Broken Social Scene
Date: October 20, 2005 A Dog From Hell As Metric had done three weeks earlier, Broken Social Scene followed up their Bluesfest appearance with a return to the nation's capital, touching down at the Capital Music Hall on the heels of a new album. Some may have thought that the band would not equal the highs of that fantastic summer night, considering that its current line-up was significantly leaner and was just settling in to this tour. Any such doubts were more than answered by an epic set that did much to illustrate the strengths of the sonically dense new album. Opening the show was a labelmate of Broken Social Scene, New Buffalo. New Buffalo is fronted by Sally Seltmann, who performed solo on this night. Seltmann moved between keyboards and guitar, sometimes augmenting her sound with programmed beats; but her strong vocal presence was what carried the set. As the set went on, I found that her songs began to feel too similar, perhaps a product of a limited instrumental palette and a tendency to stay at a slower tempo. However, her confident playing and fine voice made a solid warm-up for the sold-out crowd. Broken Social Scene, of course, would never be accused of being instrumentally limited. To be sure, they employed nowhere near as many players as they had at Bluesfest, with the horn section being the most notable reduction. However, they still delivered a very full, layered sound, coming from a core of seven players, sometimes adding an eighth (and hitting nine, at least once), usually aided by vocal contributions from either or both of their female singers. The sonic depth was evident from the opening number, "Cause = Time," which built until five guitars were stacked in the mix, all the while retaining a casual smoothness due to the rhythm section. With "Ibi Dreams of Pavement," the band proved adept at directing their output into a ragged noisiness that was equally satisfying, while also demonstrating that the smaller horn section could still make an impression. Newcomer Lisa Lobsinger made her mark, although her vocals seemed a little low in the mix and she was not the most animated performer. In contrast, Leslie Feist was a show-stealer, clearly enjoying her turns on the mic, the first of which came on "7/4 (Shoreline)." The infectious joy of a Broken Social Scene show starts from the interactions of the band itself. Whether it was Feist hopping and dancing across the stage or Lobsinger simply offering unadorned vocals, each member of the group seemed as ease in their role; and there was always a sense that the band was enjoying its time on stage. It's inevitable that the audience will pick up on such a mood and reciprocate. When Kevin Drew chuckles at John Crossingham flying across the stage to shift from percussion to vocals on "Fire Eye'd Boy," a highlight of the set, how can you not smile along? Drew and Brendan Canning handled most of the crowd interaction, keeping the mood light, although Crossingham's rendition of "Lisa, it's your birthday" was also notable. If Ohad Benchetrit was content to stay to the background on guitar, Andrew Whiteman had no qualms about coming to the forefront of the stage. Charles Spearin was a force, utilizing various instruments over the night. Some of the highest praise has to be reserved for Justin Peroff, as it seemed to be his drumming that kicked off almost every song and provided a backbone that held together even the most cacophonous moments. With the eponymous new album having been released shortly before the concert, I was still sorting through its songs. This concert definitely helped to showcase many of them, leaving me with a much stronger appreciation for the entire album. Along with the blast of "Fire Eye'd Boy," "Superconnected" was another rocker whose vibrancy was amplified live, while the crispness of "Hotel" exemplified the success of the quieter new material. Of course, the band's older songs were also represented, with "Stars and Sons" and "Almost Crimes" feeling like perfection, and the tender "Lover's Spit" ending the set beautifully. The tightness of the performance belied the fact that this was a band on the second night of a tour, although a reminder came in the encore, which saw them unveil "Bandwitch" for what they declared to be the first time and "Swimmers" for the second. The quality of the playing certainly offered no evidence of inexperience. An epic take of "KC Accidental" ended the concert on a stellar vibe. To be sure, Broken Social Scene delivered a different experience with their second Ottawa concert of the year; but the constants were the band's fantastic playing and the crowd's joy of being part of the experience. Broken Social Scene setlist Main Set
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