Live Review: Constantines 10th Anniv. w/ Ladyhawk, Julie Doiron @ Lee's Palace, Toronto.

To celebrate 10 years as a band, the Constantines put together a mini-tour, including 3 official shows and 1 secret one in Toronto. They brought along some of their favourite bands to play with them: John K. Sampson (from the Weakerthans), Attack in Black, Metz, Oneida, Tropics, and the ones I saw on Saturday, 19 December, at Lee's Palace, Julie Doiron and Ladyhawk. That was the last show of the tour, and it felt like an extra-special celebration.

Julie Doiron was first up. I'd last seen her sell out Lee's of her own accord in what turned out to be one of the best shows I saw all year. She was once again joined by the Baird brothers, Jesse on drums and Jay on bass, and occasionally Will Kidman from Constantines on extra guitar. (Shotgun Jimmie watched on from the audience.) Julie and her band were in fine form. I liked a new song they played, one that sounded like "The House of the Rising Sun" but with different lyrics. The most noteworthy part of their short set for me was the small group of female super-fans around me. "She's so cute," squealed one young woman to her companion. Later on, the blonde one whipped out a harmonica and played along. Julie noticed; it was weird. But the drunken duo disappeared once her set ended. I was glad for it: their dancing involved bumping into me rather more than I cared for.

In the middle spot was Ladyhawk, a band I'd yet to come across. I was worried I might not like their sound before they even got on stage when I suddenly I found myself surrounded by men who kept referring to each other as "bra." (It took me a moment to understand what on earth they were talking about.) And then the band appeared. The bassist had long blonde hair, the kind that looks best when its owner is rocking out. See? The lead was in a tie-dye shirt of sorts. An odd choice, but perhaps an homage to their sound. Their set showed off a musical range from classic rock to early and mid 90s grunge to alternative. Not exactly my cup of tea, and a smidge repetitive at times, but they certainly had their enthusiasts, including Julie, watching and taking photos just off-stage. Bry and Dallas from the Cons crashed the set, joining the band to sing backup "ooh oh ooohs" during the penultimate song. (My friend Rochelle got a picture of that.) So, you know, it was a fun time.

By the start of Ladyhawk's set, Lee's Palace had filled up nicely, and once they were done there was no moving for me, for fear of not being able to make my way back to the front row. I usually like to be right up front during concerts. That way, I can see what's happening on stage and have a much better sense of being part of the show than if I was standing way back, having to look over taller people's heads to catch a glimpse of the musicians. Since the shows I go to tend not to be feasts for the eyes, it's important for me to be able to see the players; otherwise, I'd probably get bored. For Constantines's set, I was standing in front of keyboardist Will, a good spot, I was told, to keep clear of the moshers. As it turned out, it was a brilliant vantage point to watch the goings-on on stage.

It was clear from the get-go that Constantines elicit the kind of response I rarely see at concerts. (I tend not to go to big-ticket ones, though.) By the time the band played "Young Offenders," with its shout-out refrain "Can I get a witness," the concert was feeling like a religious experience. All around me people were pumping their fists in the air and singing along. Soon enough there was moshing just to my right, and mostly by people who didn't look old enough to have known the band when they first started. When bassist Dallas Wehrle tossed his ski mask---he'd been wearing a full-face white balaclava---into the crowd, there was a bit of a scuffle. A few minutes later one crazed female fan, already drenched in sweat from dancing and ramming into people, had it, holding it tight.

The Constantines played for more than 2 hours, including a 4- or 5-song encore. Julie Doiron sang lead vocals on one tune, and Jennifer Castle sang and swayed to one, too. The first encore song featured Leslie Feist. (I admit to being impressed at having Feist performing a few feet away from me, even making eye contact a couple times!) Proving once again that this concert really was a celebration, before launching into "Nighttime / Anytime (It's Alright)" vocalist Bry Webb asked for his mother to make her way onto the stage. Mid-way through the song, there she was beside me, asking Rochelle how to get up there. We told her, but with the sea of excited people all around, she decided to plant herself on the dancefloor just beneath him. When the song ended and it was brought to his attention that she was there, he told us how it was his mom who'd shouted "turn it up" when he played the newly-recorded song for her. And so the recurring, shouted refrain was born. Neat. Not to be outdone by their fans, the band was really ripping it up that night. Will Kidman's keyboard stand looked oft-abused to me, but so too were his organ and synth. A couple times during their set the organ on top fell to the ground near my head as the entire setup crashed. Upon failing to get everything working after losing the organ a second time, Will gave up and threw the organ to the ground himself, leaving him unable to play one of the encore songs.

Man, being in a rock band looks like so much fun.

Not being familiar with very much of the Cons discography---shame on me, I know---I felt more like a spectator than a participator through much of the concert. But if that's gotta be the case, this was the show to be at: the energy of the enthusiastic people around me, the voyeuristic feeling I got out of seeing Julie Doiron (sitting on the floor just off stage) lose her shit to "Young Lions," being jerked back to reality when Will's organ crashed two feet from my head, and, well, finding myself really enjoying new-to-me songs recorded over the past decade was pretty great. Highlights for me included "Subdomestic" and "Soon Enough." Looks like I got me some record-buying to do.

Photo credits: mandrs has more shots of this show. Thanks!

Images from: The Constantines: Celebrating 10 Years!

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2009 @ CALL THE OFFICE LONDON, ON

Images from the Julie Doiron, Ladyhawk, Constantines show.

Happy 10th, Cons!

Thanks to Arts & Crafts and Call The Office.

A superb show review by John Teeter can be found here.

The Constantines: Celebrating 10 Years!

In the same way that everyone fell in love with Superchunk’s hyper enough bassist Laura Ballance, in the nineties, in Canada, we have Julie Doiron. Getting her start in Eric’s Trip in 1990, and then making the shift to solo work in the aftermath of their 1996 breakup, Doiron is a mainstay of the Canadian indie music scene.

So, as the leadoff in The Constantines: Celebrating 10 Years show at Call The Office, the tone was set for an amazing night of legendary music. As much a fan of the two other acts: Ladyhawk, and of course The Constantines, Sackville’s Doiron was noticeably giddy about the evening. Serving as the cooler, super cute, older sister of the two younger acts, she paced the evening to a glorious beginning with her dreamy, tender pop.

Following was Kelowna BC’s Ladyhawk who have grown a steady, bearded woodsman-like following in London. Known for their energetic and sometimes ‘liquid courage’ fueled shows, singer Duffy Driediger paced the boys through a more straight-laced driven set of their seventies inspired folk rock. Sounding like the soundtrack to a Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper motorcycle ride, the jam-packed club including a bouncing in the crowd Doiron, were treated to one of the best bands in Canada to have popped up since the Cons formation.

When it comes to making a band and keeping it together, ten years is an impressive amount of time. For some bands, that’s more than a lifetime. For Guelph’s Constantines, it seems only like a dot on the map, in the journey that continues. Widely regarded as one of the bands of note in Canada, their album Shine a Light (Three Gut Records) not only serves a reference point but, that they were making something very special.

Two full lengths later, Kensington Heights (Arts & Crafts) is the result of maturation and honing, of then eight years of being together. Far more impressive than their recorded body of work is their live show – that a culmination five talented musicians, in phase, and poised to deliver.

Though hardly likely, if this tenth anniversary mini tour was signifying the end, The Cons, certainly delivered, and left little behind. A no holds barred set list of seventeen sweat drenched songs culled from their entire catalogue. The highlight of the night was when Cons frontman Bry Webb invited Doiron up for a cover of Elevator’s “Why I Didn't Like August 93”.

Surely ten years is impressive, especially when you consider those were lived mostly within the death of the record industry. But, when you consider those years in relationship to The Constantines not surprising given the talent and energy they put into it. Here’s to ten more.

Coming up in London (Ontario that is)

In addition to being an amazing band our friends in Olenka and the Autumn Lovers run the Open House Arts Collective and put on music (and other arts) shows in and around London, Ontario. One of them even contributes to the site, but she is ill at the moment (no, not with that). But I got an email about upcoming shows that they are happy about a little while ago and thought I should share:

If you're in, or around London these are the places to be (according to the experts).

