Funderwear Benefit w/ Meatdraw, Kathryn Calder, David Vertesi & Rococode @ Biltmore -- 12/17/10

Last night the Biltmore hosted the 5th annual Funderwear Benefit, to help raise money, and also socks & underwear, for the Salvation Army Harbour Light Vancouver. It was also a stellar lineup of local talent (if "local" includes the island), with a couple of the acts being responsible for two of my favourite albums this year.

Starting the night off was a new band with some familiar musicians, Rococode. The new project from Laura Smith and Andrew Braun also included Ryan Guldemond (Mother Mother), Shaun Huberts and Johnny Andrews (both of Tegan & Sara) helping out. It was their first show in Vancouver, and I was quite impressed with what I heard. They had a really upbeat, indie-pop sound, that vaguely reminded me of Mother Mother, especially with Smith's strong voice. She and Braun shared vocal duties, as well as keys for a set of really catchy songs. They teased an album coming out early next year, and I am looking forward to checking it out, and seeing them play again.

Next was David Vertesi. When I first saw him live, I wrote "I would be really interested to hear them with a backing band", and each time I saw him since, it was more or less an acoustic set. Well, this time I got my wish. He was joined again by David Joseph on bass, but also had Cayne & Andy from We Are The City helping on keys & drums. As much as I liked his acoustic sets, I think I liked the full band a bit better; The core of the songs were still the same, none were radically different, but they were just much richer (as you would expect) and allowed Vertesi -- and the rest -- to rock out on a couple occasions. "Soft Skin" and "Broadcasting" especially benefited from the full band sound. He brought the set to an end with "Hearts Don't Break, People Do", which I think has become one of my favourite songs of the year. While I am sure that this incarnation of a band may not be seen again - with Andy & Cayne busy with their own upcoming EP -- I hope to be able to see Vertesi with a full band next time he plays.

Kathryn Calder, who I was very much looking forward to seeing, was up third. Last time I saw her performing her own material was at last years Mint Records X-Mas party, well before the album came out.
After being used to seeing her behind a keyboard for a few years now, it was a bit odd to see her playing a guitar, but she was back and forth between that and the keys throughout the set, and with her backing band -- which included a couple members of MeatDraw --she definitely captured the energy of the album. There was one new song, but the rest were from the album -- most of which were insanely upbeat and catchy, but she also brought the tempo down a couple times with some of her slower ones. "A Day Long Past It's Prime" and "So Easily" were on either end of the spectrum, and both were highlights of the set. I know she has been busy with her New Pornographers duties the last while, but hopefully she'll be touring on her own soon enough, and back here with another show of her ow.

And finally was MeatDraw, who I had also not seen live in some time. I had kind of forgotten how fun the band is to watch live, even with the occasionally dark lyrics hidden by the bombastically upbeat songs. The enthusiasm for being on stage definitely bled through, not just in their joking around between songs, but in their playing, too. Their almost folky pop sound was rounded out by a small, two person horn section -- and even a saw for a couple of songs. Despite it being well past midnight by the time they went on, they definitely had enough energy to spare, and had the remaining crowd into it. The only downside was that the set seemed to be a bit short, but they mentioned a few new songs thrown into the set, so I am hoping that means a new album soon, as well as a tour to go along with it. Like Calder, I don't want to have to wait another year before seeing them play again.

I should also mention that the night was presented by File Under: Music, who put out Cardiography and Are You My Mother?, Vertesi and Calder's albums -- the aforementioned favourites of the year. They also released a few albums for a guy you may have heard of... Dan Mangan?

Dan Mangan @ The Cultch -- 08/29/09

I'm not gonna lie, Dan Mangan had quite the pedigree to live up to. I have only seen two shows previously at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre (which has been newly renovated and renamed "The Cultch".... seriously) and they were Wil, who is always phenomenal live, and a Matthew Good solo acoustic show, which is still one of my favourite shows of all time ever.
Saturday was night two of his sold out two-night stint at "The Cultch", for his CD release party. I had picked the the second night for a specific reason, that being the opening band. Heck, even they had a little to live up to, as the previous opening bands have been Leeroy Stagger and Melissa McClelland (respectively). But enough about other artists and past shows.

I had heard a couple MeatDraw songs on CBC Radio 3 in the past and was interested enough to want to see them live, so finding out they were opening the show was cool. Their set started with a single member on stage, with her ukulele, looking at first a little confused as she stood in silence for a minute or two. Then some faint stomping/clapping sounds were accompanied by bells and an accordion as the other five members entered from a door at the rear of the room and made their way up to launch into the music. Their sound was a kind of a... cheerful-indie-folk-pop-gospel sound, with the aforementioned ukulele and accordion, as well as a trumpet and even a saw(!) and, for one song, a length of chain in a tin can(!!) to fill out their sound. There was a palpable enthusiasm behind the band; you could really tell they were enjoying the hell out of playing, and that sense of joy transferred excellently into their live set. The only sad part, though, was it was the last gig for one of their members. But despite that, they put on one hell of a show, and any other night, they may have even stole the show, nearly getting a standing ovation from the crowd. I managed to pick up their new album there and can't wait until they are back for a show of their own.

MeatDraw, as I said, would have stolen the show... had it not been for Dan Mangan. I admit, going into the show I was only a partial fan of Dan Mangan. I had heard the songs on the radios, R3 and The Peak and streamed the album from his website, which I rather enjoyed. But the decision to go to the show was kind of spontaneous. Now, however, I am ever so glad I randomly decided to go. He hit the stage and started out with his four-piece band, but that fluctuated anywhere from 13 members, with a full compliment of strings and horns, to one, Dan Mangan alone, with his folksy brand of indie rock. He started off the night with Road Regrets, and a few other songs from the new album, Nice, Nice, Very Nice. Mid-way through, he started in on The Indie Queens Are Waiting, then abruptly stopped halfway through, saying he would only play 50% of the song as a sort of protest to the ridiculous slashing of the arts budget BC recently passed. A couple songs later, in the middle of Fair Verona, he introduced to the stage his friend, poet Shane Koyczan who recited a poem in the middle of the song, which was a really neat. He finished the main set with Robots (complete with a little mistake, jumping the gun part way through the song), which ended in a massive sing along and Mangan even going into the crowd to lead everyone.
The encore consisted of a song from his Roboteering EP, Tragic Turn of Events/Move Pen Move, which wove another Koyczan poem into Mangan's song, and was absolutely heartbreaking. He ended the night by getting everyone back on stage, even members of MeatDraw and some random musician friends from the crowd for a giant group version of an older song rejiggered, So Much For Everyone.
But even that wasn't enough for the sold out house, as the crowd urged him back out for one more, a newer (and pun-tastic) song, Daffodil.
His stage manner reminded me, in some ways, of Joel Plaskett. His effortless banter with the crowd, adding a couple jokes and things in mid-song, the raw emotion he puts into his songs, and the genuine appreciation and love of the crowd that made him seem like an incredibly nice guy. I will certainly not be surprised by the great things that are bound to come his way.

Did MeatDraw, Dan Mangan, and the show overall live up to the previous shows I mentioned? Yes, absolutely it did, and while I was only minor fans of either band before the night, they both won me over in a big way.

I was able to keep track of the setlist, which is as follows:
Road Regrets, Sold, You Silly Git, Pine For Cedars, Journal of a Narcoleptic, The Indie Queens Are Waiting (50%, budget slash), El Les Mots Croisés, Fair Verona (w/ Shane Koyczan poem), Some People, Basket, Robots.
(encore) Tragic Turn Of Events / Move Pen Move (w/ Shane Koyczan), So Much For Everyone (w/ everyone).
(encore2) Daffodil.