Amy Millan
Date: October 2, 2009 Rusted and Restless Tonight Just six weeks after visiting Ottawa for the Folk Festival, Amy Millan was back in the city in the early stages of a headlining tour. While the earlier stop was largely a preview of Masters of the Burial, this show came after that album's release; and I certainly enjoyed a chance to hear its songs again. Opening duties fell to Bahamas, who I had not researched prior to the concert. Bahamas turned out to be the stage name of Afie Jurvanen, who I had seen several times over the years, as a guitarist with Paso Mino and as a supporting player for Jason Collett, Feist, and Amy Millan. Any questions about his approach to being the frontman were answered when he asked the audience if they enjoyed guitars and drums, responding to the cheers with a promise that the night would deliver "a buttload." The set was as much about Jurvanen's amusing banter and swagger as it was about the music that he and his drummer kicked out. He seemed to end half of his songs by rhetorically querying the audience with some variant of, "Yeah, you like that shit, don't you?" with a comical look on his face. As strong as Jurvanen's crowd control was, the songs also ensured that the answer was yes, displaying the expected guitar talent but also a restraint that allowed them the space to breathe and leave their hooks in the listener. I wasn't the only one to walk away from the concert with a copy of Bahamas' Pink Strat CD and the hopes for a return visit. If Bahamas was a revelation, Amy Millan was the comfort of a known commodity. Although her band was a bit smaller than the line-up that she brought to the Folk Festival, with Jenny Whiteley among the absent, it was the familiar faces of Secret Weapon backing her up. As before, Millan started on a duet with Dan Whiteley before easing in to "Losin' You," with her fine vocals conveying the weariness of the song. Amy joked that she lacked the commanding stage presence of Afie Jurvanen, wondering if his mustache was the key, or of recent festival partners The Sadies, which led to a fantastic impression of their song introductions. In reality, though, her breezy, light-hearted demeanour perfectly suited the warm vocals and spirit of her albums. It was also apparent that Millan appreciates playing more intimate gigs than she gets to perform with Stars or Broken Social Scene, as evidenced by her repeated praise for Zaphod's, including a nod to Tom, the club's long-serving sound man. Early on, Millan made mention of the looming Zaphod's curfew, but with each of her two solo albums clocking in under forty minutes, she had no trouble representing both in a set that seemed to float by effortlessly but effectively. The talented players swapped instruments frequently and kept the music fresh on songs like "Low Sail," "Towers," "Run For Me," "I Will Follow You Into the Dark," "Baby I," "Ruby II," and "Skinny Boy." Amusingly, the only miscue came shortly after Millan noted that the set was lacking the mistakes that fans usually chalk up as evidence of her being down to earth and "real." Mere minutes after making that statement, Millan broke out giggling at Dan Whiteley's drum intro to "Day To Day," leading Christine Bougie to take over behind the kit on that encore offering. Whiteley and Millan redeemed themselves by ending the night with another fine duet, though. After the surprise of Bahamas' fun opening set, Amy Millan brought the night home with her thoroughly pleasant set that perfectly blended warm sounds with wistful vocals. Bahamas setlist 
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