© theotherpress ¢ Culture November 19, 2003

Joel Plaskett Emergency

Amanda Aikman
Culture Editor

Joel Plaskett fittingly opened his November 12 performance at the
Media Club with “Waiting to be Discovered” from his previous
album Down at the Khyber. Despite his success with 90s Halifax
sensation Thrush Hermit, and three subsequent solo albums,
Plaskett has yet to achieve the status he deserves in the world of
CanRock. Not that you could have guessed that by the reception he
received from the enthusiastic Media Club audience in Vancouver.

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on the East Coast singer as he made his way through his impressive
repertoire. Looking every bit the rock star, the lanky mop-topped
Haligonian admirably strutted his stuff for the eager onlookers,
pausing only periodically to direct fans toward the shiny stacks of his
new album Truthfully Truthfully at the merchandise table beside the
Py etree

After playing several songs with his band The Emergency (Tim
Brennan on bass and Dave Marsh on drums) Plaskett performed a
number of solos that included the lovely “Powerful Lights” from his
In Need of Medical Attention album. The audience happily joined in
on backup vocals for this one, echoing the singer's line “other than
my own” much to Plaskett’s obvious enjoyment.

Rejoined by his band, Plaskett tore into “There’s Love in the Air
(but I’m on the ground)” from Down at the Khyber, spiraling into
an eclectic melody that featured such disparate covers as “Mama
Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys,” “Casey Jones,” and
some R. Kelly song that I won't even pretend to have recognized.
Raising the stakes, he followed this up with crowd favourite “Down
at the Khyber,” which he dedicated to his two cats and former
Hermit member Ian McGettigan. By the time Plaskett hollered the
title phrase “Maybe We Should Just Go Home” in the final song
prior to his encore, it was clearly evident that the crowd couldn't

have disagreed with him more.

Photos by Angela Blattmann

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