19 October 2007 (gig)
22 October 2007
I showed up at this show having only been turned on to Broken Social Scene in the past four months. In particular I've liked their interplay between gritty atmospheric songs and compelling swirly rockers. Also, Kevin Drew's emotional voice resonated in a way that transported me a bit. However, I wouldn't have necessarily called myself a fan. More an interested observer. This sold-out show was obviously well done and well received. And, although there were some sweet moments where I found myself dancing and smiling and enjoying the down-to-earth funny personalities of the band, well done and well received weren't quite enough for me.
There's a lot to be said for well done. The drummer was close to perfect, the band seemed warm and full of infectious energy. Kevin Drew seemed totally relaxed and at home on stage, chatting mirthfully with the band and the audience, and seemingly putting the whole hall at ease as if we were happily attending a jam in his living room. My only gripe on the technical/sound front was the keyboards being almost non-existent in the mix during many of the three-guitar songs.
Performance aside, many of the new Kevin Drew songs were unremarkable. Coming out on stage casually and thanking London for helping them end the tour, they went into a rocker that was quite tight with good energy. But it was a bit boring for me. Neither the mood nor the melody were grabbing me. And this less-than-inspiring tone came into the show several times throughout. There were some nice break-downs and good performances. But many of the compositions just seemed too strummy-strummy, like so many indie three-guitar rockers. At one point the friend I was with turned to me during one uninteresting melody and actually yawned. That seems a little harsh, but in a world of hundreds of run-of-the-mill indie rock anthems, where was the unique textures and moods of BSS's previous efforts? I admit I'm a bit of a melody whore, and I know there are factions that feel melody is over-rated. Fair enough, but I'm picky that there would be some inventive atmosphere and ethos in its stead. There are infinite easy and fun twists you can weave into a song with three guitars. Why choose the worn-out path?
Well, fortunately, they did veer from that path a bit this evening. The synths came up in the mix, the trumpet came out, a different interplay would arise. And yes, the older well-loved material came out shining nicely (this is definitely not simply an indictment of newness; after all, many of the old songs were still new to me and some of them I enjoyed). And some interesting ethereal interludes broke up the set, much like on their albums. There was one ballad that was just hauntingly beautiful, the only song I really sang along with (doesn't it seem like the better melodies often come out in ballads?) It was hypnotic and had a slow build that was very pleasing. Toward the end of the show, they did a good version of the moody, gorgeous "Lovers' Spit", evolving into a soaring interlude with trumpet and various spotlights crawling across the stage and into the crowd. Also, "Cause=Time's" fun back-beat and railing energy came off nicely and I was bopping about, pleased to be moving the head and tush.
Metric's Emily Haines made a surprise appearance to revisit the popular "Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl". It was nice to see a warm and fuzzy reunion, but I feel this whimsical teenage lullaby really is best left in the headphones, not on the stage. She also did "Almost Crimes" with them, which was fun but not their best execution of the evening, maybe only enjoyable because the crowd's ears were habituated to it after years of "You Forgot it in People" on the 'phones.
At the end they all got in a line and lead a loose, obviously end-of-the-tour sing-along. The audience happily belted it out and I was pleased to see something that really had nothing to do with putting on a show. It had more to do with a sort of communion around the unspoken joke that this social scene really isn't all that broken.
Finally, Kevin Drew left us with this advice: "Hold somebody, kiss somebody...but above all believe in somebody you love." Corny, yes. Just the type of thing to piss off the trendy cynical indy crowd, which is fine by me. But also it seemed heartfelt and with just the right amount of humour. Just the kind of earthy ballast that makes you like these guys for who they are, if not entirely for what they're playing. Yes, I liked some of the musical moments and some unexpected passion was even inspired by 2 or 3 of the songs. And I was intrigued by their unabashed happy wholesome personalities. But not intrigued enough to be a whole-hog fan of where their music is going.
