THE TWO KOREAS @ Saphir Bar

By Jessica Hemmerich -  On The Rocks - 10/04/2007

I felt like it was a concert especially for me. I stood front row center (not that there were enough people to even make a row) in the midst of Saphir Bar's red lights, which set the mood for what would turn out to be a killer night.

The Two Koreas played Pop Montreal on October 4^th. Headlined by Brooklyn’s electroacoustic Slow Six and Victoria B.C.’s pop rock The Paper Cranes, The Two Koreas' genuine indie rock was a tall glass of water for this rock fan. The fifteen other people who were there seemed to appreciate them just as much as I did.

Walking up the stairs to the venue, I felt as though I was walking into a burlesque house. The red lights glowed and established the atmosphere for an intimate night with Stuart Berman on vocals, Kieran Grant on guitar, David Gee on drums and Ian Worang playing bass. Jason Anderson, who normally plays the farfisa, was in absentia with a broken arm.

One of the first things that went through my mind was, how will The Two Koreas, with all their crazy antics, fit on that teeny-tiny stage? My question would soon be answered. The boys came on and, kicking it off with a rocking bass solo, initially kept to their traditional boundaries but quickly broke free from the confines of the stage. Acting as a leash, Berman’s mic cord kept him at bay and, like a dog tied to a light post, he could only go so far. Thrashing on the floor with his fans did not, however, seem to affect the quality of his vocals. Worang also got down and dirty with his fans, casually sipping from his beer and pouring it all over himself as he headbanged his golden, sweaty locks from here to Timbuktu. Grant wailed on his guitar and, even though Gee didn’t really have the option of getting up and getting jiggy with his fans, just by looking at him we all knew that if he could, he would.

The show ended the way it began. Berman, fresh out of beer, ran off the stage to tend to his intense desire for another Alexander Keith’s while the rest of the band closed the show. Keeping the beat with Gee’s drums, Grant and Worang gradually put their last song to sleep. But, just when we all thought it was over, the situation quickly escalated into a war between Grant and Worang, concerning whose instrument could screech the loudest . With their respective guitar and bass face to face with their amps, it was the battle of the feedback. Right when I was about to put those poor instruments out of their misery, both musicians gave in and put them down, the soldiers that just didn’t make it. After a hearty applause, the remaining members joined their vocalist for a brewsy.  Cheers.

The Two Koreas are from Toronto, Ontario. Their album, Altruists, was released December 15^th, 2006.

Tune in to On The Rocks with Jessica every Thursday from 10am-12pm