Photo courtesy of Jag Gundu for Live at Massey Hall
Ever since I saw Muse and Silversun pickups from the nosebleeds of an arena in Detroit, I’ve held a grudge against seating at a concert. I’m the type of person that feeds off the energy of the crowd, and so the idea of staying relatively stationary for the entirety of a concert makes me a little nauseous. But on Thursday, December 1st, I realized there is a very important caveat to my dislike of seated venues: the style of music is a major factor in whether they work. While being confined to a small area is awful for a show like Muse, it was quite the reverse in this case: Massey Hall and Half Moon Run were like pairing a fine wine with a plate of delectable cheeses.
Opening for Half Moon Run were Montreal-based indie rockers Plants and Animals. As soon as they started playing, it was like being wrapped in a warm blanket; I wanted to put on some pajamas and take a nap in the coziest of chairs by the warmest of fires. That’s not to say they are a boring band; not by a longshot. Beneath all the lush layers of sound are thought provoking lyrics like “It takes a good friend to say you’ve got your head up your ass/It takes a good friend to meet you in the park in the dark/It takes an enemy to help you get out of bed/It takes your lover to leave you, to feel loneliness”. For the end of one song, they had a extremely nervous-looking boy, maybe about 8- or 9 years old, come out to sing. The audience went nuts. Their lack of technical support for the show (a one-time deal) led to some short delays, but charismatic singer Warren Spicer managed to fill the time magnificently with his ramblings about how one might rob a bank with a janitor outfit. All in all, they put on a fantastic show, and proved to be an excellent introduction to the night to come.
From the minute Half Moon Run struck their first note, you could see the passion. While perhaps most obvious in lead singer Devon Portielje, every other member clearly loved what they did and believed in the music they were making. And the talent! I’m fairly certain I’ve never seen someone play drums and keyboard at the same time, but that was what percussionist Dylan Phillips did for most of the show. In fact, I wouldn’t hesitate to guess that every member played an average of two instruments per song. At least. The addition of a four piece string section periodically throughout the show only made it more unbelievable. And yet, despite there be so many things going on at once, it all just worked.
As soon as crowd favourite “Call Me in the Afternoon” came on, the audience was on their feet and grooving. Song after song featured entrancing lighting effects, whether it was a full red blast during the emotional “Need It” or the strobe- and shadow-filled hymn “Drug You”. In the middle the band (and the audience) took a quick break as Phillips played the sweeping piano instrumental “Throes”, but no sooner had most people sat down that the entire band, including strings, was occupying front and center stage to play the hushed “Give Up”. They closed the first set with one of my personal favourite songs off their new album, “Consider Yourself”, a synth-heavy jam. Their encore opened with the haunting “Fire Escape”, with the whole band bathed in backlight for optimum creepy effect, and closed with the short-but-oh-so-sweet “Full Circle”.
You should hope that these incredibly talented guys and gals are coming to a theater near you soon. You won’t be disappointed. Even if it’s a seated venue.