Recent shows

Well, three months later I'm back. Sorry - been lazy lately.

Among recent shows I've seen, I have to say that two really stood out to me, with a third not far behind. Calexico at the Mod Club about a month ago were terrific. I found their last show in Toronto a bit stagnant and slow, so finding the band energized and casting about their entire catalog in a very dynamic performance was a pleasant surprise. As a friend remarked after the show "Calexico rocked! At least as much as Calexico can rock..."

The next night I saw Alejandro Escovedo play at the same venue, and I think it might have been the best show I've seen in five years anywhere by anybody. (That's a pretty bold statement, I know.) It was a great rock and roll show, an opinion shared by virtually everyone I know who was athere. The only criticism I heard was one friend who thought there were too many covers at the end (which is sort of fair, though there were only three -- "All the Young Dudes" followed by "Beast of Burden" and the AE live standard "I Wanna Be Your Dog". Check out his album "Real Animal" -- one of the best of 2008 so far.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and drive 160 km to Buffalo's Town Ballroom, and I took in Spiritualized last weekend. What a remarkable performer/artist Jason Pierce is -- gospel music about intravenous drug use! The subject matter is so dark, but the music and mood is ultimately so uplifting, it was really a wonderful night. Highlights included the "Come Together"/"Take Me to the Other Side" set closer, followed by "Lord Can You Hear Me" as an encore to end the night in style. But the best song of the evening was "I Think I'm in Love" which was overpowering.