Broken Social Scene to do Crazy Songs in T.O.

[M]

from chartattack

Broken Social Scene To Do "Crazy Songs" At Toronto Shows

Alright, you hipsters: it’s time to dig deep into your pockets and prove that adoration you claim to have for Toronto’s Broken Social Scene. Call them pop; call them pop-rock. Call them emotional garage pop played by ambient stoners. Get as ridiculous as you can about their increasingly popular music, it doesn’t really matter. In the end, you’ll just call them a great ol’ bunch of folks.

Wrapping up their most successful year to date with a few Southern Ontario and Quebec shows, Broken Social Scene will perform at a fundraiser for the George Herman House on December 3. Their first real "cause" performance, proceeds from the gig (somehow sponsored by Solo, we think) will go directly to assist The House which provides programming and supportive housing for women with mental illness. Consider it a soul-assuring early Christmas gift.

"We did perform at this one anti-war show that K-OS put on in Ottawa once," recalls Scenester Andrew Whiteman. "But this is the first one we’re directly a part of. I think it’s a great experience and we’re going to have fun with it."

Promising nothing, Whiteman does say that this is the time when you really will see the band let loose, per se. Where most shows are conflicted with worries over what songs they can actually play (these things happen when your band is comprised of up to 15 revolving-door "extended family members" centered around the core of Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning), this gig’s set list will be comprised mainly of cover tunes and "other crazy songs."

"Our dream is to sit down and do a bunch of cover songs," he bursts. "Now we’re gonna make it happen. We’re gonna sit down in the basement and go, ‘Whoa OK, how many tunes can we learn?’ When we’re sitting in the van touring, we’re always going, ‘Man, I’d love to do this song!’ You know: casual conversations… but now we get to do it!"

A list of anticipated guest artists is also pending, but again, Whiteman is tight-lipped.

"I can’t say who our guests will be for the show or what songs we will actually learn, but there’s gonna be a lot of local spotlighting," he says. "Not all of the set, but some. There are so many really great musicians in Toronto, we want to acknowledge them. We look at like this: when you have Christmas dinner, you phone up your relatives and invite everybody, but you don’t now who’s going to show up. When they do, you’re like, ‘Great, you came! Wanna play a shaker?’"

Upcoming Canadian BSS shows:

November 9 Edmonton, AB @ Power Plant

November 10 Calgary, AB @ Liberty Lounge

November 12 Vancouver, BC @ Richards On Richards

December 3 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix

December 4 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix

December 5 Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Du Plateau

December 6 Ottawa, ON @ Capital City Music Hall

Broken Social Scene

[kung]

I was already game for this show (even Fetish and Weirdness expressed an interest which was shocking). Now with this 'crazy songs' business how could you pass it up. Can you imagine the treatments they could give even the most commercial rock radio fare with the big lineup. Fuck a little Steely Dan, Band, Who... Wouldn't be surprised if Kevin Drew pushed for something like Dinosaur Jr. since they've been accused of ripping them off enough (plus he loves 'em). I wonder if it will be over the top classic rock anthems, indy rock gems, Canadiana cornyness (a la Rheos) or what. I'm game that's for damn sure. Melissa just saw them in Halifax on Halloween for the Pop Explosion and said it was a hot show (Feist unfortunately was not there so chicky from Stars did her parts and rockstar moves).

[M]

Awesome... I'm beyond excited... hadn't heard of the addition of the second show til I read that announcement. Will both nights be covers or just one I wonder? I'll be at both I'm guessing so it'll be great either way.

These fellers rock the house. One thing that I always wonder is how the hell they split up the $$$ they pull in given their "extended family" of performers?!