Girl Band

Friday night, I was at The Tranzac for a great show. It's been awhile since I've been to this venue and they've done a bit of remodeling. There was a retro feel to the evening and it started with opener Cindy Lee. Dressed in a mini skirt with platinum blonde hair, this singer invoked a Marilyn Monroe vibe. But the set was more jangly garage band.

Headliner U.S. Girls opened with singer Meghan Remy doing an acapella duet in front of the stage. Then the stage curtains pulled back to reveal a surprise. For this mini-tour, or perhaps for only selected venues, she has assembled a 10-piece band. There were numerous familiar faces in the Toronto music scene including Kieran Adams (Diana) and Basia Bulat.

Remy sings unapologetically about feminist issues but with a 60s vibe that you can hear through the samples she loops. But now expanded to a huge band, it was impossible to miss the groove and danceability in her music. As her set went on and I marveled at her James Brown-esque performance, I also realized this wonderful show was being wasted. First, the reserved Toronto audience, especially the indie crowd here tonight, just couldn't loosen up enough to dance. Remy even pointed that out twice with some playful gestures. To be fair, it was also the venue. The Tranzac has a big stage to accommodate the band, most bar-sized venues could not. But the sound system here is high-school gym lame.

Given financial constraints, I doubt Remy could assemble this band very often. Given that she ran out of merch tonight, hopefully she could build enough of a fan-base to play at The Phoenix or even The Danforth Music Hall one day. Then the rest of the Toronto and the world can dance to the music of this powerhouse.

Buddha Feast

It was pouring rain Saturday morning when I headed over to Chinatown to buy some groceries. I've been eyeing the new vegan Vietnamese restaurant Saigon Lotus. So I decided to stop by for lunch. It had a bit of a combination vibe between your typical no-frills Asian diner and something more hipster-friendly. I picked 2 dishes that most vegetarians could not order in a regular Vietnamese restaurant.

First up was mushroom rice roll or banh cuon nam ($5). The dish came in appetizer size here instead of a full entree. It was quite a nice take. The chopped up mushroom was an excellent substitute for the ground pork and their version of vegan fish sauce was good. For the main course, I ordered the hu tieu my tho ($7.50). The regular version would be a hodge-podge of meat including pork, liver, shrimp and so on. This version was quite nice, rich and vagrant. I actually did not like all the soy protein substitutes. After a while, they all taste the same. I understand they're trying to replicate the "assorted meat" essence of this noodle soup but I think one would have been sufficient. The rich vegetarian broth, tasty noodles, and various greens was more than enough.

All Grown Up

Friday night I was at The Horseshoe for another nostalgia night. That is, time to see another band from the 80s that I didn't see the first time around. The evening did not start auspiciously with The James Clark Institute. Their hype-woman/merch seller made perhaps too big a pitch to me because this opener did not live up to it. Though it was all recently composed, they sounded like they were playing music from the 80s. It was as if the singer-songwriter had frozen his musical tastes and haven't listen to anything new in the last 25 years. Will head-liner The Pursuit of Happiness sound equally ossified, given that they will playing actual 80s songs?

My fear was unfounded. Though they played a few songs from their later repertoire, lead singer Mo Berg promised the packed and rowdy crowd only half-jokingly that it would be "all hits all the time". So it was definitely an 80s sound complete with extended guitar solos but played with high-octane energy. Both Mo Berg and Kris Abbott channeled loud crisp guitar with the latter definitely still looked "rock-and-roll". To be fair, Berg never looked that way even way back when. He can definite sing and pen some great songs including I'm An Adult Now, Cigarette Dangles, Hard To Laugh. Through a full set and 3 encores, the audience enjoyed every moment. Some had flown in from as far away as California to see this rare appearance.

Hump Day

I was at The Burdock Wednesday for a mid-week show. The venue was already packed when opener Ken Yates took the stage. Armed with a deft hand on the guitar, he gave us some Americana numbers. There were some stand-outs including Keep Your Head Down.

For her solo EP, Lydia Persaud has arrived fully formed. Granted she has spent five years with folk trio The O'Pears (and continues to do so), collaborated with other Toronto artists, and also studied music at Humber College. But this is an assured debut. Unlike a previous show I attended, where she ranged from country to pop to R&B, now Persaud has narrowed her focus to folk, gospel, and soul. I don't want to pigeon-hole her by equating an artist of colour with an "urban" sound. But her rich voice, full of earthy tones, is such a perfect fit for those particular songs that they went straight into your spine. This is music to dance to, or alternatively, seduce a willing lover. Her backing band, and the various vocal guests, were also up to keeping that funkiness going all night. It was a well-deserved standing ovation for Persaud.

Middle East To Go

On Tuesday, after an early evening yoga class, I was looking for a quick bite in the Queen and Bathurst area. Like most streets in Toronto, there were plenty of cheap shawarma places. But a trendier looking place called Soufi caught my eye. Claiming to be the first Syrian restaurant in Toronto, it had the typical hipster aesthetic: blonde wood, mismatched furniture, decorated with personal knick-knacks. The family that owns Soufi didn't come with the recent influx of Syrian refugees, though they are also relatively new to Canada. They've decided to aim a little higher and so is willing to pay Queen St. W rent prices. The menu was kept short and simple so I ordered a version of manaesh called sujuk ($6.50).

This was essentially a version of the Turkish Lahmacun (or ground-beef flatbread) but using the thicker Iranian zataar bread. It was a good couple of bites but next time I'll paid extra for a few add-ons like tomatoes and so on.

Got Gud

Friday night, I headed over to Gallery 345 for local Jazz singer Genevieve Marentette first fundraiser called Women In Jazz. To celebrate turning 40, Marentette has decided to organize a series of shows over the next year to raise funds for the Women's College Hospital in Toronto. Appropriately enough, I believe she will try to have mostly female musicians since they are as equally short-changed in live shows as they are in medical funding.

It was a beautiful evening of music. I couldn't believe these musicians have never played together. Keeping it all together was Nancy Walker (piano), Carly Howell (upright bass), and Zaynab Wilson (drums). A parade of wonderful singers made appearances. Highlights included Joanna Majoko's blistering God Bless The Child.

Song Sung Blue

I was at The Rivoli on Thursday to hear some folk/light country from Sweet Alibi and Jadea Kelly. These two bands often tour together as co-headliners, last time at The Dakota Tavern. With Toronto being Kelly's hometown, or it was before she moved to the States, the latter usually sings the second slot here.

First up tonight was Sweet Alibi, a trio from the prairies. Their songs had a bit of folk and new country. I'm on the fence about their music. It usually comes from a place of deep emotion, such as a song written while sitting in a hospital parking lot worrying about their mom. Yet the lyrics and melody often fall short of conveying such moving truths. As such, it was their covers that highlighted their talent: Bob Dylan's Gotta Serve Somebody, Leonard Cohen's Almost Like The Blues, and Khari Wendell McClelland's Song of the Agitator.

Being back in her old haunts, Kelly had plenty of musician friends out to see her including Mélanie Brûlé and Lydia Persaud who contributed some guest vocals. The women of Sweet Alibi also took the stage for back-up harmonies. She sang mostly slow sad songs, as she wryly acknowledged, that had a country-tinged pop vibe. Sometimes that got a bit pedestrian but more often, her great ear for melody and her lyrical phrasing elevated the music. They were deceptively simple verses that portrayed rich imagery. If Mariah is her Jolene, then that's a good legacy, though the combination of Kelly and Persaud on Beauty was also pretty dang great too.

Old Country

As part of Canada's 150th celebration, there have also been several municipal initiatives. In Toronto, one of the organized events was a free musical series called Toronto 150. Spread out over 6 shows at different venues, each highlighted a genre of music with local talents past and present.

On Wednesday at The Horseshoe, it was the country music scene on Queen St. W. Given the many clubs along this street over the decades, many bands have played here. But with The Horseshoe, The Cameron House, and other now-defunct bars, there was a country vibe in the early days. Tonight, some old performers and a new one will take to the stage.

I missed opener Johnny and the G-Rays. Lori Yates and Hey Stella was setting up when I arrived. This country singer has aged better than most of the crowd who were also here back in the 80s. She had a powerful voice and her set was a mix of old and contemporary country. With the death of Gord Downie (Tragically Hip) just yesterday, Yates did a sing-along cover of Bobcaygeon.

If Johnny and Lori represented Queen St. W. back in the day, then head-liner Whitney Rose was a showcase of Queen St. now. This is a slight stretch. Rose did cut her teeth playing here especially her weekly gig at The Cameron House. But she has been living in Nashville and Texas for several years now. Oddly enough, although young both in age and career, Rose's music sounds the oldest, reaching back for the sound of Hank Williams Jr and Tammy Wynette. Tonight she did several songs from her new album Rule 62 as well as some of her older material. Given her fairly extensive repertoire (3 albums and 1 EP), it was odd that she still sings cover songs. I could have done without Harper Valley PTA. On the other hand, as an explicit acknowledgement of the MeToo movement, You Don't Own Me packed a punch.

Whit Brit

I didn't really want to go out tonight but I decided to head on down to Theatre Passe Muraille for an artist showcase. This evening saw a number of theatre folks doing a tribute to Whitney Houston and Britney Spears.

There was a variety of singers who presented all over the theatre: on stage, by the piano bar, up in the catwalk. Most of them chose to reinterpret these songs in other styles, primarily musical theatre-ish. This mostly didn't work because what makes a pop song is the melody/hooks and also the catchy chords/rhythms. Without these stylings, they are rather insipid, or at least lack the artistic gravitas to carry the number. Also, the show turned to be more of a casual get-together combined with a meet-and-greet though tickets were sold at the door. So the performances were on the whole a bit loosey-goosey more appropriate to a living room jam. After the first set, I gave up and went home.

A Smorgasbord

On Saturday, I was at The Garrison to see an odd trio of bands. The noisy sound system at this venue was ideal for The Spirit of the Beehive and Mannequin Pussy who played loud, garage band music. It was a slightly less perfect fit for headliner Japanese Breakfast.

Michelle Zauner's solo project can get loud and rocking, so her airy vocals and light tones needed a better set-up to highlight her lyrics and melody. Tonight, anyone not familiar with her songs may be wondering why her 2 albums have been getting indie buzz. Still, it was an improvement over her 3-day residency at the Silver Dollar during CMW this year. Even Zauner pointed that out to her fans, but in a diplomatic way. Which just goes to show how terrible the Dollar was. And I'm one concert-goer who won't shed any tears over its closing.

With a couple of albums under her belt, Zauner has plenty of songs to engage the crowd. But nothing quite tops Everybody Wants To Love You which is a perfect gem of a pop song.

Sweet Hereafter

I was at the Berkeley Theatre Thursday night for a musical called Life After by newcomer Britta Johnson, who did book, music, and lyrics. The story revolved around Alice (Ellen Denny) who was coming to terms with the accidental death of her father Frank (Dan Chameroy). Her older sister Kate (Rielle Braid) and mom Beth (Tracy Michailidis) had to cope in their own way. Meanwhile, a parade of condolence wishers made their way through from school mates, to neighbours, and business colleagues.

I was struck by the musicality of the work. First, kudos for sticking to a cohesive theme instead of the pastiche of different styles that  musical theatre works often use nowadays. Second, the lyrics and music seemed modern and fresh, somewhere between the rap verbal density of Hamilton and the verbatim naturalism of London Road. The inclusion of a small, but live, orchestra was also note-worthy.

But I felt Life After had too much plot and so seemed a bit scattered. I wasn't surprised during the talkback to learn that there was a lot of workshopping, and late into the production too, to expand it from the shorter version presented at the Toronto Fringe Festival. Along the way, it got a bit overstuffed. As such, I was not deeply invested in some of the characters to emotionally react to their big scenes. Overall though it was a good start for Johnson. It'll be interesting to chart her progress since she is the inaugural Crescendo Series artist for The Musical Stage Company and they have committed to staging her works for three years.