North by East West

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

REVIEW: Elliott Brood @ Majestic Café Detroit, MI

Detroit’s Metro Times magazine wrote it all down for Toronto-based death country trio Elliott BROOD by making them a top pick for Thanksgiving weekend entertainment in the D. In return, the Brood delivered a show that made it clear why they’re a hot contender for Best Live Act in CBC Radio 3’s annual Bucky Awards. Was this the perfect almost-homecoming for the pot-and-spoon banging, hand-clapping, foot-stomping, shake-your-ass all night band?

Sure sounded like it to us. The mostly Canadian crowd—sporting everything from Elliott Brood drummer/vocalist Stephen Pitkin-style hats, a Jarome Iginla sweater to a CBC Radio 3 scarf—obviously agreed. Windsorites outnumbered Detroiters, but Chicago was also represented and rumour had it a couple of Radio 3 bloggers met at the show for the first time and had a blast.

The Brood just wrapped their Future Ghost Towns tour of North America, after performing nearly non-stop since mid-September. They had driven 11 hours from New York two days before the Nov. 27 show at the Majestic Café and were in Pittsburgh by the next night; guitarist/bass pedalist/vocalist Casey Laforet said he hadn’t been home in two months. So lead singer Mark Sasso would have been forgiven had his alto rasp stayed a bit raspier than usual past the perfect opener, “The Bridge,” from their full-length debut, Ambassador.

But Sasso was just warming up. No signs of road-weariness from Pitkin and Laforet, either. Buoyed by the appreciative audience, the Brood rocked, romped and rumbled through much of Tin Type (“Oh, Alberta,” “Edge of Town,” “Cadillac Dust”) and Polaris Prize short-listed Mountain Meadows (“T-Bill,” “Fingers & Tongues,” “Without, Again,” “Garden River,” “Chuckwagon”) with additional nods to Ambassador (“Second Son,” “Johnny Rooke”). They saved the best for last, winding up for a big sing-along, play-along finish to “Valley Town” (which included a shout-out to Ortonville, Mich.), “Miss You Now” and “Write It All Down For You.”