PHOTOS: Hawksley Workman @ Guilt & Co.

April 10, 2023 by Christine McAvoy in Live Music Photography, Weekly Photo Roundup

Hawksley Workman
at Guilt & Company
April 04, 2023

July Talk @ Commodore -- March 29, 2023

March 30, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in live shows

Ten years ago (almost to the day!) was the first time I saw July Talk live, on stage at the Commodore, opening for Matt Mays. I was instantly won over by the band and have been a fan ever since. Flash forward to now, and the Toronto group returning to the legendary Commodore Ballroom, for the first of two Vancouver shows in support of their brand new album, Remember Never Before.

First up was Oshawa duo Crown Lands. I got there a song or two into their set, immediately struck by the hard rock licks and power vocals, much stronger than you would expect from a two-piece. Their songs were punctuated by extended instrumentals, as guitarist/keyboardist Kevin Comeau ripped some solos on his double guitar — and even breaking out a double acoustic for a couple songs. Highlights included their latest single, “Lady of the Lake”, and a song I believe was called “End of the Road” which was about the Highway of Tears and dedicated to Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Two Spirit individuals.

They also looked the part perfectly, both clad in black, but especially singer & drummer Cody Bowles, who came to the front of the stage for a song showing off their sparkles, fringe, and half-cape, looking the picture of a glam rocker.
The pair definitely did a great job of setting the stage for what was to come.

Not long after that, July Talk hit the stage, comprised of guitarist Ian Docherty, bassist Josh Warburton, drummers Danny Miles & Dani Nash, and of course, singers Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay.

Starting off hot with the first song off the new album, “After This”, the band burned through an hour and a half, touching their whole catalogue as the set ebbed and flowed. They built with a barely-contained restraint on songs like “Human Side”, crashing with the cacophonous “Johnny + Mary”, then pulled back to the simmering intensity of “Repeat”, drawing the crowd in with every song.
Other highlights included the frenetic “Summer Dress”, “Picturing Love” and “Certain Father”, my favourite off the new album — even if Spencer Krug wasn’t in town to provide his collaborative vocals.

The energy flowed off each band member, especially Leah and Peter, who playfully bounced off each other; both vocally, their ‘sweet + sour’ voices contrasting & complimenting, but also physically. They barely stood still for a moment, with Leah stalking the stage, and Peter even leaping into the crowd to surf while playing guitar, for the raucous “Guns + Ammunition” as the crowd sang along.

The main set came to a close with the final song off the album, “I am Water”, followed by the haunting “Push + Pull”. But as the crowd chanted for “one more song”, Peter took the stage alone, singing the intro to “Raw” with no accompaniment before the band joined him. And finally, they finished off the night with one of my faves, the sexually charged “Lola + Joseph” and one last big singalong to “The Garden”, an explosive song from their first album.

Since that first time opening for Mays, I’ve been able to see July Talk about a half dozen times, in venues, outdoor festivals, and even an arena show. And every time, they put on an incredible, exciting live show that will leave you spend. They’ll be back at the Commodore tonight (March 30) for a second, sold out show… but hopefully they’ll be back again soon.

setlist
After This
Now I Know
Human Side
Certain Father
Pay For It
Beck + Call
Picturing Love
Good Enough
Identical Love
Guns + Ammunition
Johnny + Mary
Repeat
Summer Dress
G-d Mother Fire
When You Stop
I Am Water
Push + Pull
(encore)
Raw
Lola + Joseph
The Garden

Dan Moxon @ Green Auto -- March 03, 2023

March 04, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in live shows

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

An Evening with The Flaming Lips @ Commodore Ballroom -- March 01, 2023

March 02, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in live shows

This has been a long time coming. Originally scheduled for 2020, the pair of shows were postponed until last year when, days before, they were postponed once again. But finally, the Oklahoma City band returned to Vancouver for those two shows at the Commodore. It was also a long time coming for me, since the last time I saw them perform was a free show in Toronto for NXNE in 2012 and I was antsy to see their live show again.

A palpable anticipation grew in the room as the set time drew near, a two-minute warning going over the speakers before the 8:30-sharp start time, and soon The Flaming Lips were out to start the show. Singer Wayne Coyne climbed into his personal inflatable sphere, and throughout the night he shot off confetti sticks, put on a Wonder Woman onesie over his suit, and just hyped up the crowd in general, barely letting the room be quiet even for a moment between songs, putting out an incredible energy.

And that energy was easily reciprocated; standing in front of a giant light board that displayed psychedelic graphics, as well as the lyrics to every song, one word (or sometimes one syllable) at a time, the band started with “A Cosmic Autumn Rebellion”, the lights strobing and confetti blasting out of the cannons side stage — which would be fired off frequently during the show.

Alongside the lights and confetti, there were a few props, the first being a giant inflatable rainbow framing the stage for gorgeous “Do You Realize??”, which had tears streaming down at least one person’s face, if not more. Especially after Coyne dedicated the song to a person named Greg, who wasn’t even expected to be at the original 2020 show, but beat his health problems long enough to be there both nights this year. This led to the crowd spontaneously erupting in “Greg! Greg! Greg!” chants on several occasions.
That wasn’t the only inflatable prop of the night though, as a huge pink robot towered in front of the stage, looming over the crowd for another favourite, “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1”.

But all the lights, lasers, confetti, and even bubble-machines wouldn’t have meant much if it wasn’t for the band’s often uplifting & heartwarming songs to go with them. The set spanned their vast career, from the quirky “At the Movies on Quaaludes” from the new album American Head, to “Your Bats” off Embryonic, the classic “A Spoonful Weighs a Ton” from The Soft Bulletin, and even a cover of Madonna’s “Borderline”.

After a big sing along to “She Don't Use Jelly” the set came to a close with Steven Drozd on vocals for “Pompeii am Götterdämmerung”, as they made the crowd work for the encore. But they came back hard, with Wayne climbing into his sphere again, warning everyone before another giant inflatable ball — filled with confetti & balloons — hit the crowd to throw around for “Worm Mountain”. After the deep cut b-side, “Sunship Balloons”, the band wrapped up the night with another one of my favourites, the dual-drummers nailing “Race for the Prize”, and one more surprise, Wayne holding up some inflatable letters spelling out a large FUCK YEAH VANCOUVER.

I don’t think it’s a hot take to say that The Flaming Lips have one of the best live shows going, and I doubt anyone that was at the Commodore over the last two nights would argue otherwise. Even with the occasional heavy subject matter, all their songs are brimming with positivity & joy, and their live show just amplifies that, thanks in no small part to Wayne Coyne himself. It’s hard not to grin from ear-to-ear at the show, or even thinking about it afterward.

Oddly enough, it was my first time seeing them at an indoor venue — after twice at Malkin Bowl and Young & Dundas Square — but they were no less magical. The show went for two hours, and I was ready for them to keep going until the sunrise.

setlist
My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion
Will You Return / When You Come Down
Do You Realize??
How??
Why Does It End?
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1
At the Movies on Quaaludes
Be Free, A Way
Borderline [Madonna cover]
Your Bats
Love Yer Brain
Dinosaurs on the Mountain
A Spoonful Weighs A Ton
She Don't Use Jelly
Pompeii am Götterdämmerung
(encore)
Worm Mountain
Sunship Balloons
Race for the Prize