Lost In The Trees @ Media Club, Vancouver, April 27, 2011

 

I've always really liked music but I think until Arcade Fire came along, the overwhelming majority of the bands I listened to were of the traditional drums, guitar and maybe keyboards variety.  Arcade Fire are the first band that I can recall really liking that broke that mold.  So maybe it was just me but they really opened my ears up to alot of new bands and musical sounds.  That difference was definitely what first drew me to Ra Ra Riot, with their violin and cello and also more recently to Lost In The Trees with their wonderful mix of orchestral/indie music.  I'm terrible at describing music but there's 7 in the band and they've got 2 cellos, violin, french horn, tuba, accordian, acoustic guitar and a bunch of other instruments that make some of the most wonderful music together.  Their album, All Alone In An Empty House, was in my top 10 of 2010 and I enjoyed their short set when I caught them at SXSW.  Their show at the Media Club, however, was really on another level.  It's unfortunate that there weren't that many people in attendance because Lost In The Trees played one of the best sets of live music that I've ever been privileged to witness.  Time stood still and for an hour or so it was all that mattered and it was wonderful.

Yuck @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, April 21, 2011

 

 

 

I thought about going to see Yuck when the show was announced but then I saw them at SXSW so I didn't get a ticket.  And then I realised the show was on a Thursday and Friday was a day off and since it wasn't sold out, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss.  It was nice going to a show without too many expections and I really enjoyed their set.

The Naked and Famous @ Commodore Ballroom, April 10, 2011

Whenever I get asked what kind of music I like, I'm always half-tempted to answer 'bands you've never heard of'.  It's not always the case, but generally the majority of the bands I like don't ever become popular enough that non-music fans (ie the general population) will have heard of them.  I'm fine with that and considering how atrocious most popular music is, not at all surprised either.  When it does happen, I'm thrilled for the band but there is a part of me that hopes they don't get too big because i prefer seeing bands in smaller venues.  Judging from the reaction of the crowd to The Naked and Famous, they're on their way to popular success.  I even heard a song of theirs play in a pub in Vancouver recently, apparently because they've had a song on 'Gossip Girl'.  I'm not that surprised though, their album is terrific and was one of my top 10 of 2010.  They're very good live and sound great.  Good for them and I'll be watching, maybe from the sidelines, depending on where they play next time they're in town.

Foals @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, April 10, 2011

 

My favourite album of 2010 was Foals' Total Life Forever.  I was pretty happy to be able to see them twice in October and bought my ticket straight away when they announced another Vancouver show.  They really are quite fantastic live.  They sound superb and Yannis, the lead singer, is well ... mad.  Maybe not the best guy to have a quiet beer with but as a frontman, you can't ask for more.  In San Jose, he climbed up on the bar at the back of the venue.  At the Commodore, he threw a mic stand and a drum into the crowd, crowd surfed for a bit and even climbed up about 20 feet on some amps.  Crazy yes, but not a show I'll forget any time soon.

Bright Eyes @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, April 8, 2011

The first time I saw Bright Eyes was in London after he'd released two albums - Digital Ash in a Digital Urn and I'm Wide Awake It's Morning - on the same day.  I only knew I'm Wide Awake and so did most of the crowd.  The gig was in July at an outdoor venue (Somerset House) and was one of those perfect London summer evenings.  The set was mostly Digital Ash songs and the crowd, including myself, wasn't into it and was quite chatty.  For the final song, however, it was just Conor and his electric guitar singing 'First Day of My Life' and it was one of the most magical experiences I've ever had at a gig.  Nobody said anything ... we just sat back and enjoyed.  I've seen Conor once since, with his Mystic Valley Band and it was good.  I'm a fan but I bought my ticket for Bright Eyes with a bit of trepidation, hoping for the best but not really knowing what to expect.  He was ... well, he cracked jokes, seemed humble and gracious and even dedicated a song to the 'secular humanists'.  In short, a pretty wonderful way to spend a Friday evening.