The big Basement Revue for this year fell short and it is hard to say exactly why though in all likelihood it was a combination. Firstly there were the expectations based on last year's Great Hall gig (Feist, Hayden, Snowblink, Aroara) which curator Jason Collett mentioned during his intro but seemed confident he would match. Then there was the change of venue which couldn't have been helped due to fire code capacity reduction at the original Great Hall but my first experience of Adelaide Hall left a lot to be desired. Firstly they force you to enter upstairs and then (since it's sold out and only the rail row can see from above) wind your way down a staircase plopping you literally backstage then up past a narrow avenue by the bar only to be stuck peering around poles or speakers. Speaking of the bar - no draft and just mediocre can selection!
Back to the show though - after Collett's introductory tune it started well enough with two beloved Toronto acts sharing the stage. Margaret Atwood read while the Sadies strummed their instruments in the background. Her stories were rather interesting, especially the one where a bear gave up his name 'bear' and everything went backwards, unraveling as it went.
Up next was Rae Spoon who I really do enjoy. It was a solo performance which meant it was a bit sparse, especially for the large crowd packed in with high expectations but an artist I've enjoyed for a long time so it was great to get a chance to witness the performance live. Love is a Hunter was a notable tune.
Tabitha, a poet of sorts with iconic hair, then came on and told a few stories including an interesting one about how a limp.
Following this was a performance by the Guerilla Girls that is difficult to pin down. Essentially it was women with gorilla heads on dancing around with a distinct feminist feel from the words and video being shown. At first I thought it was a wardrobe malfunction that had them naked but by the end they were naked of their own accord. Odd but pushing the envelope.
Lowell was an artist I'd never heard of before but was introduced as a new addition to the Arts and Crafts label which carries some clout. Fronting a couple guys primarily making the music it the made slightly electo-pop which was catchy and sounded really good immediately as she sang and performed, giving hints of early Grimes.
Aroara were next in line which was a bit of a rehash of last year however if last year was their coming out show, after mild success all year this should have been a celebration. Unfortunately they were paired with a feminist poet who did spoken word. There was some underlying project I no longer remember but essentially this lady droned on for a terribly long time and even Aroara couldn't prop it up. Mind you Ariel and Andrew seemed to be very into it but I definitely wasn't.
To cap the night off should have been a hugely fun party with all that pent up energy from frankly a low-key event to this point and perhaps that was why Light Fires did receive a big response. A big response considering Gentlelady Regina is a standard in the Toronto scene, playing fairly regularly and hence not exactly being a huge cameo surprise. She can really strut it in those heels and belted it out while doing it which was entertaining no doubt but still somewhat underwhelming for what should have been a climax of an overall dull evening.
Up next was Rae Spoon who I really do enjoy. It was a solo performance which meant it was a bit sparse, especially for the large crowd packed in with high expectations but an artist I've enjoyed for a long time so it was great to get a chance to witness the performance live. Love is a Hunter was a notable tune.
Tabitha, a poet of sorts with iconic hair, then came on and told a few stories including an interesting one about how a limp.
Following this was a performance by the Guerilla Girls that is difficult to pin down. Essentially it was women with gorilla heads on dancing around with a distinct feminist feel from the words and video being shown. At first I thought it was a wardrobe malfunction that had them naked but by the end they were naked of their own accord. Odd but pushing the envelope.
Lowell was an artist I'd never heard of before but was introduced as a new addition to the Arts and Crafts label which carries some clout. Fronting a couple guys primarily making the music it the made slightly electo-pop which was catchy and sounded really good immediately as she sang and performed, giving hints of early Grimes.
Aroara were next in line which was a bit of a rehash of last year however if last year was their coming out show, after mild success all year this should have been a celebration. Unfortunately they were paired with a feminist poet who did spoken word. There was some underlying project I no longer remember but essentially this lady droned on for a terribly long time and even Aroara couldn't prop it up. Mind you Ariel and Andrew seemed to be very into it but I definitely wasn't.
To cap the night off should have been a hugely fun party with all that pent up energy from frankly a low-key event to this point and perhaps that was why Light Fires did receive a big response. A big response considering Gentlelady Regina is a standard in the Toronto scene, playing fairly regularly and hence not exactly being a huge cameo surprise. She can really strut it in those heels and belted it out while doing it which was entertaining no doubt but still somewhat underwhelming for what should have been a climax of an overall dull evening.
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