Wax on, and on, and on....

I had the pleasure of catching Wax Mannequin's recent set at the Rivoli earlier this month, when he rolled his well-received live show through Toronto. He describes his tunes as music for adults; I'd have to agree, but the entire line-up didn't lose out on fun for it. Opener Rae Spoon made for a charming combination of touching, folky tracks and funny banter, and it'd be fair to say that Mark Bragg and his band exploded onto the stage when they followed.

Wax Mannequin and his band were perhaps less kinetic than the preceeding act, but still put out a set that was equal parts energy and musical skill. You can see it in action for yourself if you live out east, where he'll be playing several dates in Newfoundland and New Brunswick. If you can't make it to one of those, rest assured this touring machine will hit your town soon enough.



NXeW talked to Wax Mannequin over email in advance of his Toronto show.

1. You recently played shows across Europe -- what's your favourite memory
from that tour?

Nurnberg was, of course, bombed to bits in WWII, so the exterior of the city was rebuilt all boxy and spare. It was quite bleek to drive into. Then I went through a cave-like arch in an old-looking stone wall -- I thought that my map had led me astray and that I had entered some off-limits, touristy museum facility, but I had, in-fact entered the big, untouched downtown where shops pubs and appartments were nestled into medieval walls and castle-like structures. The venue was in one of these pubs. It was a tiny place called Mata Hari. It was just big enough for a rectangular bar and a small isle around it. They fit me into one of the isles and the crowd crammed into the others. It was one of the most charming and memorable shows I've ever played. I met a few artists at the show who told me about how important art and music were to the rebuilding of that town in the 50s and 60s. The owner of the venue gave me a special bottle of strong, tasty hazlenut spirits that was made there in Nurnberg. I'm not sure that I'll ever open it, which is a shame I suppose.

2. You'll be heading to my home province for a few dates in Corner Brook and
St. John's in late September. Have you played in Newfoundland before?
Why'd you decide to take the tour that far east, considering the extra time
and expense involved?

I love Newfoundland. St. John's is definitely my favourite town in Canada. It's the kind of place where you can play a couple shows in a row; this and the awesome parties usually makes the trip worth while. It reminds me of Europe, because of the sort of music-crowd there, the small town yet metropolitan feel and the charming, dangerously-sloped streets. I try not to miss that place when I tour, but sometimes the time and cost to get there are prohibitive. I'm not sold on the huge, ugly Irving tankards that wreck the beauty of the harbour. A lot of people are employed by Irving. That's good, I suppose, but those tankards make it seem like they think they own the place. Maybe the company will consider the PR implications and stick some trees in front of those tanks. Great city.

3. By the time 2009 closes out, you'll have spent a considerable part of the
year on the road. What are your favourite and least-favourite things about
touring?

I like the places and people... and collaborating with my favourite musicians on-stage. I lose my mind with the traffic, and the constant "Where did I put that important thing" feeling that comes over me when I have to move on to a new place.

4. Your live show has a solid reputation as something to be seen in person
-- if you had to sum it up in one word, what would it be and why?

Beardicle
I chose the word beardicle because I have a beard, and only grownups can have beards. I make proper, grownup music.

5. What's coming up in 2010 for Wax Mannequin?

When this eastern tour wraps up, I'll be working on a few more videos and a dvd before heading west in March with the Burning Hell. I've really been focusing on traveling with the band lately. I like how the songs come across on my new record and I want to keep the bar very high with my live shows. After the west I'll have some time off to record. Then I'll be heading back to Europe.