Lanterns On The Lake @ French Legation, SXSW, March 16, 2011

 

 

The music part of SXSW officially started on the Wednesday so Tuesday night's shows were a wonderful bonus.  My first band of Wednesday were Lanterns On The Lake, a band I'd discovered at the end of January and was pretty excited to see.  The French Legation is a bit east of downtown and I got there early, not altogether sure if I was at the right place.  The band were about an hour delayed and played a shorter set as a result, but ... I was blown away.  Lungs Quicken was the song that drew me to the band but their set made me a fan.  They were wonderful.  Definitely a band to keep an eye out for.

Devotchka @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, March 4, 2011

Like most of their fans, I first discovered Devotchka because they were on the soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine and in particular the song, 'How It Ends'.  I'd seen them once before, in May 2008, so was quite excited to get the chance to see them again and ... wow, they were outstanding.  There's only 4 people in the band but they all play at least 3 instruments.  And really, what's not to love about a band that includes a tuba, stand up bass, accordian, trumpet and violin.  All played by wonderful musicians who were clearly enjoying what they were doing.  And as for the crowd ... no smoking, no pushing or shoving, nobody got in my way or stepped on my toes or spilt beer and they were just generally basking in the glow of a group or artists on top of their game.  One of the best gigs I've been to.  Ever.

Say Hi @ Neumos, Seatttle, January 28, 2011

Oh Say Hi, I have no idea how you do it but I love everything that you do.  I've been a big fan since I first heard 'Northwestern Girls' on Woxy a few years ago and listening to the albums always puts a smile on my face.  I've seen Say Hi twice before but the show at Neumos (for the record release party) was the first time they were a threesome.  It's also the first time that I've seen Eric play the drums (and play guitar and sing) and wow, were they good.  Definitely worth the trip down to Seattle in January.

Peter Wolf Crier @ Media Club, Vancouver, January 16, 2011

And so a new year of gig going begins and what a way to start off the year ... Peter Wolf Crier at the Media Club was absolutely wonderful.  Their album 'Inter-Be' is terrific but there's an energy and emotion that they bring to their live show that gave me chills.  This is why I go to shows and why I like music.  There's just two of them - Brian on drums and Peter on guitar and vocals - but wow, what magic they make together.  A true gig going highlight.

Stornoway @ Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, December 8, 2010

And so like Blonde Redhead, I went to see Stornoway knowing only a couple of songs and really liking one of them - 'Zorbing' but this time, I came away from the show a FAN.  They were absolutely wonderful.  Terrific songs and they sounded great.  The lead singer was incredibly charming and funny and was very impressive with his knowledge of rats and the lack of them in Alberta (he'd done a bit of prep for his trip to Canada).  The only complaint I have about the show was that the guy beside me decided to also sing during the acoustic encore (so not cool ...), but such is live music.  Can't wait to see them again and a pretty wonderful way to end a great year of live music.

Leonard Cohen @ GM Place, Vancouver, December 2, 2010

I'm actually not a big fan of Leonard Cohen and I only know a couple of his songs - 'Everybody Knows' from Pump Up The Volume being my favourite.  I came away from the evening with two thoughts ... 1) the Man IS a performer.  Forget about his age, he's got it.  2) GM Place (uh, Rogers Arena blah blah) is an absolutely awful place to see anything but a hockey game (and I don't go to those anymore).  Such a shame, really, because a night with Leonard Cohen in a better venue would have made the $80 tickets (for not even good seats!) seem like a bargain.

Kate Nash @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, November 3, 2010

I like Kate Nash.  She's not mind-blowingly talented like Florence Welch (of Florence and the Machine) but she is sweet and charming and it comes across when she's performing.  Foundations is a wonderful pop song but her albums aren't on constant rotation on my iPod.  I do think, however, that she's a singer to keep an eye on.  Her second album is less poppy but her message of female empowerment is intriguing.  I'm interested to hear what she has to say and hopefully she's got a few great albums in her.