LUCIDMEDIA

North By North-East: The Coverage

Written by Adam A. Donaldson Monday, 16 June 2008 11:30

Live Music!

The NXNE publicity may say 40 venues but that’s only when you list participating clubs. All-in-all there were well over 60 spots in the city where you could here music at various times throughout the festival, among them was the Sunrise Record store on Yonge Street.

During the dinner hour on Thursday I took in David Martel, the folk rock minstrel from Montreal. He played with a six-piece outfit from L.A. called the Friendships, right there, on Sunrise’s ad hoc stage in the middle of the store between TV on DVD and the metal records. Martel’s ambient sounds drew a small but groovy crowd as his lingering notes trickled out the front doors and down a very rambunctious Yonge Street.

The Friendships were really complimentary to Martel’s sound; somehow switching at times from being atmospheric then highly energetic before bringing it back down once more. In a dapper hat and wearing slippers with fuzzy lining, Martel had the fans gathered in his grasp through to the last song tune which came all too quick. For that last one Martel took it solo, starting off mellow, but bringing the energy up slowly. It was a great pick-me-up for that slouchy, end of the day feeling and a great lead-in to the festivities heading on into the night.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/iamdavidmartel

The following evening I rolled up to Sunrise to hear the immense talent of Fernando Saunders. Saunders is a bassist that’s worked with just about anybody who’s anybody in the music business. I caught him in the middle of a soulful, kind of country tune with a gospel twist on the keyboard. And let me tell you that he can scat with the best of them. The thing I noticed about Saunders is that he takes his time; he holds out on the finish for as long as he can and only seems to let the music go when it’s done playing. Saunders caught me in a daze with his follow-up, a slower jam that began with just his voice and the keys before massaging in the other instruments of his band mates. Saunders was purely professional, a man that has his craft down to perfection. Website: http://www.myspace.com/fernandosaunders I also made a stop over at the Mod Club Thursday night. It was late evening and there seemed to be several different things going on at once; a couple of different promotions. The early evening line-up wrapped up with Sloan, but before that, it was time for New Jersey’s own Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. They drew a pretty sizeable crowd, so it seems that the group either has a lot of Toronto fans or they drew a lot of curiosity seekers.

This alternative/punk act really hit the ground running. They’re a four-piece outfit and they’re hypnotic, lyrical play was an instant hit with the crowd – these guys really know how to get you grooving and put on a show. And after getting the pulse of everyone in the joint pounding, they just headed right into the next song without stopping for air. Even by their fourth song, they just keep on driving through without slowing down. When he did finally address the crowd, Leo was most polite and gracious. The show had a pattern to it, Leo and his band would play something old following by something new. They pretty much kept to the pattern through to the end of the show, during which Leo would use the bridge to do a little trot and visit with his fellow band members. The whole group was really dedicated to delivering the best show possible, energy and spirits were high throughout the entire show, especially the drummer’s Keith Moon-like trance at the kit. They ended the show with a song that featured a bit of Celtic flavour proving that this is more than one trick pony. Website: http://www.myspace.com/tedleo At 9 ‘o’ clock, the headliner went on. In between, the Ted Leo fans traded placed with the Sloan faithful. Minutes before the show, a few anxious concert goers began chanting “SLOW-OWN.” When the show was five minutes late in getting started, more people joined in and it wasn’t too long before Sloan magically appeared and it was magic, or at least the candy striped spotlights made it feel that way. They began with a cut off their new album, and it was a fairly sweet start to the proceedings. They followed that up with “Believe in Me” also off Parallel Play, which sounded like classic Sloan: solid rock with a laid back melody. In the middle they brought out a real classic and played “Everything You’ve Done Wrong” which turned into an impromptu sing-along. It was at this point that the energy really seemed to pick up and it followed the band through to the end of the set.

Unfortunately, Jay Ferguson had a sore throat that night so a lot of his vocal duties were transferred over to other band members. But miraculously he managed to find his voice again as the show went on, although the way he was hitting those notes, I’m willing to bet he was paying for it the next day.

Website: http://www.sloanmusic.com

Yonge-Dundas Square was a popular place during the day to hear some free music. To what degree the irony of independent music acts playing in one of the most commercialized parts of the city was felt by people is, to this moment, lost on me.

Friday afternoon, I caught We Are Balboa. This pop rock group from Madrid had fans in their thrall during the set and they’re easily one of the most mesmerizing bands of the festival and invoked the very best qualities of a lot of the great female lead groups. You will believe that pop can sound cool again.

We Are Balboa ran the gambit from driving base to small and acoustic. They could be fast paced and up tempo, but they also know how to bring it down and make the music slow and intimate. That last one is no easy feat for a band performing in an outdoor venue. Not ones for chitchat either, the band just kept on pressing through barely stopping. My favourite though had to be “Some Places” to which inviting comparisons to Tragic Kingdom-era, classic No Doubt would not be uncalled for. They were truly a tremendous musical performer and just generally delightful people as I got to meet them afterwards.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/wearebalboa

Then for something completely different: hip-hop. Toronto’s own D-Sisive to be precise. Ever the showman, D-Sisive entered through the audience lead by a precession of horn players wearing bird masks. The sound starts off jazzy as D-Sisive makes his way to the stage and launches into some social conscious and satirical hip-hop. Think of him as a less obnoxious Eminem but with better jokes. His beats draw from various sources and inspirations, but his prose is what really sets D-Sisive out away from the pack, even when he’s spoofing Vanilla Ice. He’s got a sense of whimsy about who he is and where he comes from. “This is what it sounds like when white boys listen to hip-hop,” he raps at one point. No D-Sisive, only if they’ve got your talent they do. Website: http://www.myspace.com/dsisive Friday evening in the Square wrapped up with New Zealand’s Ladyhawke, a band that seemed to remind of several different bands depending on the song. As I arrived, they were playing for a fairly large crowd that had gathered around the front of the stage. The song they were playing sort of threw me back to the mid-90s giving me a kind of Soundgarden vibe and later I could have swore that they were channelling the Tragically Hip. But they had great melody and rocked hard, it gave everyone an opportunity to loosen their neck for later head-banging. These guys were also great fake out artists, just when you thought the song was through, they’d let the melody die and then start right back up with another verse. Fantastic! Website: http://www.myspace.com/ladyhawkerock

The John Henrys also got a chance to play for a large group in the Square, which was the perfect venue for their unique blend of country and 60s R&B. They had a healthy fanbase in attendance, probably because this Ottawa-based group has a strong presence on iTunes. But their live show was where it’s at as they practically blew out the windows of the surrounding buildings with their refreshing sound that could play it hard or play it soft. The lead singer wore a sheriff’s badge on his vest, but other than that you could barely tell that these guys were into country. But they know how to rock and are able to do so with a unique western flavour. Like Nickelback without the ballads or the, you know, sucking. Website: http://www.thejohnhenrys.com/ Outdoor music was a bit of a theme for me at NXNE this year. On Saturday afternoon I took a long streetcar ride down Queen St East to the Six Shooter Records store. In their backyard, the store was holding their annual Backlot Barbecue. On the menu, aside from burgers, hot dogs and beer from the Steam Whistle Brewery, was some of the best talent in Six Shooter’s roster playing a quick set. Up first was NQ Arbuckle, whose frontman, Neville Quinlan, was also the emcee for the day’s festivities. This was particularly impressive because he and his band had to be in Waterloo for a show that night. Quinlan proved a jovial host, but his band got the show off to a rousing start thanks to their unique blend of country folk rock. They also impressed me for having a very polished sound for a live venue as well as having a gift for improvisation, inviting Justin Rutledge up to the stage for a tune.

NQ Arbuckle was followed by Six Shooter staple Elliot Brood who performed some stuff off their newest disc, Mountain Meadows. But still the guys would make room to squeeze in some old favourites, notably playing a faster version of the normally slow-paced song “Johnny Rooke” off of their critically acclaimed debut album Ambassador. The Brood took their time building up the energy of the yard, by the time they reached the final song of their set, a most instrumental track, their rhythm had everybody within earshot under their sway, including the guys doing landscaping in the next house. Jason Plum was next up and all he needed was a guitar and a harmonica. The programming for the day seemed to be following Rob Gordon’s rules for making the perfect mix tape: you start out strong, take it up a notch and then bring it down. Plum brought the mellow with a clean, acoustic sound that’s emotional without being emo, just good, old fashioned music by an artist with tremendous style. Jason Plum was followed by Hey Rosetta, a group that’s been getting a lot of positive press following the release of their album Into Your Lungs (And Around in Your Heart) produced by Hawksley Workman. This six piece band got off to a steady start with just a little bit of its instrumental prowess and then kept adding layer upon layer. The set had the feeling of a jamboree thanks to the right combination of artists and atmosphere and if that didn’t get you then the combined solo power of the guitar and violin certainly did.

 

Naturally, the man himself, Hawksley Workman, took the stage and by this point the crowd’s excitement was palpable. Everybody crowded in close to the stage in order to get a taste and Workman left no one bemused or disappointed. Inviting Hey Rosetta’s Tim Baker to sing along with him, Workman started off with great energy, hitting all the high notes and making the crowd go wild. He dedicated a song to the pilot that flew the plane he took to Toronto from Winnipeg because “nobody died.” He takes a solo, clearing the stage of his back-up, but it doesn’t seem like there’s just one man up there. Now that’s stage presence. Even Workman alone for 15 minutes, this party was well worth the price of admission.

Website: http://www.sixshooterrecords.com

Saturday morning offered an interesting band for an interesting venue. At the ferry terminal at Bay and Queens Quay, the U.K. band 6 Day Riot played before the crowds coming and going to Toronto Island. A folk pop outfit, 6 Day Riot has a great deal going for it, not the least of which is lead singer Tamara Schlesinger who has a voice that’s familiarly recognizable as that of Dolores O’Riordan from the Cranberries. But more than simple English folk, the band throws in some odd beats and slight nods to different musical genres; they can play it fast and they can take it slow. A very talented band that made more than a few people stop in their tracks and listen. Website: http://www.myspace.com/6dayriot At the Hard Rock Café Lounge I caught a pair of interesting acts. First I saw Spies in Limbo who hail all the way from Newcastle on Tyne in the U.K. It was a much smaller crowd in the Lounge, but that didn’t seem to slow down the band any as they launched into some hard driving alt-rock, blasting the doors off with their sound. Unfortunately, I really couldn’t get a feeling for these guys, but I blame the venue more than them. I think their sound would probably have been better suited for a much bigger venue. Website: http://www.myspace.com/spiesinlimbo

They were followed by Vancouver’s Sabrina Korva. At 22 years old it’s easy to look at her and think she’s just another pop star in the making, following in the footsteps of any one of a dozen pretty, blonde-haired pop stars, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, this young woman can rock with the best of them - think more Joplin than Lavigne. The crowd, which kind of broke up after Spies in Limbo, almost caught whiplash as their attention was turned back to the stage.

After a couple of tunes that showed off an affinity for classic rock with a hard edge, she slowed it down a little with her third song which allowed Korva to show off her range. I admit, this one got a little too poppy for me, but it did have kind of a country tint that redeemed it somewhat. After finishing that song though, she turned the volume back up and got her guitar out to demonstrate her skills on an instrument. All-in-all, Sabrina Korva is a very impressive talent that we’ll probably be hearing more from in the future.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/sabrinakorva

And speaking of odd combinations, there was Brother Howe from across the Great Lakes in Michigan. They advertise themselves as rock/punk/country. Now how can one group be all that, you might ask? I’ve got to say though it works and comes out a little bit like Canadian East Coast rock with hard drums and lyrics that are a little cheeky. This band has a unique sound that makes them instantaneously listenable. And while the crowd at Black Bull seemed to be grooving, I think like Spies in Limbo, this was another example of ill-fitting venue for a band.

Website: http://www.brotherhowe.com/

Film!

The one film I took in at NXNE almost didn’t happen. When I showed up at the National Film Board office on John St. an hour hence, I was told by the lady at the desk that there was snafu and another film would be shown instead. Well, how things change in an hour… The film was Blondie: One Way or Another. A co-production of the BBC, it was a rather exhaustive (in terms of content, not that it was boring) account of the rise and fall and rise of one of the most influential acts to come out the punk and new wave scenes in the 80s. Featuring interviews from band members past and present, as well as contemporaries like Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of the Talking Heads, the doc showed just how revolutionary that band was at the time. It was interesting to see just how much fate had a hand in Blondie. The band that couldn’t even please the hometown crowd at CBGB’s by fumbling their way through a set took off after an Australian DJ played the B-side of their premiere album X-Offender rather than the intended A-side. They were chastised as sell-outs when the more disco “Heart of Glass” came out, but they had no small hand in popularizing rap with the release of the single “Rapture.” I was worried for a while that this Blondie story was going to be all sunshine daisies, but the film does a wicked turn in talking about the band’s upheaval. The internal drug problems, Chris Stein’s near death and the hurt feels from old members years later when they’re excluded from performing during Blondie’s induction to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame were all touched upon. But I never felt that there was any kind of resolution to this last part of the story, the film just kind of glossed over it actually.

Still though, it’s a compelling story and I’m still not sure if Blondie’s inexorable impact on pop music is full understood by the public at large. Perhaps this film will rectify some of that.

Conferences!

The one conference at Festival headquarters at the Holiday Inn on King I made time for was Jian Ghomeshi’s interview with electro-pop pioneer Thomas Dolby. Dolby rose to stardom after the release of the single “She Blinded Me with Science” and is often credited for the rise in success of the electronic movement in pop music that’s become progressively more mainstream in the last 20-25 years.

Dolby talked about how his father, an archaeology professor, inspired him with notions of mythology and how his mother would go to her hometown record shop and buy up every one of his new singles when they came out. He went to school with Shane MacGowan of the Pogues and was a few grades ahead of members of Radiohead.

He also talked about how in the beginning of electronic music, the few artists that did it would go dumpster diving for circuit boards and how hard it was to get into a recording studio in an era where you had to be in a recording studio. (There was no Soundtrack Pro on your MacBook because there was no MacBook! And no Soundtrack Pro!) Ghomeshi asked about being a pioneer, to which Dolby said that in that day and age, doing what he did, you couldn’t help but being a pioneer. But he and many of his contemporaries didn’t think that they were doing anything revolutionary.

Ghomeshi’s entire interview will be a part of an upcoming segment on his CBC radio show Q.

Musical Theatre?

Yes, there was even some musical theatre in the mix at this year’s NXNE as your festival pass or wristband gave you the ability to take in a special performance of the show a lot of people have been talking about: Evil Dead the Musical. It’s been said before, but this is a show of tremendous energy and fun and its run has been extended until July 5th at the Diesel Playhouse, so if you have yet to take it in - take it in.

It was a fun surprise for me when I was given a seat at a table in the row behind the splatter zone. Now in the splatter zone, you are guaranteed to get covered in washable fake blood, but where I was sitting there was a warning about getting some spray as well. During intermission, one of the ushers passed out ponchos and I accepted a pink one and I was glad I did. Of course I didn’t get as bad as the people front and centre dressed in white, but it seemed to me that they might have wore white specifically for the occasion.

Anyway, what more can I possibly say about this show, that nobody’s said already? Well, probably nothing, but I’ll definitely add some praise. This show rocks, whether you’re a fan of the movie or not. (Incidentally, the original Evil Dead is one of the few horror films that really freaks me out.)

Ryan Ward who plays the hero Ash brings a lot of energy and charisma, but that’s not to downplay the rest of the cast, though he really brings it all together. It’s a really great show, get there while you can and sit in the splatter section if you have the means and the guile.

 

That’s it for now with the NXNE coverage. I’ll be putting up my reporter’s field journal on my MySpace page if you’re interested in the “director’s commentary.” Go to myspace.com/adamadonaldson to check it out. Also, I’ll be coming out with a few NXNE-related items, here on Lucid Forge, in the next couple of days.