Saturday, March 24, 2012
The Jefferson – 1:10PM @ El Mocambo Upstairs (Aussie BBQ)
Determined to fit The Jefferson into my schedule, I started Saturday bright and early at the El Mocambo for the Aussie BBQ. Kicking the afternoon off, the crowd was a bit lacking at this early hour, but this didn’t prevent them from letting loose. Starting with single “Losing Control,” I was immediately entranced by Geoff Rana’s pretty vocals and the energy pouring out of bassist Jared King. “Running” had them leave the stage and gather in the middle of the room for an acoustic sing-along circle. Sweet and intimate, it was one of those moments that will likely never be experienced again. I was happy just to be a part of it.
Also including brand new song “I Want To Come Home” and the sultry smooth “No Surprise,” their set had my heart soaring and left me scratching my head as to how they aren’t taking over the airwaves here yet. They are offering up their EP Losing Control for free download over on their bandcamp, and it’s one you will want to include on your upcoming summer playlists. | CD
Death in the Afternoon
MUSI Artist Development teamed up with manager/party-planner extraordinaire Brock McLaughlin to put on a great daytime showcase that was held in the swanky King St. W. area at Sazerac Gastro Lounge. Taking place on the second last day of CMW, I wasn’t sure how the day would turn out, with many people saving energy for at least one more night of shows. And while it took a while for the place to pick up, it turned into a great day.
When I walked in, I could hear the sweet sounds of Jane’s Party filling the room. The Toronto-based 4-piece had the task of kicking off the party and they did a fine job. It was early, so it didn’t start to pick up much until their set was nearing its end. “Alone Together” made for the perfect pick-me-up to get the party going.
Jane’s Party actually played a second time, playing just a few songs to tame the awkward buzz when one of the bands on the bill abruptly ended their set and packed up their gear due to sound problems.
If I were to imagine what Victoria, BC sounds like, Current Swell is probably a pretty reasonable reference point. The band plays a rootsy surf rock style of music – and they look the part too. Frontman Scott Stanton’s scratchy vocals carry such an honest feel, making it easy to find this band quite likeable. But it was when Stanton pulled out the slide guitar that the set was taken to another level. “Too Cold” and “I Want A Bird” stand out as favourites in the short set. Current Swell are the most recent winners of the Peak Performance Project and, even with a shorter set, the band showed exactly why they earned the winnings.
By the time The Paint Movement hit the stage sound problems were already evident. Jason Haberman (vocals, guitar, bass) joked, “We can’t play this show” after a couple songs, alluding to the band that walked off stage earlier. While Dee Planche answered, “It’s not going to happen” when someone asked for vocals to be turned up, the band played with enough energy to make the room forget about all the flaws in the sound. In fact, The Paint Movement was the only band to get everyone to move right up to the makeshift stage, making their set a highlight of the day.
Nixon (formerly known as Tiny Danza) closed out the party, hoping for a grand debut of the new moniker. Unfortunately, by the time they took the stage, sets were running behind and many party-goers cleared out, gearing up for the later showcases. However, Nixon still performed like it was too a packed venue. With Galen Hogg standing on tables and dancing with audience members (okay, that was really just Heather Kelly from MUSI), Nixon kept the party going. The band ended their set with “Beat Fly” before Hogg rushed out the door to go to work. That’s right – party first, work later. | CL
Wildlife – 3:00PM @ French Connection
Next I headed down Spadina to French Connection on Queen St W to catch Wildlife’s in-store. While I’d seen them Thursday night, they always put on a great acoustic set, and well, I never say no to a chance to see this band. With Tim Daugulis on the melodica and Graham Plant on mandolin, the first few notes of “Stand in the Water” had me swept away to a summer’s day on this chilly afternoon. “American Eyes” had just Derek Bosomworth and Dean Povinsky taking centre stage on acoustic guitars with serenely beautiful vocal harmonies. Their set also included “Sea Dreamer,” “Drunken Heart,” “In The Dark” and new track, “It Was All A Bad Dream.”
Likely due to the venue, it was the most subdued I’ve seen drummer Dwayne Christie – no pounding on the walls when surrounded by merchandise that expensive! Povinsky’s jokey humour and attempts to sell spring trends to incoming customers was perhaps equally as enjoyable as the band’s actual set. | CD
Topanga – 4:00PM @ French Connection
I’d originally planned to head up to Sonic Boom for Zeus at 4pm, however the prospect of Topanga + acoustic + in-store at French Connection was just too tantalizing to pass up. Call me crazy, but I still don’t have any regrets. Because “what’s more punk rock than playing your songs exactly how they’re not supposed to sound”?
With the band’s normal rambunctious screaminess taken down a notch, it was replaced with a soft sweetness to the vocals, revealing the fact that Stefan Babcock can really sing. It also gave guitarist Steve Sladkowski’s masterful talent an opportunity to shine. Their set also included “The Shield,” “Never Try,” “Mabu,” “Yukon Valley” and “Sick and Cold.”
All smiles, they joked that they were just learning how to play acoustic that day. Upon repeated demands, they even (successfully) attempted “Lionheart,” one of the loudest tracks in their repertoire. It was likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness that one! Final song “Whiskey and Water” took on an entirely new level of rawness, unveiling a deeper side to the collective. If there is ever an acoustic side project in Topanga’s future, Cory Matthews strikes me as an appropriate moniker! | CD
Writers’ Strike – 6:00PM @ Sonic Boom
While I was bummed out when it was announced that due to illness, Rich Aucoin would not be performing his scheduled in-store at Sonic Boom, my mood lightened considerably when Twitter then informed me that pals – and tourmates – Writers’ Strike would be filling in. The chance to see them twice in the same day? Yes please!
While the day had taken a turn for the cold and drizzly, I was instantly thawed by the time they got to the blissful “here’s to warm nights and to rainy days” in their first song “Splitting Images.” I’ll save my full review for their Rivoli showcase and just say that they were the perfect last minute replacement for the ailing Aucoin. | CD
buying shots for bands 
Leave a Reply