Brace Yourself Before You Face Yourself

On the eve of an extreme cold caused by a polar vortex, I made my way down to the Drake for the long-running free music showcase Elvis Monday. There were other hardy souls at the venue, though it was nowhere near capacity. Tonight, it was Dorian's (Austra, Spiral Beach) Birthday Edition.

In keeping with the lethargic vibe, Our Founders book-ended their sets with two chill synth numbers. But the rest of their music was a mix of pop combined with jazz-influenced rhythms and chords. They had odd avant-garde touches without alienating the audience. They covered The Everly Brother's Always It's You in memory of Phil. But despite their exhortation for slow dancing, there were few takers. This could explain why there have been numerous negative articles about the dating/singles scene in Toronto.

In contrast, Hiawatha was an acquired taste. Playing sludgy noise that did not vary in tempo and volume, the simple, crashing chords and thumping drums, backed by dissonant effects, drove most of the crowd away. But they came back as Tasseomancy was setting up.

Before the Tasseo sisters came on to do their gothic folk-pop, the drummer strummed and sang Until It's Time For You To Go (Buffy Saint-Marie). His sweet, acoustic cover melted a few female hearts, judging by their faces. Tonight was the perfect night for this band's dark and moody music with lyrics such as "Won't you come home with me tonight/Cause I don't wanna be alone" and "It's getting late and I'm feeling cold". But they were mischievous in their banter. After they tried to sell the merits of Dorian ("He really wants a girlfriend"), they dedicated a song to JDate (and Dorian). But given the typical male/female diffidence seen earlier, Dorian could continue to have romantic difficulties in this cold city.

Although there were 2 more bands (Donlands and Mortimer, Luka) on the bill, the clock was approaching 1 a.m. I needed skedaddle home for some beauty sleep.