Plants and Animals/Kid Beyond
Date: July 10, 2008 There's a River, So We Go Where It Goes I managed to arrive at the start time of a weekday at Bluesfest, as the band I was most interested in seeing, Plants and Animals, had an early slot. On a recommendation, I followed up that solid set by witnessing Kid Beyond, who also impressed, before packing it in early. Although some fatigue was starting to creep in, day eight of the festival was nonetheless another fulfilling one. Plants and Animals were on my radar due to the buzz that they have been receiving; but they were still an unknown commodity to me. In other circumstances, I would have made an effort to familiarize myself with the band before the concert. With the bustle of Bluesfest, though, I allowed myself to simply take the show on its own merits. As it turned out, the Montreal three-piece played well enough to make me a fan, leaving with a pair of CDs to help me identify what I had just heard. With the latest release, Parc Avenue, being preceded only by a four-song EP and an instrumental album from five years ago, listening to it was sufficient to cover the set. As a result, I can match titles to what I heard, such as the opener, "New Kind of Love", the jazzy "Good Friend," and the propulsive "Mercy." In truth, though, the set was a blur, partly because of that late-festival fatigue that I mentioned but largely because it was a non-stop roll of great music. The group's jazz sensibilities, as displayed on that instrumental album (my other pick-up), speak to why they were able to maintain such a steady flow. In the end, Plants and Animals showcased a set of songs that justified their recent Polaris nomination, while proving to be great performers. I had no specific plans after Plants and Animals, so when my concert-going friends recommended Kid Beyond, I was happy to check him out. Reading Kid Beyond's description in the festival press release had me somewhat skeptical, as the notion of a a solo artist composing songs based on looped beatboxing had the potential to lose its appeal long before the end of a full slot. Indeed, for the first few minutes, I remained uncertain. However, Beyond was definitely forceful on stage; and it was cool to hear him loop his own voice into a reproduction of Nine Inch Nails' "Closer," layering on each segment of the song until it built to a whole. The fact that the cover was recognizable even from his first vocal recreation of the drum machine was also a testament to his skill. Soon, though, I lost my doubt, when I realized that the performance would not simply be an excuse for Beyond to show off that talent but rather a presentation of songs that were interesting in and of themselves. The fact that Beyond was crafting his music in such a unique manner offered a memorable experience but the engaging songs were what made a strong set. Of course, as a solo performer on the large River Stage, and one unable to even hide behind an instrument, Kid Beyond also had to demonstrate a commanding presence. Fortunately, Beyond's intensity is one characteristic that someone couldn't question, as the muscular, shaven-headed, black-clad performer reminded me of Henry Rollins in both his song delivery and his crowd interaction. (Well, if Rollins was the type to ask the crowd to pause to watch the river sunset, at least. Although, even then, Beyond asked if he was getting "too California" for the audience.) While his energy was constantly high, Beyond proved his musical versatility, ranging from full-on heaviness to a quiet love song, the latter being the only song of his set aided by prerecorded music. A cover of Portishead's "Wandering Star" was a definite highlight, as Beyond used a ring device to tweak a stuttery vocal effect. "I'm Alive" was the best summation of the concert: a song about activist Marla Ruzicka, who was killed while volunteering in Iraq, that was technically impressive, lyrically engaging, and that made you want to shake your ass for the joy of being at the show. This year's edition of Bluesfest will have to go down as one in which my expectations were continually surpassed. I wasn't event entirely sure that I would make it to my eighth straight day but I ended up being very impressed by the diverse combination of Plants and Animals and Kid Beyond. <--Prev (Calexico/Hayden) | Next (Ray Davies)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |