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By Fraser McCallum - F-Train 120 - 01/27/2006

The Walkmen don’t say a whole lot, but they make up for it in sheer stage presence and an electrifying music delivery. Combining organ-driven melodies with an energetic and tight rhythm section, and the vocal acrobatics of lead singer Hamilton Leithauser, the Walkmen have a very original and dynamic sound that translates into a stunning live show. Armed with an arsenal of new songs from their upcoming third album, the Walkmen returned to Montreal for the first time since December 2004 on January 27th, playing an 80-minute set at La Tulipe.

The night was opened by psychedelic rock newbies Mazarin, who hail from Pennsylvania. This writer only managed to catch three songs of the opener due to the wonderful inconsistency of the green line; however, what was seen was fairly mediocre. Over-loud guitars and clunky drums amidst fairly average vocal deliveries seemed to just leave many yawning and awaiting the headliners. That being said, however, the audience would not be disappointed with the second act.

The night truly began when the five-member New York rockers, the Walkmen, took to the stage to huge applause from the packed La Tulipe crowd. They opened with a guitar-driven new song that had lead singer Leithauser playing rhythm guitar while exploiting his usual sing/shout vocal style right away. The song featured both organ and piano trading melodies and a charging floor-tom driven rhythm. The Walkmen jumped right into a couple of older songs from 2004’s Bows & Arrows after this, playing crowd hits "Hang on Siobhan", "Little House of Savages" and "What’s In It For Me?”. All three Bows tracks were sped up and had Leithauser setting aside his guitar to thrash and scream on the mic, at some points shout-singing so passionately that the veins in his neck looked as though they might just explode all over the front row.

From there, the band slowed down and introduced two more new tracks from the tentatively titled All Hands and the Cook. Both featured Paul Maroon (guitar, piano) Walter Martin (organ) taking turns playing the old clangy-sounding organs which seem to dominate the new album extensively. Perhaps sensing the audience’s disconnect from these new songs Leithauser took an audience suggestion and played Bows favorite "Thinking Of A Dream I Had" during which he climbed atop a stack of amps, throwing his head back to hit the highest notes while drummer Matt Barrick thundered on the toms behind him. This was truly one of the night's most exciting and satisfying tracks, and it was obvious that the band thoroughly enjoyed performing it as well.

The show continued with the defiant-yet-depressing title track from Bows & Arrows, my personal favorite song of the evening. Leithauser’s raspy croon was never more effective and hard-hitting than on the chorus, where the lights went out and only La Tulipe’s disco ball spun light upon the stage. After the final few notes, lead guitarist Maroon immediately launched into the best-known Walkmen song, "The Rat", to huge audience applause. Leithauser was at his best, shedding his guitar and his coat and thrashing around the stage. His voice, although peaking at times, became thick with emotion and he had the entire audience singing along on the dramatic bridge “When I used to go out I’d know everyone I saw/now I go out alone if I go out at allllll!”. This rampaging track had all five Walkmen at their best with razor sharp guitar licks and show-stopping drum-work especially. Following "The Rat" was another new song from All Hands and the Cook, a slower ballad that had Leithauser back on guitar and the other members, save the drummer, rotating on pianos and bass. Then with a simple “thanks Montreal…”, the set was over and the Walkmen left the stage.

It wouldn’t be a Montreal rock show without the granted encore, although it was well-deserved on this night. The Walkmen re-emerged to play three more songs to the happy audience. The first two were a sped-up version of Bows track "My Old Man", then an untitled grungy rock track from the new album. Then for the last song of the evening, they launched into old favorite "We’ve Been Had" from their 2002 debut Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone. This track featured both organ and piano splashed beautifully on top of each other with a warm and weighty bass line from Peter Bauer while Leithuaser changed to a heartfelt croon and stared longingly into audience as he rounded out the anthem and said farewell.

The show was one of the best of the year in this writer’s opinion combining thundering drums, burning guitar hooks but also subtle atmospheric organ and piano to create a beautiful New York sound that builds and transforms masterfully. Lead singer Hamilton Leithauser, unquestionably the band’s leader, pulls the audience into his heartfelt almost bitter ballads before charging back with some of the most passionate and original rock songs in recent years. Leithauser does everything that the Strokes’ Julian Casablancas fails to do with this kind of indie music. Where Casablancas comes across as bored and apathetic, Leithauser stands tall, breathing energetic fervor and sincerity into garage-rock songs of heartbreak and urban defeat. The Walkmen invoke thoughts of other bands like the Interpol and the aforementioned Strokes, but in this live setting they came off as a well-crafted hybrid of the Replacements and Frank Sinatra. The Walkmen’s music, unlike that of a lot of indie rock bands of today, transcends perfectly to the stage. The show was a very dreamlike and exhausting one in an excellent way, filled not with road stories and anecdotes but with both subtle undercurrents and seething, hard-hitting, rock ballads. Here’s hoping for a swift Montreal return for the New York quintet.

[Tune in to F-Train 120 Tuesdays from Noon to 2pm]

By Christie Van der Burg - Black Tongue Radio - 01/17/2006

With nothing else but herself, Feist walked out on stage, no guitar, no back-up band. The chattering audience packed into the Metropolis, stopped and from then on could not help but to focus all attention on her. The crowd was captivated within the first few seconds, hooked through their dropped jaws and reeled in. An overwhelming amount of ambiance is portrayed with each note exiting her mouth. The calm mood of the show is similar to what is felt sitting around a campfire or a table at a dark, candlelight and smoky bar. Feist does not confine within one genre of music but incorporates various influences from funk, pop, jazz, punk and rock, fusing them together to produce utter essence. Her band joined her on and off throughout the show in a complementary fashion. Like the wand of a fairy godmother, they were a tool in which this singer could further provide her magic and done in good style. As with most Arts & Crafts bands, fellow friends came out to join the main act on stage: Paso Mino, the opening band who can normally be heard playing for Jason Colette, as well as some members of the Stills, specifically Liam O'Neil (the gentleman playing saxophone who can also be heard at Barfly every Thursday for Jazz Night). In doing this, the musicians clearly demonstrate how much they each sincerely enjoy playing music and entertaining a crowd. It would be difficult to find one who did not enjoy the Feist show; if and if one was to be discovered, I would say they have no comprehension of beauty, for she clearly demonstrates that beauty is not always a concrete object or image, but something which can be heard and felt through music.

[Tune in to Black Tongue Radio every Wednesday 9pm - 10pm]

By Hallie Seline - 11/29/2005

Going to see My Chemical Romance at the Stade was like being in a packed stadium filled with double personalities. When these people are hanging out before and after the shows, they are mostly entirely normal human beings, clad in dark, anti-this and -that clothing, and moody makeup. However, as soon as the music starts, the floor becomes a battlefield and it’s every man for himself. Of course, if you can’t handle the mosh pit, then stay out of it. However, it is apparent that one’s primitive need to be in the front has begun to get a little out of hand when someone is bashing into little girls’ ribs with his elbows just to get him and his girlfriend up to the front of the stage — especially when the said person is twice the size of those around him. Normally I salute the rules of the mosh pit; push, shove and go crazy, but if one man’s down, help him up. I’ve been noticing this type of lack of respect growing in many concert scenes lately, and the arrogance is tending to get worse. Bottom line, if you are fortunate enough to have missed the vertically-challenged gene, and you can see perfectly fine, please do not go punching out a five-foot-nothing female to be closer.

Aside from getting caught up in the politics of the mosh pit, for the most part, the show was hard-hitting, aggressive and wore its black little heart on its sleeve. At the beginning I, along with others I had talked to, were quite disappointed with the first band, Circa Survive. There was nothing enthralling or even remotely interesting to their bland screaming/singing vocals, and overdone riffs and drumbeats. Thrice, however, definitely picked it up from where Circa Survive had dropped the ball. Being the crowd-pleasers that they are, they incorporated the old and the new and amped up their listeners, preparing them for the band of the night, My Chemical Romance.

After a painfully long wait, the familiar poignant vocals and brooding instrumentals pierced through the pre-show chatter, and a wave of excitement consumed the crowd as the curtains dropped, revealing the faces of the music: Gerard Way, Ray Toto, Frank Iero, Matt Pelissier and Mikey Way. From that moment on, the show reached a high note and remarkably stayed there. I had seen My Chemical Romance once before and had enjoyed them, but hadn’t held much of a memory of their show. However on this night, they seemed to grab the heart of the crowd as we passionately joined in with the cynical, humorous and emotional lyrics. Way’s powerful vocals and charismatic stage presence pleased the crowd and the rest of the band was just as strong with their hard-hitting blend of guitar, bass and drums. Most, if not all, songs from their second album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge were featured, quite a few from their first album and a brand new song dedicated to a girl in the audience, which felt fresh but with the same great MCR vibe. Aside from a few technical glitches with the sound system, the entire show went very well, ending in an encore performance and a blast of red and silver confetti — as all concerts should end.

[Hallie Seline is a first-time freelance writer for CJLO.com; Emo is her big bad boyfriend. Also, this review does not in any way reflect the opinions of CJLO as we love the sound of elbows crashing into little girls' ribs.]

By Antonella Fratino - The Siamese Libertines - 12/02/2005

Certain moments push beyond being mere coincidences. How I found myself flipping through a Nan Goldin retrospective while listening to The Dandy Warhols’ latest album, Odditorium or Warlords of Mars, was one of those moments -- defying machination but respecting some sort of ontological unity. Somewhere between Goldin’s gritty portraits and the evocative “Holding Me Up,” it just clicked -- and I realized why I’m such a fan of the Warhols. Like the cited photographer, the group has been criticized for being contrived, glossy and unoriginal. However, unlike other musicians, the Portland quartet unabashedly alludes to its influences while toying with the boho art world it is part of. And, as both sets of artists prove, certain tropes never get old. In mining matters of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, Goldin and The Dandy Warhols capture an essence, a scene, a certain place and time. You want to be there. You want to join the party. Yeah.

I was there -- in that space of nostalgia and utter cool -- the night of their recent Montreal show at the Spectrum. My last live memory of the Warhols consists of a topless Zia McCabe bouncing about to “Song 2” when they toured with Blur back in 1997. This time around, it was about the boys showing skin as both frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor and drummer Brent deBoer graced an ecstatic crowd with their shirtless presence. Already commanding the stage visually, the Warhols rocked, and rocked loudly. Engaging the audience with favourites “Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth” (which was performed with surprising enthusiasm), “Bohemian Like You”, “Boys Better”, and “We Used To Be Friends”, the band also incorporated the longer, more atmospheric tracks from Odditorium without losing drive.

Working two mikes seamlessly, Taylor-Taylor embodied the playful sexual energy from songs like “I Love You” and “Minnesoter”, as did the rest of the band members. What became evident as the show progressed was just how much the band actually felt their songs -- and respected the art of music. The Warhols weren’t just performing for the crowd but creating music with us, and their sincere involvement made the night all that more enjoyable. So much so that almost two hours into their set, I didn’t realize it was already time to go. This is when Taylor-Taylor did something I’ve always wanted to see happen in a concert but have never witnessed before. After thanking us for being so great (which we were), he presented the last three songs the band was going to play and stated that there would be no encore, as he felt the whole process was ridiculous. Sure enough, after playing the last song -- a great cover of “Little Drummer Boy” claimed to be performed only between Thanksgiving and Christmas -- the group headed off the stage. Knowing when to leave a good party, The Dandy Warhols did just that.

[The Siamese Libertines rule, OK? Thursdays 4pm-6pm]