Broken Social Scene
Date: July 9, 2005 To Love the Cause The first Saturday of Bluesfest was an all-day Broken Social Scene party. Earlier slots saw performances from several of the bands that comprise the collective, before the Scene itself closed the night. The bands clearly enjoyed their time on stage and an enthusiastic crowd appreciated what was surely one of the best musical treats to reach Ottawa. My arrival time caused me to miss the first sets of the day, which on the Grassroots Stage were Gentleman Reg and Jason Collett. However, I was able to take in Apostle of Hustle, who tore through a set that varied from horn-tinged instrumentals to smooth, pop-flavoured songs to full-on rockers. The set also foreshadowed the acts to follow, as frontman Andrew Whiteman was joined by members of Broken Social Scene and Stars, including Amy Millan on sweet vocal turns. It wasn't long before Stars returned to the stage to lay down a fabulous set. I was looking forward to this concert as a chance at redemption for the band, whose April visit to the capital was marred by poor mixing. Despite a few snags with a loose cord on Torquil Campbell's mic, the show was every bit the triumph that I was expecting. Judging by the looks that Torquil shot offstage during a hint of feedback, it's likely good for all concerned that this Stars set was not lessened by any technical issues. With a stage time of about an hour, the band's setlist rarely strayed from their latest album, Set Yourself On Fire. The fact that every song hit the mark testifies to the strength of that release. Playing as a six-piece, the band always sounded great, with the tight rhythm section particularly impressing. Most notable, though, were the two vocalists, whether taking a turn on lead duties, harmonizing, or simply interacting with a responsive crowd. Highlights included "Ageless Beauty," "The Big Fight" (who gets the house?), the head-bopping "What I'm Trying to Say," and the tender yet sharp "One More Night." Walk-on assistance included members of Broken Social Scene and a stage-full of older ladies handling percussion on "The First Five Times." After an extended break that provided ample time for supper, the Grassroots Stage picked up with Metric. The lawn definitely filled in even more than it had for Stars, with the seated portion of the crowd losing further ground to those who were dancing at the front. While this shift should have been a bonus, I ended up being distracted for much of the set by some rude and vocal idiots somewhere slightly behind me. As I am not really a Metric fan, though, I'm not sure if I would have been able to detail this portion of the night too well, at any rate. What I can say, though, is that the group maintained the energy level set by Stars. Singer Emily Haines was especially notable, high-kicking and posing for the crowd. From the songs that I knew, "Succexy" seemed to be the early hit, with the relatively rocking "Combat Baby" and "Dead Disco" garnering a strong reaction. Taking the stage after sundown, Broken Social Scene was well prepared to cap the night in style. The band opened on an instrumental note, with the dynamic nature of the set to follow made clear in the fact that the on-stage line-up changed before the song even completed. "Stars and Sons" upped the pace, as the band settled into an easy swing. For me, one of the best scenes of the night was seeing Torquil Campbell, with a huge smile on his face even while simply standing at the side of the stage not playing, encouraging the crowd to clap along to the fast portion of the song and witnessing the immediate response of a field of fans. Ottawa does not get many musical nights like this; and it was fantastic to be a part of such a joyous experience. The mood certainly did not let down as "Stars" was followed by another of my favourites, "Cause = Time." It soon became difficult to keep up with the flow of songs, as the night blurred into a continuous groove of music and a continuous shifting of players. Andrew Whiteman stepped to the mic on "Looks Just Like the Sun," while Amy Millan and Emily Haines each got several turns on vocals, including the lovely "Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl." Apart from vocalists, the band also frequently shifted instrumentalists, utilizing various configurations of a horn section, sometimes swelling to four or five guitarists, and later bringing out violinist Owen Pallett, who had earlier played the Black Sheep Stage as Final Fantasy. With the full stage and long jams, it might not be fair to say that the set never drifted; but on the whole, it was remarkable how well the players kept the music from devolving into chaos or aimless noodling. The core members, including Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning deserve credit for propelling the set, although everyone on stage added admirably to the wall of sound. The peak mass came very close to the end of the night, during one huge, evolving song. Every time that I thought the line-up had swelled to its maximum, someone else jumped on stage waving a horn or brandishing some kind of percussion instrument; but I finally settled on a count of twenty-one players. Trying to absorb everything in a concert of that scope, while enjoyable, is ultimately impossible, so it was probably best that the band thinned out for the closing sway of "Lover's Spit." Despite having exceeded curfew, Kevin was insistent on delivering a rushed encore of "KC Accidental" that pushed the concert to an hour and forty-five minutes. Even without having witnessed the entire day of acts, the four sets that I took in made for a fantastic outing. Broken Social Scene at the Bluesfest is sure to go down as one of the great Ottawa musical experiences of our time; and I was very glad to be a part of the festivities. Broken Social Scene setlist (courtesy the cooperation of a girl at the front): 
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