The Balconies
When crowding around the table to share that heaping plate of late-night nachos, it’s common knowledge that the plain tortilla chips at the bottom, though fundamental to the dish, are not the most exciting part. And just as the gooey cheese and toppings steal the show in this delicious dish, the opening bands at Thursday’s show at The Horseshoe Tavern proved to be the extras that made the evening a true success.
Bad food analogies aside, opener The Balconies jumped into their set with an energy that belied how shockingly empty the Horseshoe was at this point in the evening. Having no previous exposure to their music, I fell in love with the wide-eyed vocal harmonies between brother-sister team of Jacquie and Stephen Neville and the consistent catchy beat delivered by drummer Liam Jaeger. Some dancing would have occurred, if the puny size of the audience hadn’t made it so awkward to do so. Songs like the vocally amazing “Ghost Fever” and bright pop hooks of “Skinny Dipper” definitely made the crowd smile if not dance. All in all and despite the shamefully stoic audience, The Balconies played like there was no place on Earth they’d rather be on. With their first album released this past September, The Balconies are climbing their way to great heights. Be sure to check out these pop-rockstars again at The Horseshoe Tavern on December 12th.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thebalconies
Now before I continue I must say that the next opening act, Immaculate Machine, is an entirely different beast than it was when I last experienced the band live roughly two years ago when it consisted of threesome Brook Gallupe, Kathryn Calder, and drummer Luke Kozlowski. The band has since been shuffled so that the sole remaining original member is frontman Gallupe, now supported by a trio of ladies on bass, guitar, and vox, and a new drummer. This remixed band is great in its own right, and I’ve decided for the purposes of this review not to compare it to the “older” Immaculate Machine combo that I already know and love.
In front of the growing audience at the Horseshoe (it was about time), the band played a good mix of material from their new release High on Jackson Hill and old favourite Fables. As could be expected due to former’s fairly recent release, the biggest crowd pleasers were from Fables including a lively rendition of “Sea Legs” and “Nothing Ever Happens”. The infectious pop sound of these early songs is reborn in newer hits like “I Only Love You for Your Car”. With Brooke’s voice and pop sensibilities front and centre, the only thing more I could have asked for was some extra oomph on the female vocals. Perhaps this was due to the venue’s sound—something only a closer listen to the new album will reveal. The band will soon be wrapping up an extensive North American tour and I strongly suggest that you pick up their new album if you haven’t already done so to fill in as they’re off to spreading their pop magic to more Eastern corners of the globe.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/immaculatemachine
With roots on the East-Coast, Dog Day is a darling rock-pop quartet with an EP and two full-lenght releases under it’s belt. Being a fan of the band’s recorded work, I have to say that I was a bit underwhelmed by this particular live performance. The sound was mixed strangely and as a result, the cacophony of noise that facilitated some major “zoning-out” moments during the performance. Although consistent, the band was noticably overshadowed by the energy of the evening’s earlier performances. The highlight of the set came with the song “Rome” which features female vocalist Nancy Ulrich and is perhaps one of the band’s biggest pop gems off their new record Concentration. Ending with a string-on-string battle between frontman Seth Smith’s guitar and Ulrich’s bass that resulted with Smith lying flat on the floor, this track saved what was otherwise a flat-line performance.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/dogdaytheband
