Photographs by Sarah Rix.
Violent Femmes celebrated their self titled album from way back in 1983 with us on the second day at the Toronto Urban Roots Festival (TURF), and we got to experience their glory days sitting under the shade of the trees at Fort York (or those of us who didn’t seemed to blister in the sun. I apologize). After Good Feeling closed the album off, Gordon Gano remarked “This is probably older than most of you”, reflecting on the youthful ages that made up most of the crowd. He made many a sarcastic remark during their set, including how he wouldn’t play a fiddle on the next song but ended up doing so anyways, how a thirty second song of theirs told a grand epic story and more. Brian Ritchie turned an already hot day into a boiling one with his relentless bass playing, and Dresden Dolls drummer Brian Viglione joined in with his animalistic percussion. Gano, sounding more like Tom Verlaine in his older age, sneered and barked with the same anxieties he had from his youth, especially in their set staple Add It Up. Violent Femmes, as a whole, was an energetic and razor sharp experience and a great way to have fought the unforgiving heat.
The Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon has had the funniest banter out of anyone at TURF so far. With a voice that sounds like Mitch Hedberg, he would go off on random tangents ranging from “sea foam green” sunglasses (not “lime green”, sea foam, like “Tarantino”). All of this started because he commented on how he never wears shades on stage because it makes him feel like he isn’t looking at audience members in the eye. With many funny moments, including how the Indie 88.1 beach ball “goes forever” with how it surfed the crowd, The Gaslight Anthem’s set was no laughing matter. With a set full of heart filled rock and lyrics that came from letters back home, the music itself was moving and enjoyable. The staple of their set has to be their emotional cover of The Animals’ rendition of House of the Rising Sun, where Fallon had his most powerful vocal performance of the day. Alex Rosamilia, donning a hefty beard, lead this orchestra of bar tunes with his sharply clean guitar tones working like a lighthouse’s beam from a distance away. The set was intimate and the personality was fun with Gaslight Anthem: Two very fitting qualities to have at TURF. Also, Fallon has claimed that Violent Femmes and Weezer both have only good songs and neither have dud songs. He asked for this to be included in the “newspapers”, so I shall only oblige.
Simon Ward of The Strumbellas joined us on the Capsule Podcast the other day, and he came off as a humble and open person without any catches. Live in Limbo have covered a number of their shows by now, and yet again we have spotted them: This time at TURF. Not only is Ward a terrific frontman with the energy of a Jaegerbomb (or two), as he would toss his pretty acoustic guitar high enough to hit the top of the stage’s roof, but the band as a whole are excellent live. With the kind of charisma that I’ve noticed from artists like Broken Social Scene, The Strumbellas are one of those bands you can just sense will have their well deserved dues arrive on their doorstep any day now (they already have won a Juno, after all). With their Beach Boys-esque song Sailing, Ward and David Ritter had a contest held: Who could sing better? They had two teams, with Ward conducting the male audience members and Ritter in charge of the women. While this was advertised as a contest, it was really a clever way to get the audience in on a song that begs for vocal harmonies. It wasn’t just audience participation: It was musical beauty. With many songs for new listeners, as well as radio favorites, The Strumbellas enchanted everyone on “the hill” at the south stage, and I’d be lying if I said I’ve seen enough of them.
“When you put a microphone in front of me…”, Sam Roberts said drifting off near the end of his set. He accidentally suggested that people stick around for other bands, despite Sam Roberts Band being the headlining act of the day. He continued to say that we should all stay overnight to catch the bands after him to try and rectify his mistake.There’s nothing to justify, Sam Roberts; Not after an incredible set at TURF. At almost 40 but not looking a day over 30, Roberts has kept himself and his music in good care with a batch of songs still banging on the radio time after time. He got to share all of those anthems live with his guitar strapped to him like an ak-47. “I wonder if the people who fought here knew there’d be a massive rock concert here”, he joked, also commenting on how the highway covers Fort York. He clearly has not planned his banter, which is better than he gives himself credit for, and in the end Sam Roberts is just as excited to be there as we are. Playing a variety of hits like Human Heat, Them Kids (which I easily consider one of the best guitar songs of our time) and Where Have All The Good People Gone? (But no Don’t Walk Away Eileen, which I am kind of glad for as that song got heavily overplayed back in its heyday), he ended his set with a magical rendition of his career defining song Brother Down. With an extended outro, Sam Roberts made his way into the pit to shake many of our hands. Again, if anyone was happy to be there, it’s Sam Roberts. Like the lyric goes: “One life to live”. Sam Roberts has fulfilled a hard feat with staying relevant for over ten years now, and his joy stemming from his undying passion for music helped make his great set the best at TURF thus far.
