In Their Multitude

On the occasion of the creation of Unifor, Canada's largest trade union, they hosted a Labour Day concert on at City Hall. I headed down there on Sunday to check out the live entertainment. Arriving at the tail end of the set by Les Colocs, I was treated to the spectacle of francophones singing along with gusto. A band from the 90s, and reunited in 2009, they are that unique mixture of Quebec music that combines rock, foot-stomping rural folk, and working-class sensibilities (often revelling in slangs and colloquialisms).

The next band also mined working-class roots but in English. Blackie and The Rodeo King have also been around a long time. Their music straddled blues, rock, and rockabilly. Their own songs were good though a little long on the jams, but the covers were better: Patience of a Working Man (Willie P. Bennett), Down By The Henry Moore (Murray McLauchlan). The only downer was one of the singers, frustrated that his mic was cutting out, swore at the techs and threw down the mic stand. Ironic since he later spoke about always "leaving the house with love in your heart". It made him looked like a joke to the young crowd who were there for the next act. Overheard at the end, "Hey, remember that Sammy Hagar wannabe?" Ouch.

When Stars took to the stage as the last act, the crowd was solidly teenagers and twenty-somethings. I doubt many of them have given much thought to unions and wages. So it was with puzzlement that they clapped along as their band opened with a rousing rendition of There Is Power in a Union. But for the rest of set, they got earnest, anthemic music fronted by nebbish Torquil Campbell and sparkly rock-star Amy Millan. It was good music, with a lot of angst (perfect for emotional teens as soft rain came down). It didn't make a strong impression on me except for Dead Hearts, which was a powerful number.