MG: Part One
First Winnipeg Set: October 25th, 2005
Giant
Alert Status Red
Hello Time Bomb
The Future Is X-Rated
Suburbia
The Rat Who Would Be King
Buffalo Seven
Load Me Up
Oh Be Joyful
Blue Skies Over Bad Lands
Weapon
Apparitions Acoustic
Encore
Prime Time Deliverance Acoustic
Tripoli Acoustic
Advertising On Police Cars
Before this night I had only ever seen Matt play once and it was at a shitty ten dollar outdoor show at Winnipeg's annual fair, the Red River Ex. The crowd was packed with idiots who weren't really there for the performer in particular, but for a drunken rock show. The security setup wasn't up to par and Matt stopped playing in the middle of Hello Time Bomb to tell everybody to settle the fuck down. It was frustrating for those of us who were there for the music. However, White Light Rock & Roll Review had just hit stores a week earlier and it was great to hear the fresh material live.
This show was entirely different. More expensive ticket prices brought out a different crowd and the venue, a small bar called Cowboy's, was perfect for the show, allowing a great view from the floor and from the second floor balcony and once packed with people it felt as if the crowd was surrounding the band. I hung back for most the show, sticking to the balcony for the first half. I'd been paying attention to the setlists for the tour so far, so I knew more or less what to expect and what not to expect. The shows have been opening up either really big avec rock anthems or altogether anticlimatic, often with an acoustic song. Big it was.
Giant, Alert Status Red and Hello Time Bomb kicked off the night with guitars and flashing lights. HTB is great live. Things slowed down with Suburbia (a song which is quite enveloping as a live band experience) and The Rat Who Would Be King before picking up again with Buffalo Seven, a song played only once before on this tour (in Buffalo, New York), Load Me Up and Oh Be Joyful, the new single that I'm not overly impressed with.
The next bit was my favourite part of the show. Blue Skies Over Badlands, a track ruined at the Ex show, was a real treat. "It never gets old, does it," Matt commented at the end of the song before picking out with intro to Weapon, an epic track that is great in studio and on stage that showcases Matt at his songwriting best. Among my personal favourites.
There's something about Apparitions, a beautifully simple song, that really gets to you. It resounds acoustically and closing the show with it, although expected, was perfect. Matt returned for the encore with two more acoustic tracks, Prime Time Deliverance and Tripoli, before bringing the band back on for Advertising on Police Cars. All powerful songs but it all seemed somewhat anticlimatic, especially as Matt walked off stage at the end of Advertising and let the band finish up. Pat the drummer, however, came out wearing some kind of medieval chest armor that was pretty cool. He yelled something which I didn't catch and pumped his fists. Bravo, Pat.
In a hurried cell phone conversation with Josh immediately after show I explained the evening as such: "It was good, definitely not bad. I wasn't blown away, though." Not really what I was hoping for from the man I consider to be Canada's premier musical outlet, and others I talked to later had the same thoughts.
Second Winnipeg Set: October 26th, 2005
The Rat Who Would Be King
Avalanche
Load Me Up
Alert Status Red
Suburbia
Bright End of Nowhere
Hello Time Bomb
Oh Be Joyful
21st Century Living
Weapon
Advertising On Police Cars
Encore
Giant
Little Terror
Apparitions Acoustic
Where the first show was good, this set was absolutely amazing.
At first, it looked as if the place wasn't even going to fill up. Doors opened at seven and I spent the two hour wait downing beers and talking to Jordan about how I really hoped Matt would change up the setlist. I knew there were certain songs he wasn't going to play for sure, but I still secretly wished for a surprise (Big City Life, Truffle Pigs, Poor Man's Grey, Empty Road, Double Life). I was really hoping for Carmelina (they played it at one of the Ontario shows). The bar filled up nicely by the time Matt hit the stage.
Jordan was throwing is coins for Avalanche and got his wish early on. Otherwise the songs played were the same as last night, save 21st Century Living, the song that more or less made my night, and Bright End of Nowhere, another great Avalanche album track. The music seemed to flow better tonight, the successive tracks complimenting each other wonderfully, and both the crowd and the band seemed more into the show.
One of the best parts of this show in particular was the encore. The band ended the first set the same way they ended the encore the evening before, with Matt walking off stage as the band finished off Advertising on Police Cars. No chest armor for Pat tonight, though. As we waited for the band to come back, the guys beside me started the opening chant and clap to Giant, the opening track off of Beautiful Midnight and classic Matt Good show opener as well. For easily ten or twelve minutes the crowd chanted the K-I-C-K-A-S-S, That's the Way We Spell Success before the actual recording rang out across the loud speakers. The crowd was ecstatic as the band really rocked for Giant and Little Terror before Matt closed the encore with Apparations Acoustic, which I would have got a great video for, if you could hear more than just the crowd singing along.
Conclusion
This was a tour for the fans. With not much for new material, Matt has been delivering a mix of old favourites from the Matthew Good Band and his solo career, along with acoustic renditions showcased on the Rooms section of In A Coma. He's mentioned on his site that this may be the last time he'd play some of this material live and despite being tracks we've all heard time and time again, they really don't get old. Beautiful Midnight, for example, is an album than cannot get old. Overplayed, perhaps in my case, but I always come back to it. I left the second show wishing he was playing a third and eagerly awaiting a new album.
Ladies & Gentlemen
The Ladies & Gentlemen, a band formed out of Ontario by Canadian indie god Thomas D'Arcy, has been opening for Matt Good on this tour. The first night I heard them I can honestly I wasn't entirely impressed. The vocals sat somewhere in the realm of Modest Mouse, just not as good, while the the music itself could have been something Stars would conjure, just not as good. However, the band looked like they were having a great time on stage just making music, and I have all the respect in the world for that.
The second night, however, I fell in love with their quirky repitition and indie pop haze. Definitely a band worth checking out and keeping an eye on. With bands such as Death Cab becoming acceptable and popular in the mainstream, the door is beginning to open for indie projects like L&G. I should have picked up their disc at the merch table, hopefully I'll be able to find it elsewhere.
Giant
Alert Status Red
Hello Time Bomb
The Future Is X-Rated
Suburbia
The Rat Who Would Be King
Buffalo Seven
Load Me Up
Oh Be Joyful
Blue Skies Over Bad Lands
Weapon
Apparitions Acoustic
Encore
Prime Time Deliverance Acoustic
Tripoli Acoustic
Advertising On Police Cars
Before this night I had only ever seen Matt play once and it was at a shitty ten dollar outdoor show at Winnipeg's annual fair, the Red River Ex. The crowd was packed with idiots who weren't really there for the performer in particular, but for a drunken rock show. The security setup wasn't up to par and Matt stopped playing in the middle of Hello Time Bomb to tell everybody to settle the fuck down. It was frustrating for those of us who were there for the music. However, White Light Rock & Roll Review had just hit stores a week earlier and it was great to hear the fresh material live.
This show was entirely different. More expensive ticket prices brought out a different crowd and the venue, a small bar called Cowboy's, was perfect for the show, allowing a great view from the floor and from the second floor balcony and once packed with people it felt as if the crowd was surrounding the band. I hung back for most the show, sticking to the balcony for the first half. I'd been paying attention to the setlists for the tour so far, so I knew more or less what to expect and what not to expect. The shows have been opening up either really big avec rock anthems or altogether anticlimatic, often with an acoustic song. Big it was.
Giant, Alert Status Red and Hello Time Bomb kicked off the night with guitars and flashing lights. HTB is great live. Things slowed down with Suburbia (a song which is quite enveloping as a live band experience) and The Rat Who Would Be King before picking up again with Buffalo Seven, a song played only once before on this tour (in Buffalo, New York), Load Me Up and Oh Be Joyful, the new single that I'm not overly impressed with.
The next bit was my favourite part of the show. Blue Skies Over Badlands, a track ruined at the Ex show, was a real treat. "It never gets old, does it," Matt commented at the end of the song before picking out with intro to Weapon, an epic track that is great in studio and on stage that showcases Matt at his songwriting best. Among my personal favourites.
There's something about Apparitions, a beautifully simple song, that really gets to you. It resounds acoustically and closing the show with it, although expected, was perfect. Matt returned for the encore with two more acoustic tracks, Prime Time Deliverance and Tripoli, before bringing the band back on for Advertising on Police Cars. All powerful songs but it all seemed somewhat anticlimatic, especially as Matt walked off stage at the end of Advertising and let the band finish up. Pat the drummer, however, came out wearing some kind of medieval chest armor that was pretty cool. He yelled something which I didn't catch and pumped his fists. Bravo, Pat.
In a hurried cell phone conversation with Josh immediately after show I explained the evening as such: "It was good, definitely not bad. I wasn't blown away, though." Not really what I was hoping for from the man I consider to be Canada's premier musical outlet, and others I talked to later had the same thoughts.
Second Winnipeg Set: October 26th, 2005
The Rat Who Would Be King
Avalanche
Load Me Up
Alert Status Red
Suburbia
Bright End of Nowhere
Hello Time Bomb
Oh Be Joyful
21st Century Living
Weapon
Advertising On Police Cars
Encore
Giant
Little Terror
Apparitions Acoustic
Where the first show was good, this set was absolutely amazing.
At first, it looked as if the place wasn't even going to fill up. Doors opened at seven and I spent the two hour wait downing beers and talking to Jordan about how I really hoped Matt would change up the setlist. I knew there were certain songs he wasn't going to play for sure, but I still secretly wished for a surprise (Big City Life, Truffle Pigs, Poor Man's Grey, Empty Road, Double Life). I was really hoping for Carmelina (they played it at one of the Ontario shows). The bar filled up nicely by the time Matt hit the stage.
Jordan was throwing is coins for Avalanche and got his wish early on. Otherwise the songs played were the same as last night, save 21st Century Living, the song that more or less made my night, and Bright End of Nowhere, another great Avalanche album track. The music seemed to flow better tonight, the successive tracks complimenting each other wonderfully, and both the crowd and the band seemed more into the show.
One of the best parts of this show in particular was the encore. The band ended the first set the same way they ended the encore the evening before, with Matt walking off stage as the band finished off Advertising on Police Cars. No chest armor for Pat tonight, though. As we waited for the band to come back, the guys beside me started the opening chant and clap to Giant, the opening track off of Beautiful Midnight and classic Matt Good show opener as well. For easily ten or twelve minutes the crowd chanted the K-I-C-K-A-S-S, That's the Way We Spell Success before the actual recording rang out across the loud speakers. The crowd was ecstatic as the band really rocked for Giant and Little Terror before Matt closed the encore with Apparations Acoustic, which I would have got a great video for, if you could hear more than just the crowd singing along.
Conclusion
This was a tour for the fans. With not much for new material, Matt has been delivering a mix of old favourites from the Matthew Good Band and his solo career, along with acoustic renditions showcased on the Rooms section of In A Coma. He's mentioned on his site that this may be the last time he'd play some of this material live and despite being tracks we've all heard time and time again, they really don't get old. Beautiful Midnight, for example, is an album than cannot get old. Overplayed, perhaps in my case, but I always come back to it. I left the second show wishing he was playing a third and eagerly awaiting a new album.
Ladies & Gentlemen
The Ladies & Gentlemen, a band formed out of Ontario by Canadian indie god Thomas D'Arcy, has been opening for Matt Good on this tour. The first night I heard them I can honestly I wasn't entirely impressed. The vocals sat somewhere in the realm of Modest Mouse, just not as good, while the the music itself could have been something Stars would conjure, just not as good. However, the band looked like they were having a great time on stage just making music, and I have all the respect in the world for that.
The second night, however, I fell in love with their quirky repitition and indie pop haze. Definitely a band worth checking out and keeping an eye on. With bands such as Death Cab becoming acceptable and popular in the mainstream, the door is beginning to open for indie projects like L&G. I should have picked up their disc at the merch table, hopefully I'll be able to find it elsewhere.
posted by James at 6:41 PM
0 Books were burned:
Throw one on the pile
<< Home