Bruce Peninsula Simply Nails It.
Posted on October 19, 2009 - 10:49pm in .
I struggled a bit with how to describe what happened here Saturday Night almost as much as I struggled with explaining what type of music Bruce Peninsula plays to people beforehand. Suffice it to say, you really needed to see it to believe it.
Check out Zaid Khan's footage;
First up was Tamara solo with her banjo and beautiful voice, then slowly over the next few songs musicians and instruments were added and Weather Station was on stage. A quick change in lead singer (local Admaston alum Simon Borer) and voila; Entire Cities was playing. The band delivered an entertaining set that feels as if it was highly evolved from hillbilly heritage. We had always assumed that the addition of Weather Station/Entire Cities was a typo on the tour dates, the addition was a very pleasant surprise for us.
The band(s) did a wonderful job bringing the audience alive and introducing us to some of the innovative music making that was to follow.
Then came Bruce Peninsula, who took to the stage(s) and did no less than fill the room with the music, positive energy and shear joy. They were eight from left to right on stage Matt, Neil, Leon, Andrew, Misha, Amy, Ivy and Tamara (who sang all night), but the complexity of the arrangements and the use of clapping and all other means of percussion (bells, chains, cymbals, the floor) left me looking for the rest of the orchestra. I encourage the viewing of the pics from the night (there may also be video and audio evidence of the evening out there somewhere at some point), as I find my wordsmithing ablities sadly incapable of getting across what I heard.
Here's my best effort;
The backline of Andrew and Leon showcased incredibly talented musicians; they set the foundation for the many many layers to come. Add the guitars of Matt and Neil that accentuated the backline nicely without ever having to take over the show. The choral arrangements were reminiscent of a large flock of birds sweeping and flowing through the sky, it was very organic and beautiful. As with watching flocks of birds where you wouldn't simply watch one bird, you would watch the whole flock, so it was with the choir. On top of this, the honest and heartfelt snippets of vocals from Matt, the deep haunting and incredibly powerful, smooth voice of Misha and the gritty gravelly vocal energy of Neil swept us into ever number.
Alternative percussion (remember the bells, chains, floors, clapping, stomping and whatever Leon was doing to the cymbal to make that other sound?) made for what has to be the one of the most audibly stunning performances you're likely to ear.
The visual was eqally inspiring; the raw emotion, physical exertion, joy, energy and power of the band. The smiles were totally and completely infectious. One remark at the break was perfect; so much of today's younger bands are morose, even mopey; this was sheer joy to behold. The band was disciplined and confident and tight, real tight. The full stops, rapid changes in mood, and exclamation points were all perfectly in sync. The encore was perhaps my favourite moment. Having played the sum total of their songs, Matt, Misha and Neil delivered a beautiful number over Leon's drum foundation that was clearly a very early work in progress. The song demanded respect in its own right and for the conviction it took to deliver something so raw in a live performance.
From the many many remarks afterwards, people left the building 'better' somehow. Thank you Bruce Peninsula, I'm a big fan.
