I have spent the last three days away from my computer, so looking at my festival Saturday is a little fuzzy.
Part 1: Toronto Island
I had to drive back from a wedding in London the night before, so in addition to being cramped in a car for a couple of hours I was a little hard pressed on sleep. The traffic was horrendous in the downtown core. We were driving along King Street when I saw some familiar faces from a couple of nights before at the Boat. It was the members of Sleepy Vikings, the most sincere band I've met in quite some time. I knew at that point, this was a start to best day I've had in quite sometime.
My day started a bit rocky and late, as I had missed both Zeus and Timber Timbre. I especially had my heart set on Zeus, the best live show I've seen in quite some time. I don't think I can talk up this band enough, they're fun, energetic and really innovative although we've heard all their sounds before.
We arrived on the island around 2:30pm, just in time to see Beach House. I can't articulate how into Beach House I have been in this tiny space of a blog. Beach House were my soundtrack to the winter 2010 season. I remember listening to the album in my room ridiculously late at night thinking how incredible it was. Beach House are sort of an odd ball band for me because I really hated 'Devotion,' both live and recorded. So, being blown away by 'Teen Dream' was really something unexpected.
In their live show they played almost, if not all of 'Teen Dream.' Fortunately for me they played very little from their older albums. They didn't lose me at all through their set - I still found myself captivated by tunes I didn't even know. For me, the biggest thrill was hearing all of the sounds that I heard on the album to perfection live, without a phony drum machine. Beach House's great appeal in my eyes is their guitarist. His bits are best displayed in songs like "Silver Soul" that feature his hair raising guitar slide. In hearing this video, it just melts me with two seconds of his guitar noodle.
Like this video, they did a bunch of teasing throughout the set. They'd play a snippet of the song before they'd launch into the actual performance. It was such a treat because big fans, like myself, could latch onto what song was going to be played next.
As I was walking into the park, I could hear singer Victoria LeGrand's run through warm up vocals for "Silver Soul." I anxiously ran to the front in excitement for their set.
Much later at a very moist show at Rancho Relaxo, I jumped into a conversation about Beach House's performance earlier that day. There was an older photographer and a twentysometing chatting about the performance. Twentysomething loved both Beach House and the performance, while the photographer found their performance to be very boring. I immediately jumped in and proclaimed by love for their performance. He counteracted by making the claim that for a photographer, Beach House aren't the slightest bit stimulating. Fair enough. I can sympathise with his stance, as I too had been bored to death by Beach House nearly three years prior at the El Mocambo (!!!). This time however, I found myself engaged and enchanted by their dreamy set. Swaying and moving along with the sound of the bass drum. Their latest release is very appropriately titled.
Band of Horses surprised me. I had no expectations of this band whatsoever. I had just two years before really fallen for the album 'Cease to Begin,' by the influence of two male friends. I was really ticked that I had missed their impromptu show less than a month before at the Horseshoe. By far it was this set that completely blew me away. I knew only a small handful of their material, but their sound was immaculate. I was astonished by how perfect the lead singer's vocals were. I was really dazzled by the band's performance of "Ode to the LRC," the second last song of their set. Just as the bridge was rolling around with the final "The World is such a wonderful place" bit, the sun came out and illuminated the stage. Completely cheesy, but everything was extra special at that point. I was even charmed by how well the "La De Das" came out at the end of the tune. The band closed with the tune "Funeral" from their first album. Band of Horses, although really only taking off in the last couple of years are a seriously established band. Their sound is tight, while keeping it light on stage. This is a band I would see again in a heartbeat.
There really aren't many great videos of this song, but this one will have to do:
Seeing Broken was nothing extraordinary. I really like Broken Social Scene, I like where they came from, I like the projects they have made since. I however am not in love with them as I once was. They were an incredible part to my final years of high school - they sort of made it for me, they helped me get through. They were my gateway Canadian band. We kicked it back after the second half of their set to just listening. I don't think I have ever seen Broken Social Scene so far back. Their sound felt so much less than it normally did. As per usual, I was attracted to Andrew Whiteman and his brilliant live performance. I wish I could extend that to their entire gig, but I just wasn't feeling it the way I probably should've, or would've in the past.
Pavement kicked it on last. This is a band that a good chunk of the crowd really adored and stuck around for. The lead singer of Band of Horses commented on how lucky he was to be playing with them. He said that if it wasn't for Pavement he probably would have graduated from high school. I personally only know a small handful of Pavement songs. In large part I stayed because of what an epic band they are. I wish I could say I listened to them throughout myself and they were an instrumental part to the formation of my musical taste, but they weren't. I had just picked up 'Wowee Zowee' earlier this week. I have to admit I do like it, but I really only felt a big affection for the first tune and very much an anomaly track on the album "We Dance."
Cat Power digs it too:
Hopefully I haven't lost too many cool points in your books. It was sort of interesting to see the serious age gap as I watched a guy in his early thirties hang on to every word that came out of Stephen Malkmus' mouth. I felt that in ten years, when Saves the Day does their comeback tour - that's exactly how i'd feel.
Part Two: Toronto Mainland
Back in Toronto, NXNE was illuminating the city. There's a beautiful aura that surrounds the city when NXNE is on. This year I had a priority pass, which I thought would make all the difference in the world. Rather, I found few lines and rather spacious venues. I started part two of the evening with light plans to go to three different venues. We began at the El Mocambo to see Moneen, a band that I hadn't seen in years. Upon entering the venue, I abandoned my ticket buying friends to rush into the venue as the band was just beginning an acoustic version of "Start Angry, End Mad." A very peculiar song to play acoustic. I knew it was the tune because I could hear its opening lines "screw you and die I hope you burn," followed by the boys chanting "Die." I am normally quite reserved, but I felt ever so inclined to join in. Rather than a show, it felt like a campfire as it was only Kenny and Hippie on acoustic guitars. Sandwiched in between they played a new tune that I didn't recognised, finishing up with a song they said most of us probably would know. Much to my satisfaction, they brought out their old, but not tired gem "The Passing of America." I was absolutely stunned by how well it translated into a stripped down song, while keeping the vigour that it has in its electric rendition. I have these brilliant memories of the lead singer running from one end of the stage to the other yelling "The PASSING OF AMERICA..." This show we didn't get that performance, but the audience were definitely feeling it.
Just for kicks, the brilliant video for "...Broken Legs"
We moved to Lee's, where I was hoping to see a bit of the Soft Packs set at 11pm. I had unfortunately missed it and to found that the incredibly young Avi Buffalo had already took the stage. Avi Buffalo is a band from Long Beach, California and whose front man Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg, is only eighteen! I really didn't like his music, it was extremely young sounding and something that I think I would have really loved at fifteen next to Something Corporate's 'Leaving Through the Window.' His music however has a lot more talent behind it than Something Corporate and his guitar skills reflect a complexity beyond the power chords of their comparison. I admire he's probably the youngest performer signed to Sub Pop to date.
The show that wrapped up the evening was at Rancho Relaxo. As soon as I hopped up the stairs I could feel my straightened hair curl. It was ten degrees hotter in the upper bit of the bar. The venue despite the heat was packed, when the band took the stage the front area was stocked with people. I myself, had roped in a few friends for this particular showcase. Although the hottest, this had to be my favourite time I have seen the Darcys play. The band is comfortable with their music, I find that's something a lot of local band's really suffer from. The band's serious flaw is only posting two tunes online! I am anxiously waiting for something more to be put out.
I really can't boast this band enough - you can check out their music here, or download their 7" at www.thedarcys.ca.
A sweet cover of By Divine Right's cocky tune "Five Bucks":
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