Attack In Black/Ladyhawk
Date: November 6, 2008 A Familiar Old Song As has become my refrain when seeing Ladyhawk, I walked away impressed but wishing to hear a longer set from the band. This was not a surprise, though, as they were participating as the middle band on a three-act tour, following Shotgun Jimmie and preceding Attack in Black. While I was in attendance primarily for Ladyhawk, the other sets were also solid. Shotgun Jimmie took the stage with Attack in Black backing him up, providing me with an introduction to two acts at once. Each of the players came out wearing heavy wool sweaters, for no given reason, which could have been taken as a sign of the whimsical set to follow. Jimmie rolled through a set of folk-influenced alt-rock songs about everyday life. Although he had a couple of false starts with opening chords and lyrics, including a rendition of a new song written for a tour EP, Jimmie's performance was endearing. The man in charge of the house sound had metal in mind, as the changeover music over the night included "Seek and Destroy," "Metal on Metal," and "Metal Thrashing Mad." While Ladyhawk didn't quite conjure 1983, they certainly brought the heaviness in their own way. The forty-minute set felt similar to the band's last at Zaphod's, sounding very good but leaving me feeling that the group could hit another gear with the right crowd and a long time slot. The infectious "Fear" was a definite highlight, as was the set closer, which saw the band showcase their contribution to the tour EP. Duffy Driediger ventured onto the floor for this one and he deserved the focus, as the song revealed a new and impressive approach to his great vocals. As I was most intent on seeing Ladyhawk, I didn't enter Attack in Black's set with the usual night-ending enthusiasm. Nonetheless, I thought that the now sweater-less players made a good showing with their own material, much as they had when supporting Shotgun Jimmie. Julie Doiron surprised me by contributing vocals to one song, continuing the collaborative theme of the night. Overall, it was another fun show at Zaphod's. While I still want more from Ladyhawk, I was glad to cross paths with them again on this night. <--Prev (Feist/Hayden) | Next (The Sadies)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |