Golden Dogs review (Brass Taps, Guelph, March 2)

[zero]

Pirates Golden Dogs

The thing to get about the Golden Dogs is that they're one of those genuine hype bands that seem to come along about once a year. Not 'don't believe the hype' rather 'live up to the hype'. Three years (or so) ago it was the Broken Social Scene, then Metric got their turn in the sun somehow stretching the promotion of their freshman release right up to the present, now it is (or was) the Golden Dogs turn.

It's perhaps no surprise that all three of these bands played particularly auspicious shows at Guelph's own Hillside Festival. BSS played the best show I ever saw them play on the main stage, Metric gobsmacked literally everyone at the Island Stage and the following year Golden Dogs had the same pole position on the often legend making side stage. People knew about as much about Metric as they did the Golden Dogs, you could hear the mutterings and generally got the sense this had to be seen. Living up to every bit of hype they gallavanted through their repertoire culled from their sole release Everything In 3 Parts. Their music had a smack of something you recognized, a hint of the Police, Talking Heads, the Cars or J. Geils Band. But it was all decidedly The Golden Dogs. You were witness to one of those rare moments when you see a band at the moment it's blossoming, seeing it's influences reflected in it's petals without coming off like a paper flower. This ain't no rock revival but then again it is.

Every review you'll read about the Golden Dogs will mention their manic exuberance, their frenetic live show but it's more than all that. To be certain frontman and woman Dave Azzolini and Jessica Grassia have energy to spare but they also have something more- panache. This past Wednesday the stage seemed set for the Dogs to pull another rabbit out of their hat. Jessica was set up behind her keys, lanky Azzolini prowled the stage, drummer Beau Stoker tucked behind the kit . The problem was their secret weapons, bass player Micah Goldstein and Michael Chambers, were sorely missing.

The whole group are ex-pats from Thunder Bay, a couple are actually from Sudbury originally, the road they travelled together came across in their music in spades. Micah in particular had an amazing phrasing to his bass playing and Michael was more than just a rhythm guitar counterpoint to Dave's maniacal lead playing, he was also the album's engineer. They had an almost telepathic knack for veering heedlessly from one style or change to another. This recent show at the Brass Taps found that fluidity sorely lacking as they worked in two perfectly good players, on bass Taylor Knox and on guitar Carlin Nicholson. Privately drummer Beau chocked it up to 'the evolution of the band' while Azzolini noted the new players willingness to get out on the road and pound out some dates. It really makes you wonder if a band with a substantial amount of hype and press behind them , as well as a raging live show, can't hold a band together who can.

The first set found a loyal and knowledgeable, notably seated audience lapping up material old and new. They kicked through Birdsong off the album followed by a new song Anything Can Happen sounding particularly like The Police or Elvis Costello. They pounced through another string of new songs including Strong and 1985 which ended with a short vamp of the classic Mr. Sandman. Album cut The Bastards echoed of McCartney even containing the lyric 'fool on the hill'. By the time they got to Can't Get Your Face Our Of My Head it was clear the old Golden Dogs spirit was back in spades. That same polish and verve carried over into The Elevator Man- an obvious fan favourite. After trying to coax the band through the opening chords of the Who's Behind Blue Eyes, Azzolini led the first set to a crashing halt with Yeah!

The band huddled around a small bar table on stage for the second set, in deference perhaps to the audience. Dave and Carlin played ukeleles made all the more absurd by Dave's impressive stature. After a muddle of tunes presumably new I picked up on a new one Theresa fronted and perhaps written by Jessica. Through some audience encouragement the band somehow plugged through an idiosyncratic rendition of Smells Like Teen Spirit (still on ukeleles). Another tasteful acoustic version of The Elevator Man followed. A knowledgeable fan requested and was granted one of the kindest selections of the night a ballad with the righteous name Me and My Arrow. Ater much prodding from a lager lout patron for them to play some Radiohead, Dave started to mock him and called back 'Lady In Red', the Chris DeBurgh song, which he somehow new all the chords to and led the rest of the band through. Switching back to electric the set ground to a close with another popular album cut Faster and a short Louie Louie closer. A perfectly acceptable show, you would have had to be a real music geek to notice anything was amiss in this picture. Whether the Golden Dogs can regain their telepathic bond and moreover put out another magnum opus without their engineer and technical whiz Michael Chambers does however remain to be seen.

[guigsy]

interesting....

thanks for the review, luke... i've now had 3 opportunities to see them in about the last month, and each time i guess it just wasnt meant to be... they're back in london on march 31st, and come hell or high water, im gonna be there!

[whiteymuseum]

Saturday March 12

The Underground, downtown Hamilton

$8.00

w/ Delusions of Grandeur

[bradm]

They're also playing Cafe Dekcuf in Ottawa on Wednesday, March 3 (with Tier Three and Argyle), and I think I'll be there. Does anybody know if they're OK with taping? I e-mailed the band last week, but haven't received a response yet.

Aloha,

Brad

[guigsy]

Saturday March 12

The Underground, downtown Hamilton

$8.00

w/ Delusions of Grandeur

ahhh, you're killin' me here, whitey!

tooooooooooo...... much........ happennnnnnnnnning...... thissssssss...... wwwwwwweeeeeeeek!!!

being a big fan of canadian indie rock, this week is just one big wet dream.

[whiteymuseum]

ahhh, you're killin' me here, whitey!

tooooooooooo...... much........ happennnnnnnnnning...... thissssssss...... wwwwwwweeeeeeeek!!!

being a big fan of canadian indie rock, this week is just one big wet dream.

No kidding.

Just in Hamilton...

Monday :: WALKING CONCERT (Walter Schriefels of Quicksand/Rival Schools/Gorilla Biscuits fame)

Wednesday :: APOSTLE OF HUSTLE (Andrew Whiteman of Broken Social Scene's new band) - visit http://www.viewmag.com for the cover story on the group

also Wednesday :: THE ZOOBOMBS (Garage-rock from Tokyo) + Toronto's I CAN PUT MY ARM BACK ON YOU CAN'T

Thursday :: THE SADIES & JOHN BORRA BAND (not so much indie rock, but amazing nonetheless)

Saturday :: SIANSPHERIC & A NORTHERN CHORUS (Sonic Unyon Records Tour)

also Saturday :: THE GOLDEN DOGS (as already mentioned)

and Saturday again :: CFMU RADIO FUNDRAISER featuring FLATT STREET, CITIES IN DUST and THE REST

Eeeep.

[guigsy]

hey man, what can you tell me about the zoobombs? im really interested in checking these guys out, they're in london on tuesday. in fact, we got 4 of the same acts down here this week, plus Stars headlining the apostle of hustle show.

(luke, sorry to hijack your thread, brother... but all in the name of good music. :

[whiteymuseum]

hey man, what can you tell me about the zoobombs?

Buzzing guitars. Loud high energy rock and roll. MC5, The Stooges, Motorhead -style but with a Japanese twist. Amazing live band.