Chase Turner sez..

Where do I begin? Last night Broken Social Scene reminded me why I love indie rock, and why I love First Avenue. The show was nearly sold out, but the crowd was well-behaved and the sound well-mixed and loud. The band was composed of the usual smattering of Toronto musicians; Lizzie Powell of Land of Talk supplied female vocals until her voice gave out in the first hour of the nearly two and a half hour set.

You would think with five guitars and a horn section onstage the sound would get muddled. It was quite the opposite; the band was raw and visceral and complex. The stage banter was entertaining and at times political (what isn’t political these days?). Perhaps the highlight of the onstage chatting was Kevin Drew perfectly summing up the vibe at the Hard Times Café in Cedar-Riverside: the cook muttering “fuck” under his breath or the depression-era mood that pervades the vegetarian-only joint. Near the end of the show audience members were asked to scream at the top of their lungs about whatever was bothering them; apparently people have a lot to take issue with.

This band has constantly evolved and consistently impressed, but the early material still holds up as the best. The band acknowledged this by playing more old material than new (“I know you guys want to hear the old stuff!”), despite the fact that they are touring in support of Brendan Canning’s Broken Social Scene Presents Something for All of Us album. This was certainly a departure from their summer tour which was heavily dominated by Drew’s soloish effort. I don’t have an exact set list, but they performed roughly half the tracks off of You Forgot It in People and their self-titled album.

It’s difficult to choose highlights from such a solid concert, but there are definite notable moments. The swell at the end of “Cause=Time” was roaring, “Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)” got the crowd into a frenzy, “7/4 Shoreline” was wonderfully executed. At one point Kevin Drew got off the stage and walked through the audience hi-fiving and hugging fans. Another moment of spontaneity came when the band had an impromptu jam.

When it was time for the encore half the club had emptied because it was nearly 1 am on Monday night and people needed to work in the morning, it had nothing to do with the music. Drew didn’t leave the stage as the band exited before the encore; it seemed he just wanted to play all night. When Drew sang the opening lyrics to Public Image’s “Rise,” I was hoping they would go into a full-blown cover, but instead came “Stand Alone” by Bob Marley & the Wailers. Broken Social Scene was certainly worth the price of admission – twenty bucks and a groggy Tuesday morning. – Chase Turner