Date of show: October 9, 2010
Steve Bays (vocals, keys) declared, “I like to play rock and roll music.” Bays certainly knows his role as frontman, as he really plays to the crowd, especially those right up front. The rest of the British Columbia’s Hot Hot Heat consists of Paul Hawley (drums), Luke Paquin (guitar) and, newest member, Louis Hearn (bass). Although Bays may be the face of the band, Hawley busted out his “special drummer shorts,” apparently to which we owed their spectacular encore. With Bays’ unique voice, their alternative/new wave hybrid sound and the band’s sheer ability to entertain, this set held a lot of promise.
Hot Hot Heat opened up with ‘YVR’ from their newest recording effort, Future Breeds, and I wondered if their set was going to be largely new tunes. It is no doubt that this new album brought out the skeptics, but Bays proudly declared that “The Edge has been playing the shit out of” their new songs. They did play a fair handful of newer songs, including ‘21@12,’ ‘Zero Results,’ and ‘Goddess On the Prairie,’ Bays dedicated ‘Nobody’s Accusing You (Of Having a Good Time)’ to “the asshole at the back of the room.” As he said this, he was looking at someone right up front and said, “Not you, I like you. I’m going to buy you a drink after the show.” Their new songs did not seem to disappoint the crowd, as it is no doubt that Bays knows how to work a crowd.
They also balanced out their set with older favourites, ‘Talk to Me, Dance With Me,’ ‘Harmonicas & Tambourines,’ and ‘Give Up?’ Their big show closer was ‘Bandages’ and their encore finish was ‘Middle of Nowhere,’ songs that I’m sure pleased long-time fans. Bays even invited some members of the audience onto the stage for ‘Middle of Nowhere’ and Hearn and Bays faced one of the microphones toward these fans to sing along.
Overall, I would say the night pleased old and new fans alike. Wherever you loyalties lie with this band, there is no doubt that Hot Hot Heat knows how to put on an entertaining show. With approximately 10 years of experience behind them, Hot Hot Heat continues to show everyone what they’re made of – rock.
Hey Rosetta! took the stage shortly after Rich Aucoin (more on his set here) and, judging by the crowd’s enthusiasm and chants at the end of their set, their 8-song set was far too short. If you’re not familiar with Hey Rosetta!, you might be under the impression that this indie rock band is a little mellow. Perhaps that impression might be from Tim Baker (vocals, guitar), who has a voice that is a little raw but incredibly captivating and sometimes even soothing. However, if there is something that this band excels at, it is their ability to build to a climax. In fact, they are not mellow at all.
Hey Rosetta! is a 6-piece band from Newfoundland and joining Baker on stage were Adam Hogan (guitar), Josh Ward (bass, vocals), Phil Maloney (drums), Romesh Thavanathan (cello) and Kinley Dowling (violin). Their songs are rich and layered, and, with 6 members on stage, there’s a lot of power behind their music, even in their quietest moments.
They opened up with a couple new tunes and, although they have yet to be released, some in the crowd were actually familiar with the songs, perhaps because Hey Rosetta! had played the last two days in Toronto. They played at Yonge & Dundas Square for NHL Faceoff on Thursday and the whole bill played the night before at The Mod Club. The rest of their set was mostly made up of songs from Into Your Lungs, an exception being ‘Epitaph,’ which brought the crowd to sing the words “Don’t let the bastards grind you down” over and over.
Although it was over almost as quickly as it started, especially for a crowd eager to hear more and more, Hey Rosetta! played a fantastic set. They certainly left the crowd looking forward to their upcoming album, slated for release in the New Year. We’re all anticipating this release and we can’t wait for Hey Rosetta! to be headlining with a much longer set, as they rightly deserve.
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