Royal Canoe @ Fortune -- 06/21/14

Two days into the Vancouver International Jazz Fest, and they've already shown me two of the best shows I've seen so far this year. Last night it was back to Fortune for one of my favourite groups to see live, Royal Canoe. It had been a while -- since before the release of their new album Today We're Believers -- but I was glad to see them back, especially on a stage that could hold all of their equipment and persons.

Starting off the night, however, was hometown band Copilots. With kind of a droning rock sound, they teased songs from an upcoming album, but a lot of them had the same vibe, and the lead singer's vocals were a little buried. The set didn't really do much for me -- aside from one song near the end, introduced as their dancey-song -- and can be summed up in their last song, a ten+ minute song that just kind of meandered through different sounds and dragged on to end the set.

As soon as they finished, the guys of Royal Canoe hit the stage to set up their stage-full of equipment; dual drums, mountains of keyboards and synth, a whole table for effects pedals and more, the six-piece band always fills the stage. Leading off with the high energy "Show Me Your Eyes", and by the second song, "Hold On To The Metal", the crowd was already clapping and singing along. In fact, it was a great crowd overall, lots of singing & clapping, and "recognition whoos". None more so than the massive "Bathtubs", one of the highlights.

I've said before, Royal Canoe is one of the best and most interesting bands, especially to watch live, with a vast range of sounds and influences reigned in to one great electro/pop/rock sound. And they proved it again with a set focused on the new album (and its preceding EPs), ranging from the soft and introspective "Exodus of the Year" to the R&B flavoured "Summersweat".

They finished off the set with Matt Peters' distorted vocals on "Nightcrawlin'" but were called back for one more from the crowd, a fantastic cover of the 90s R&B jam "No Diggity" by Blackstreet. I always like it when bands do something fun and unexpected with the obligatory encore -- aside from just another couple songs -- and this was a perfect example of that.

I've seen them a half a dozen times now, and while they have always blown me away, this was by far the best show I've seen from the Winnipeggers. They were tight with an amazing energy, feeding off the crowd's enthusiasm and giving back tenfold.

setlist
Show Me Your Eyes, Hold On To The Metal, Just Enough, Exodus Of The Year, Stemming, Bloodrush, Summersweat, Birthday, Bathtubs, Button Fumbla, Nightcrawlin'.
(encore) No Diggity [Blackstreet cover]

Royal Canoe @ Biltmore -- 03/25/13

I don't think it's any exaggeration to say Royal Canoe is among my favourite live bands right now. They are constantly touring and seem to come through Vancouver every few months, which mean I've had the fortune of seeing them a few times in the last year and a half, and every time I do they continue to impress me.
(Also, how cool is that gig poster?)

Opening the night was Vancouver's Christopher Smith. I had seen him once before, but sandwiched between two great bands, and he kind of got lost in the shuffle, so I was interested in seeing him again. His dark and moody, yet lush alt-pop sound was pretty captivating, though a lot of the songs were kind of the same tempo.
There also wasn't much banter from Smith, but I later found out he was suffering from food poisoning, so even though that wasn't noticeable, it could have been the reason.

He did a cover of Fever Ray's "If I Had A Heart", and highlights of the set were the haunting "Pillars and Pyre" and the final song, I believe called "No Light Could Pass Though Me so I Have a Shadow", which built up to an intense ending; definitely the strongest song.
I have a feeling that Smith's music is the kind you appreciate more and more as you continue to listen to it, so I am looking forward to seeing him again after getting better acquainted with his most recent album, Earning Keep.

Soon after that, the six members of Royal Canoe took the stage with their assortment of instruments. With dual drummers -- one on a full kit and on on a drum pad and floor tom -- and as many keyboards and synth as they had members, it was actually the first time I had seem them where everything fit properly on stage.

They started the set with the insanely infectious "Show Me Your Eyes" off their most recent 7" Purple and Gold building dense and intricate wall-of-sound electro-pop that manages to be both complex and catchy. 

They sprinkled the set with a few new songs, building anticipation for the new album that they teased would be out late spring/early summer. The new songs sounded like a great progression of their sound, and I can't wait to hear how the new album sounds.

There were a few older songs in the set, too, including one song I never thought I would hear. It was the song that introduced me to to the band and hooked me, and one that I always lament (sometimes loudly) they never play live. But after the pestering of a certain blogger or two, they played it for the first (and likely last) time in a few years, "Kasparov", a ridiculously catchy love song between Garry Kasparov & Deep Blue with plenty of clever wordplay & chess puns.

They followed that up with "Bathtubs", a bombastic song with as many musical twists than some bands have in full albums, and another new tune, before finishing off with "Nightcrawlin'", a dark and lush song with the vocal processors on Matt Peters' voice giving it a deep and electronic, almost demonic, quality. And then they were of course back for an encore, with "Dear June" starting soft before bursting into a frantic ending, a great way to end the night.

Royal Canoe is one of the most interesting, most unique, and just flat out best live bands right now. They are incredibly tight and just full of energy, and never fail to impress. The last few times I've seen them, I've been with people who had not, and the reaction has been the same: "Wow!" 

Royal Canoe & Krief @ Waldorf -- 09/14/12

One of my favourite guitarists is The Dears' Patrick Krief, so of course I was a fan of his previous solo project, Black Diamond Bay. Well, Patrick is back with a new solo album, simply under the name Krief, and when I saw he was coming back to Vancouver I knew I needed to check it out. And then, when I found out Royal Canoe -- who played one of the best shows this past spring -- was on the bill too? Well, this was going to be one hell of a show.

Though there was a bit of confusion surrounding the show. There was a big mix-up with the set times of the show, so not even the bands knew what time they were going on until the last minute, and even earlier in the same day I had seen conflicting reports about whether it was Krief or Royal Canoe headlining the night.

One thing that was for sure, the opening band was Lost Lander, from Portland. It was the first show of a small tour of the Pacific Northwest with Royal Canoe, and they were an good choice for an opener. Strong, dark indie pop with some nice boy/girl harmonies between the guitarist & lead singer John Gnorski and Sarah Fennell on keyboard, they put on a very enjoyable set, with a good stage presence. Though there was a bit of chatting with the growing crowd a little between songs, there was also a few awkward pauses, and they wrapped up with the two best songs of the set, "Cold Feet" and "Belly of the Bird / Valentina" from their debut album DRRT.
They were nothing too mind-blowing, but put on an entertaining set, and I wouldn't mind checking them out more int he future.

Next up was Krief, whose set started a bit slow, as they had to chance the mic cable after the first song. But from the second song on, they filled the room with a blues inspired indie-rock sound, and deep & cinematic, beautifully textured songs. Krief didn't say much during the set, just letting the music speak for itself, and did it ever; the lush songs not only evoked emotion from the lyrics, but the musical arrangements as well. Highlights included "Simple Lives", with its soaring chorus, and the catchy "Perfect Bodies".
After the rocking "What We Wanted", an older Black Diamond Bay song, they closed out with the title track from the recent album, Hundred Thousand Pieces, starting soft then exploded with intensity, and featuring an extended, amazing, face-melting solo from Krief.
It was a pretty fantastic set, and hopefully it won't be another three years until I get the chance to see Patrick Krief playing his solo material live again.

That right there would have been a show worth seeing, but there was still Royal Canoe to wrap up the night. As with the other times I've seen them, they almost had more bodies and equipment than the stage could fit, the six members with an assortments of keyboards, synth, effects pedals, dual drums and more. There was one point where, to get to the other side of the stage, Matt Schellenberg had to hop off and walk around.
They started the set with "Hold On To The Metal", a great example of their complex, yet catchy wall-of-synth rock sound. Their live so is so tight and refined, with densely layered songs that still remain accessible. Highlights of the set were a couple new songs from their recent 7" Purple and Gold, a sexy slow jam called "Summer Sweat" & the crunchy "Show Me Your Eyes", and the bombastic "Bathtubs".
The set seemed way too short as they played right up to the curfew, not bothering with the encore fake-out, ending the set with the incredible "Nightcrawlin'", featuring Matt Peters again using the effects mic to run his voice through what I dubbed the "demonic processor", to give his vocals a deep and electronic quality.

