Matthew Good/The Dears
Date: April 7, 2003 Lost in the Plot The Dears Ottawa apperance opening for Matthew Good proved that even a great live band can be held down by a difficult setting and an unreceptive crowd. Although it was enjoyable to witness the band again and to hear their new songs, the experience did not live up to that of past Dears concerts. The six-piece squad The Miniatures opened the night and their set was very much a sign of things to come, as the band was buried by poor acoustics and a muddled sound quality. The vocals were particularly hard to distinguish. The Dears filled the second set of the night and suffered through similar deficiencies in sound. Although Murray's vocals were not as lost as those of the openers, the Dears intricate arrangements were definitely constrained by the mix. More significantly, although pockets of the audience showed enthusiasm, the crowd as a whole added very little to the set. (The people behind me were a particular distraction.) To me, it seemed that The Dears acknowledged this limitation and it held them back from creating the full effect that I have witnessed in the past. Even in contrast to their two opening slots for Sloan in Ottawa a year and a half prior, this concert felt lacking. Having said that, even at less than one hundred percent, the Dears are a great band to see live. Although their set did not have me enthralled from the opening note to the final flourish, as in past engagements, they were still able to captivate me for stretches at a time. Their set comprised almost entirely material from their upcoming CD, No Cities Left, with "Summer of Protest" appearing at the end. I definitely left the show eager to hear the new album. I'm not a Matthew Good fan; but I won't trash his performance. He seemed to be putting out a respectable effort, had a good sound, and kept chugging along. I can't say that I felt any connection to the music; but it was an okay showing. I thought that he finished relatively strongly, despite footwear flying in his direction. So, The Dears gig was a little lesser than I had been hoping, but still a worthwhile showcase of their new material. I have high hopes for experiencing the band in a more conducive setting soon; and I am sure that they will be able to match the high expectations that past shows have helped to build. <--Prev (Buck 65) | Next (Dirty Three)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |