I Heart the Music: Your Online Source for Live Music Reviews and Interviews in Toronto!

Sunday, traditionally the day of rest, but there is no rest of the wicked during NXNE. Fantastic photographer Joyce and I managed to hang in there for one last night of musical merriment.

First stop of the night was the Rivoli for Rueben deGroot. Don’t let this cowboy-hatted hottie fool you, he ain’t just country. DeRoot infused his tines with elements of folk and jazz to create music that most country nay Sayers could enjoy. In fact, this Kingstonian supposedly likes to describe his sound as “swamp-swing”, a name I quite enjoy and think expresses the sense of toe-tapping fun. If this sounds like this might be your cup of tea (or your looking for a way to transition into liking country), check out deGroot when he returns to Toronto on July 24 to play at the TRANZAC.

Next up at the Rivoli were The Gertrudes. And goodness gracious they were ginormous! In fact, they barely all fit on stage. I couldn’t count them all, but according to their MySpace there are a dozen. It wasn’t just the magnitude of the members, but the instruments they trucked up with them that was interesting. In addition to the usual suspects (like guitbox, sticks and violining) I spotted a banjo (or banjer), accordion (squeeze box), and ukulele (ukalucas). When The Gertrudes initially took to the stage the sounds that emanated were not at all what I was expecting. I had in my head barn dancin’, foot stompin’ hootenanny fair. Instead it was atmospheric indie folk. Very cool. Then, as the set progressed, more of that country-dance vibe I was expecting filtered in. There was a real sense of fun as the large familia seemed to enjoy the show as much as their audience.

Joyce and I then took leave of the Rivoli to venture up to the El Mocambo for what we expected to be Oh No Not Stereo, a pop rock band from Hollywood. However, that was not what we got. Not even close. Instead we walked into The Hank and Lily Show. How to describe the experience that was Hank and Lily? I think goth rock would best describe the genre. I believe the name of the song which we walked in on was aptly titled “Don’t Be Afraid”… and we tried not to be even though it sounded like the soundtrack to a B straight to video slasher flick, which was appropriate considering the costumes. The woman I assume to be Lily was a blonde wearing horn-like antlers who played the saw while the man I assume to be Hank looked like he fell out of a dark western remake of My Bloody Valentine. However, there was a positive note among all the shrieking ones, they had a song about David Hasselhoff, and I do love the Hoffmeister!

With the ringing still in our ears from Hank and Lily’s piercing wails, Joyce and I jumped over to Rancho Relaxo where our auditory vessels were comforted by the sweet sounds of Dan Griffin. Not only was the change of decibel refreshing, but so was seeing the simplicity of an acoustic set. It was interesting because earlier in the evening Joyce and I discussed what a rarity is seems to see a solo show these days when there seem to be so many massive groups a la Broken Social Scene and the like. But I digress and return to the musician at hand, Dan Griffin. He had a smooth and mesmerizing voice that was super easy to listen to and sang lyrics you could not only hear but really listen to. There was once exception and that was when he struggled through the Tokyo Police Club cover “Nature of the Experience.” However, he was humble about the stumble and was ultimately saved by stage manager Cam and his handy iPhone (and if you want to hear him get through the song without any trouble check out his MySpace).

Concluding the 2009 NXNE experience for Joyce and myself was the Toronto-based band bellewoods. A full sounding indie rock band that infused folk and had soul. There was a nice robustness to their music and I enjoyed that it was occasionally accented with church organ sound. The lead singer has a great voice and if you followed it on some of the slower tracks you felt like you could fall right into the song (…or perhaps that was the fatigue… or beer…). Despite it being a Sunday night after almost a week of music and extended last calls there was quite a crowd drawn out to see bellewoods, and rightly so. They had a good solid sound and clearly have potential.

And that was that. Another year, another group of musicians to add to the roster to follow and another NXNE in the bag.

Words by Emer Schlosser

Photographs by Joyce Wong

Saturday nights at Lee’s Palace is often a sure bet for seeing great bands who heat up the Toronto music scene; Saturday, June 6^th was no exception. iheartthemusic went to catch Montreal-based band The Lovely Feathers who have been incognito for the past three years until the recent release of Fantasy of the Lot. This album (and this band) is awesome and so we anxiously awaited their performance.

First up on the bill was a Toronto group that goes by the name Boys Who Say No. These guys have been garnering a lot of press lately and so we were happy to be able to catch them before they play NXNE. Their sound is a mixture of alt-country, rock and pop that is really hard to clearly define. Although they played the earliest set of the night, and therefore had only a few people in attendance, those who did show up were clearly fans. Having recently formed (like, in the last year) we were surprised to see how tight their live performance truly was. Lead vocalist Luke was able to hit notes that most grown men wouldn’t dare attempt and made this band stand out for us even more.  

