Date of show: February 7, 2012
Written by: Chiara DiAngelo
Will Currie and the Country French
From the moment the 3-piece brass section stepped on stage, joining the core six members of the Country French, it was obvious that the Horseshoe was in for a real treat.
And that’s exactly what they delivered.
Fronted by Will Currie on the piano, they play their own style of infectious pop-rock that is impossible to stand still to. Even Currie himself could not remain seated, constantly rising to his feet and really getting into the music. Adding brass to the mix provided an additional layer to their unique sound. Here’s hoping it becomes a mainstay in their live show.
They played a high energy set predominantly featuring tracks off their recently released album Awake, You Sleepers! (October 2011), throwing in a couple old favourites, and even a cover of Wings’ “Let ‘Em In” for good measure. The announcement of “Tight Suit” garnered a roar of approval from a group of girls in the crowd and even sparked an old-fashioned dance party – at the Horseshoe! On a Tuesday night! Their fun set came to an end with an audience clap-along to “Ontario”.
Graham Wright and the Good Times Band
If you are ever asked to provide an example of “good friends having a good time playing good tunes,” Graham Wright and the Good Times Band is the right answer. Constantly laughing and playing with the biggest grins on their faces, it is obvious they just have so much fun on stage together. This could be because the Good Times Band is comprised of a group of Graham’s friends, including Spencer McEachern (aka The Fabulous Yawn), new drummer Joe Manzione, and Feurd Moore (The Elwins) who switches between keys and wailing away on the guitar.
Graham’s greatest talent just might be his story telling; he has this uncanny ability to take simple lyrics, many of which centre around inane topics such as eating leftovers for dinner, and spin them into something beautiful. While the songs off previously released The Lakes of Alberta centered around failed relationships, last summer’s Shirts vs Skins has a much more lighthearted feel, filled with songs that make you chuckle and bob your head. A perfect example being “Potassium Blast” which kicks off with “my baby’s a gimp, yeah she walks with a limp.” How can that not make you smile?
Their energetic set ended with a bang, including the can’t-help-but-dance-to-it single “Soviet Race”, a cover of Tom Petty’s “Listen To Her Heart”, which had Will Currie join in on vocals, and finally ending with “Leftovers”, my personal favourite off Shirts vs Skins, made even better with Spencer introing it with Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” – amazing!
Closing out the show was three-piece Atom Division. No stranger to the local music scene, the band is comprised of Dave Feschuk (vocals, guitar), Vince Rice (drums), who is literally at a show every night of the week when he’s not making music of his own, and Dean Baxter (bass), who also plays for a little band called Hollerado. Their 7” single Requiem for Red Smith/Dictionary Waltz was released on Hollerado’s label Royal Mountain Records in 2010.
Building on the supreme talents of its individual members, they are one of the tightest bands in this city. While the crowd had begun to clear out by the time they took to the stage, Atom Division delivered a solid set of timeless pop-rock tunes grounded in Rice’s precision drumming and the strength of Feschuk’s vocals. This might have something to do with the many years of experience these two have playing together – dating back to St Catharines band, the Sweater Girls – and it really shows.
There was a time when it was rare to get the opportunity to catch them live, and while they all have commitments outside of this band, here’s hoping there’s plentiful shows in the future, and maybe even the recording of more than just a 7” single!
Overall, it was a great end to a fun night!
buying shots for bands 
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