Matt & Kim.

Matt & Kim put on a super fun show last night at Higher Ground to promote their new album, Sidewalks. MySpace bought the show so, it was free for everyone who managed to get a ticket. I don't know how these two make it through each performance. Their songs are so high energy and they never slow down. They have a few ballads but, even those (PSYCH!) turn into full on dance parties by the end. Wahooo! Fun times. OK. Back to work.

Photo: Shem Roos

The Swell Season.

This rock show had some pretty magical moments! I didn't know much about The Swell Season prior to seeing them last night at the Flynn but, I'm really glad I was able to go. They managed to deliver almost 90 minutes of musical awesomeness including a couple of intimate moments they shared with the crowd, who they invited to hum along with them during a few songs...or in Laura's case, howl along? Nothing like 1,000 or so people joining together to make a beautiful melody in a space with kick ass acoustics. Marketa's piano playing and silky singing voice was lovely, albeit a little somber. Glen's little dances, Marvin Gaye moments and inclination to unplug from his amp and "let it rip" balanced the duo out perfectly. Oh, I forgot about the opening band, The Low End. They weren't really for me but, they did ask the audience to help them out with an interactive musical experience at one point. The instructions were for everyone in the crowd to wait until the horn played for a third time during the song. Then, we were each supposed to get out our cell phones, call the person we came to the show with and select speakerphone. We all started giggling when the lead singer got out his flip phone and actually did this on stage. That was our indication that it was OK for everyone else to follow suit. Laura and I scrambled for our cell phones and got them connected just in time. The result was pretty neat! There were all sorts odd sounds and reverberations coming from every corner of the theater. Music is always, always better live.

The Swell Season is a folk rock duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová. "The Swell Season" name is derived from Hansard's favourite novel by Josef Škvorecký from 1975 bearing the same title. Their debut album goes by the same name. Since their rise to prominence after starring in the 2007 film Once, they increasingly referred to themselves as "The Swell Season" in promotion of their performances until it has unambiguously become the formal name of their collaboration in 2008.

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

On Friday night, Steven and I went to a show at Higher Ground. I hadn't heard of either band prior to that night but, a few people had recommended the show, so...off we went! When we arrived, the Ballroom, (the larger of the two rooms there) was pretty empty. The Bad Rabbits, from Boston, MA were the first band to play. At first, Steven and I couldn't figure them out. They were sort of funky, with some occasional dark rock undertones. The lead singer bounced into and out of his falsetto voice. He could really carry a tune! After the first few very dance-able songs were performed, we decided we liked them! I'd have a hard time categorizing their sound if someone asked but, they really got the crowd going and the band was tight. By the time they had finished their set, the room was full and the show had SOLD OUT!

Steven, Ted, Tay and I managed to find a spot closer to the stage for the headliners, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. The Dap-Kings came on stage first. They're a group of 8 guys (3 horns, 3 guitar players, 2 percussionists). They opened with two instrumental songs. So good. As Steven said, "this is real music!" Finally, Sharon Jones came out and filled the room with her crazy dance moves, huge smile and even bigger voice! She and her band played practically non-stop for well over an hour. Even when she wasn't singing she was still performing. Her banter with the crowd was also done in her singing voice so, the band never lost momentum. She really got the audience involved too. Here are some highlights:

• plucking four women from the crowd to join her on stage for one song to just LET LOOSE and dance

• inviting a contest winning couple in their early 50's to have a dance on stage together with her

• teaching a young, handsome man from the crowd how to to be, "easy"

• finding two young men who were willing to come on stage just to be, hip-checked off when Sharon decided they were, "NO GOOD!!"

• doing the shorter person's version of the "Tina Turner shimmy" 

This woman has NO inhibition. It was amazing to see her perform...to just sing, dance and share herself and her spirit with the crowd. Every once and awhile she would check in with us, "Do you like that?" Then she would wink. Saucy!

The final song Sharon performed, was a gospel song. Before she sang, she explained (in her singing voice) why this song was appropriate to sing, on this occasion at Higher Ground. "Ya see, the first time I was here, I played in the smaaaaall room. The second time I played, I played in the smaaaall room. I told the people here that the next time I came, I wanted to play in the biiiiiig room. This time I'm playing in the BIIIIG room and we're SOLD OUT!!!" The crowd went nuts cheering and dancing, not just the front rows either. The whole place was moving! Wowsa. What a great time!

"Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are widely thought to be at the forefront of a revivalist movement that aims to capture the essence of funk/soul music as it was at its height in the mid-1960s to mid-1970s. Part of the way this is achieved is to shun modern digital recording methods in favour of using traditional analogue recording equipment. The type of instruments used by the band may also be considered limited to those that would have been available up until the mid seventies."

Love Letter

Dear Phoenix, 

I sat on my hands and waited to buy tickets to see you play up in Montreal this evening and now, your show is sold out. I've learned a hard lesson today. And I agree, this was an amateur way to approach seeing a band with a completely sold out US tour. You had better play larger venues or come back more frequently!

Yours, 

Kimberly