Date of show: February 23, 2010
Having just released Seeds, Newfoundland-based Hey Rosetta! sold out two nights in a row at Lee’s Palace. This band just continues to pick up speed as their fanbase just grows and grows. Seeds also marks growth for the band, as the orchestration sounds bigger and bolder, which only multiplies when they perform live. They have mastered dynamic build-ups, with time-signature changes that make their training evident. Yet still, there is rawness that the band portrays, as Hey Rosetta! invites you to participate and feel the music just as much as they do.
Simply put, there is magic in Tim Baker’s voice. As Baker commands the stage, he sings and plays with feverish passion, be it on keys or guitar. Baker’s strong stage presence is obvious. His comrades are much more stagnant on stage, but even in stillness, the chemistry between the band members radiates from the stage. Joined by a second violinist as well, the rest of the band is comprised of Adam Hogan (guitar), Josh Ward (bass, vocals), Phil Maloney (drums), Romesh Thavanathan (cello, vocals), and Kinley Dowling (violin, vocals). There is something special in their smiles to each other and their expressions as they put all their energy into playing their instruments (Baker can often be seen sticking his tongue out as he plays, really getting into it). Every smile, every expression feeds into the crowd. And believe me, the crowd was engaged the entire time, loving every minute of the set, singing and clapping along throughout.
After opening with “Welcome” and “Yer Spring,” it was already evident how well Seeds stands up live. The title track was a particular highlight, with Baker’s use of looping pedals for his vocals and a real on-stage percussion-filled jam. Hey Rosetta! played a handful of songs from the new album, but also played favourites from Into Your Lungs and Plan Your Escape. “Red Heart,” which closed out the set before the big encore, had Ward completely owning on bass. The biggest surprise was their cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” as part of their encore, for which they brought on Gramercy Riff’s Mara Pellerin. Looking around at the crowd as the band ended the night with “New Goodbye,” it seemed as though the crowd was hardly ready to say their goodbye. For some, they didn’t have to just yet, as Hey Rosetta! did it again the next night, killin’ another sold out show.
With a pair of sold out shows and a great new release, Hey Rosetta! has firmly established themselves as a sparkling gem that Canada has to offer.
Here’s the setlist:
Welcome
Yer Spring
Another Pilot
There’s An Arc
Yer Fall
Young Glass
I’ve Been Asleep For a Long, Long Time
We Made a Pact
Swing the Cellar Door
Seeds
Red Heart
Bandages
Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper cover)
New Goodbye
(And if you’re wondering about night #2, some changes include “Handshake the Gangster,” “Bricks,” and “New Sum (Nous Sommes),” as well as an unrehearsed “Lions For Scottie” during the encore.)
We’ve been seeing a lot of Gramercy Riffs lately, partially due to their relocation to Toronto. Mara Pellerin (vocals, keys) was particularly excited to be on their first cross-Canada tour with their fellow Newfoundlanders, whom Pellerin affectionately referred to as “the b’ys” (that’s the extent of my knowledge of Newfoundland slang). By the time they closed out their set with “Come Home Darlin’,” the crowd was anxious for Hey Rosetta! to come on stage. But Gramercy Riffs proved they could hold their own, performing to a sold out crowd and winning over new fans.
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