Wednesday, June 04, 2008

The Weakerthans @ Scala 02/06/2008

Another year, another Weakerthans gig. After two trips to the Mean Fiddler and one to the Borderline, this year is was a trip over to the Scala. Fellow Winipeger, Christine Fellows opens up the show with some quirky keyboard based songs, followed by some folk from Dawn Landes - who also provided some added comedy value when her guitar fell off mid song. She handled it all very well and with a laugh. And so to the main act.

Regular readers will be aware that the Weakerthans are one of my favourite bands. They are one of the best to come on the scene in the last decade, and in John K Samson they have one of the most interesting lyricists. I have loved all three previous gigs, but this may have been the best yet - certainly the best since the first time I saw them. This was down to a mixture of the band being on form, John's vocals being on form, and the guy at the mixing desk 'getting' the venue and delivering a sound that allowed guitar solos and vocals all to be heard as they should be.

The set was a nice blend of the old and the new: The Reasons, Aside, Plea from a Cat Named Vittute; Pamphleteer, My Favourite Chords, Elegy for Elsabet, Virtute the Cat Explains her Departure, Night windows, Sun in an empty Room, Civil Twilight, Benediction, Tournament of Hearts, Left & Leaving, One Great City, Our Retired Explorer (Dines With Michel Foucault in Paris, 1961), Confessions of a Futon Revolutionist and a couple of others too.

Highlights? Pretty much all of it to be honest. Gig of the year so far.

There are some Photos by iheartmuseums on Flickr of the gig.(hope you enjoyed the gig too!!)

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Good Hold Steady Clips

Was looking for something unrelated and came across these excellent clips of the Hold Steady from 2006.

Bob Mould Band @ Koko 27/05/2008

'Could you be the one'

Yes indeed. Bob Mould is one of those artists I have kept saying I'd go and see without actually doing so. I did consider it a couple of years back but he was doing an acoustic gig and I wanted to see Bob loud and rocking. His latest album, District Line, seem to indicate that he was back in rocking mode, so I decided to go. Hearing that he was playing some Sugar and Husker Du songs in the set only made the prospect sound even better.

Bob did not disappoint. This was a loud ear tingling gig, the kind you need ever now and again to remind yourself you're alive. Mould himself looked happy to be on stage and whilst keeping the chatter to a couple of random 'thanks' he was full of energy and giving it alll 100%.

As most of my friiends were more interested in the Husker Du and Sugar tracks, I'll say he played Hoover Dam, My Favorite Thing, A Good Idea and If I can't change your mind from the Sugar days, and Makes no sense at all; Divide and Conquer; New day Rising; I Apologise; Chartered Trips and i think at least one other i only half recognised (shame on me) from Husker Du.

Anyway, the set kicked off with the A Good Idea and then we had a set that mixed material from the new album with select classics. Of the new stuff, The silence between us, Stupid now, and Again and Again sounded good.

Highlights: A Good Idea, My Favourite Thing; I Apologise; My Favourite thing; if I can't change my mind and Chartered trips.