Top Ten Live Shows of 2007

Top Ten Live Shows of 2007

Criteria:
- Must be concerts witnessed by me.
- Festivals count as one show. Otherwise, I think it's unfair for all the smaller shows that are deserving of praise. I didn't want to take festivals out of contention though, because they ended up being some of the most momentous occasions of the year.

1. Daft Punk - Arrow Centre (Toronto, ON)

This may have been the best show ever! I know everyone who saw them in the past couple years says that, but it's really true. It was part dance-a-thon, part robot fantasy, part frenzy, part musical theatre. It had all of the energy of a spectacular rock show - with no interruptions. The Rapture and Kavinsky primed the audience properly as openers, followed by a seamless set of catalogue-spanning mash-ups. It shed new light on the largely dismissed Human After All (2005) album. If you've only heard the Alive 2007 live disc, you only know the half of it.

2. Of Montreal/Björk/Cornelius/Andrew Bird/Richie Hawtin - Coachella (Indio, CA)

Although none of the shows peaked quite as high as #1, Coachella wins for best party of 2007. Remember the mayhem we reported back in May? Even if the lineup is half as good next year, I urge every hipster to check it out - at least once in their lifetime. Oh yeah, and make sure to camp. It's not worth the hassle of commuting each day to some nearby hotel. You certainly wouldn't want to miss campsite breakfast parties consisting of burritos and bloody marys.

3. Deerhoof - Richard's on Richards (Vancouver, BC)

A spontaneous road trip, coupled with a good crew, tripled with good music, and quadrupled with my first "major" music interview. This show was incredible. Especially on the heels of the stunning Friend Opportunity release. Greg Saunier and I spoke for about an hour in a dank room backstage at Richard's on Richards. His love of music, and his laugh, were equally infectious.

4. Les Savy Fav/Spoon/The Boredoms/Destroyer/C'Mon - Sled Island Festival (Calgary, AB)

No one, except the organizers involved of course, could have guessed how awesome this festival was going to be. Seeing any one of the dozen or so headliners on any given night would have been a treat. Seeing them all over the course of a four days was mind-boggling.

5. Frog Eyes/Himalayan Bear/Azeda Booth - Marquee Room (Calgary, AB)

Carey Mercer's on-stage persona has very little in common with his affable, off-stage self. Before the show we chatted about all sorts of things, including: his day job at a thrift store in Victoria, BC, his fascination with old Dairy Queen commercials, and how his latest album, Tears of the Valedictorian, owes a debt to old Neil Young records like Everybody Knows This is Nowhere. But, in truth, Himalayan Bear's cover of "Thunder Road" stole the show.

6. White Stripes - TCU Place (Saskatoon, SK)

There is no better way to celebrate Canada Day than to drive to a city in a province you've never visited before, to then watch a band play in patriotic red and white attire. They blew through tons of hits and new material off of Icky Thump. Definitely worth the drive. And, you know what? Saskatoon was a good city to party in. Believe me.

7. Caribou - The Warehouse (Calgary, AB)

Despite technical issues (due in no small part to Daylight Savings Time issues on Dan Snaith's computer's firmware, one must assume), the psychedelic pop band delivered. But, rumour has it, he's so upset with the quality of the performance that he's planning to come back very soon to make things right. Either way, it was a fun time.

8. Zappa Plays Zappa - Jubilee Auditorium (Calgary, AB)

Dweezil Zappa may not have inherited his dad's offbeat charisma, but he has been fortunate enough to get his pa's chops on the guitar. Dweezil can noodle like the best of them. Zappa Plays Zappa was undoubtedly the most technically accomplished band I saw this year. I'm still not sure how I feel about the pre-recorded video material that they splice in with the show - it was cool, but it pulled away from the spontaneity that we would've expected from a real Frank concert.

9. Ted Leo + Pharmacists - Liberty Lounge (Calgary, AB)

Rock solid rock show. No gimmicks. Raw energy. My favourite part was his solo encore.

10. Final Fantasy/Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings - Calgary Folk Music Festival (Calgary, AB)

Folk Fest frolicking with four Final Fantasy sets. Those were the most memorable for me. Especially his version of "Paris 1919" by John Cale. I had been hoping to see Sharon Jones and her band for a while now, and they did not disappoint. Lots of other great surprises too - like seeing PF Sloan. The weather and lighting was great for taking photos.

Strangest show of the year: The Robot Ate Me/Run Chico Run - Hifi Club (Calgary, AB)



Can you say trainwreck? Believe it or not, Ryland Bouchard ceased to perform as The Robot Ate Me a couple months after the show.

What a wonderful year for concerts!

Destroyer - "Foam Hands"

Ever since Destroyer's brilliant show at Grace Presbyterian during Sled Island last June, I've been obsessed with the song "Foam Hands". Have you heard it?



I've gone one step further and figured out the chords. You can give it a try, but I assure you that you won't be able to capture all of Dan Bejar's subtle vocal nuances and rad guitar tone.

E G#m C#m A, or,
"C Em Am F" with capo on 4th fret

True love regrets to inform you
there are certain things you must do
to perceive his face
in the stains on the wall

A B E A, or,
"F G C F" with capo on 4th fret

I didn't know what time it was at all
I didn't know what time it was at all
foam hands

Since you've been gone
Since you've been gone
me and the king have been steadily growing apart
He lives down the hall

I didn't know what time it was at all
I didn't know what time it was at all
Foam Hands

I'm not the kind
to tell you what is true
and what is toh---
tally out of control

I didn't know what time it was at all
I didn't know what time it was at all
Foam Hands
Foam Hands
Foam Hands

♪♪♪

Folk Fest - Day 4: PHOTOS

DSC_0100, originally uploaded by Gunn ♪.

Tons of music. Tons of photos.

Folk Fest - Day 2-3: PHOTOS

DSC_0053, originally uploaded by Gunn ♪.

Lots of rad photos. Folk Fest Fotos

Folk Fest - Day 1: PHOTOS

DSC_0080, originally uploaded by Gunn ♪.

Rufus + City and Colour

Folk Fest Frolicking

I did some more CBC Radio 3 stuff. Here's a preview of the Folk Fest (which starts this afternoon).

http://radio3.cbc.ca/blogs/2007/07/Calgary-Folk-Fest-Frolicking-with-four-Final-Fantasy-sets

♪♫♪

Memoirs From Sled Island

CBC Radio 3 asked me to write up a summary of my experience at Sled Island. They posted it moments ago:

http://radio3.cbc.ca/blogs/2007/07/Memoirs-From-Sled-Island

Awesome! ♪♫♪

Sled Island: Day 4 - Photos

DSC_0317, originally uploaded by Gunn ♪.

INSANITY!!

Boredoms

Les Savy Fav

Thwomp! + The Ex-Boyfriends + The Neckers

What a festival! Long live Sled Island.

Sled Island: Day 3 - Photos

DSC_0305, originally uploaded by Gunn.

The Spoon show was incredible! The gang (minus Britt) went to the Legion afterward to play some pool! How cool...

I got a few snaps from Mother Mother and Jay Crocker & The Electric Apes + The Adam Brown.

Sled Island: Day 2 - Photos

DSC_0050-1, originally uploaded by Gunn.

Day #2 of Sled Island was even busier than the first. We couldn't take photos in Grace Presbyterian, but I put up a few from the Mates of State and Hylozoists + Miracle Fortress shows. Tonight: Spoon! Mother Mother! Jay Crocker! Joy!

Sled Island: Day 1 - Photos

DSC_0129, originally uploaded by Gunn ♪.

I put some photos up:

Cat power was really dark.

C'mon turned out pretty good.

So much fun! More to come!

Les Savy Fav - Interview Questions

Les Savy Fav have agreed to conduct an email interview with me prior to their headlining appearance at the Sled Island music festival in Calgary. I am writing an article about them in an upcoming issue of FFWD.

Here are the questions I have in mind. Let's hope I get a reply.

Q1)
Internet sources say that Les Savy Fav have a new album in the works. Possibly slated for late 2007. Can you tell us anything more about it?

Q2)
Many young and hip bands (Thunderbirds Are Now!, etc) cite Les Savy Fav as a huge influence on their sound. What is currently influencing Les Savy Fav's sound? What are you listening to at the moment?

Q3)
You are playing Calgary for the first time ever. Not only that, but you are one of the headliners for the first annual Sled Island festival. How did you hear about the Sled Island festival? How did this booking come about?

Q4)
Les Savy Fav's live show is infamous. There were crazy pictures of your show at SXSW online. What can Calgarians expect on June 30?

Q5)
Can I make a song request? I vividly remember the reaction I had as I listened to 'The Slip' playing on the radio late one night. That was my first exposure to your music. I remember how excited I was to hear the distinctively ebullient drum beat for the first time. Since then, I've listened to the album Go Forth regularly. Do you have any memorable encounters with fanatical fans you'd like to share? What other songs do people yell out for during your shows?

Q6)
There's a band called Jetplane Landing who wrote a song on their new album, Backlash Cop, called 'Why Do They Never Play Les Savy Fav On The Radio?' Is this a question you've ever asked yourself? What answers have you come up with?

Q7)
Has your songwriting style changed since your band's inception at Rhode Island School of Design twelve years ago? What creative process does LSF follow? Are your song arranged beforehand? Do ideas get fleshed out from jams? Are lyrics conceived first, or after the music?

Q8)
Are you spending any time in Calgary before or after the show? Do you need any help thinking of things to do while you're in the city? Many musicians have said that the collection of rare and unusual keyboards at Cantos Music Foundation is one of Calgary's more hip attractions. Here's a link with more information:
http://www.cantos.ca/collection/collection.html

Volta

I wrote this article for FFWD Weekly, but it turns out they couldn't use it. It was going to be a double review in next week's issue, but they ended up having to cut one of them to save space. Here it is:

BJÖRK
Volta
One Little Indian

Self-proclaimed “Techno voodoo” without compromises or mainstream ambition

Since Björk Guðmundsdóttir’s 1992 Debut solo album, her music and public image have been daring and flamboyant - with each successive album being a vast departure from the previous. 2004’s Medúlla, was almost entirely vocal-based, taking critics and fans by surprise. In 2005 she collaborated with her husband, surreal multimedia artist Matthew Barney, by scoring his film, Drawing Restraint 9. Volta follows suit with a complete overhaul of Björk’s sound and projected image.

Although short, Volta tackles tough themes by pop music standards (i.e. motherhood, poverty, rootlessness, humanity). Nonetheless, the album sounds modern without ever relying on contemporary clichés. “Wanderlust” is, according to Björk, the album’s manifesto. Brave lyrics like “Lust for comfort/Suffocates the soul/Relentless restlessness/Liberates me” are coupled with a heroic horn section. Unfortunately, these interesting musical elements get muddled in the final mix-down with heavy bass and percussion capitalizing on the listener’s attention.

Unless listeners are well versed in the historical context of Iceland’s and Greenland’s independence from Denmark, “Declare Independence” sounds like angry slogans layered on angry digital hardcore techno. It is difficult to tell if this is a deliberate attempt to draw in new listeners who may not have the patience for Volta’s gentle pieces.

“The Dull Flame of Desire” is a tremulous duet with Antony Hegarty (of Antony and The Johnsons). Together the saccharine vocals can be difficult to stomach, since they both compete for the spotlight. The primal drumbeat crescendo backing this song is by Brian Chippendale who does not play with the abandon that one would expect as the leader of the noisy maelstrom known as Lightning Bolt.

