We can get along!

Baby & Hide, Alex Lukashevsky, and Final Fantasy @ Lakeshore Theater

I’m still recovering from last night. Recovering in a good way. The Lakeshore Theater, a smallish venue not often used for concerts had its top absolutely blown off with a three-pronged sublime concert. I had never heard either of the openers before, and they were both outstanding in their own way.
I arrived at the venue early and the Theater people just let me in. I scouted out my third row center seats (same seats as last week’s Rogue Wave / Chin Up Chin Up concert) and checked my camera for fatigue and whatnot.
Around thirty minutes before Baby & Hide were scheduled to come on. The couple two rows ahead of me began to worry a little.
“Wouldn’t it be horrible if they [Baby & Hide] came on and there were, like, four people?” they wondered aloud.
Soon, though, the theater began to fill. And it was time for Baby & Hide to come on.
I had no idea what to expect. A thirtysomething man came on and began to check the sound levels of the Korg in front of him. That guy was joined by an electric guitarist and a drummer who sat down at his two-drum-and-one-cymbal set. They proceeded to play a dynamic set.
Playing mainly songs that rely on keyboard build-ups and breakdowns, Baby & Hide handled all of them well; the frontman played his part well, using his simple lyrics to play off the soundscapes, the guitarist played more like a bassist and kept things together, and the drummer mirrored the energy perfectly with excellent parts. You can't fault them for this, but my least favorite thing about the set was the sound balance-- the keyboards were too loud and the guitar and vocals were too soft.
They still could be awesome in studio-- I bought a CD (homemade and all) and haven't listened to it yet. (Get it for free here.)
Next to the party was Alex Lukashevsky. He started off awkwardly with a meandering acoustic guitar piece about music, but then slowly and surely gained our support with his wit and earnesty. He then brought down the house with an almost childish song about getting a girlfriend.

I'm gonna get me a girlfriend whatever the cost;
I'm gonna get me a girlfriend whatever the cost;
I'm gonna keep a girlfriend, even if an alcoholic,
or a genius, like Jackson Pollack;
I'm gonna get me a girlfriend whatever the cost.

Awesome stuff. (Note: he has an album out, called Connexions. Buy it here.)
Here is Alex in action:




Next came the act I was there for: Owen Pallett (a.k.a. Final Fantasy).

He popped onstage wearing a plaid collared shirt and jeans. After messing with sound levels for a bit, he addressed the crowd. "Welcome to the Final Fantasy rock and roll show... I'm Final."
Using an array of loop pedals and violin techniques, he built up his songs one by one. He had a couple of screw-ups though: Hey Dad had to be stopped completely when his echo pedal freaked out and he gave a funeral sort of second verse after declaring "Chicago doesn't deserve this song!" in sarcasm. I have it on digital camera video. This Lamb Sells Condos had to be stopped as well when he misplayed the opening to the piano melody and parlayed it into an improvised classical piece. "I forgot where I was going," Owen said.
He then revealed how he and Alex were going to celebrate Canada Day-- by picking apart each other's faults.

Anyway, the setlist:

That's When the Audience Died
This Lamb Sells Condos
Hey Dad pt. 1 (Owen's echoer goes haywire and he gives up halfway through)
Hey Dad pt. 2 (psychadelic chamber version;)
The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead
Many Lives for 49 MP
The Hands (Joan of Arc cover)
This is the Dream of Win and Regine
Song Song Song
Please Please Please
Better Than Worse (80+ MB)

Encore:
Fantasy (Mariah Carey cover)

Note: On the Better than Worse video, Owen is explaining what happened to him in Indiana: While shooting off fireworks, he burned his thumb (the video starts with him saying 'to a crisp'). He then advertises the CDs for sale and talks about being cut from Alex's CD. It's pretty funny. I apologize for the mass distortion 3/4 into BtW, it is a camera but still is a good video.

Pictures:That's Owen.



That's Owen with his bow in his collar.




The Final Fantasy experience.

I close with a story indicative of the night: After the show, I was in the hall waiting to buy He Poos Clouds. It is 12 dollars and I give Alex a twenty. Owen asks if I have any singles (they are running out of change) I only have one but Owen sells it to me anyway. I ask if Owen could sign it. "Do you have a pen?" he asks and I say yes and go to the side to open the CD and give him the Sharpie I brought in case he didn't have anything. It still has the top sticker that is impossible to get off. Owen just pops the CD case over the top (breaking it in the process) and I hand him the pen. "Hold my beer," he tells me and as he signs realizes the age of who he just gave his beer to. Alex and the drummer from Baby & Hide notice too.

Owen: Look at him. He's got a future. That's probably the first time he's ever held a beer.

B&H drummer: Yeah, That kid is cool. (I had just complimented him on the homemade CDs to which he replied, "That's how we roll.")

Owen (to Alex): We should take a picture and send it to his mother.

I give him the beer, he gives me the CD and I walk out smiling.


Awesome.

posted by Matt V @ 7/02/2006 05:15:00 PM