album, Earthworm Heart, starting off with the lead track, "Merry Christmas, Jim" -- not a very festive song, despite the name. Some highlights includes the cacophonous "Watchmaker" from their previous album, You Will Land With A Thud, and "Lungs", which rises to a grand ending.  They played right up until the curfew, not bothering with the faux-encore, ending the night by first inviting members of The Strumbellas back on stage for a big group party for the explosive "Animal Mask", and then inviting everyone on stage for their last song of the night, "Sympathetic Wolf" culminating in a giant sing along, the stage packed with musicians, friends and fans.

As amazing an energy as The Strumbellas has, Tom Fun managed to not only match it, but top it as well. The term "force of nature" may be a cliché when describing music and bands, but it definitely applies to The Tom Fun Orchestra, and with the strength of both bands, this may be a late contender for one of the best shows of the year.

Wil @ Electric Owl -- 06/25/12

It's that time of year when the Vancouver International Jazz Festivaltakes over the town. I am planning on a few shows this year, but the first of which is a musician I first saw sever or eight years ago, and was instantly mesmerized by. Wil (full name Wil Mimnaugh) lives up to his website name, ibreakstrings.com, with the habit of breaking strings right off his guitar from the intensity of his strumming. I hadn't had the chance to see live in far too long, so I was more than a little excited for the show.

It was an early show, and first up was Bocephus King, who had an upbeat, bluesy sort of sound. With King on guitar and vocals, joined by Paul Townsend on drums and Robin Layne on percussion, with a variety of shakers and noisemakers, they seemed very natural and fluid, almost as if it was improvised right there, and the way the band meshed was incredible, as they melted genres together flawlessly. 
Part way through the set they were joined by Skye Wallace, with her soft voice helping out with vocals and the set was brought to an end with a song that started soft and built to a great ending, and even featured a bit of flute. 
It was amazing to watch all the songs come together live, and any other night, there is a strong possibility that they would have stolen the show.

Not long after Wil took the stage, just himself, and Kevin Haughton on drums. His fast-hands on the acoustic guitar and rough, soulful voice filled the room and his passion for playing was immediately apparent, as the music seemed to flow out of him effortlessly for the entire set. Clocking in at nearly two hours, Wil played songs spanning the years, from the heart-wrenching "Oak Tree" off his newest album, Heart of Mine, all the way back to the first song he wrote, "Both Hands", switching occasionally from a normal microphone to an old microphone. the "shitty phone call mic" as he called it.
The first broken string of the night came during "Roam", a song written for the Travel Alberta board, and after picking up his backup guitar -- which had a visible arc of wear and tear from how intense he plays -- he broke yet another string a couple songs later. At that point he decided to end the set with one more song, written because of his frequent string breaking that both requires and is titled "4 Strings", an instrumental that was among one of the most impressive displays of guitar playing I have witnessed.
He was set to wrap up the set with that, but was informed he still had more time if he, and the crowd,  wanted; and with an overwhelming response, he got what may have been an actual, legitimate encore -- though only after a short, ten minute break to re-string his guitars.
When he returned he took a few requests, breaking his third and final string of the night with "The Deal", and switching to his backup to end off the set with an older one, "Sweet Rebecca" and finally finishing off the night with the amazing and intense "Honey Pie".

For years, Wil has been one of my favourite guitar players, especially to watch live, and this show did nothing but remind me why. The "breaking strings" thing may seem gimmicky when heard about second hand, but it never feels forces, like he's actively trying to break them, and it only takes watching him perform live once to become a lifelong fan.

And as for the fate of the broken strings, they don't just wind up in the trash. Several years ago Wil's wife Caroline started making jewellery out of the discarded strings, and at the merch booth -- or online -- you can buy bracelets, necklaces and earrings made from broken guitar strings.

setlist
Rain On, Gold, Wedding Dress, Oak Tree, Tell You Twice, Both Hands, Roam, If You Want Me Too, Ride, 4 String.
(encore) The Deal, Baby Baby, Sweet Rebecca, Honey Pie.