Despite a staunch refusal to allow corporate sponsorship during her tours, there is a great deal of hype surrounding this album. Excitement is tangible in the mobs of people eager to hear her latest material on tour this summer. Is it warranted though? Volta will not save the dance floor, will not change the world, and will not elevate Björk’s status into the stratosphere. Volta will stimulate lots of controversy among fans. Björk will continue to engage audiences intelligently whether they welcome it or not.


(Björk performing at Coachella a few weeks ago)

Hype 5/5
Artistic Integrity 4/5
Pop appeal 3/5

Survived Coachella 2007

Team Calgary survived an epic journey to Coachella 2007. We braved scorching heat for incredible music. It seems like a extremely favourable tradeoff. Over the next week or so, musical musings will be available on the cjsw blog.

Interpol Photo

Interpol, originally uploaded by Gunn ♪.

Cameras were not allowed into the venue last night, but we managed to get one quick snap. The show, regrettably, was mediocre... and short. It was over before the Flames' playoff run had been fully doused.

Run Chico Run - Interview Topics

care bears lost episode?!, originally uploaded by Kimblahg.

My next interview is going down tonight. Run Chico Run from Victoria, BC.

It's hard to find any useful information about RCR on the web. Their band website is sparse. Their myspace is silly. Their NMC page seems like it's been hacked by Care Bears. In short, this interview will hopefully shed some light on the band.

- Who are you guys? What's your background? How many years has RCR been around?
- Tell us about your latest album? Is it recent? What are you two up to?
- What are the pros and cons of being a two piece band?
- Can you tell me about the creative process that you guys follow? Jams vs. Composition? Equipment? Tone?
- Do you have day jobs?
- What's the summer looking like for you?

CJSW promo.
Talk about seeing them at the Multicultural Centre in Calgary back in 1999.

Do Make Say Think - Interview Topics

Man, it's been a busy little while here with lots of bands accepting to do CJSW interviews. The next one is going down on Saturday with Do Make Say Think. So far, this is what I've come up with for interview topics:

Road stories

Songwriting process (Jams vs. Composition)

Field recording

Movie Scores (The Corporation/Syriana)

You, You're a History in Rust - new album

Album Art

Akron/Family vocals

What's in your CD player/on your playlist right now?

Upcoming shows (Bowery, Glass House, Neumo’s)

Cantos

Influences

Promo CJSW

To find out more about airing dates for the interview, check out CJSW.com

DEERHOOF: The Perfect Me, The Perfect Trip

Dudes, Dudettes, The gang and I are going to Vancouver tonight. Guess why? DEERHOOF is playing at Richard’s on Richards. Allow me to top that if I may: THEY HAVE AGREED TO AN INTERVIEW.

Bonus: You know what’s up on Saturday at Pat's Pub? The Pacific Northwest’s phenomena, Menomena!

Generic Deerhoof interview topics will include:

Road stories
Songwriting process
Custom Album Art
Internet Leakage (When is it accidental? Is it ever intentional?)
What’s in your CD player/on your playlist right now?
Upcoming shows
CMJ nostalgia
Promo CJSW ♪

Thrilling: Dance of the Week

Everybody knows that a wedding reception wouldn’t be complete without a double dose of Michael Jackson. You know, at least Bille Jean and Thriller at some point during the evening. With that in mind, the Dance of the Week comes from Rob who is currently in the throes of his own wedding planning. Congratulations are in order!



From my experience, you also can’t escape these timeless nuptial dance floor favourites:

Boney M – Rasputin
Village People – YMCA
Led Zepplin – Misty Mountain Hop
Abba - Mamma Mia
Right Said Fred – I’m Too Sexy
Men Without Hats – Safety Dance
♪

CJSW's New Bloggernaut

Looks like I'll be posting a little less frequently on the Hipster's Guide to Calgary for the next little while. Have no fear, hip quips and zanily trivial factoids will abound as I take on a new role as the CJSW blog-o-sphere chieftan. Check this link over the next little while as new posts emerge. ♪

Dance of the Week, with a Twist!

