05/12/09: Massey Hall: Toronto, ON

[JT_Stone]

This is not really a review, yet I thought I'd share anyways. After leaving the Jays game tonight I couldn't help myself but stop by Massey as I am dying here waiting for Sat. to come already. I arrived around 10:10pm and walked down the right side of the building and stop outside by the stage door. I heard Grace,Too perfectly & Frozen In My Tracks before I had to head off. I guess the point of this is if you don't have tickets park your lawn chair there and enjoy.

Grace, Too was played well and Gord interacted well with the crowd. Now a question to anyone who was present inside, What was the deal with him talking about cameras and a watch? Did he take a camera from the crowd and film the audience? what was that all about?

[Jack Straw]

I hit the Hall after work. Got there around 8:15 and was raging solo with no ticket. I had $20 in my pocket. That was my limit. After the shithead scalpers mocked me for suggesting such a price I went and grabbed a hot dog. It's amazing how a little disinterest is just the ticket. Literally. $20 for floors. I saw from NOIS onward. Fun show. Dark Canuck was a highlight for me.

Just thought I'd let you know cheapies are available. Being a single helps, but it sure felt nice to stick it to those scumbags.

f**k I hate scalpers.

Hope y'all had fun tonight.

[tthhead87]

it sucks a bit that they played almost the exact same setlist the first two nights in toronto as mtl night one and two... well at least for those of us who were at both.

regardless the boys played well ... hope to hear a new and more diverse arrangement on thurs, fri and sat

crowd has been pretty weak, but i think its just conducive to the venue...

so far i think it will be hard to top the danforth show

[sherpa]

I thought the show was great. The crowd was kind of sedate, more so during the first set than the 2nd but the 2nd set seems to be generally more rocking anyway. Grace, Too ,no matter how many times I see it live is always awesome and it was tonight. Throwing Off Glass, The Dark Canuck, Putting Down, Family Band, Are We Family, Thompson Girl, Springtime In Vienna - how can you see a show with all this and walk away disappointed. No way. I had 6th row floors and it was amazing to see the band up close again after so many years of shitty seats in giant arenas. More Later...

Oh and The Depression Suite was f#&king sublime.

[Hairbird]

Another good show. Gord started by introducing Recluse as "Who Are You". As mentioned, he got some guy in the front row to strum his guitar while he made the chord changes at the end of Bobcaygeon. The accoustic set was a treat for me again. I really enjoyed Wheat Kings, and Rob playing slide guitar on his lap. During Grace, Gord convinced some guy at the front to give him his camera, and then he got his friend to take off his watch and give it to him too. He took them, walked away, and put the loot back near the drum kit. He gave them back after the song, and said something about it being so easy to make a good score, but that everyone would go home with what they came with, except him (probably talking about the dozens of hankerchiefs he's been throwing out to the crowd!).

I had a pretty cool seat tonight. I was in the right balcony, near the end, so that I was almost looking down over the stage from the side. I figured that it would be a lousy place for sound, but I didn't really notice much of a difference from my floor seat on Monday. It would have made for a nice place to film from if I had a camera, but I did try my hand at audio recording again. I'm looking forward to Saturday night now, assuming I make it through the night. That hot dog before the show must have been bad! About 2 minutes after I left Massey Hall I was almost doubled over with stomach pain. It's been getting worse ever since. I should be sleeping now, but I can't stay still for more that 2 seconds. Avoid that blue chip truck infront of Nathan Phillips Square!

[borgs]

Probably not my favorite set list of the tour so far but a great show nonetheless. It's pretty amazing that after 40+ shows I heard 2 songs live for the first time tonight (Throwing Off Glass and Dark Canuck)! I fear I'm destined to never hear Queen of the Furrows live... it has eluded me in my first 5 shows this tour, I've got my fingers crossed for Friday. Great show all around. Wicked acoustic set!

[hotmetal401]

Avoid that blue chip truck infront of Nathan Phillips Square!

Yeah, the best one is the yellow chip truck closer to the Eaton Centre. Best fries, best gravy, best service. I miss free gravy at the chip trucks in Toronto.

Cheers,

Pat

[lampshade29]

This was another wonderful show. I was at night 1 as well. I am very impressed with how different the sets are. I am pretty sure only the new songs and BobC were repeats from the previous night. That's fantastic. They have definitely put in their work getting a lot of songs ready.
Putting Down was fantastic! I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but has anyone noticed that Gord has stopped playing guitar on a bunch of songs. Last night he didn't play on Puttin' Down or Springtime. Both songs he used to. It was kind of bizzare to hear silence during Gords acoustic part in PD. I noticed the night before he didn't play on In View, Nashville, and Ocean. Strange because he had played guitar on those first two at the Danforth. Interesting in any case. I'm curious why. I guess he wants to focus on singing and dancing!
Gift Shop was particularly special last night. I also was shocked at how huge a cheer Gus got. The crowd really loved it.
I saw a few songs I had never seen before again last night which was awesome. Family, Thompson, Glass and Canuck!! I can't belive I saw those songs and all in the same set. Unreal. Canuck seemed a little rough at first, but when it kicks in the middle it was fantastic.
Of course Gord sounded great too. He's really got his body and voice in great shape and it shows big time.
I can't wait for Thursday!!!!

[edgoffin]

Strange because he had played guitar on those first two at the Danforth. Interesting in any case. I'm curious why.

I don't think the guitar's ever been plugged in anyway (just kidding). Does Jim Bryson play guitar on any songs? When he tours with The Weakerthans he sometimes adds the third guitar.

Thanks for all the reviews, set lists and video -- looking forward to September.

[ashtrayrock]

best of 3 shows so far, for me
best, because of the songs played
crowd up top was lame but they did finally remain standing after morning moon
absolutely loved the last recluse as a an opener
i just cant get enough of puttin down
as others are saying it's real nice to get back to the 2set hip shows
so many chances of hearing rare songs
i have never heard throwing off glass played live before
lastly a heads up to robbie who especially played incredible last night
but ummm ya everyone in the band is firing on all cylinders!!!
great great show

[lampshade29]

Jim hasn't played guitar yet that I've seen. Which is fine with me. I think he's done an amazing job. He is really complimenting the songs and not doing anything that's too crazy or cheesy or overbearing.
I love his solo at the end of BobC. Sounds like the album, but with his own spin. The intro to Gift Shop is great. I also loved him singing the "short answer..." part in Canuck.
Of course, I am a huge fan of his. Everyone should check out his solo albums.

[knightrider]

Wondering how Recluse comes accross as an opening song? Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great tune, but does it set the tune for the rest of the tevening?

No one was more surprised than me to to find myself very moved by Recluse as an opener in Philly. If someone had told me that was their opener ahead of time, I woulda thought they were nuts. I had been somewhat unimpressed with the song after the 1st couple listens to the entire cd. It seemed kinda simple (couple of campfire chords), boring & overly mellow. But the images in the video of the finality and abruptness of the drop off on the boat, she turns & he's already "riding with my bike by your side," etc were starting to make an impact on me. But when Gordie sang the lyric in the 1st verse, sternly, and pointing with his finger as if admonishing, "no tears you said, understood - understood?" then quietly, "I said alright," I suddenly got it, and almost lost it - thinking about "watching a bomb go off in a young girl's life." They're both trying to be brave, but they're heartbroken. Then he turned into choral conductor imploring the haunting "whoa-ooa-ooa-ooas" from the audience, and the whole theater seemed to be singing - and just like that we were all in it together, and it WAS a conversation, on multiple levels, just as he had said in his intro for the song. And they'ld been on stage for about 2 minutes. So for me, it was very powerful, and is still the most enduring and memorable single moment from last week's show. So now I love the song, and can't get it out of my head.

As far as a tone it set for the show, I think it signaled that the night was going to be a bit more personal, more intimate, more vulnerable, than your typical "but this one goes to 11" kind of night with the boys. This time the dynamics between loud and quiet moments were going to be pronounced with a bit more clarity in their diversity. We were going to be drawn in, and we would need to lean in, squint, and turn our heads slightly to hear the quiet times, and that would only make the rockers like Blow,Twist and Bones, seem that much more heavy, more fullfilling in terms of releasing the tension/energy, by comparison. And that's exactly what we got thoughout the show. And I was great like that.

[sean.bonner]

[IamKirk]

Anyone know what they were playing down by the bar over the speaker system? It kind of sounded like Explosions in the Sky or Dirty Three or some other post rock type band. It really fit the dark sort of atmosphere down there lol.

Acutally, maybe Mono? THere were violins in it too i remembered.

[thecompletist]

Heard some Springsteen on the break on the house system.