Final Bow

After 10 years, it was the final (Toronto) show for Ottawa/Toronto band The Balconies. The Horseshoe on Thursday was full but not sold-out, indicative of their inability to break through. First up was the debut of new band Tom Boy. They played the typical guitar-driven indie rock. Then The Mohrs took the stage. Their set had a chuggy synth dance vibe that transitioned to a more bluesy feel.

The Balconies set can be roughly divided into 2 parts. As a 3-piece, they went through their songs prior to their official first album Fast Motion (2014), more or less. Then as a 4-piece, they covered numbers off the sophomore Rhonda (2016) plus a few tracks off their final album which was a free digital release. Although they still played with intensity in the latter half, as a 3-piece the energy was off-the-charts. Jackie Neville of old was back, bouncing all over the stage, flicking out jangly riffs while Liam Jaeger laid down complex bass runs. The songs were indie and off-kilter. The shift to a 4-piece also signaled to a more top-40 rock sound of the later albums. But though catchy, the songs didn't have the same fire. The bass part got simpler as Jaeger moved to lead guitar and Neville played more rhythm parts and became a less manic singer.

As one of my favourite bands, it's hard for me to say what was the right choice for them: stay indie or aim for radio-friendliness. July Talk hit the big time with intense stage presence while The Arkells found success with middle-of-the-road songs. But after that 2-parter final set, I felt that had they kept that wild, but tight, indie vibe for just a few more years, they would have finally found their audience.