If not the triumphant return I was hoping for, Bettie Serveert peformed a good-to-great show last Thursday at the Horseshoe in Toronto. As lead singer Carol van Dijk had mentioned, it had been 9 years since the group was in Toronto and that was just way too fucking long. I was one of those fans who latched onto the band when they released their debut "Palomine" way back when, was slightly disappointed initially with their followup "Lamprey"(although I've had a substantial change of heart since then), thought "Dust Bunnies" was spectacular...then, well, I lost track of the band. I guess since Matador Records let them go, it's been harder to keep track of 'em(as well as more expensive to invest in their subsequent CD's). Getting nostalgic for 90's indie rock seems a little silly, but seriously it seems like so long ago. So I was somewhat disappointed when Bettie Serveert chose to perform a lot of new material off their new CD "AttaGirl" which I haven't heard yet, but which I've read is more keyboard driven. I was even more disappointed that they didn't play song favourites like "Palomine" or ANYTHING off "Lamprey" or "Dust Bunnies". Guitarist Peter Visser, with undeniably the most energy on stage, constantly shuffled back and forth on stage with a modest level of guitar theatrics that I wouldn't have pegged him for. There was a decent level of energy and enthusiasm from supporting players on bass guitar, keyboards, and drums. Everything was quite nicely pulled together with Carol's engaging vocals which were affectingly imperfect, raspy and sexy. And as mentioned by chromewaves who was also there, the stage was really colourful to watch, what with Carol wearing a lovely pink top and Peter wearing a bright blue shirt. The show wasn't the shot of 90's indie-rock nostalgia I was hoping for but it was great nonetheless. Maybe next time(and I hope there is a next time) they will have a set list which is a better cross-section of ALL their albums. [photos]I was also able to catch the Wavelength show at Lee's Palace this past Friday. See the photos of The Constantines[photos], The Creeping Nobodies[photos] and Masia One[photos]. Whether I'll actually post any formal thoughts/review on the show is entirely whether I can gather up the strength to think of what to write about it. The short version is that it was a fantastic show, and The Creeping Nobodies are my new favourite local band, seriously.
And if I could rant for a moment, if you ever get invited to a Valentine's dance, try to find out what the single-to-attached quotient is. I did happen to attend a Valentines dance this evening with a friend, his girlfriend, and a single friend of hers. While I did have the pleasure of their company(and was even more thankful to have someone to pair up with), the evening festivities were primarily focussed on the married couples. One of the games played involved spouses being asked a question and having to match each others' answers in order to score a point; questions such as "When was the last time you made love'?" or "What country or place will be your next vacation destination?". Do I really want to hear this? The fact of the matter is that being a single person at a Valentines dance full of married couples is like being a single person at a wedding reception sitting at a table full of married couples. It ain't necessarily fun. Although tonight, the company of friends made it a little more bearable.
Anyone in the mood for "Valentines Day is Over" by Billy Bragg? Check out some live show downloads here and here.
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