A & E ake@op.douglas.be.ca Holy Mackinaw Joe! Canadian bands have historically been ignored in their own country because, | believe, of a bias that holds that if a band is any good it has to come from either Britain or the US. In the last six or seven years this bias has softened, due to the likes of the Tragically Hip, Sarah McLachlan, Moist (as much as I hate to admit it) and, of course, Tom Cochrane. However, with the exception of the Hip, the aforementioned artists share one trait: they have all enjoyed, to varying degrees, serious public exposure in the States (i.e, appreciable record sales). THE RHEOSTATICS JANuary 28, 1998 RICHARD’s ON RICHARDS The perception that an artist isn’t really viable until they've broken through into the States pervades the industry and the public’s awareness. Maybe this is an allowable bias; after all, we live in a so- called global economy and if you wish to participate in that economy then you have to put up or shut up, as they say. It seems that most Canadian record buyers are gradually shifting their attitudes away from this thinking and towards a more content-based appreciation of music as opposed to the popular appreciation of breasts, butts and guns (rap), or bare mid-riffs and belly buttons (country and rap). One case in point is that of the Rheostatics. The Rheos hail from Etobicoke, Ontario, and have been around for nearly a decade. Their catalogue consists of seven albums and the dominant characteristic of their style is adventur- ous eclecticism, which sometimes takes on a silly tone but is actually always delivered with commitment. Commitment is the defining aspect that all aspiring Canadian artists have to share in order to be able to raise their voices above the cross-border din put up by our noisy southern neighbours. But it is not only a commitment to persever- ance but a commitment to helping each other achieve our disparate goals. Art is not about competition. Although musicians do have to sell albums in the . marketplace, this does not mean they must compete against one another. Only people (I hesitate to call them artists) who seek to be on the covers of magazines or MT V/MuchMusic are actually competing: they are, in fact, only selling themselves as products. Actual artists never fret over the notion of competition, since no two artists can ever express the same perspective or reflection of the world because no two individuals can ever share the same existence. The Rheostatics are one’of the best examples of this commitment. They make music in order to express them- selves and to have a little fun (Okay, maybe have a lot of fun!). Lead guitarist Martin Tielli has released a solo album called Nick Buzz (also the name of his other band) and the Rheostatics are planning a summer gelease of their first album of children’s music. Now a band concerned with the whims and vagaries of the record promotion treadmill would NEVER release an album of children’s music. It would be impossible for a teenager at a large high school (urban or suburban) to go around professing an admiration for a rock band that made kid’ music. But the Rheostatics aren't too concerned with mollifying the mortification of their adolescent admirers: they're concerned with putting out consistently engaging (and some- times brilliant) albums and putting on great shows. Last Wednesday night saw the Rheos in fine form at Richard’s On Richards. They opened their set with an acoustic version of a fan favourite from their album Melville, ‘Record Body Count,’ which has one of the more vividly memorable closing lines-I’ve yet come across: Bobby stood on a block of ice/ put a rope around his neck/ and fell asleep before he died. Martin Tielli told the crowd that the band was going to play the longest set they had ever played in Vancouver. The man did not lie. Their set began just before ten o'clock and ended at twelve forty a.m. (That's approximately two hours and forty minutes, folks). Their set was peppered with so many highlights that it’s difficult to separate them. The band was joined for four tunes by [ocal singer/songwriter/pianist/ .guitarist Veda Hille, who accompanied Tielli on a song from his solo album to rapturous applause. This is a sign of a good group relationship, when a band can stop in midset, leave the stage to one of their members and a guest and be happy about getting the opportunity to do it. Veda's most memorable contribu- tion to the evening came on an extended jam on ‘Claire,’ when she toggled the Students! Earn While You Learn! Limited Offer from February 8 to February 14. - No Quotas to reach - No Inventory Investment | Call Now! - Alvina @ 939-8920 District Sales Manager Join Avon today | - Enjoy Earning Extra Money - No start up fee Rheos rock volume slider on her Korg digital piano to generate a tremolo effect. Tielli then joined her midway and took the jam to other places. Tielli’s lead guitar work was a revelation. He uses a few stomp boxes (effect pedals) and a two piece MIDI rack to give voice to the whispers in his head. On the beginning