The Ghost Is Dancing, the next group to take the stage, is comprised of a bunch of friends from various musical backgrounds who are there to have fun and make music at the same time. Their sound is also tough to define, however it was nice to see a female sharing the stage with a bunch of dudes, and one who was clearly representing well! Although their style of music was not necessarily for us, they were definitely the crowd favourite as they had everyone jumping around and singing along as lead vocalist Jamie came out into the crowd and attempted a sing along with various fans. That is one thing I will give this band – they sure know how to connect with the crowd and each other!

Finally it was the moment that we were waiting for: The Lovely Feathers. The crowd was patiently waiting, the beers were freely flowing, and then they hit the stage. The Lovely Feathers garnered tons of press with their first release, Hind Hind Legs, back in 2006 after which they went on a bit of a break, however you wouldn’t know that with their performance on Saturday as they brought the house (and themselves) down! The combination of lead singer Mark Kupfert’s unique voice and Richard Yanotsky’s spastic onstage presence cannot be beat. They went straight into it opening their set with upbeat “Long Walks”, which clearly foreshadowed what was yet to come for the crowd present that evening. The energy was high and the band were clearly into it; at one point Kupfert fell over from rocking out so hard. He managed to still play while on the ground and afterwards made the comment that he, “ literally just fell over myself.”  It is not only their technical skills that was impressive but also their “sharing attitude” as they switched instruments throughout their set. The high-pitched tone of David Buzaglo voice was made ever more evident when they came on for an encore to play “Frantic” that saw the crowd “ooo-ing” along with the band. Overall best show of the week, they even convinced us to pick up all three of their albums for $20 – you can’t beat that!

Catch all of the artists during NXNE next week:

Thursday, June 18th: Boys Who Say No @ Clinton’s 9PM

Friday, June 19th: The Ghost is Dancing @ Velvet Underground 10PM

Saturday, June 20th: The Lovely Feathers @ Horseshoe Tavern 2AM

As I left my house to head down to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on the Exhibition Grounds, a storm rolled into town like Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry, tumbleweeds and all. Dads with strollers were running down the sidewalks, seeking shelter, women clutched their children to their chests, “Sally, close your eyes, storm’s coming.” … But I just smiled to myself. Great Lake Swimmers could not have planned a better backdrop to the soundtrack they provided that night, even if they paid the entire cast of Stagecoach to ride by on covered wagons. Fresh off the release of their new album Lost Channels, and in between the American and European legs of their tour, Tony Dekker and GLS rolled into their hometown of Toronto for one night only.

“It’s great to be home,” Dekker said as he opened the show. The audience was more than happy to have them, and showed it with enthusiastic cheers as GLS launched into a set list that blended songs from their new album with those from the previous three. It’s a solid catalogue they have to pull from, and their distinctive folk-rock alt-country style remains constant through all their songs, which they perform impeccably.

The thing about GLS that makes them such a great band is that they are true musicians. Even when they record they are performing. Lost Channels was recorded in abandoned grain silos and churches, not studios with Ashlee Simpson music magic machines. You can hear the earnest love and passion behind the music that the Great Lake Swimmers play, and you feel lucky to be in on the secret.

I have to say, if there was one thing I could have changed about the show it would have been the venue. The Queen Elizabeth Theatre, opened only recently and packing in audiences with a great line-up, is a soft-seated theatre. Personally, I hate that, the whole point of going to rock shows is to move, to interact with the music, and you just can’t do that when you are sharing an armrest with a stranger. But GLS was worth sitting still… they are truly mesmerizing performers. Tony Dekker commands the stage with his quiet confidence andquirky banter, Julie Fader is the perfect compliment with her sweet backup vocals and quirky stage presence (she curtsied and ran off the stage early, only to have to return, red-faced and shy!), and a strong core of friends and guests that kept the show moving, varied and interesting.

If you missed the show you are outta luck, as the band is in Europe for the next couple of months… like they don’t have enough already! But downloading the new album from iTunes or getting the CD should keep you tied over… I suggest getting it on vinyl. The woodsy robust sound of the record is perfect to experience the soft harmonies and natural beauty of the bands music. But I am sorry you missed the show. It was great!

Leaving the theatre, the rain had broken and everything felt fresh. Or maybe it was just the show.

Review by Sam Banack

Photography by Justin Cutler

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