BNB @ Blk Box (T.O.) July 9

[mark tonin]

I am pretty sure the Dufferin Street bridge over the Gardiner by Medieval Times is closed to vehicle traffic, take Strachan Ave up to Queen after Phish to get to the Burt show.

Thanks for the tip c-towns!

[c-towns]

What an awesome show! Hot as hell but Huey Lewis made up for that

Glad to see so many happy folks grooving and bearing the sweatiest show I have ever been to. I would wager the power failures throughout the days would account for the sweat box.

Burt sounded great, broken snare drum and all.

[Blurry]

Worst venue EVER!!!

NuFucked!!

[Blurry]

but through the frustration and bullshit of everything in the Sweat Box..........BNB still put a smile on my face and rocked it big time.

[edger]

Wow the more and more I hear from everyone the more I realize I must have really been in my own little world. It may have been because once I got in I moved up to the front and literally stayed there until the end. Other than grabbing a beer once or twice which I personally had no problem with, but I did hear many did, which I can only imagine how frustrating that was in that heat. The HEAT I definitely experienced but with the music I was able to ignore it. I also did manage to step outside briefly during set break and was never told I couldn't. I do recall them shouting at one point get back inside now or you won't be allowed back in, which I did, and went on with my business. Really sorry to hear that the night went down very different for so many others. Especially after the phish let-down. From my vantage point the place seemed packed with grooving smiling (profusely sweaty) people. La deee da.

[c-towns]

Here is a good article about the actual music...

BNB SWT BOX article

The night began with longtime dreams delayed, and ended out of this world.

The frightening rainfall and subsequent floods of Monday evening, caused the postponement of our first local Phish show in thirteen years, but we had an ace up our sleeves Tuesday night. Our own Canadian jam-rock heroes were back together for one of their increasingly-rare performances and, having no competition to contend with, were inundated by rabid live music fans seeking fulfillment. As fate would have it, Burt Neilson Band was ready to answer the call. The BLK BOX, now officially the sweatiest venue in the land, wasn’t nearly as well prepared. The fans, were.

Quickly circumventing a technical snafu that arose during first set opener In The Belly, Mike Filipowitsch twanged out the riff of By The Door before unleashing a gritty guitar solo. The first improvisational turn of the night came next, Jeff Heisholt‘s creaky clavinet and Jeremy Little’s dubbed-out bass driving through the psychedelic swamp of Down With The Sound. Drenched and dancing like mad, the well-acquainted audience personified the beloved song’s title.

The cascading piano and speedy bluegrass recollections of The Bench raised the diversity bar, before Yellow Pants appeared to crank the energy level even higher. Gavin Maguire’s airtight rock rhythm bounced along with Little’s bass thump, and the funky jam section exploded into vamp bliss. The proggy inklings of Stop 28 then garnered all forms of the hippie shuffle, Heisholt’s bustling organ line closing the set in glad fashion, as we rose back to street level for a much needed breath of fresh air.

Back underground following the overwhelmed security force’s attempts to keep everyone penned in a small smoking area, Filipowitsch took lead vocals while ripping mean guitar lines in Holes. The soulful respite of Heisholt’s Distraction followed, its Culture Club kinship indeed as distracting (and amusing) as ever. The crowd then experienced waves of gradual recognition, as a spot-on cover of Shine On You Crazy Diamond unfurled. When we saw BNB cover Animals in its entirety a couple years back, the accuracy of their recreation was staggering. Tuesday proved no different, and the song selection could not have been more apt. Whether a longtime Burt admirer, or a complete newb just making the most of a lost Phish opportunity, everybody’s happy when Pink Floyd’s in the picture.

A juicy nugget for the die-hards arrived in Fresco Lopez, the lead track from BNB’s self-titled debut that hadn’t been performed in many years, as founding band member Scott Farmer joined in on trumpet. The segue into Huey Lewis’ I Want A New Drug (a classic BNB combo) was another shrewd and timely move, the dancefloor letting loose once more before a return to Fresco. We were nearing bonus time, and the peppy punch of Speedbump capped set two with much jubilation.

Following the country-fried amble of encore opener Lost & Lonely, BNB took us on one final journey with Martian. Befitting its spacey name, the closing number lifted us to mesmerizing heights on rocket-fueled guitar/keyboard interplay. The cacophonous peak landed bittersweetly, a few hours of joy dulled by the thought of missing the band for another long stretch, until they once again reunite.

Whenever Burt Neilson Band next appears to share its incredible sound…we’re so down.