© 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.

BOs aoe erieoreme Cosmet mutmen bane tom mea 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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