Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Reviewer: Nathan Atnikov |
Broken Social Scene stormed the stage in Calgary on Friday night with their usual demeanour. In a way, they seem like the biggest rock stars in the world. In another way, they seem like the band that should be playing in your friend’s parents’ basement at the kegger next weekend. Kevin Drew was his usual affable self, his banter alternating between disaffected humour and doe-eyed profundity. He was flanked by BSS’s guitar assault, and Calgary’s own Lisa Lobsinger, filling the roles of the otherwise occupied Emily Haines, Amy Millan and Feist.
To open the show, BSS ripped through eight or nine strong tunes. Among them were ‘Cause = Time,’ ‘Worldsick’ and a surprisingly early-set showing of ‘7/4 Shoreline.’ The most powerful song in the first half of the set, though, was the new tune ‘Forced to Love.’ With Drew and Andrew “Apostle of Hustle” Whiteman alternating vocals, it was one of the few times in the course of the night where BSS showed the firepower they’re capable of. It was a surprisingly low-key show for BSS, and as the show reached about the two-thirds point, the energy seemed to drain out of the room. The band has set a high standard for themselves, and on this night, they didn’t hit it.
That being said, Broken Social Scene are a band best seen live. Even if their set at Mac Hall this past Friday wasn’t the best show they’ve played in Calgary, it’ll still stand up as a peak in Calgary’s concert year.
