Metric/Fiery Furnaces
Date: July 14, 2006 Such Big, Big Plans Returning Bluesfest band Metric had a more active role at this year's festival, headlining the MBNA Stage on Day 8 and bringing their choice of openers, as part of their Dog Day Afternoon series. The Fiery Furnaces, Holy Fuck, and Wintersleep all brought excellent efforts on a hot day. In fact, I left wishing that I could have heard more from each of the openers, as the busy line-up resulted in short sets. As for Metric, they were their usual dependable but predictable selves, offering a decent set whose effect was lessened, at least in my vicinity, by an inconsiderate fan base. The tight scheduling meant that Wintersleep began playing by 6:05, a start time that I failed to meet after heading downtown from work. I did catch the majority of the set from the Halifax outfit, though, making up for numerous missed opportunities. After finally experiencing them live, I have to wonder what my excuse was on their past visits to Ottawa. They reminded me of The Dears in the way that their live set is a significantly more powerful rendition of their recorded output, with the added energy seeming rooted in the drumming. Loel Campbell was a dynamo behind his kit, earning huge cheers, while the band in front of him wailed away with great enthusiasm. When the set wrapped up with "Danse Macabre," it was clear that Wintersleep had made the most of their time on the sweltering stage. Those impressed by Campbell's drumming were treated to a second helping when he returned to play with Holy Fuck. The four-piece delivered a great instrumental set that combined catchy danceability, moody electronics, and improvisational sensibilities, filtered through a thoroughly rocking sound. The group's half-hour set offered a style of dance music that fit perfectly on this bill. The most exciting act of the day was The Fiery Furnaces; and they did not disappoint. When I saw them touring in support of Blueberry Boat, they radically altered their songs, chopping them into pieces and delivering them, without pause, as a single mashed-up block of music. They were not so extreme in their musical transformations on this day; but they did serve up notably transformed versions of their songs, at a breakneck pace that was just shy of what they showed on that earlier tour. The reworking of many songs was partly a result of the instrumentation. Matt Friedberger confined himself to electric guitar, also the instrument of choice for his sister, Elanor. With Bob D'Amico on drums and Jason Loewenstein on bass, this was a rock formation, absent the keyboards and synthesizers that one might have expected. Although "My Dog Was Lost But Now He's Found" felt to me as if it was missing something in this arrangement, I was otherwise very satisfied by it. The fact the The Fiery Furnaces are willing to truly experiment with their music, both live and on album, is their greatest strength, and the set only seemed to get better as it progressed. "Single Again" was a highlight in a set that represented the group's recorded output as well as possible in a limited time frame. Of course, the other good thing about The Fiery Furnaces is that even when they announce that they've reached their last song, they can haul out "Chris Michaels" and stretch the show for another eight minutes. Even though I am not much of a Metric fan, their headlining slot would mark the third time that I had seen them in a one-year period. Some bands, like The Fiery Furnaces, inject enough twists into their live set that each tour is a fresh experience. Others have such great source material or stage presence that it's enjoyable even to see what amounts to slight variations of the same performance. To me, Metric fits neither category; so, while I can't say that their effort was unsatisfactory, their set was not the most resonant of the day. As usual, Emily Haines was the focus. With the band spread wide on the large stage, it was Haines who took the spotlight, with her detached vocal style and precise movements. Previous bad experiences with Metric crowds, combined with a poor impression of the fans around me earlier in the day, led me to seek refuge towards the back of the crowded lawn, so it was difficult to pick up on the interactions between the band. Worst of all, the fans that I ended up being next to were extremely inconsiderate, talking throughout the set. Although I successfully ran off one particularly loathsome group of girls, there was a constant buzz around me that distracted from the playing. By the time that the concert wound down, highlighted by an extended rendition of "Dead Disco" in the encore, it was a relief to wrap up the night. Although Metric's decent set was spoiled by those around me, the Dog Day Afternoon that they curated was very much a success. The Fiery Furnaces, Holy Fuck, and Wintersleep all came through with captivating sets that have me hoping to see each band again. <--Prev (Konono N°1) | Next (Wilco)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |