Hold Me Now

Thursday night, I was at The Great Hall for the sophomore album of local band Diana, who got some online buzz 3 years ago with dance-pop songs like Born Again. The opener for tonight was Montréal singer Mozart's Sister. She was almost the opposite of the chill cool of the headliner; her dance music was made to get your butt to move. Unfortunately, the early stand-offish Toronto crowd didn't join her until near the end of her set. Though she had a big voice that was unleashed from time to time, Caila Thompson-Hannant preferred to coat it in various effects. She was also fond of odd beats and rhythms. It made for dance-able and interesting music.

It took 3 years for Diana to release their follow-up album Familiar Touch. Since the band (Carmen Elle, Joseph Shabason, Kieran Adams) was formed as a one-off lark, their success caught them by surprised. As a consequence, they felt their 1st album was rushed. The new release was more carefully planned, including bringing in other musicians. As such, their set tonight included a full band including back-up vocals (Gary Beales, Ivy Mairi), bass, rhythm guitar/synth (Thom Gill), percussions, and the 3 core Diana members.

It made for an impeccable set where they all shined. Freed from having to trigger samples and backing tracks, Adams played drums alternating between precise hits on the slower numbers and furious fills for the upbeat ones. Carmen Elle traded beautiful harmonies with the singers as well as plucky guitar licks with Gill. The adoring crowd ate up the updated 80s vibe, especially during Shabason's sax solos. Before the encore, Carmen Elle closed off their set with a joke: "Well, see you all in another 3 years." Well, I'm certain no one in that audience wanted that.