OF TEQUILA AND CHOKING

So last October the Wife, Beernada, the Scientorian and I went and saw Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene) for what was a super fantastic show. This video came from that show (if you look very close when they are handing out the Tequila, you can see the Wife's glasses for a split second):
Lucky Ones

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Lucky Ones was the first song they played, and the crowd was amazingly chill about the arrival of Tom Cochrane. I guess it's just not as exciting here to see the guy. But I was pumped. My only regret was that they didn't do "Life is a Highway."

The part at the end of the video where there are a bunch of people dancing on the stage came at the very end of the concert during a different song. I don't really remember what song, but Kevin Drew was not happy about all the people on stage. After the song he talked about his personal space and how so many people around him was not cool. Though the stage thing was fun at the time, the editing makes it seem more insane than it was, especially considering Kevin's claustrophobia.

Finally, not that I ever want to deter anyone from giving out free booze at rock concerts, but there were some issues. A couple of meatheads behind me thought it was a good idea to spend the first half of the concert talking loudly about other awesome concerts they were going to. So I mentioned, in the most Johnada way possible, that some of us in the audience had come to see Kevin Drew, and weren't particularly interested in Hot Hot Heat. This did not make them happy. They told me that they had been into Broken Social Scene way before me (how they would know this, I have no idea) and I should "mind my own business." But they didn't quite say it like that. At that point, a very tiny woman nearby chimed in about how loud and obnoxious they were being. They didn't like this either.

A couple of minutes later, a more uptempo song started, and these guys decided that it would be hilarious to start aggressively pushing me from behind. As I don't go to concerts to "brawl," I ignored the hostilities. After about two minutes, the pushing seemed to stop, so I glanced back and saw the woman from earlier on the ground and one of the guys on top stepping (stomping on her?). It was a confusing moment. By the time I swivelled around again, the woman was gone and the dudes were joking around. I assumed I had just been confused about what I had seen. After the show, one of the guys apologized for their behaviour. So I let it go.

But once we got outside, the woman was still there. Apparently, the guy I had seen stepping on her had also choked her. She had called the police. I gave her my number and told her if she needed a witness I would be happy to testify or whatever. I never heard anything else, so I figured I wasn't needed.

Then, two weeks ago, I got a call from Constable Somebody about an incident at Lee's Palace in October. Apparently assault charges were filed. I was supposed to go in and make a statement, but I immediately lost his contact information. I really have no idea where to go or who to talk to about it, and I feel really bad for the woman. I hope I wasn't a key witness. I can't help thinking the whole thing is partially my fault, because if I hadn't said anything, I don' think the woman would have either.

I know I'm ending this post on a big downer, but the concert really was fun. Anytime you can see in incarnation of Broken Social Scene (or Kevin Drew), I highly recommend it.

CRITICALLY BITTER - Menomena

Critically Bitter disdains all the kids with their hipping and their hopping. Critically Bitter loves the Archers of Loaf and wishes it was still 1997. Critically Bitter dreams of rockin' in small clubs throughout North America. (Maybe he should have learned to play an instrument?) Instead, he has a blog.

The other night CB went to see Menomena and Illinois at the Mod Club. First off, let me say that I really liked the Mod Club. Great sight lines, easy access to beers, good lighting and the doorperson actually let the Wife in with zero hassle. In a twist of irony that would have delighted Sybil Taylor, the only non-Molsen/Miller item available was Steam Whistle. I will wait for Zach's trip to Steam Whistle before I comment further on the actual beer, but I'm not afraid to admit that I had two.

I liked what I had heard from the opening band Illinois, so we arrived early to catch their set. Illinois certainly had their moments, "Alone Again" and "Screen Door" stood out, but the music was generally all over the place. One minute they're My Bloody Valentine, one minute they're Beck, one minute they're a rockier Ben Folds and then suddenly a sixties psychedelic pop band. I like bands that don't conform to one sound, but it's nice to have some sort of base. I still think these guys have a lot of potential, but they should stick to one sound and evolve from there. I tend to agree with the Wife, the psychedelics sixties pop band suits them best, plus I recommend more banjo.

Menomena was great! These are three unassuming lads who seem to authentically enjoy what they do. The band obviously has great sonic ambition, but absolutely no pretencion about it. They recreate the layering of their albums so well it seems impossible only three people are playing. They switch between glockenspiel, guitar, saxophone, keyboard, guitar and bass with ease. The band's live vocal harmonizing brought an unexpected intimacy to many of the songs, especially "Rotten Hell". Finally, I really love drummers who pound away, and Menomena's drummer, Danny Seim, is one of the best I've seen in a while. During concert highlight "Twenty Cell Revolt" it felt like the whole song would have totally fallen apart if Seim didn't keep pummelling the kit as hard as possible. Having now seen them at a festival and a club, I've got to say that, like most bands, a small venue is the only way to go.

Bitter Comments - What happened to going to a concert and just enjoying the show? Why do half the people in the audience have to hold their digital cameras/cell phones over their head filming the whole damn thing? I really don't mind people snapping the occasional photo, but take the picture and put those things away. There is nothing that kills a rocking song faster than looking up to see some rock and seeing the band in tiny form on an Olympus display screen instead. Stupid kids and their blogs!

I give the Mod Club 4 Hortons, Illinois 2.49 for their potential and Menomena 4.5 for a great set.

If anyone wants to see a fantastic/sad Menomena video, go here.

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT (Part II - Solo Battles)

Battles at Lee’s Palace was next on the agenda for yours truly and the Wife. I’ve been anticipating this concert for a long time, but things started out on a sour note. The people at the door rejected the Wife, because she “only” had the receipt for her Ontario Driver’s License and a photo ID, which was not enough to get in (somehow they had no problem with my expired MN license). They were not very nice about the situation either. My wife probably looks younger than she is, but she certainly does not look under 19. What a joke! Since my wife couldn’t get in and I am a gentleman, I walked her to the subway and said, “Don’t forget to let the dog out.”

In the hundreds of concerts I’ve gone to over the last sixteen years, I don’t think I’d ever been to one by myself before. It was a unique experience, especially since I was surprisingly older than most of the crowd. Somewhere between my fourteen-year-old self and now, I became that one “leerer” dude. Matters where made worse by the fact the concert started about an hour later than I expected. So I leered with a beer until the opening act, White Williams, started.

Anyway White Williams was the second most horrible thing I saw this weekend after Spiderman 3 (wow, that was bad). He really had a lame 80’s revival thing going on, which is strike one. I don’t know if it was just last night or what, but he also had zero charisma onstage, strike two. And I saw the cover of his album today, strike three.

Battles were great, as I expected, but I didn’t enjoy it as much I thought I would. Unfortunately, in my old age, I don’t like bands that clearly have a routine and do things the same way for every show. I know it’s tough keeping things fresh for 200 days in a row, but a band like Battles should not start every show with the bassist/guitarist coming out and doing the same layered-bass-through-delay routine. Switch it up a little boys. It’s probably just me, but I remember the second time I saw the Blues Explosion back in the nineties, and it destroyed me when I realized it was all just a choreographed thing that was basically the same every night. How hard is it to change a set list? Despite the lack of freshness in the set, it's hard not to get excited at the height of "Tonto" when everyone is going nuts on stage and in the crowd. Well worth the price of admission for that alone.

The door man at Lee’s Palace gets 0 Hortons, White Williams gets 1 , Battles gets 4 – but if they give it the same routine the next time, that might drop to a 3. Spiderman 3, one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time, gets 0 Hortons.