I've said it several times before -- and I'm sure I will again -- but Royal Canoe is one of the best, and most unique, live bands in Canada right now, and I will be there without hesitation next time they're in town. And with Krief on the bill as well, for another excellent set, this was an amazing all-around show.

Royal Canoe @ Waldorf -- 05/22/12

It's only been a couple months since the last time Royal Canoe was through town, but I was blown away both times I had seen them previously, and despite some other shows going on that night, it was a pretty easy decision. Plus, I still hadn't been to see a show at Vancouver's Waldorf Hotel, strangely enough, so it seemed like a good show to break in the venue.

Opening the night was the lovely looping violin of Hannah Epperson. She immediately grabbed the crowds attention with her amazing layered soundscapes and a soft but captivating voice. Her set included a Beirut cover, "My Night With the Prostitute from Marseille", as well as her own material, the intricate "Murder of Crows" and "We Will Host A Party", which she closed with, and was probably my favourite of the set.

Not long after, Royal Canoe packed the stage with six members and their assortment of instruments; two drummers, several keyboard and a ton of synth and pedals to create their unique and layered synth-pop wall-of-sound. The band has managed to hit that sweet spot with songs that are dense and complex, yet undeniably catchy and accessible, and their live show is incredibly refined and tight.
They started off the set with "Today I'm A Believer" and the infectious "Hold on to the Metal" off their most recent EP, simply titled Extended Play. Highlights throughout the set included "Dumb Waiter", off their debut album Co-Op Mode, and the dark "Nightcrawlin'", which ended the set with Matt Peters' vocals filtered to give himself deep, almost demonic tone. After tremendous applause, they were back out for one more, "Dear June", which starting soft then exploding into a frantic and explosive ending; a perfect way to end off the night.

Every time I see Royal Canoe live, I am more and more impressed by them, and they are definitely one of the most unique -- and best -- live acts touring Canada right now. It was a great night of music and even the noise bleed from whatever event was happening upstairs couldn't detract from it.

Royal Canoe @ Media Club -- 03/01/12

The last time Royal Canoe was in town, I was -- for some reason -- on the fence about seeing them. But after I did, I wrote "next time they come through town, there will definitely be no fence-sitting". Well, add Hannah Epperson and Elias to the bill, and it was almost a no-brainer to hit the Media Club last night.

Hannah Epperson started off the night with her violin and looping pedals, and immediately wowed the crowd with both. The loops from her amazing violin playing created a great depth from the first songs, which featured a little bit of Beirut's "My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille", and her soft voice fit in perfectly.
Between songs she had some awkward-but-endearing stage banter, and charmed most of the crowd into coming up and sitting cross-legged at the front of the stage. Her short set ended off with what she said was her favourite songs -- and my favourite of the set -- "Murder of Crows".

Next up was Elias, who are hot off the release of their new album Fossils. They started the set with a song I didn't catch the name of, but was one of my favourites of the set, with guitarist Rob Tornroos on vocals, as it built to a giant swirling climax. From there they played mostly from the new album, with a good energy on stage from the whole band -- especially lead singer Brian Healy who was rather engaging, even jumping off stage to run through the crowd and get everyone clapping at one point.
While there are times I think their dark, alt-rock sound may be a little too "Fox-Rock" for me, I can't deny that they have an incredibly solid live show, no doubt honed by their years of playing, and are always enjoyable to watch play.

And finally, Royal Canoe rounded off the night. The stage was absolutely packed with the six members and all their instruments; including but not limited to guitars, bass, several keyboards, and a drum kit & a half. So it was no surprise that they created a huge wall of sound with their synth-driven electronic-pop.
Highlights of the set included the catchy "Hold On To The Metal" off their latest EP, appropriately titled Extended Play (and available on 3.5" floppy disk at the show), "Dumb Waiter" from their first album Co-Op Mode, and the creepy "Nightcrawlin'", which ended the set with lead singer Matt Peters' unique voice filtered through a second microphone, with all sorts of vocal effects. They were back out, though, for a one song encore, which was sadly not "Kasparov", definitely my favourite song of theirs that I haven't seen either time they've played here. But despite that, it was still a fantastically fun and damn good set; they teased being back in May, and I think by this point, going to the show will be a foregone conclusion.