NXNE Day 3: Diamond Rings, Land of Talk, Stars, Paper Lions & The Great Bloomers
Despite the lack of variation in his tunes Diamond Rings was givin’er at Yonge & Dundas Square on night 3 of NXNE. I mean really, you’ve got to take a step back and consider how much pressure there is that comes with playing to such a large crowd. AND he was on his own with no band to back him. He was having a great time, and wanted to make sure the crowd was too. It takes guts to be admittedly glam rock in this day and age, especially since his tunes were more techno or house more than rock. An onlooker commented on the performance by saying “He sounds like the 80’s and a videogame”. True. Kind of looked like it too. A great opener to warm up the crowd as it gathered for the evening’s headliner – Stars.
The trouble with Yonge & Dundas square is that there are far too many distractions, and since it’s free and open to anyone the audience isn’t necessarily made up of fans. Ergo, when they are bombarded by free gum and energy drinks while learning about the new BlackBerry, it would be hard to keep their attention. All of this was working against Land of Talk. I think this band would have been more appreciated at a smaller venue. However, their sound definitely complimented their predecessors (Stars), and if the audience was paying attention they would have noticed that. The songs were homely and catchy, but sadly the venue was far too large for their tone. This caused a bit of a struggle of defining their identity – an awkward attempt to seem rock and folk; the characteristics that make up that line that runs through indie music. It was clear that the lead singer was nervous, and the band came off as slightly disconnected from each other. Regardless, there was something about them that peaked my interest and had me hunting down their tunes on my own time; I can only hope that a few others felt the same.
I’ve seen Stars play numerous times, and every time I do there is a distinct feeling of comfort and home that comes with watching them. Torquil and Amy have such an unbridled chemistry between them that can win any skeptic over. Their voices are so complimentary of each other, and the tunes are so reminiscent and lamentful. They’re the type of band that can be pleasing to the ear in an intimate space, or they can cater to a larger more open venue like Yonge & Dundas Square. Torquil gave a passionate performance, and showed that you can be energetic and powerful without going crazy on stage. The band as a whole is so established and it reflects in the relaxed yet gracious attitude of their show. The set arrangement was well received and pleasing for any dedicated fan or to someone who maybe never heard of them before.
From Yonge & Dundas I was off to Sneaky Dee’s for Paper Lions and The Great Bloomers. I caught Paper Lions at Sneak’s during CMW and that was the first time I had ever heard them and I instantly fell in love. This time around it was no different. They put on such an upbeat show and they really know how to work a crowd. They played some new songs that were well received, and their signature jumps in tempo and Strokes-esque strumming and riffs were adaptable to their sound when comparing the new tunes to their old ones. Piano seems to dominate the sound more when live in comparison to their recordings. They would play extended intros, this built anticipation and made that unsteady Sneaky Dee’s floor shake even harder as fans danced their hearts out when they finally recognized the tunes.
Great Bloomers were up next. They started out very mellow, and got a little rockier as the set progressed. The slightly distorted guitar gave them a bit of an edge, which challenged the vocals that were mature and dream-like and melodic. Despite the fact that these boys were local, they had a bit of an east-coast type sound, with deeper harmonies and raw yet gentle acoustic undertones.