This week's dance-a-thon just barely qualifies, because the dance lasts only about seven seconds out of a 66 second clip - or about 10.6% of the entire content. But, since Sunny D contains less that 5% real juice and is still considered a citrus drink, I think I'm off the hook. Again, I've picked something from the stop-motion wizards at Robot Chicken. This time, they spoof M. Night Shyamalan's Signs:



If stop-motion is your thing, you'd best check out Bruce Bickford's work in Baby Snakes. ♪

Dining Deliciously in Kensington

If you are navigating through the happenin’ neighborhood of Kensington and are feeling a bit peckish, you might want to consider stopping in at a couple of restaurants I’ve recently become acquainted with. First, for a tasty pizza pie, I urge you to go to Pulcinella. It occupies the space that used to belong to Stromboli’s (and is still run by the younger generation of the Tudda dynasty). I must say, it’s the best pizza I’ve had since going to Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn.


On your next trip to the area, since you’ll be too stuffed with pizza and risotto balls the first time around, don’t skip the Indochine Bistro. To me, it seems like Vietnamese food done right. From my experience, most other places around town throw too much filler (noodles, sprouts) into their recipes, which distracts from the core nourishment of the meal. Sure, Indochine might be a buck or two more than you are used to paying, but the quality is much higher. Also, the service and cleanliness of the restaurant was impressive.

Don’t just take my word for it, check out what John Gilchrist, local food celebrity, has to say about each place: Pulcinella – Indochine Bistro. ♪

CJSW Best of 2006

CJSW's Best of 2006 is now posted. Find out what other Calgarian hipsters think. Here's the link. ♪

Dance of the Week + Other Good Stuff

Starting things off right, the Dance of the Week might be something you’ve already seen, since it is among the Pitchfork Top 25 Music Videos of 2006. In any case, here’s OK GO doing “Here It Goes Again”:



These guys love low budget choreography. Want to see more?

I spent a few hours on Saturday night trying out my new dance moves at Mojo, the weekly toga party hosted by the Bamboo Tiki Room. Local funky phenom, Rob Faust spins there. There was plenty of James Brown to get everyone on their Good Foot. I took photos, but they didn't turn out, I must have put a greasy finger on my camera lens. C'est la vie.

This just in: Looking for a new party pad? Calgary real estate prices out of your budget? Well, Dracula’s Castle may be going up for sale to the public very soon. In Transylvania. For real. ♪

Stax is back!

Unlike Christmas Day, December 18, 2006, was a good day for the Funk! Legendary Southern-fried hit machine, Stax Records (a.k.a. Soulsville USA - in response to Motown’s Hitsville moniker), re-opened its studio after a long hiatus.

According to the official press release, Issac Hayes, among others, has been signed on to make/re-issue more material. From the article:

“Stax always has been and always will be Soul Music, I was a part of that,” said Hayes. “I am coming back to Stax because there is still so much to do. It’s like coming home.”

Then again, perhaps Mr. Hayes, or Chef, needed to find a way to keep busy, or cover legal expenses, as a result of the epic South Park/Scientology debacle.

In any case, this is the big news for Soul fans. If you need a funky fix, check out funky16corners. They encode and post rare 45s (in mp3 format) periodically for everyone’s benefit and euphonic enjoyment. They also did a stirring tribute to the late JB.


Credit where credit is due. I did check out the museum when I was in Memphis, TN a few years ago, but my photo of the old theatre pales in comparison to this one. ♪

Happy Flu Year

Things didn’t start off as planned this year. Last night I fell violently ill, in a way that I don’t recall ever feeling. So, in isolation and quarantine, I got caught up with some videos. Dig this Sly concert. It’s probably the coolest soul I’ve ever heard. And, don’t get me started on the perfectly spherical ‘fro. Wow, I’m jealous.



Getting the flu totally sucks. Not only does it feel awful, it cuts in to the fun stuff. I was supposed to check out the Flames versus the Canucks tonight. I rarely go to NHL games, so it would’ve been a treat. ♪