Sat Nov 21: Sam Allen CD Release show @ Chaucer's Pub
>http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=173599208287&index=1

Sun Nov 22: Le Cyc @ The Arts Project
>http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=193956459601&index=1

Tue Nov 24: Our friends the Wooden Sky will be at Call the Office (not an open house show)
>http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=172489954652&ref=ts

Fri Nov 27: Olenka and the Autumn Lovers @ Call the Office
>http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=207661971367&index=1

Tue Dec 1: a new intriguing (monthly) night at Call the Office, Hoot! Night. Singer/songwriter's showcase
>http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176217764507&index=1

Fri Dec 18: I just noticed this listing, the Constantines w/ Ladyhawk AND Julie Doiron will be at Call the Office! woo!
>http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=177966783080&index=1

Sled Island Featured Artist ~ Ladyhawk

This rock quartet hails from Vancouver and have been around since 2004. Formed by best friends (singer/guitarist Duffy Driediger, lead guitarist Darcy Hancock, bassist Sean Hawryluk and drummer Ryan Peters) from Kelowna, BC, Ladyhawk have made a name for themselves in the independent scene despite some reported struggles.

Signed to Jagjaguwar records (home also to Pink Mountaintops, Julie Doiron, Okkervil River, Women and the new Dinosaur Jr.), the group released their self-titled debut album in 2006 and quickly followed with the 12" EP Fight for Anarchy a year later. When it came time to record their second full-length, the four holed themselves up in an old barn with no working bathroom in Kelowna. As they toured in support of Shots (release in March, 2008), the band expressed in an interview the disheartened feeling when very few people showed up for their U.S. shows. However, Canadian performances were better and the group forges on...

READ THE REST ON OFF THE DIAL!

Sappyfest Announces Lineup & Early Bird Special

Sappyfest in Sackville, NB (July 31 - Aug 2) announced a long list of some of Canada's top acts will be performing at the festival this year, including

Wintersleep, Women, Destroyer, Eric's Trip, Ladyhawk, Timbre Timbre, Ohbijou, 100 Dollars, Attack in Black, Calvin Johnson, Dog Day, Julie Doiron, Old Man Leudecke, Women, Brent Randall & His Pinecones, the Adam Mowery Organization, Baby Eagle, the Burning Hell, the Baird Brothers, BA Johnson, Bloodsport, Cat Patoon, Clues, the D'urbervilles, Eric Chenaux, Fembots, Fueremusik, Gambleton, the Laura Borealis, Lonnie James, Luyas, the Magic, Motion Ensemble, Rock Plaza Central, Ryan Driver, Shapes & Sizes, Shotgun Jimmie, Snailhouse, Spring Breakup (Mathias Kom of the Burning Hell and Kim Barlow), We Are Action, Windom Earle, Witchies & Woolly Leaves.

All in all this may be the best festival lineup I've seen to date and if you can make it to Sackville, early bird passes are only $50! Visit Sappyrecords.com for details!

Indie Rockers and Others Fill Cameras for Charity

Some of your favorite Canadian indie rockers and other celebrities have filled disposable cameras to support DOXA. DOXA is a documentary festival presented by the Documentary Media Society of Vancouver. To raise funds the festival (who's 2009 fest. launched on Friday) is auctioning off some used single use cameras. Those cameras were filled by Jason Collett, Bob Wiseman, the Weakerthans, Ladyhawk, Tegan Quinn, Stars, Nardwuar the Human Serviette, Great Lake Swimmers, Veda Hille and even CBC folk like Peter Mansbridge, Mary Walsh, George Stromboulopoulos, Colin Mocherie, Brent Bambury and Ian Hanomansing.

So what's on the cameras? What did they take pictures of? They're not saying but bidding on all the Cameras opened on Friday and will continue until Sunday May 31, 2009.

BC Scene (the podcast you've been waiting for)

Everyone was, and still is, raving about the (Fri. April 24) BC Scene show with the Pack A.D., Ladyhawk and Black Mountain hosted by Radio 3's amazing, yet still missing most of the time Amanda Putz. Now you can take hilights from the show and keep them forever via the CBC Radio 3 Sessions podcast.



Download It Here

and, again, a list of (and links to) every sessions podcast ever is here.