Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Chico Trujillo Concert Report
Chico Trujillo at Harbourfront Centre July 5
We attended this concert largely on a whim and because it was free but ended up being surprisingly entertained. Chico Trujillo is a band from Chile who combine contemporary cumbia with elements of ska and progressive jazz, with vocals that have the intensity of hip-hop. They formed in 1999 and have gained a considerable following in South America as well as Europe. For a bit of a primer, check out this concert from Austin, Texas. While that show was more subdued than the Toronto one, it gives a good impression of what the band is about. The show brought out much of Toronto's large Chilean community with Chilean flags and jester hats visible throughout the crowd.
The concert was close to an hour and a half, ending as close to the 11pm curfew as physically possible. They played a range of songs, ranging from the traditional to the modern, often including lengthy improvisational passages. Their singer, known as "Macha", spent much of the show off-stage and would return wearing thick sunglasses and looking a bit wobbly. Despite his apparent intoxication (or because of it), he maintained total command of the crowd throughout the set. He would initiate numerous sing-alongs, clap-alongs and led the crowd in a motion that reminded me of pitching a softball. I was able to enjoy and appreciate most of the songs due to the strong melodies despite my extremely limited knowledge of Castilian. The band was extremely tight and was easily able to negotiate numerous time changes. The crowd was one of the best I have ever seen, singing along to the lyrics and awkwardly dancing throughout the set. At the end of the first set, the crowd seemed like they would not accept the absence of an encore, even when one of the organizers tried to speak. The combination of the excellent band, good songs and an amazing crowd made the show a great experience.
Savages Concert Report
Savages at Mod Club July 16, 2013
Savages brought their potent brand of post-punk intensity back to Toronto last night. This was their second visit to Toronto and my second Savages show, following their brief but punishing set at Lee's Palace for Canadian Music Week earlier this year. Savages are based in London while lead singer Jehnny Beth is a singer and occasional actress from France. They play a heavy version of late 70s post punk that sounds like a combination of Joy Division and early Siouxsie and the Banshees. Their debut album Silence Yourself effectively conveyed the power of their live sets and highlighted their songwriting skills. I didn't take any photos due to the band's desire for the crowd to keep their cellphones away.
At over an hour, last night's show was much longer than their CMW showcase. This allowed them to highlight some of their slower tracks as well as playing tracks that haven't been released yet. The best of the new tracks was a lengthy jam based on a simple and hypnotic groove. All of the tracks played emphasized the groups excellent musicianship. The bass in particular achieved throbbing prominence throughout the set while the guitar offered occasionally overpowering squalls of noise and the drums pushed the punishing rhythms. Jehnny Beth is an amazing performer with dance moves that combine the twitchy enthusiasm of Ian Curtis with the aggression of a boxer. Her singing voice is remarkable, reminiscent of Patti Smith or Siouxsie Sioux but more technically proficient than either.
The best songs on the album were, not surprisingly, also the best songs of the concert. While I enjoyed their album, the songs are really meant to be heard live. "I am here" had a bass line reminiscent of U2s "New Years Day" with a building intensity that culminated with some intense screaming from Beth. "Hit Me" was fast, ugly and almost unreasonably heavy. "Husbands" is their fastest and catchiest track. After claiming that they never play encores, they came back on stage for an excellent rendition of melodic highlight "She Will". While their sound is derivative, their approach is so powerful and convincing that their show feels like an entirely unique experience.
Savages brought their potent brand of post-punk intensity back to Toronto last night. This was their second visit to Toronto and my second Savages show, following their brief but punishing set at Lee's Palace for Canadian Music Week earlier this year. Savages are based in London while lead singer Jehnny Beth is a singer and occasional actress from France. They play a heavy version of late 70s post punk that sounds like a combination of Joy Division and early Siouxsie and the Banshees. Their debut album Silence Yourself effectively conveyed the power of their live sets and highlighted their songwriting skills. I didn't take any photos due to the band's desire for the crowd to keep their cellphones away.
