Cuff the Duke
Date: February 25, 2006 To Compare Emotions with Energy Cuff the Duke continues to be a band best defined in concert. To be sure, the group's self-titled sophomore release ranks among my favourites of 2005 and is a better representation of their playing than their first album. Nonetheless, the energy of the live experience always results in something greater. Fortunately for me, their tours are notable for quantity as well as quality; and this concert gave me a chance to make up for a couple of missed opportunities over the past year. As before, I walked away with an even greater appreciation for the band. I came in knowing nothing about openers The Old Soul but they made a solid bid to steal the show, turning me into a fan. The six-piece line-up offered a wide variety of music, sometimes rattling off two-minute, catchy blasts, sometimes settling into longer grooves. Keyboards and percussion figured prominently in a set that seamlessly drew from many styles. It is rare to find an opening act that offers a unique, surprising sound. When the end result is a set of great songs coupled with the presence of an amiable frontman, as Old Soul mastermind Luca Maoloni proved to be, it makes for a fantastic start to a show. Wayne Petti of Cuff the Duke joined the band before their set wrapped up, foreshadowing a collaboration to follow. In addition to touring behind a new album, Cuff the Duke was showcasing a different line-up, with Dale Murray joining in place of departed guitarist Jeff Peers and Patrick Conan filling in for injured drummer Matt Faris. The personnel changes affected the presentation of some familiar songs but the results were at least as good. It may be unfair to compare this night to my past Cuff concerts, as I had not seen them as headliners, nor had I been so close to the stage; but I still have to say that this was my favourite show yet from the band. The sound crew deserves full marks, as the band sounded perfect even from their opening song, "Belgium or Peru," one of the gems from their new album. From there, the group showcased both of their albums, dipping back for the haunting "Blackheart" and "The Difference Between Us," while representing the newer disc with "The Future Hangs," "Meet You On the Other Side," and "The Ballad of Poor John Henry," much to the delight of a pair of enthusiastically inebriated girls who had been requesting that selection since the set commenced. Petti dealt with them with a smile and did a great job of ensuring that a notably energetic crowd had a reason to maintain a fun mood. Cuff the Duke rattled off their songs at a solid pace but they really hit their stride a few songs later, with the well-received "Ballad of a Lonely Construction Worker," building to a crescendo that was sustained for the sing-along "Take My Money and Run." The set eventually wound down, appropriately enough, with the keyboard-led sprawl of "It's Over." Of course, the band did return for an encore, bringing along The Old Soul, for a stageful of musicians. The combined forces took a crack at a song from each group, first doing justice to the signature Cuff the Duke track, "The Trouble and the Truth," then collaborating on The Old Soul's "Shotgun Wedding," a song crying out for a jam. Finally, Cuff the Duke closed the night without assistance, with an extremely wired take of "Anti-Social" proving to be the highlight of the affair. With flawless sound, a great surprise in the opening act, and another top-notch set from Cuff the Duke, this was a killer concert from top to bottom. <--Prev (Feist) | Next (Belle and Sebastian)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |