Apostle of Hustle
Date: April 14, 2007 What Burns and is Clear In a promising sign for live music in Ottawa, Andrew Whiteman led Apostle of Hustle through a sold-out show at Zaphod's on the same night that some of his fellow Broken Social Scene bandmates did the same at Barrymore's with Do Make Say Think. Having been very impressed by the recent release, National Anthem of Nowhere, I opted for the former show, which I'm pleased to say even exceeded my expectations. Getting things started was the local act Jetplanes of Abraham, who I've been meaning to see again since I caught the very end of their first performance, almost a year ago. This night was also a debut of sorts, as the band had just added Jacquie Neville as a second violinist. Unfortunately, technical snags silenced her playing on the first songs but it wasn't too long before her contribution was heard in a very busy sonic mix. The hometown crowd was certainly forgiving of any miscues, eager to scream along throughout the set and join in on every hand clap. While my own reaction wasn't the relentless joy that some around me exhibited, I found that the band definitely set some high marks in a brisk performance that featured frequent instrument swapping and rotating turns on lead vocals. As with my incomplete taste of the band last year, a strong finish on this night left me interested in hearing more. From the opening notes of their set, it was obvious that Apostle of Hustle was going to sound perfectly crisp throughout the night. Whiteman's guitar was very clean in the mix, with supporting guitar and bass coming from Julian Brown, who I've now seen filling those duties with several bands, and Justin McTavish, who also played keyboards. As impressive as the guitar work was, though, the show was often stolen by the one-two punch of drummer Dean Stone and percussionist Danielito Patanemo. In truth, though, every player sounded extremely clear and strong throughout the night, which is a testament to both the musicians and the sound crew. This concert was a one-shot affair scheduled a week before Apostle of Hustle was to start a full-fledged tour but they did not sound like a band working through a warm-up gig. "Cheap Like Sebastien" and "Justine, Beckoning" were early treats, illustrating the band's command of both mellow smoothness and more ragged rock. "Fast Pony for Victor Jara" saw Patanemo come to centre stage, sitting on and playing a large percussion block, while Stone came out from behind his kit to work a single drum. The dynamic between the two made for a captivating performance. Of the few forays to the debut disc, Folkloric Feel, perhaps the best was the title track, which came across as the sweeping, rolling ride that it is on record, but with a sharper edge. The standard Zaphod's curfew meant that the set would be capped slightly beyond the hour mark; and "National Anthem of Nowhere" and "Haul Away" closed the set in solid fashion. To my surprise, the band broke curfew, responding to the audience's encouragement for "one more song." While I expected Apostle of Hustle to be a solid show, I was surprised at just how much fun I had with a smooth set that had me grinning all night. All that remains is to see who comes out on top of the tour-long euchre tournament that Whiteman promised to document. Apostle of Hustle setlist 
<--Prev (Buck 65) | Next (Interpol)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |