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.