Sloan

A fun show at the Trash last night. I liken it to what it must have been like seeing the Beatles in the Cavern Club. The Trash apparently fits 250, though the band room is 1/2 of the actual venue (the other half is cut off from site-lines)

Openers The Weekend were tight generic power pop. After a few songs you realize that every song is written in the same key and follows a similar pattern - though I did find the drummer very entertaining and the keyboardist shouted along to all the songs sans microphone.

Sloan finally made their way thru the packed venue at midnite. I have seen this band 12 times and my overall review is sloppy fun. I saw them at the Trash in Kingston in 1998 and it was honestly like watching a 2.5 hour rehearsal than an actual show. This was more of a show, but they were nowhere near as tight as I've seen them once they've warmed up on tour (Between the Bridges in Peterborough - February 2000 - this was the best show I have seen of the 12 - and the tightest)

What did they play? (not in order)

Losing California
Underwhelmed
Sugartune
Money City Maniacs
All Used Up
Try to Make IT
On the Horizon
Before I Do (I haven't seen this one live since 94-95 Twice Removed tour)
Snowsuit Sound
Suppose they close the door (another rare one)
I Am the Cancer
Everything You've Done Wrong
The Lines You Amend
Coax Me
The Rest of My Life
The Good In Everyone

Encore:
People of the Sky
On the Road Again/Transona Five (Canned Heat/STereolab covers from Party Album)
Smiths song
The Other Man
If IT Feels Good Do IT

I think that was it...

I love this band. I think like many of their fans, I grew up with them from Smeared to now. In my mind the only real misstep was Action Pact - their attempt at a radio rock record. It's no surprise that there's only one tune on the Greatest Hits from that record and only one in the set. Best to keep it that way. The last Peterborough show supporting Action Pact was tight, but disappointingly focused on Action Pact's subpar material. Jay was noticeably bored during that show, and he seemed in much better spirits during this run.

This band works best when they produce their own work with a like-minded producer (Brenndan MAguire, I'm looking at you) and then spend the money on the mixing (Chris Shaw, Dave Ogilvie).

Also nice to see a great new Patrick song (All Used Up).

All and all a very enjoyable show (great to hear the obscure tracks) and I look forward to the DVD...

This was one of Sloan's smaller stops but they rocked the show as if they were playing at the Rogers Centre. The smell of Ganja in the air, Labatt 50 quarts in hand jammin to Sloan live at the Trasheteria was a wild party. Fistpumping and hollering the whole night was a must, Peterborough set the scene of a Halifax atomosphere and Sloan replied in turn by playing as if they were home in the Fax.
10/10 Big up Sloan and the P.

The evening started with a stalker-esque stroll around the block behind a bored-looking Patrick Pentland, continued at the nearby Mexicali Rosa's where Chris and Andrew were at an adjacent table and ended up at the Trasheteria which truly lived up to its name. The sound in the club was muddy at best, and damn loud. Imagine a 20X20 room with 250 sweaty kids (ok, include 20 or so oldtimers like me) and you've got the recipe for a great "sweaty club gig".

The openers, The Weekend, were great. Better than most openers they've had (short of The Flashing Lights, who were downright wonderful).

The boys kicked off with a messy version of Losing California, with Pat's guitar sounding just awful. They launched into Underwhelmed next and things picked up from there. Interestingly, they moved Money City Maniacs up to the early middle of the show, away from its usual end/encore position. They managed to touch upon all albums, but gave Between The Bridges short shrift. A highlight for me was hearing Sugartune and Before I Do for the first time. Someone had requested Take The Bench, and the boys gave it a shot, but Chris forgot the words about 8 lines in and they stopped. The new tunes are great. Chris' Try To Make It from the best-of sounds killer and would make an awesome single. Toward the end of the show, they launched into The Smiths' What Difference Does It Make? before it suffered a similar fate as Take The Bench. Canned Heat's On The Road Again started the encore and they finished off with an amazing version of If It Feels Good Do It. For those keeping count, Andrew got do to People Of The Sky and Before I Do, Jay got to do Snowsuit Sound and The Lines You Amend. Chris was indeed the star of the show that night. It was my 10th Sloan gig and well worth the drive up from TO to see them.

Now bring on the DVD!

I had a great time at the show on the weekend. Chris your new song TRY TO MAKE IT sounded awesome, ALL USED UP is a great tune too! Glad to hear you do some of the rare songs that I had never seen performed live before. This was my 8th show and you guys never lose your touch. Love you guys and can't wait to see you again.

WOW!! what an amazing show guys!! I cannot wait until Sloan comes back to Peterborough.

Wow...it is now a couple of weeks since the show and I still haven't recovered from the Sloan high I was on that night. I have waited a very, very long time to see this band - since the release of Twice Removed to tell the truth (circumstances, living on other continents, more circumstances).

I made a long trek that day from Niagara Falls to see the show in my home town - The 'Borough. I was leery; I had built this experience up for years, I wanted it to be SO GOOD. I am pleased to report that it was indeed so good. Fantastical infact! The venue was small, the crowd was pumped and the band was awesome; all that I had wanted and more.

Thanks for a super-fun night of pure Rock and Roll,
Danielle

PS. I may have a venue in mind if you guys are ever thinking of a Niagara gig...let me know.

Of all the Sloan shows I've been at this one was the 2nd best, also my drunkest.