As an increasingly frustrated crowd forms withing a growing line of eager concert goers, a single common appreciation for nice weather is about the only peace to be acknowledged. At 8:00 pm, the line began to form, tickets were sold in advance to those who were fortunate enough to beat the forming crowd, but for the many were who standing with only the slightest hope of gaining access to the venue there was an aura of anticipated disappointment. Two hours later, the doors to the EBar opened up and an announcement was made that only 30 additional tickets would be available for the hands of those near the front of the pack. Luckily for us, and thanks to a willing friend who stood there for hours, we made our way inside.Okay, so I am going to be fair here in my review of the music, but what's interesting to me is that, while for the most part I did enjoy the songs themselves, what entertained me more was the format in which they flowed; allow me to explain.
Typically in a three band line up, you have an opener, followed by a small break, then a follow-up band, another small break and then the headliner. This is the standard for just about every show or concert that I have been to, and while it does work, the unfortunate side of it is that very few people actually pay proper attention to the opening acts; and many times they are missing out on someone great. What Jason Collett and troupe have done, however, is decide to mingle through the evening and share the stage for a more collaborative effort. The result of this collective was most enjoyable to an audience who got to hear unique versions of familiar songs, while at the same time hearing new artists and discovering music they might otherwise have left for a smoke on the patio or apps in the lounge. So, the first thing I have to say about the evening is how impressed I was by this effort, I hope to see it continue as a trend in the future.
Now, as far as the individual acts were concerned, I will admit my unfamiliarity with Zeus, my mild knowledge and experience of Bahamas at Hillside Inside, and that the only artist in my collection up until now has been Jason. Please don't mistake me or get me wrong for what I am about to say, I enjoy Collett and his music, I will continue to buy his Cd's and jam with his tunes, but on this evening what really caught my attention was Zeus and their crafty, harmony-laden, catchy little ditties.
The core of the group hail from Barrie, Ontario, and as a former resident of Barrie myself, it's pretty nice to see these guys making way onto the scene from a familiar part of the province. Signed to the great Arts and Crafts label (who are also responsible for gifting us Broken Social Scene, The Constantines, and Timbre Timbre, just to name a few) and armed with a new full -length album, entitled Say Us, the band is on tour with Collett and Bahamas for what has been named The Bonfire Ball; the brain child of Jason, who wanted to put on a show in the flowing format I previously described; well done Jason, well done indeed.
Zeus reminds me a little of Dr. Dog for those in need of a comparison, but I think it is really only truly fair to say that they sound, well, like Zeus. You'd be making a wise investment in time by hitting up their myspace, and shortly after that, buying their album, you wont regret it. I particularly recommend the strangely familiar sounds of "How Does it Feel?" and the infectiously catchy "River By the Garden"
As mentioned before, I really don't want to downplay the abilities and talents of Bahamas or Jason because they were both worth the lengthy wait, and definitely you should prepare yourself to hear more from Bahamas as the new CD picks up steam and well deserved acclaim, in fact I might strongly suggest throwing on the recently released Pink Strat, picking up a guitar of your own, and just relaxing as you play along to the mellow mood of the album, an hour well spent in my opinion.
Overall I was impressed, and even now as I listen to Say Us through my stereo speakers, I feel as though my time and money were well invested, leaving me wanting to see them again soon, singing along this time as my familiarity with the well-crafted album quickly grows. Act for act, the night was an enjoyable one, even if frustrating to start. The Bonfire Ball continues its journey through Ontario and given an opportunity to do so I'd say there are much worse ways you could spend an evening, so please, visit the sites, hear the music and hit the road for some drinks and an evening of unique and well constructed entertainment.
Until the next time,
Phil
Zeus
http://www.myspace.com/zeusofficial
Bahamas
http://www.myspace.com/bahamasbreeze
Jason Collett
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