Francy Pants and Alexandria Maillot @ Green Auto -- August 15, 2024

Last night at the Green Auto outdoor stage, Francy Pants and Alexandria Maillot put on a very special show for the Sarcoma Cancer Foundation of Canada, both raising money and sharing their experiences. And if you missed the show or still want to support, you can do that at this link right here!

First up was Alexandria Maillot, playing their first show in quite some time. Their lovely voice joined by Daniel Baxter’s smooth guitar tones, Alexandria started with a couple familiar songs, “Make It Out” and “Pale” from their latest album Benevolence. From there, Maillot tested out some new songs, many written about their journey, which they also chatted about between songs, including dedications to their support group in the audience, and re-working old songs ideas that took on new meaning in “Back to Me”. Maillot finished off the set with another new one, “What is in a Mile”, excited to get the crowd singing along to wrap up the set.
It had (obviously) been quite a while since I’ve seen Alexandria play live, and it was great to see them back on stage.

Not long after that, it was time for Francey Pants, the moniker of Francis Hooper (currently one half of doohickey cubicle). First joined by Daniel Ruiz on percussion, he laid down some looped beats, and with soft vocals, launched into a very fun, animated performance that gave lounge singer vibes (in all the best ways).

Much like Alexandria, many of his songs were about his journey with sarcoma, including “Count On You” which was dedicated to his parents who were in the crowd, and “I Hate Change”, a song co-written with Maillot years ago, who also joined him to sing. Throughout the set Francis invited up a slew of friends, musicians, and co-writers for some groovy songs, including other half of doohickey cubicle, partner Alli Deleo with a synchronized dance number(!). The set grew to a close as the last few songs were more on the funky side, like “Wet My Plants”, and finished with what seemed like an actual encore, an impromptu final song.

The show was also my first time at the Green Auto outdoor stage (I had been inside, of course) and that was a really neat space. And on this night, it was very obviously filled not just with people there to see a show, but with a community; people who have supported both Alexandria and Francis not only as musicians, but through their journeys over the last few years.

Skye Wallace @ Green Auto -- June 12, 2024

Last night, Toronto’s Skye Wallace returned to her one-time home, kicking off a quick jaunt of shows through the west coast, starting at Green Auto here in Vancouver.
And, just as a side note: I’ve only been to Green Auto a couple times now, but the sound there is great — a lot better than you would expect from looking at it — and they consistently put on shows with fun (and inclusive) lineups. It’s a really cool space, and Vancouver definitely needs more venues like it.

I got to the venue a little late, missing opener Leo D.E Johnson and catching the last few songs of CJ Wiley. They had a fun, breezy rockin’ sound, and was joined by Skye Wallace for a couple songs, their latest single “Cheap Therapy” and the 90s-alt-rock vibe of “No One Like U”. They finished with a haunting song I didn’t catch the name of, but I made a note that I’ll have to check them out again when I can.

After a quick turnaround, Skye Wallace hit the stage backed by usual bassist J Strautman, as well as some familiar Vancouver faces, Jasper Sloan Yip on guitar and Dicky Neptune on drums.

Skye kicked off with the raucous “There Is A Wall” and the dark & moody “Truth Be Told”, before shifting into some new songs. The recently released “Momentum”, my favourite of the new batch of songs, worked on with the legendary Hawksley Workman; “Tough Kid” was dedicated to a friend in the audience; and they even teased a few unreleased songs, possibly releasing later this year.
Between songs, Skye chatted and joked with the crowd, and other highlights included the raw “Tear A Piece (Bite Me)” and the frenetic banger “Coal in Your Window”.

Wallace wrapped up the set with a cover of the Against Me! song “I Was a Teenage Anarchist” — after gushing about recently opening for Laura Jane Grace(!)
And the band was barely offstage before the crowd chanted for more, which possibly elicited the rare legit encore, with a quip that they hadn't planned on anything, before finishing with the existential questions of “The Doubt” and Skye’s incredible voice filling the room once more.

I feel like every time I see Skye Wallace play, I like them more & more, and this night was no exception. Especially having a killer backing band behind them, as well as a really cool venue.

setlist
There Is A Wall
Truth Be Told
Momentum
Tough Kid
[new song]
Mean Song 2
Tear A Piece (Bite Me)
[new song]
Coal In Your Window
I Was a Teenage Anarchist [Against Me! cover]
(encore)
The Doubt

Dan Moxon @ Green Auto -- March 03, 2023

A few months ago, Bend Sinister’s Dan Moxon released his second solo album, All My Friends, and was finally able to have the release party this weekend, at Green Auto. I hadn't been to the space before, but it was a nice intimate room in East Van, filling a niche that feels a little lacking in this city right now.

I caught the tail end of Zoey Leven, arriving right as they started a cover of the Supergrass song “Alright”. She ended the set with a couple newer songs, including the fuzzy and upbeat -- in tone, if not lyrics -- “I Feel Like A Loser”. I think this was the second time recently I only saw their last few songs while opening for someone, and it made me want to make sure I was there for the full set next time.

It wasn’t long after before Dan Moxon took the stage, backed by Alana Pearce on drums, Sydney Tough on bass and Luke Vincent on saxaphone, as well as a small strings section of a violin & cello for the first and last few songs from the album.

Starting with the haunting “Stuck On Midnight”, Dan played through All My Friends in full. His fingers flying over the keys and voice filling the room with songs like “All My Friends Are Dead”, an upbeat lament about losing touch with people; the soulful “Cross The Line”, which featured Bend Sinister drummer Nick Petro making a cameo for a very special percussion part (cracking open a beer can); the jaunty, 70’s-tinged “Real Good Guy”; and “Know It All”, a song that Dan joked was “too ragtime” to go viral on tiktok.

The album closed with “Film”, before Dan wound the evening down with a couple songs from his previous album, Lounge Singer. The contemplative “Where You Going To Sleep Tonight” went into “Morning After”, which built to a rollicking finish, and finally, “New Year’s Day” to end off the night.

Whether it’s a bombastic show with Bend Sinister, or a (relatively) subdued solo set, Dan Moxon is always fun to watch live. Combined with the first (and hopefully not last) show at Green Auto, made for a real fun night.

setlist
Stuck On Midnight
The Storm We Know
I Am Not Alone
All My Friends Are Dead
Love Life
Cross The Line
Real Good Guy
Know It All
Keep The Love Alive
Go Easy Now
Film
Where You Gonna Sleep Tonight
Morning After
New Year's Day