Pop Montreal 2009 night two
Another day of Pop Montreal…. Yesterday I checked out Loudon Wainwright III with Carolyn Mark and Mike O’Brien.
Mike O’Brien is a local fingerstyle guitar player and songwriter. His guitar playing was incredible, songs not too bad, although it was hard to tell about the songwriting: the mix was poor, at least from where I was sitting, which was front row slightly left of centre. His vocals and lyrics were somewhat indiscernible, as a result.
Carolyn Mark is a Victoria country singer, formerly of the Vinaigrettes. I’ve known the name for years and years and never really checked her out. She put on an excellent show, with a guitar player and a fiddle accompaniment, really won the crowd over with humorous songs of heartache.
Loudon Wainwright was absolutely incredible – he had the crowd rolling in the aisles a number of times. After what felt like a brilliant full-set of sometimes funny, sometimes sad and introspective songs, he surprised the crowd with a procession of guests: first the banjo player Chaim Tannenbaum, who recently guested on his Charlie Poole project; then Kate McGarrigle – the three had busked together in London some 40-odd years ago; and finally his daughter, singer Martha Wainwright. Wainwright jokingly commented that Leonard Cohen was next up on stage, and hinted that son Rupert would probably have been on stage with him too if he wasn’t on tour in Oregon that night… Extraordinary show.
I drifted from there over to Sala Rossa where I chanced upon the last few songs of an awesome AIDS Wolf performance. At first I wasn’t 100% sure it was AIDS Wolf because both guitars players seem new to the band, and Chloe Lum was singing down in the crowd, and initially I wasn’t sure it was her, because I don’t think I have ever seen her without those funny checkered glasses on. Anyway, they kicked ass I was bummed I didn’t get to see their full set.
They were followed by Red Mass, this is Roy Vucchino’s new band, formerly of CPC Gangbangs, Honey and Lies, etc. He started the set in a stylish red hat and short cape/shawl with red face paint and pentagram medallion. I think the mix was shit, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it, aside from thinking I could hear a Misfits influence in the vocals. I remember them sounding great on record – they have an album coming soon on Semprini. Might have helped if Roy’s guitar was bumped up in the mix, since it sounds like his barely audible riffs would have been the driving force behind the songs. Anyway, I kind of psyched to hear their album….
Megasoid were playing at Studio JPR but I woke up with a bit of a cold that morning and didn’t want to tempt fate, so I headed home to gather energy for the next night: think I may to try to start out at Buffy Ste-Marie and then head over to see Destroyer, who, I’ve learned, is playing a solo show, which will undoubtedly be incredible. A harsh decision. It’s a shame they are playing in such temporal proximity, because I know there would be a substantial percentage of the Destroyer audience, and Dan Bejar hismelf, who would love to see Buffy play.
