Joel Plaskett Emergency
Date: May 20, 2009 Emergency and I Joel Plaskett's latest release, Three, is a simultaneously ambitious and laid-back affair. A triple album, with each disc holding nine songs and many songs containing triplicate titles (such as "Pine, Pine, Pine" or "On & On & On"), the work is grand in scope and structure. However, with the folksy style of most of the music, the intimate lyrics, and a general hit-it-and-quit-it approach to song length, the result is a seemingly sprawling musical platter that drifts by casually and pleasantly. Fittingly, Plaskett's stop in Ottawa to promote the album was a long, full-night event, involving more players and more music than I have ever heard from him in one sitting; but his easy-going charm and great song selection ensured that the concert breezed by, resulting in the best performance that I have heard from the man. Plaskett took the stage without his usual backing partners, the Emergency. Instead, his first set utilized his father, Bill Plaskett, as well as Rose Cousins and Anna Egge. All feature prominently on Three, so it was essential that they be present to do the album justice. To be sure, the female vocals were very effective on album songs, such as "Deny, Deny, Deny" "Pine, Pine, Pine," and "In the Blue Moonlight," although the players also made their mark on older material over the duration of the concert, such as the night-opening "Happen Now." Cousins and Egge each got their turn to lead with their own songs, with Cousins offering "Farmer's Daughter" and Egge sounding sweet on "Lost in the Valley," with Joel playing drums on the latter. Between those spotlight switches, Joel stripped the arrangement down to just himself and his father, with the pair sounding great and clearly enjoying themselves on "Nothing More to Say to You" and "Natural Disaster." With the switches in players and instrumentation (Joel also took a turn on keyboards for "Rewind, Rewind, Rewind"), even the lead-in set for the full-night concert had a full serving of twists. The first act wrapped up with the fast stomping and picking of "Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'," a high-energy number that left the crowd buzzing in anticipation of the more rocking act to follow. Joel Plaskett is a natural charmer, seemingly as at ease with cracking jokes as he is with his playing and singing. In fact, I've never seen any singer more prone to adding spoken asides in the midst of his lyrics, interjecting a running commentary sure to put a grin on the faces of the attentive. This night was no exception, as Plaskett had people laughing with his opening greeting, referring to the Bronson Centre as the "Charles Bronson Centre for the Arts," which became a running joke for the evening. An extended riff on his cat, White Fang, also had people grinning. One joke with a ring of truth to it was Plaskett noting that he was playing to the red exit signs, as the seated and spacious Bronson Centre imposed a distance between the performers and the attendees. So, I was delighted when a few enthusiastic fans transitioned from dancing in front of their seats for the second act opener, "Work Out Fine," to rushing the space at the front of the floor for "Extraordinary," as I was among the hundred or so who joined in that charge. It felt much better to be able to shake and move, albeit not as impressively as Joel's skinny-boy shuffle. It was especially appropriate given the full rock sound provided by Chris Pennell and Dave Marsh, rounding out the Emergency, and the talented Peter Elkas, also on hand to add his skills to the mix. With as many as seven players on stage, the songs certainly had punch; but they still came out with the usual Plaskett streamlined sound, with clean vocals rising over catchy hooks. The latter set continued to draw chiefly from the triple album, with those Truthfully Truthfully numbers followed by "Through & Through & Through," "Gone, Gone, Gone," "Sailors Eyes," and "You Let Me Down," all from Three, before the group presented the title track from Ashtray Rock. In broad strokes, the first set was quieter and the second more uptempo; but that trend was not entirely rigid. The opening act saw Joel on the electric guitar at times, while the second stanza was still interrupted for a brief solo acoustic stretch, which is a Plaskett hallmark. As usual, I found that this interlude took a bit of momentum from what the band had going but it really demonstrated how good of a singer Plaskett can be. To be sure, he sounded fine all night; and his vocals were hard to ignore on a song like "Run, Run, Run." However, it's something else to carry the show with just a guitar and voice. The crowd-pleaser "True Patriot Love," Three B-side "Spinning," and "Nowhere With You" all thrived in such a format. With a long night of music and a diverse approach to the songs, the Joel Plaskett concert had its ebb and flow. With the full band back in action, the players brought the set to its zenith for the conclusion, a fantastic rendition of "Wishful Thinking," one of the few long songs on the new album. The musicians on stage had projected a sense of fun throughout the evening but they really seemed overjoyed on this ramshackle, rollicking finish. From Cousins and Egge playing up their long hold of the "long, long way to Winnipeg" vocals, to Joel jokingly accusing Elkas of "stepping all over [him]" with his guitar embellishments, to a guitar battle between the two, the song was one example after another of a group of players having a blast, a mood reflected in the crowd. That song sat as one of the two highlights of the concert for me, with the other to be found in an encore that kicked off with "Love This Town." As usual, Joel dropped this one solo and altered the lyrics, amusingly presenting the fact that Kelowna is back in his good books. After a nice take of the hit "Fashionable People," the band bowed out on my other favourite moment of the night, which was another long song from Three, "On & On & On." This song also had its share of band interaction, as when the two Plasketts shared a look while Joel sang about his mother "when the red wine's at her lips." The mood on this twelve-minute slow burner was more suited for the end of the party, though, sending people home on an easy-going sway. Joel Plaskett is a natural performer, whose charismatic stage presence always makes for a solid show. With the extra touring support from the major contributors to his latest album and a strong use of the extra stage time to craft a varied set, though, this ranked as my favourite outing from the man to date. Joel Plaskett Emergency setlist (courtesy Andrew Rolleston) 
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