Kathryn Calder @ Media Club -- 04/18/15

About eight or nine years ago, I went to go see The New Pornographers play a show here in Vancouver, and discovered Immaculate Machine opening for them. They quickly become a favourite, and that was due in part to co-lead singer and keyboardist Kathryn Calder (who, later in that show, joined The New Pornos on stage to fill in for the absent Neko Case). Since then, Immaculate Machine broke up, Calder officially joined of The New Pornos, and as of earlier in the week, she has three solo albums to her name.
So just days after the release her latest, self-titled album, Kathryn Calder returned to Vancouver to celebrate with a show at the Media Club.


I missed the first opener, Ford Pier, getting to the Media Club just as he was wrapping up. But I certainly didn't want to miss Louise Burns and Her Victims, as she called her backing band. The dimly lit stage was fitting with her darker, noir-pop sound, with songs off her two albums so far, Mellow Drama and The Midnight Mass, as well as teasing her upcoming with a couple new songs -- including one that I didn't catch the name of but had almost a moody-Fleetwood Mac feel to it.
Louise joked about her stage banter (or lack thereof), rather letting the music and her captivating stage presence speak for her.
My two favourites of the set came at the end, and were on pretty opposite ends of the spectrum; first the most rocking song of the set, "Emeralds Shatter", followed by the gorgeously haunting "Heaven", Louise's powerful voice filling the room.


Thanks to the 10:30 curfew, it wasn't long before Kathryn Calder was out, kicking off with the absolutely beautiful "Slip Away" off her first album Are You My Mother?, starting soft and building to a big, indie-pop ending. She went chronological from there with "Turn A Light On" from Bright & Vivid, before the first single from the new one, an incredibly bubbly and catchy anthem "Take A Little Time".
Switching between keyboard and guitar throughout the set, Calder was visibly (and vocally) happy that the latest album was finally released, and that energy definitely came through on the songs, from the upbeat and jaunty "If You Only Knew" to the more down tempo and somewhat bittersweet "Song in Cm", featuring special guest Sam Davidson on the clarinet (who you may know from Brasstronaut).
Kathryn played right up until curfew -- not even bothering with the silly encore tradition -- finishing off the night first with perhaps my favourite off the new album, "When You See My Blood", another song that starts off slow and erupts into a chaotic ending, and the ending the night off on the heartbreaking "So Easily".


Be it with a band or performing solo, I've seen Kathryn multiple times at various points, and it is always enjoyable seeing her perform live. And I am really enjoying the new album, as well. Add Louise Burns to the mix, and it was a great night of tunes.


setlist
Slip Away; Turn A Light On; Take A Little Time; Blue Skies; New Frame of Mind; Beach; My Armour; One, Two, Three; Song In Cm; City of Sounds; If You Only Knew; Arm in Arm; When You See My Blood; So Easily.

Rah Rah @ Media Club -- 03/05/15

I didn't even notice that The Media Club had (apparently?) been closed for the last couple months, but the other day they celebrated their grand re-opening with one of Regina's finest, as Rah Rah teased their upcoming album, Vessels, out this spring
Though, it didn't seem like much had changed; there was a fresh coat of paint and the bathrooms were not as dank as they once were, but it may still be a work in progress.


First up was Savvie opening the show. Recently transformed from the folksy Redbird, Savannah Leigh Wellman has tongue-in-cheek called her new sound "Sex Rock" (though doesn't specify whose tongue in whose cheek), with crunchy guitars and reverb-drenched vocals to get your hips swaying.
The set was pretty much a shorter version of her recent album release show, playing most of the recently released Night Eyes, with songs ranging from the sly "Break You In", the grittier "Gravity", and the smooth groove of "I Fall Again". My favourite of the set, "Dreams of Surrender", was an intense heartbreaker of a song with Savannah's vocals soaring and culminating with Jason Blood shredding on guitar.


Not long after, the five members of Rah Rah packed the stage. There wasn't as much instrument-switching as previous shows -- most notably, Erin Passmore did not hop behind the drum kit, rather stayed up front on keyboard and guitar. Nearly all members shared vocal duties, but the bulk were split between Erin and Marshall Burns, as they burst out the gates with what I think was a new song, followed by "Art and a Wife" from their previous The Poet's Dead.

The set spanned all three albums as well as teased their upcoming Vessels, with a few songs that really got me excited for the new record. Particularly one called "Chip Off the Heart" (and probably not the mondegreen "Chipmunk for Hire") with Kristina Hedlund on lead vocals. Other highlights included "Henry" with its gang-vocal chorus, the chaotic climax of "First Kiss", and "20s", with a line that has started to hit a little too close to home, "I spent my twenties on rock & roll, I'll spend my thirties feeling old".

As the main set came to a close, they finished with a pair of songs that could only come from a Regina band. First "Duet for Emmylou and the Grievous Angel" which is my favourite of theirs, likely a shared sentiment as just about everyone in the room was singing along, especially "in Regina... Saskatchewan" as Erin and Marshall's voices blended together beautifully. Then they closed out with "Prairie Girl", Erin's voice once more soaring over the ridiculously catchy song.
But of course, they came back out for a couple more, leaving the crowd with a couple more new songs, one sweet song, and one that they were playing live in front of people for the first time ever.


Rah Rah is a ridiculously fun band live, each member full of energy and enthusiasm, and the show was a great tease for the upcoming album. When they first released "Good Winter", I liked it, but I thought it wasn't that big of a departure from The Poet's Dead. But the other new songs sounded like a really great step forward, and I am looking forward to Vessels even more now. And eagerly anticipating the following tour.

Paper Lions @ Media Club -- 11/14/14

Flashback to two years ago -- almost to the day. I was at the Media Club to see PEI's Paper Lions as they came through town, and I remember looking around at the modest crowd and being so angry. This is a band that way more people need to see live! I thought. Cut to this past weekend, as they rolled through town again, still touring strong on their 2013 album My Friends, this time to a packed and sold out club.


Opening the night was Djavin Bowen and the Uproar. Maybe. Despite the promo material saying Lonesome North, lead singer Djavin Bowen introduced themselves as such, and even hinted it was a temporary name. Whatever they are called, the seven-piece included members of Young Pacific and other local bands, and even a trumpeteer -- whose tuxedo was in contrast to the rest of the bands' t-shirts and denim -- to fill out their sound.
With a high energy, their songs were filled with an indie pop vibe, occasionally sauntered into folk territory, and had some catchy songs; a few that were definitely made to sing along to, and an ambitious cover of Arcade Fire's "Sprawl II" that broke down into some folksy harmonies at the end.
The set was a little rough, perhaps because they are a fairly new band, but is was not bad. Not great either, but someone to keep an ear out for in the future (if you can figure out what they're called).


Not long after it was time for Paper Lions, starting with lead singer John MacPhee taking the stage alone, with a drum machine pumping out the beats to "Bodies In Winter" as the rest of the band burst in mid-song. From there they hit the gas on their incredibly infectious indie rock, spanning from old favourites like "Sweat It Out", that had the crowd appropriately yelling along with the chorus, "I'll sweat it out from nine to five, to sweat it out on Friday night", to a rockin' song from their newest EP, Acquaintances, called "Do You Wanna".
Songs ranged from the softer, harmony-laden "Ghostwriters" to the all-out-rocket "Strawberry Man", which goes all the way back to their time as the Chucky Danger Band. The latter they may have even broke some strings -- or worse -- as the band had to quickly duck off stage to fix it while John told the story about the video for their next song, "Travellin'".
After one of my favourites, the ferociously catchy "Lost The War", they wrapped up the main set with "My Friend", John jumping into the crowd at the end to proclaim each person in the crowd his friend, doling out hugs and high fives while singing.
But of course, they were not quite done as the encore began with drummer David Cyrus MacDonald exploding into a drum roll that would make "Wipeout" blush, as the band joined him for the fierce "So Lonely", and wrapped up the night with one of my favourites from the new album, "Sandcastles", leaving the crowd with the sentiment "We build sandcastles, knowing that they'd wash away"

Paper Lions are such a strong live band, the four members having incredible chemistry together on stage, with near-perfect harmonies, and put on one hell of a fun show. I'm already looking forward to the next time they're through town.

setlist
Bodies In Winter, Stay Here For Awhile, Sweat It Out, Philadelphia, Don't Touch That Dial, Ghostwriters, Do You Wanna, Little Liar, Strawberry Man, Travellin', Lost the War, My Friend.
(encore) So Lonely, Sandcastles. 

The Darcys @ Media Club -- 10/15/14

The Last couple times that Toronto band The Darcys were through town, it was in the opening slot for someone else. And both times, I felt the set was criminally short. So lucky for everyone, they hit the Media Club as they came back around on their most recent tour, on the rainy Wednesday night.