of ‘A Midwin- ter’s Tale,’ he rapidly drummed his right hand thumb and forefinger on the body of his double-neck Ibanez guitar to get a sonorous, echoing rumble. On many other tunes he used a varied attack (pick or fingers) with his right hand to evoke ethereal textures, whale song, and an atmosphere that put one in mind of the West Coast landscape paintings by the Margraffs (the Rheos recently released an album called, Songs Inspired by the Group of 7, so maybe that had some- thing to do with it). The band exhibited all the hallmarks of a seasoned professional unit. They all sang lead, although Tielli and rhythm guitarist Dave Bidini carried the lion's share of the vocal duties, and they all sang harmonies. The real clincher was when they switched off instrumental duties (e.g. Don Clark, drums, sang lead while bassist Tim Vesely played drums and Dave Bidini played bass). This sort of instrumental diversification high- lighted the strength of this band: their egos are not centred around their individual instrumental prowess, but rather around their abilities as musicians. Tielli was the only one not to change musical hats during the course of the evening, but this was forgivable because he was able to neatly subvert the usual expectations of a lead guitarist and Eric Milner photo consistently surprise and entertain with his highly textural playing. The show exhibited every facet that this band has yet uncovered in their work. They were able to amuse and provoke the audience in spite of the overwhelming adoration being given them (the band). The venue was just barely able to contain the crowd’s enthusiasm. The group might consider either booking a larger hall or the same venue for two nights. The highest praise that a critic can offer a performer is the statement that when these guys return for their next engagement they (the critic) will be in attendance. I’d sell my Stompin’ Tom vinyl collection before missing another show by these boys. You are very star. Elijah Bak 16 000 people sing backup As a venue, GM Place is not my first choice for a concert. However, since the headliner, Our Lady Peace, is probably the most popular band in Canada right now, the Garage was a perfect place to hold the thousands of fans that turned out. Our Lapy Prac January 25, 1998 GM PLace The opening act, Well Water Con- spiracy, announced themselves as “we are Cheap Trick, here to entertain you.” A less than entertaining six song set followed, and as the final strains of “The Ending’ rattled off their guitars, Well Water Conspiracy stepped off the stage and tack into obscurity, with the crowd howling for Everclear. The first of the two main acts, Everclear took the stage in Sears poster boy suit and tie outfits and told the crowd, “it’s good to be home” (uh, youre from Seattle, boys). Their 11 song set included acoustic versions of ‘Heartspark Dollarsign’ and ‘Strawberry,’ but most of the set was pure rock energy. Midway through the set, lead singer Art Alexakis asked the crowd if they wanted a “dance tune.” The roar of the crowd brought out Everclear’s current radio hit “Everything to Everyone.’ The.soon to be released next single off of Everclear’s new album, /7/ Buy You a New One, was introduced as “a song about every guy who spends money that he doesn’t have on his girlfriend.” Closing out the set with a sing-a-long version of ‘Santa Monica and an extended ‘Local God’ from Romeo and Juliet, Everclear vanished into the depths of the garage, leaving the assembled fans screaming lustily for more, and hungry for Our Lady Peace. After an extended set-up break, which included a Black and White Twilight Zone episode, Our Lady Peace took the stage. The crowd of roughly 16 500 people sang back-up for the band on all 14 of its songs. Midway through the set the band gave-vocalist Rain Maida a break and showed off their musical prowess with an instrumental interlude. Maida used the stage as his own personal playground, running out to the crowd to shake hands on several occasions, and telling stories to introduce upcoming songs (like a story about a cheating wife in the Russian circus to introduce “Trapeze’). Also laced in between the songs and the sections of Maida-speak were video clips, which, as the show wore on, became more and more annoying. That is not to say that the clips weren't interesting, but the “poor reception” noise just didn’t work over something that sounded like a sonar ping. Our Lady Peace finished its set with a cover of the Beatles’ ‘Dear Prudence,’ doing it more justice than Liam and Noel ever could. For an encore Our Lady Peace brought out their latest single, ‘4am,’ and the title track to their second album, Clumsy. The voices of the thousands assembled cast light on the band’s current popularity, since Maida virtually turned “Clumsy’ over to the fans, who slowly finished off the set for the exhausted entertainers. Our Lady Peace accomplished its goal of “building our friendship with you” Monday night; the singing of thousands told them that. Hamish Knox 4 February 4 1997 The Other Press