It's been a couple years since Hannah Georgas moved away from Vancouver to head out east to Toronto, and while she's isn't originally from here, her show at the Commodore this week still felt like a homecoming.
And not only was Hannah returning, but she brought with her quite possibly the best three-band lineup I've seen in quite some time.
Starting off the night was the dark, noir-pop of Louise Burns. She was playing a bit of a stripped down set, joined only by Jody Glenham on keys & vox, and Darcy Hancock on guitar. The short set featured older favourites like "Ruby" and the haunting "Emerald Shatter" and also teased some songs from her upcoming album; including the new single "Storms" to close the set, and one of which I really liked but didn't catch the name of. The new stuff sounded like a natural extension, her ethereal voice lofting over music that so far seems a touch more upbeat that her The Midnight Mass. If they were any indication of the new album, I will be eagerly awaiting it.
After the stage was reset with some plants flanking their name emblazoned on a large, pink neon light sign, The Darcys. Their set mostly drew from their new album, which was out at the end of the week, and marked a shift in the band's sound. Since the last time I saw them (not counting a short acoustic set at The Peak) they had lost half the band -- now just a duo of Jason Couse & Wes Marskell -- and shifted from a moody indie rock to a glossy 80s synth sound. Yet even with the change, it still sounded like The Darcys, a slightly dark edge creeping in underneath the shine, as heard in songs like "San Diego, 1988" or "Coming Up For Air".
But the new songs also got people moving with "Black Diamonds" which saw drummer Wes singing a little bit with a robotic-voice, and their incredibly infectious single "Miracle".
The pair also snuck in a couple older song into the set, both "The River" and "Shaking Down The Old Bones" getting slight makeovers, to fit their new setup, but not so much that they were unrecognizable form the originals.
They finished off with my favourite of the set, "Lip Service", which is the perfect blend of their new and old sounds, coming to a close with an intense swell of guitar & drums.
After a bit of a break, it was finally time for Hannah Georgas, as she emerged with her band on a stage full of smoke, the lights cutting through and silhouetting the members. Starting off "Enemies", the set focused mostly on her latest two albums; For Evelyn which came out earlier this year, and '012's self-titled.
Georgas showed her songwriting range, from the acerbic "Somebody" to the soft and heartbreaking beauty of "Walls"; the high-energy night-out vibe of "Shortie" to the fool-in-love song "Crazy Shit"; to one of my favourites of the set, "Angel" which started with just Hannah's beautiful voice and her on keyboard before the band came in so thunderously that it raised the hairs on the back of your neck. Hannah was also visibly glad to be back in Vancouver, even when not thanking the crowd, bubbling over with energy while performing.
After a little over an hour, the set came to an end with "Waiting Game" before Hannah was back out alone for the encore, armed only with her guitar. She told the story behind one of the first songs she wrote when first moved to Vancouver, "The National" and then capped off the night a great, chilled out cover of "Don't You (Forget About Me)" originally by Simple Minds (though sadly, not raising her fist victoriously in freeze frame while leaving the stage).
Each one of these bands I would have been more than happy with seeing on their own, and for all three it seemed like too long since I last saw a [proper] set from them. Even with different tones, they complimented each other quite well, and really was one of the best all-round shows I've seen this year.
