The Dears
Date: May 22, 2006 You Could Try To Break My Heart The closing slot of the Tulip Festival was given to The Dears, who came through on a chilly May night to deliver what was largely a showcase for their upcoming album, Gang of Losers. Despite the distraction of a chatty crowd in my area, what I heard left me with high expectations for that release. With a handful of older songs tossed into the mix and the band living up to its usual standards, this was another excellent concert. The focus on new material was present from the first song, "Fear Made the World Go 'Round." This song illustrated the band's mastery at crafting dynamic music, with an opening of quiet keyboards and Murray Lightburn's clean vocals suddenly shifting into a stomper through Patrick Krief's guitar work and the frantic drumming of George Donoso III. If the backing vocals of Natalia Yanchak and Valerie Jodoin-Keaton were a shade too quiet, it was not enough to detract from the impact of the song. With so much unfamiliar material, it's difficult to detail the full concert. I know that "Bandwagoneers" and "Ticket to Immortality" were in the set, along with some songs whose names I never caught. Rather than leaving me with precise memories, though, the lingering effect of those songs was a general feeling of being impressed. While I can't recall every note, I do know that I never felt a lull in the night, which speaks to the quality of the new songs. Of the unreleased songs that I knew, "Hate Then Love" is a great example of The Dears at their most directly rocking; and I think that it suits them well, adding yet another shot to their live attack. By contrast, the smoothness of "You and I Are a Gang of Losers" was a treat to experience, as it had been when I first heard it at The Dears' stellar Bluesfest performance last year. On the technical side, the one notable snag was the low end, which kicked into the mix abruptly several songs into the night and remained way too loud for a few songs after that. However, that was a minor flaw in an excellent night; and, although I maintain that the female vocals were often too quiet, Natalia's voice came in great for, "22: The Death of All Romance," which was one of the highlights of the affair. After also raving over the band's performance of that song the last time that I saw them, I have to say that it has become one of my favourites from their live set. Once again, they raised the intensity from the album version, with George's drumming leading the way for a frantic finish. Other older offerings included the blistering "Never Destroy Us" and the acoustic "The Second Part." After slightly more than an hour, the band wrapped up their main set. The encore set a focus on classic material, with "Postcard From Purgatory" returning to its place of prominence. This song has stunned me since I first saw the band, five years ago; and it remains a spellbinding epic, building from Martin Pelland's rock-solid bass into a musical riot. "This is a Broadcast" and "Heartless Romantic" were great reminders of what first drew me to The Dears, in a night that was predominantly forward-looking. The Dears are at the top of the list of bands that I have seen live most often and they are among my most loved, as well. I said long ago that every concert from them offers something new; and after my ninth live experience, that claim holds true. Even in a night that was dominated by unreleased songs, the band was captivating from start to finish, which is both a testament to their live presence and a promise of another great album. I left this show feeling much as I did after seeing the group in 2003, just before the release of No Cities Left; I can't wait for the new album and I'm already eager to see The Dears again after its release.
<--Prev (Alice Cooper) | Next (Bright Eyes)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |