Tennis with the Darcys at the Horseshoe Tavern; Friday February 25, 2011

Artistic splendor. I have done so much in the last four days it's really hard for me to just sit down and try to illustrate them to you. I suppose I should address them chronologically, as they happen, but I'm going to take a more unconventional route, one that'll be easier on my brain because I don't think I can say one without tackling the other.

As always, I try to cram a few days effort into just one evening. I had the intentions of seeing the new Oliver Stone film South of the Border at the Bloor. Since taking a course on Latin America a couple of summers ago, I've found myself fascinated by anything of an educational supplement. Unfortunately, on my way to see this film, I read a really neutral review of the film that didn't do anything to make it bright and shiny for me. In fact, the one statement that thew me off of the film completely was this:

Some of the misinformation that Mr. Stone, who consistently mispronounces Mr. Chávez’s name as Sha-VEZ instead of CHA-vez, inserts into “South of the Border” is relatively benign. Pulled from the New York Times

So, in a moment of weakness I sought other films to see that night. I haven't really seen much by Oliver Stone, in fact, none that I can recall. But I love that in this article they pointed out his interest in off-beat political leaders. Beyond that, it's sort of interesting to consider anyone taking on Latin American politics with an introduction film, knowing that the audience going to see South of the Border probably know very little about Latin America to begin with. He's essentially running a 101 class on the politics and turmoil of Latin America.

The movie I had solid decided to see was Incendies, directed by Canadian Denis Villeneuve. A film that always attracts me more in trailer form than as a written description. Alright, fair enough - race my little legs out to get the extra mile to the Bell Lightbox to find that Friday night independent cinemas do sell out! Fortunately, there were a few other selections for me to choose from that evening. I was mildly torn between Of Gods and Men and the Cambodian documentary Enemies of the People. I chose the latter to feed my love of all things Cambodia.

Turned out to have been selected by my favourite TIFF/Hot Docs and now apparently Human Rights Watch Programmers Alex Rogalski. He said a few words before the film touching on how it was one of the better films of his Hot Docs selections of 2010. Shortly after, Canadian author Kim Echlin hopped on stage, breathing a great gust of excitement into my anticipation for the film. I had read Echlin's short novel on Cambodia, love and foreigners in tough times about a year ago. The book is called The Disappeared. It's always fun to have those reminders of a book you've read and completely forgot that you read. It's also an incredible moment when I think of a book I actually finished.

I was really taken by Enemies of the People, bustling with seriously intense content. Director and heart and soul of the project Cambodian native Thet Sambath talks to previous members of the Khmer Rouge throughout the Pol Pott regime about their actions. If you don't know about the incidents in Cambodia in the seventies, here's your chance to enrich yourself.

This is a documentary that proves you don't need serious money to do well. Heart will prevail. Corny, but the words that are keeping me going on here and in life! I think my Mom's Doctor Phil/Oz words of motivation are seeping into my brain, despite my best efforts of preventing this.

On a side note, I would like to just point out that awful singer from five years or so inappropriately named Paul Pots. I don't think it's too late for a name change.

The second portion of my evening brought me to the Horseshoe to see Tennis and local heartthrobs, the Darcys.

Let me put this out there - this was one of the best shows I have seen in a while. Tennis completely blew my mind, in large part because they recorded their magnificent album Cape Dory as a way to capture their honeymoon. Now, all I can think about is how they played a very tiny show at the Drake Underground a short while ago and my decision not to attend.

Quite the opposite but with no less enthusiasm were my thoughts towards seeing the Darcys, a band I feel quite at home with, with only having two songs to listen to recorded. I've said this before and i'll say it again, the Darcys biggest flaw is their limited recorded material up for grabs. They're sitting on a record that they have recorded ages ago with the Dears' frontman Murray Lightburn. It's kind of funny because they've been around for a few years with their debut album titled Endless Water, an album I can tell the band doesn't identify with very much anymore. I never did, I first saw the Darcys a few years back at the Supermarket with a different lead singer and significantly messier sound. I didn't take to them then, it wasn't until listening to their two new tracks that really pulled me to their Radiohead-like sounds, years later!

They've since released a small note giving further album details, but no release date! Stop teasing me, boys!

THE DARCYS - 10 Songs, 40 Minutes.
Produced by: MURRAY LIGHTBURN
Mixed by: DAVE SCHIFFMAN
Mastered by: HOWIE WEINBERG

Please dive into the Darcys!

TENNIS. Here's a little background on the husband-wife ensemble:

The summery, lo-fuzz songs on the “Marathon” EP, which was released this week on Underwater Peoples, are based on the sailing trip taken by the husband-and-wife duo Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore in 2009 — an eight-month journey along the East Coast that took them from “Bimini Bay” in the Bahamas through “Marathon” Florida, “South Carolina” and up to “Baltimore” on their 30-foot “Cape Dory.” Not bad for two kids from Denver who’d never sailed before. Lifted from the New York Times

I found out about this a few hours before seeing the show from a small blurb in Eye Weekly. Their full-length Cape Dory, has to be my favourite discovery of 2011 so far (which just seconds ago I realised was put out in 2010). I was blown away by frontwoman and wife Alaina Moore's vocals - carbon copied, more or less, from their recorded version.

I have found myself gravitating towards Cape Dory since purchasing it a few weeks ago. It has to be the tackiest album cover ever, with no liner notes included. I usually long for lyrics and extra paper as I am dropping fifteen bucks on a record, I kind of want more bang for my buck. But, with Tennis, like Bon Iver and Best Coast before, I don't really want to know the lyrics, I don't need them. I like the way their songs sound without knowing every word.

I wished my friends bought advanced tickets. I didn't realise Tennis were this big, yet another band I didn't know anyone liked them as much as I did until the show. Tennis makes girlfriend music, music I want to listen to with my closest girlfriends.

I am tiring a great deal of concerts at the Horseshoe - just sweaty, sweaty packed shows. This is my third week losing two buckets of sweat.

Tennis didn't play an encore, which was fantastic. I didn't want more, I was completely satisfied by their set.