Nightwood

We got to the Divan Orange right in the middle of At the Break of Don’s set, because of a little thing called university. We successfully sneaked out of discussions about repression and first wave feminism and dashed to Saint-Laurent Boulevard for an evening of liberating pop music where women drank beer from the bottle and played guitar furiously. A strange turn of events, noted my friend.

We were greeted by annoyingly happy piano playing and dirty lyrics by Montreal band At the Break of Don. The voices didn’t quite match the musical skills but they were an enjoyable bunch to sip beer to.  Modernboys Moderngirls claimed – and I mean they really went for it – the stage shortly after, waking up the tiny crowd and throwing insanely entertaining melodies at it. Despite the fact that most of the attendees were sitting at their table stoically watching the stage, the Toronto trio jumped around, screamed and seemed to be having a blast. The five people in front of the stage with us also. Modernboys Moderngirls are fun, say “baby” a lot and play very catchy songs. They reminded me of a mix between the Smith Westerns and a hot summer day (it might be the DARING cleavage worn by the lead singer?). Maybe it’s all the girl talk and boy band allure. I could still hear the choruses on top of the incessant buzzing of my eardrums when I went to sleep. They deserved a more receptive crowd willing to dance like crazy and sing along with them.

I already praised Nightwood in my review of Carta Marina, their first LP. Well, the band successfully took the record to the next level on that stage Thursday night. Sporting an amazing silver guitar that strangely suited her despite the obvious Metal Head feel of it, Erin Ross seemed to be at home in front of a crowd. Singer/guitarist Amber Goodwyn’s voice shocked and left me with my mouth gaping, as if I couldn’t believe such a powerful, angry and raw voice could come out of such a tiny ribcage. They began their set effectively with the first song on Carta Marina, “Heavy Magic Is Coming”. The steady guitar riff set the tone for the evening, all mysterious and heavy. The voice harmonies kicked in and I was left to wonder “where are the fog machines!” (yes, Glee reference, thank you very much). “Play the Dishes/Wash the Guitar” got the audience going with its sing along feeling and the beautiful “Bright Girls of Summer” sent us into a trance. They played all ten songs from their new LP and the show seemed too short. At the end of “Gretta At A Window” we were all ready for more, waiting, hoping. The whole vibe of the LP was multiplied live, so mix that with funny banter and stage presence and you got a pretty perfect show. They use the simple two guitars/drums combination wisely and effectively. It’s never redundant and Nightwood are a great novelty in the Montréal music scene. Why wasn’t this show sold out again?

Buy the LP, see them live; I’m very serious.

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For more Nightwood,
MySpace: myspace.com/nightwoodband