I was surprised to see the crowd that showed up. With $25 tickets going for 3 or 4 times their face value before the show, this had somehow become the hottest ticket in town. Arriving at the Commodore I thought I had accidentally stumbled to a yuppie bar in Yaletown filled with young girls wearing their mom’s heels for a big night on the town. The type of crowd didn’t really seem to mesh with the sound I had been listening to but who knows, maybe one of his songs was featured on Grey’s Anatomy or the O.C.

I was ready to ignore the crowd until the music began… Clarence walked on to the stage and began to play one of his songs by himself… and people wouldn’t SHUT UP! I’ll freely admit that I’ve talked at concerts, usually really bad ones where the musicians haven’t grabbed my attention and people are talking in hopes of drowning out the ‘music’. But he was really good, and people were obviously into the music… they just wouldn’t shut up. Sure, I’m not the most patient person in the world, but seriously people… if you’re going to pay money to go see an artist of his caliber come through town, shut up, sip your Heinekens and white wine (another pet peeve of mine… Chardonnay at a rock concert… but anyway) and listen to the show!!

The music was top notch, with a soulful backup band that had fun but never forgot it was there to highlight the talents of Mr. Greenwood. Though clearly sick from a cold, he didn’t let that slow him down any and delivered a great effort. It really is amazing what you can do with a guitar, a few chords and a soulful voice.

However, next time Clarence, do us a favour and play at least two songs in the encore… a one song encore is a bit of a joke, though I don’t blame you for wanting to leave this crowd early. And please, please play us Back Together.

Part 3: 

Part 4:

Part 5:

And part two:

Check out our previous interviews with the bands:

- Hey Ocean!

- Current Swell

MediaWEST is still proud to support Hey Ocean! and Current Swell in the quest for world domination, good times and good tunes! See ya at the gig!!

Tix are only $12 before the show or $15 at the door.

First listen to So Much For The Rain and I hear the catchy melodies that caught my ear at the show. The Painted Birds manage to balance lead singer Dominique Fricot’s sensitive and passionate vocals with a band that is very musically talented without overshadowing the story. Overall it’s very well done. Every track makes me feel like I’ve heard it before, like an old song on the radio you haven’t heard in a while but don’t quite recall who sang it.

They do have a very radio-friendly sound on the album which surprises me. Their live show was crazy, loud and a little more aggro. A little more 99.3 The Fox while the record is a little more Top 40′ish. That’s not a criticism since I can see it helping the band pull in a wider audience as a result. Personally I hope they get around to recording a decent live record that captures their tight yet reckless live show.

My only real complaint with the album is the sound quality. There’s great songwriting combined with solid musicianship but the record sounds a bit thin, where you can imagine how fuller it must have sounded in the studio. Not much you can do about that I suppose, given it’s an indie band’s first album. The only thing I’d say is you should go see them live if you like their record even a little.

It’s hard to pick fave songs since they’re all so catchy but I’m A Radio, Tease, All I Can Do and the Coldplay’esque So Beautiful stand out for me.

The Painted Birds are touring the BC Interior right now. Check them out if you have the chance. When you do make sure you pick up their CD at the merch table.

Links:

- Myspacepage

- Band website

Last night was The Painted Birds release party of their new album, So Much For The Rain. Opening up the night was Elias, a band that I’ve heard rumours about for a while and was very eager to see. This band has the makings of something special though there were some misses in their set. It felt like watching a rough diamond being polished, you could definitely still see some rough edges but there was also a gleam of something shiny. They have some strong Brit Rock influences, which I hope doesn’t mean they won’t be able to stand out in the crowd. Elias is definitely keeping an eye on. Sinking Ships and Get Some are both catchy tunes that you should download right now! Keep an eye out for their full-length album in 2008.

The Painted Birds faithful were out in force and seemed to know the words to every lyric. Always an impressive feat when the band doesn’t have an album out yet. Either the band members’ entire extended families were out or these guys have built up a solid fan base with their entertaining show and well-crafted songwriting. Having never heard or heard of them before, I wasn’t sure what to expect but they sure put on a show! Many of their songs have that familiarity that comes with hearing great songs the first time… you think you’ve heard it before but you haven’t… You know that feeling when a song instantly clicks in your head! Yeah, I had a few moments like that watching the Birds rock the house!

But they’re not just a loud rock band, they have a softer side as well… schmoopie woopie moment of the night came when frontman, Dominique Fricot, performed a song by himself, dedicating it to his mom and sister who had flown in from Chile.

But rock the house is what the Birds did best! They’re on tour in the interior now but I’m eager to see them hit a Vancouver stage again soon! Keep an eye on their site for tour dates, now that they’ve got an album out they should be on the road a lot!

Things have been a little crazy lately but I hope to have a review of the new album posted soon… I’m eager to see if they can replicate their live sound on the CD. Pics will be up soon as well.

And now, the links:

- Painted Birds website

- myspace page

How best to describe Hey Ocean? Fun, charismatic, effervescent… yes,’effervescent’ works!

HO (someone really should have thought through that acronym) is fronted by Ashleigh Ball, a ray of dazzling sunshine who exudes a raw but powerful confidence on stage, as well as a voice that ranges from sweet n’ seductive to full throttle with effortless ease. She’s like an early Emily Haines, but sweeter and less pained!

David Beckingham, her long-standing writing partner (and apparently ‘middle-school stalker’) plays guitar and sings in a very controlled way. With the 3 other characters on stage it’s easy to forget he’s there but it’s his steadfast melodies that form the backbone of HO.

On the other side of the stage we find the Ashton Kutcher stand-in, Dave Vertesi, flinging his body and his 5-string bass around the tiny stage with wild abandon. And of course, behind them sits the newest member of the band, Flea-on-drums, Benny Schutze, whose closed-eye, tongue-out manic drumming was a sight (and sound) to behold!

There was a groovy vibe to the show, from start to finish, and given the circumstances, it felt more like a private party in someone’s basement than a concert. And I think that’s the vibe Hey Ocean (ok, enough with the HOs) is going for. They told me they feel fortunate with their rapid rise but I think it’s clear that their open-arms approach to their shows is appreciated by their fans and by newcomers to their music. Their music is hard to categorize though they’re strongly reminiscent of early Frente.

Their music is infectious and the band is fun to watch. Check out Hey Ocean when they come to town, I guarantee a good time. And for those in Vancouver, don’t forget their 3rd annual Pirate Party is at Richards on August 23rd with Current Swell. See you there, mateys!

Get Hey Ocean!’s album ‘Stop Looking Like Music’ from iTunes now!

PS – Check out Maria’s shirt in the intro