That's Just Ducky

I went to 2 live music shows at the Drake Underground this week, and they couldn't have been more different.

The first, to put it mildly, sucks. All performers had skill, but I'm not sure they had talent ... or rather, inspiration. Because the music was uninspiring. First up was Viviv, a trio of guitarist/singer, a cellist and a violinist. There's nothing wrong with them, except that the songs sound kind of all the same.

Next was Gary Higgins, who along with his pianist, resembled Crosby and Stills, with their 'stach and shock of white hair. He's an indifferent guitar player, and that also describes his songs. Here's a sample: "You are the sun/I am the morning dew/You had your fun/I want to have mine too." The synthesizer accompaniment really cheesed it up, especially when the synth strings, or flute, or God help me, the harpsichord came in. I think I actually fell asleep for a brief stretch leaning against the bar counter. This review says it all for me.

The headliner was 12-string instrumental guitarist James Blackshaw. The first song sounded great. But then song after song sounded very much like one another. His standard song is this: instead of tuning his guitar in 6 pairs with standard tuning, he tunes every string differently. This gives his guitar a "large", ringing, harmonized sound. He finger-picks the bottom strings (i.e., arpeggios) and plucks some basic bass line with the top strings as he transitions from chord to chord. Repeat for about 7 minutes. Nice but gets dull rather quickly. For some variety, try these amateurs and professionals.

The 2nd show was great. First up was Kite Hill. Ironically, the cellist (Anissa Hart) and violinist (Mika Posen) were the two women from Viviv. What a difference good songs make. Now instead of bowing whole notes, they have actual arrangements. Rounding out the group was a stringed bassist, a drummer, and the pianist/singer. Some nice tunes from this band though I think they'll have to try and avoid that vaguely melancholic sound that pop songs with strings sometimes have (i.e., schmaltz).

Hooded Fang is a upbeat 7-member pop band from Toronto. I first caught them playing at the Bloordale Street Festival in the Concord Cafe almost 2 years ago. They write 3-5 minutes catchy gems. I've seen them a few times since. With a live repertoire of 20 songs or more, I don't know why they don't put out a full-length LP instead of the 5 song EP that they've been schlepping since then. On the plus side, they've added a 'real' drummer about a year ago. His propulsive beat really drives the songs forward. The down side is the loss of one of the original singers. Her low earthy tones really complement the breathy hue of the other girl singer and the laconic sound of the main male singer. Also, instead of sharing singing duties, more and more songs feature the main singer, with the others providing mostly background and harmonies. This diminishes the old feel that Hooded Fang is just a bunch of friends having a good time (especially as they used to swap instruments on practically every song.)

Nevertheless, they always sound great live. It's hard to listen to them without moving your feet. Now, if only I can get my hands on a recording of all these new tunes.

Finally, Gentleman Reg came on. He is doing a 4-week "residency" stint at the Drake. A very, very blond singer with a very, very flamboyant and out-sized presence on stage. He is becoming more and more known. It's my first exposure to him and though I like his music, I'm not sure I love it unreservedly. I was thinking about why that is.

Well, he's an ok singer with a interesting, high tone. However, when he hits the limit of his upper registers he gets a bit screamy and, as Randy of American Idol would say, pitchy. His music is definitely pop and I think that's where I was iffy about it. He's at his best when he's "radio-friendly": soulful ballads (e.g., Rewind) and catchy, almost, dance tunes (e.g.We're in a Thunderstorm). But when he tries to stretch lyrically, the limitation of the pop/rock musical arrangement, which is typical of his songs, reveal themselves. It's as if someone, say a new immigrant, wishes to express some deep, expansive thought or feeling, but find himself stymied by his limited vocabulary and grammar. That is, the music doesn't soar as well as his words.

Because of those thoughts, I would consider his drummer to be a kind of stand-in for that limitation. I'm sure she's a self-taught drummer because the way she holds her drumsticks is definitely 'wrong'. I don't pound the skins, but I'm enough of a high-school band geek to know that there are certain drum techniques she can't do with those kung-fu grips. And so as the songs played, it became obvious that despite some slight variations and embellishments, it's really just a basic 4/4 rock beat she's doing. So to finish this mangled metaphor, is she the drummer for this band because her simple style matches the music, or is the music the way it is because of her simple style?

UPDATE: I finally listened to Gentleman Reg's album Jet Black. I will moderate some of my criticism. It seems that there is a different drummer on the disc and there is more instrumentation. Both of these make these songs stronger and more enjoyable.