Beach Blanket Bam-Bams

On Friday, I went to The Opera House for the last show of The Beaches first head-lining tour. First up was Goodbye Honolulu. These pop-punk dudes looked to be as young as The Beaches themselves. They played some energetic tunes though perhaps a little too enamored with musical changes within the songs.

Next up was a 3-piece band headed by Taylor Knox. Though a drummer for other bands, he is the lead guitarist and singer for his own outfit. On the skins was Liam Jaeger, lately of The Balconies. They played a muscular psychedelic pop with an updated take of the 60s vibe. Definitely several crowd pleasers in their set.

As a nod to one of their idols, Avril Lavigne's oeuvre started playing about 10 minutes before The Beaches' came on stage. However, their entrance was signaled by My Humps. Perhaps ironically (as a middle-finger to people who dismiss all-female rock bands) or maybe as an inside joke (since they do sell a tee with the phrase "itty bitty titty committee"). The sold-out crowd knew almost all their songs (T-Shirt, Money) and sang loudly along. With an assured stage presence despite their age, high-energy music (a combination of "indie cred" and mainstream appeal), and photogenic swagger, they will likely break out soon. They've already won a Juno for Breakthrough Artist this year.

Git Along

I was at The Mod Club for a mid-week concert. First up was Jeremie Albino. The best way to describe his set was honky-tonk Elvis. Head-liner Lindi Ortega took the stage shortly after. There were a couple of new Lindi Ortega fans around me and they drank in her performance. Certainly there's both vulnerability and power in that quivering voice. I didn't love tonight's set as much as her previous visit. The songs from her latest release are interesting as a cohesive concept album, but they don't have the same emotional impact as her older work. There was a little bit too much spaghetti western in the sound. Hannah Georgas and JJ Shiplett came on as musical guests, but the mix was off tonight and you could barely hear them.

Is There Time Enough?

Saturday at The Baby G, two tiny women put on big shows. First up was Language-Arts fronted by Kristen Cudmore. Their set was a combination of dense lyrics with noisy prog-rock/jazz influences. This was the first time I saw Cudmore's dog Sprout at a show, though she has a song dedicated to him. Luckily, he had on a pair of doggy head-phones to keep the volume down.

Anne Douris of Bossie really went all out for the release of her debut album. The stage was decorated with huge props including giant comb and lipsticks. At one point, dancers dressed as lipsticks did a choreograph routine. Her sound, an updated take on 80s bubble-gum pop had plenty of fun hooks. She also did some great covers including The Sailor Moon theme and 9 to 5. Douris had great crowd-pleasing sing alongs including Meteor and the even catchier There Will Be Time.

The crowd was much smaller than her debut at Smiling Buddha when they packed to see her based on coverage from sites like Now Magazine and Stereogum. I've been thinking about what makes a band break out (Alvvays, Charlotte Day Wilson) and the rest who never get any traction. The factors could be as varied as each success story, but it seems that the ones that do so nowadays tend to move quickly, within 1-2 years of getting that first buzz. If true, the 3 year between Meteor and this album might have been too long. So despite her musical talent and physical attractiveness, a bonus for mainstream success, Bossie may have missed her chance.

Everything Sucks, Not!

On Friday, I skipped out on the headliner of another show to see Dwayne Gretzky's annual 90s theme show at The Phoenix. No regrets though because it has gotten better with the years. Although being the 6th such event, we're approaching the show becoming almost as long as the decade.

In any case, one reason why it has improved with age is with more singers in the band, including the trio of Meg Contini, Lydia Persaud, and Jill Harris of The O'Pears, Carleigh Aikins, and a plethora of guests, the sets have expanded beyond only male rock. So you get gems like No Scrubs, Criminal, and Virtual Insanity. Of course, you also get All-Star. But we can enjoy that too, if only ironically because the performer sang it inside a giant inflatable balloon suit. It's also amazing to think DG has grown big enough to charge $40 and sell out both nights at the 800-capacity venue.