I only caught the end of the first band Hollow Twin, who seemed interesting, before the next band, The Lion The Bear The Fox, featuring Christopher Arruda (the lion) on keys and Cory Woodward (the bear) & Ryan McMahon (the fox) on guitars. All three of the musicians had solo careers, to various degrees of success, but joined together for something more than the sum of its parts. Arruda even admitted he was close to quitting music before joining up with the other two, in the introduction to a song that he wrote for his two friends & bandmates. Another highlight of the set was the final song, an incendiary stomper of a song, that transitioned a little into Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall".
Solo artists coming together can always have mixed results, but the three of them meshed so well that you would think they've been a band all their lives, their three voices intertwined for some great alt-folk harmonies.


And finally, it was time for The Darcys. They started off with the dark and moody "Close to Me", the first track from Warring, as they were celebrating the (just over) one year anniversary of the album's release.
Most of the set focused on the dense and atmospheric art-rock of the album, with songs like the more upbeat and driving "Pretty Girls" and "Itchy Blood", with its slow-simmering intensity. Singer Jason Couse has a great stage presence to him, with a voice that ranges from haunting whispers to soaring heights, and even up into the falsetto.
They reached beyond the album a few times, for some older ones like "Don't Bleed Me" from their self-titled, as well as a couple new ones; near the end of the set they prefaced a song with the fact that they were going to rock & roll now, before playing a new song called "LA Jesus", a huge rocker that I immediately wished I could play on repeat (the only thing I had in my "show notes" for that song was "fucking killer")
The set came to an end, appropriately enough, with the final song off Warring, "Lost Dogfights", seeing Couse coming up to the very front of the stage and just pour his soul through the microphone, before the band brought the song to a swirling ending. But as they went to leave the stage for the faux-encore, they realised there wasn't really anywhere to go in the Media Club, so just stayed there and proclaimed it was now the encore. Jason teased a cover, saying it was only the third time they played the song live, before getting everyone remaining to put on their red shoes and dance the blues with David Bowie's "Let's Dance".


I can't remember the last time The Media Club sounded so good, and this is going to be a show to remember, especially as The Darcys inevitably move to bigger and bigger venues.

Miss Quincy @ Media Club -- 05/03/14

Miss Quincy's third album -- and first with backing band The Showdown -- came out a month ago, and they've been touring non-stop through western Canada ever since. But they wrapped up the the tour in Vancouver at the Media Club to celebrate Roadside Recovery, an album produced by The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer's Matt Rogers.

Ben Rogers & The Bloodred Yonder started the night, his band including some familiar locals, brother Matt "The Axe Murderer" Rogers and John "Johnny 99" Sponarski. He began the set with a country twang that set the mood for most of the set, weaving stories in (and out) of his songs.
Part way through the set, he dismissed his band for a song, introducing a murder ballad as he strummed the guitar alone, and aside from his own material he broke out a cover of a Muddy Waters song.
To be honest, a lot of his set was just a little too countrified for me, but there were a couple songs that picked things up I liked; a call & response audience-participation song called "Panhandler", and last song of the night, which I didn't catch the name of but ended with the entire band going all out -- especially both Ben and Sponarski, tearing up their guitars.

Soon after that, Miss Quincy was joined by her trusty sidewomen in The Showdown as the four-piece started with an almost hymnal song called "Take It To The Well". A slow-dancing song came early on, as they gradually built up the intensity through the set with their rockin' bluesy sound.
Miss Quincy's raw, powerful vocals were definitely the star, but the backup vocals of keyboardist Christie Rose blended perfectly. Part way through the set Rose even took over vocals for a cover of Dylan's "Love Sick".
Other highlights included "What Is Life If It Ain't Strange" and "Rush Hour Traffic With a Hangover" as the set climaxed with my favourite of the night, the badass and sultry "Bad Love", the first single from the album.
After the gritty "Wild Fucking West" and one other, the band was done for the night, but Miss Quincy and Christie Rose came back for one last song, a sweet acoustic Patsy Cline cover.

The set had a great energy; it's always nice as an audience member when you can tell the band is having fun, and all four members of the band were obviously having a blast on stage. I've had a soft spot for bluesy rock for many years now, and Miss Quincy & The Showdown are definitely a band I'll be seeing in the future.