I first heard the buzz surrounding Broken Social Scene last month when a friend asked me to go with him to see them at the Mercury Lounge. My friend explained their sound as ìall your favorite ’90s college rock bands packed into one – Wilco, Pavement, Polvo, Blonde RedheadÖî The next day at Other Music, an employee recommended the CD to me and he was amazed at how many they had sold in the previous two weeks. I had my doubts that this band could live up to the hype.
The Mercury Lounge show came and to say I was blown away would be an understatement. Thereafter, I had to acquire their album, You Forgot in People (Arts&Crafts Records) as soon as possible.
My chance to see them again finally came this past Friday at Brooklynís North Six. In their live incarnation, BSS features a rotating cast of musicians, with each member taking turns with different instruments and all sharing vocal duties throughout. This time seven members took the stage and played for two hours, and, honestly, I could easily have handled two more. The group performed tracks from both their debut, Feel Good Lost, and all the favorites off You Forgot in People. One thing that makes their performances so memorable is how much fun they have on stage, from the between song banter to the mock encore. Someone (if not everyone) in the group is constantly smiling, and each member has their own unique contribution. The vocals and stage presence of Leslie Feist should be mandatory viewing for any aspiring rock star, as she commands the audienceís attention with her swagger. If her performance is any indication, everyone should be sure to keep an eye out for Feistís solo album, set for release on Arts&Crafts in the near future. As much as Feistís performance forced the audience to watch, Justin Peroffís drumming was powerful and crisp throughout the show and served as the backbone to an amazing performance. At the end of the night the group announced they wouldnít be back in NYC until CMJ, ìbecause thatís what weíre supposed to do, right?î Iím not sure if I can wait that long.
After the show I went home, put the record on, slipped on my headphones and fell asleep. When is the last time a performance has been that good?
Source: Justin Montag
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