September 21, 2010: dd/mm/yyyy - Digital Haircut / Van Tan

dd/mm/yyyy - Digital Haircut / Van Tan: youtube.com/watch?v=8iIfkBztfow

I mentioned a couple days ago that shows in Toronto can be boring and it's mostly the crowds fault. I can't really attack them/us without proper argument, so here goes:

I've seen only a handful of great shows in Toronto, one of which was dd/mm/yyyy in the basement of an abandoned hardware store in Parkdale. I had gone out to see a band at Mitzi's Sister and ran into Bill and Cora, some other friends. Bill told me about a show going on down the street, I was bored and restless and let him lead me, we went into an alley nearby where a small group smoked, we went past a door guy and into the back entrance of a building, down the stairs. The basement we entered was poorly lit and concrete, wood beams, a maze leading from one room to the next, my throat burned from the asbestos in the air. I recognized some faces. I was still a little unsure what was even happening here, I just followed.

Then I saw Alex. She led me to a tiny room where we all, about 40 of us, gathered in a circle around a band setting up. There was one lamp lighting them all near the drummer. They started with a blast of feedback and Alex immediately started dancing, across from me in the crowd. I don't remember much from there but getting drunk, dancing, the music, Alex across from me and moving, the harsh light and the heavy, sweaty air full of asbestos. It was beautiful.

And I was coming from Halifax where we never got big shows. I remember Broken Social Scene at The Forum being revelatory, we all drunk and singing and moving up and down with the crowd. I remember Death From Above 1979 being a mess, being terrified the crowd would break into a riot. I remember seeing Buck 65 at The Marquee, him reciting a song without music, the crowd going quiet complete.

In Toronto I've seen Broken Social Scene and it was without it's charm. Buck 65 I've seen here and it's always a modest endeavor. I don't know what it is, exactly, that keeps us from really digging it here, letting ourselves go into it all, letting go, but it can be upsetting. I saw Cat Power in Toronto and there was almost a middle-aged man fight behind me because one was standing too close to the other.

I think we're spoiled. We get too many shows. I can go see near anyone and count on being able to see them again within the span of a year because they don't have many other options in Canada for big cities. It's us and Montreal. So they'll be back, no point in going crazy for it. In Halifax there was a sense that this band will never be back here again (and often they weren't) so we made it worth it all.

And we're too insular. I can go to any show, nearly, and run into people I know from around the city, most I may not know so well. And as I don't know them so well I don't let it out, I'll stand and watch and be appreciative and follow the crowd energy. Is that just me? Granted I'm not so scared of people anymore but are we all so scared of people?

It can be infuriating. And not even the fact that crowds seems lackluster but that I contribute to that. I've come to play shows and early into the set will ask the audience to just come a little closer. And it works! I've seen it happen at a show The Sleepless Nights played, same with The D'Urbervilles, it's like we're waiting for the green light to really enjoy the moment. So we want to dig it, fully, but there's something holding us from it.

We need Jen Polk back.