At over an hour, last night's show was much longer than their CMW showcase. This allowed them to highlight some of their slower tracks as well as playing tracks that haven't been released yet. The best of the new tracks was a lengthy jam based on a simple and hypnotic groove. All of the tracks played emphasized the groups excellent musicianship. The bass in particular achieved throbbing prominence throughout the set while the guitar offered occasionally overpowering squalls of noise and the drums pushed the punishing rhythms. Jehnny Beth is an amazing performer with dance moves that combine the twitchy enthusiasm of Ian Curtis with the aggression of a boxer. Her singing voice is remarkable, reminiscent of Patti Smith or Siouxsie Sioux but more technically proficient than either.
The best songs on the album were, not surprisingly, also the best songs of the concert. While I enjoyed their album, the songs are really meant to be heard live. "I am here" had a bass line reminiscent of U2s "New Years Day" with a building intensity that culminated with some intense screaming from Beth. "Hit Me" was fast, ugly and almost unreasonably heavy. "Husbands" is their fastest and catchiest track. After claiming that they never play encores, they came back on stage for an excellent rendition of melodic highlight "She Will". While their sound is derivative, their approach is so powerful and convincing that their show feels like an entirely unique experience.
Thursday, 4 July 2013
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Concert Report
Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Echo Beach July 1 2013
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs were the perfect Canada Day celebration despite their somewhat short set and lack of Canadianness. They blew away the opening band, Maximum Hedrum, who were one of the worst bands I've ever seen. They are an electro-funk group headed by Spike Jonze's brother, Sam Spiegel, who produces the YYYs second album. Other than a slightly amusing song about hugs, their set was filled with lame, one-note jokes and bad songs. Also irritating were their attempts to get the audience hyped about their terrible music. Oh, nepotism!
After that, expectations were fairly low for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. While they have a good live reputation, their new record Mosquito was only so-so with a few really good songs. They opened with a track from that album "Under the Earth", which was a bit low key as an opener. The set improved dramatically with their second song "Black Tongue" where singer Karen O cut loose with her distinctive howl. They had a good mix of songs from their four albums, with the most songs coming from their first album. They played the two songs I most wanted to hear: "Heads Will Roll" and "Date with the Night." The latter song was extended considerably for their second encore. In total, they played sixteen songs, which was a bit brief but still satisfying.
The band was in good form musically. They played about half the songs as the core three-piece of Karen O, guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase. Nick Zinner is an excellent guitarist with a heavy and unique style while Brian Chase has a powerful drum sound. On the rest of the songs they were joined by David Pajo, formerly of Slint and Zwan. Karen O is a hugely charismatic and energetic performer, despite her limitations as a singer. She gave the mic to members of the crowd to sing along as well as at one point putting the mic in her mouth and down her pants. She wore a huge light on her head for the first few songs. In a subtle nod to Canada Day, she came on stage carrying a little Canadian flag.
After that, expectations were fairly low for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. While they have a good live reputation, their new record Mosquito was only so-so with a few really good songs. They opened with a track from that album "Under the Earth", which was a bit low key as an opener. The set improved dramatically with their second song "Black Tongue" where singer Karen O cut loose with her distinctive howl. They had a good mix of songs from their four albums, with the most songs coming from their first album. They played the two songs I most wanted to hear: "Heads Will Roll" and "Date with the Night." The latter song was extended considerably for their second encore. In total, they played sixteen songs, which was a bit brief but still satisfying.
The band was in good form musically. They played about half the songs as the core three-piece of Karen O, guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase. Nick Zinner is an excellent guitarist with a heavy and unique style while Brian Chase has a powerful drum sound. On the rest of the songs they were joined by David Pajo, formerly of Slint and Zwan. Karen O is a hugely charismatic and energetic performer, despite her limitations as a singer. She gave the mic to members of the crowd to sing along as well as at one point putting the mic in her mouth and down her pants. She wore a huge light on her head for the first few songs. In a subtle nod to Canada Day, she came on stage carrying a little Canadian flag.
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