North by North East; Thursday June 17, 2010

I spent a good chunk of my evening at the Boat where I manned the door. It had a pretty low attendance, nothing beyond what I expected. I was tremendously happy to meet a handful of really lovely people.

I learned tonight how grateful and warm bands can be. I was hoping to be completely wowed, unfortunately, none of the bands at the Boat tonight really did it for me. I really enjoyed Autumn Owl, a band that hails from Ireland. They had a very distinct post-rock sound that separated them from all the other acts. They were exceptional because their sound was clean and precise, something that I felt the other bands really didn't have.

The first band was Krupke, a band from Toronto. Their music was a bit theatrical and very much acted out the intended feeling in the instrumentation. It was definitely meant to be a bit messy and chaotic. It didn't really fit with my musical appetite.

The fourth band, Sleepy Vikings, had a bit of flare to them. I really wasn't sure what they'd sound like as more than half the six members were girls. They definitely surprised me. They have the grit and cool that Pavement have with a bit of delicacy, delivered through busy instrumentation and post-rock music interludes. The girls I was working with that night pounced on their free sampler, as did many other people. I originally wasn't that impressed by their set until I learned they weren't in fact a Toronto band but from Tampa, Florida. I spoke with them a bit after the show - they were incredibly sweet and allowed me to indulge in serving as a mini tour guide of the city. I'm not sure why learning that they were from out of town really pushed how much I liked them. I keep thinking about how people always adore and pedestal the exotic. I know, not completely exotic - a small stretch from Toronto, but there was some sort of charm that won me over!

The best gig I saw tonight was the Soft Pack, formerly known as the Muslims. A friend of mine called me to come out, if I still had the energy. They were playing an unannounced show at the Silver Dollar at 2am. Seeing them live made me think of the Walkmen, a band that I really adore both live and recorded. It's probably because of his presence and style of singing. In listening to them now, I sort of hear a similar sound in their vocal style and delivery.

That same friend that called me very critically said to me tonight - "Garage rock is great, but it all sounds the same." I have to say now in response, yes it has a very similar flare throughout, but there's something really different about this band that I hear now through their studio recordings. They have a real classic appeal in amidst their aggressive guitar bits. The vocal almost sounds like something from the '60s - a rougher Kinks perhaps.

I have to say, the Soft Pack really got people moving, perhaps it was the extended bar hours (4am!!).