You might get more people showing up if you had the time on there.... Geeeez

Rock out with Sloan! Great opening band! **The Yoko Casionos** Got us all pumped for you guys when you kicked it onstage. Loved that Chris came up really close to the front and shook people's hands. Looked almost like he wanted to crowd surf! He also said that moncton was cool shit and 1st on his list in Canada with Halifax comming in second. (Chris, dude, obvious that halifax to y'all will always be numero uno! We still love ya tho!) None the less, Great encore with two of my favorites! Loved that Jay was walking around just talking to people afterwards...don't know where the others went... All i can say is Classy :P Can't wait for the next one! Stay jive!

THANK YOU SLOAN! After experiencing at Dalhousie University (September 2005) the broken-hearted nature of someone who believed he woke up to realize that he has grown out of his favorite (still existant) band while everyone else is still freaking for them... The YouTube/great new album/kickass gig served as a much needed (and much appreciated) 1-2-3 to remind myself just how great these guys can be!

We showed up just in time after work. At 11:30 PM, I was scared when I wasn't hearing anything from the club. Politely asking the bouncers at the door, one immediately went, "You're here at exactly the right time, they're just about to go on!" The Oxygen wasn't _jam_ packed, yet it had enough people so that things could have become unpleasant, space-wise. Who was there? Recognize the names Derek, Steve, Ken, PJ, Mel, Brader, Mark, Teeny, etc. etc.? Seemingly everyone who's anyone in town turned out for the show. (Though I never met Brent! Sorry, man, didn't mean to "stand you up" or anything...) Yet, I was enamoured of how one could even stand in the front row and not be squished, squeezed or jostled. (Heck, I was even able to make eye contact with a few interesting faces! ;) ) One guy who kept jumping up and down behind me (and quite frank'ly, reminded me of myself at Sloan gigs just a few years ago) turned out to be an old workmate and friend! Looking around me, I could see faces that I've seen at Sloan gigs for _years_ (yeah, that red-headed guy with the slightly ghostly complexion and semi-withdrawn nature even while completely digging the gig, you're the first that comes to mind, we never spoke but I believe I'd recognize you anywhere as a Sloan fan).

Upon discussion with Mike N, I absent-mindedly counted 15 or 16 songs from the new album that appeared in the set. By the time I took the time to read off the album tracklist in the car, I realized they'd actually pulled off 21 out of 30! Not a bad feat _at_ _all_, but I would've really liked to hear "Can't You Figure It Out" and "Set In Motion". (The last one was yelled by myself when the band came out for the encores, which was met by a nod from Chris and a "...those are all fine songs, but we're gonna play two here...")

One of the bonuses of having the new album out: Andrew came out not once, but _twice_ from the drum kit and tore off about 4 to 5 songs each time while on the guitar. And guess what? None of them were "On the Horizon", "Sensory Deprivation" or "People of the Sky"! YAY! New Andrew tunes! (I'm not dissing the old ones, it's just great to hear him do non-standards for a change... Here's to hoping several of the new ones stay in the sets for a few years)

Prayers answered:
- FINALLY, the appearance of an acoustic guitar!!! Patrick was the first to play it, and then it floated over to Jay. Guys, you're only beginning to realize how great an addition this is to the appropriate songs. Now, how about "Stand By Me, Yeah"?
- Songs at album tempo, if not faster! Okay, so maybe one or two were slow (The album tempo for "Ill Placed Trust" has always felt slow to me), but I REALLY REALLY REALLY appreciate it when the tempo is picked up so that it at least matches album tempo. Word has it apparently that this was the first date on the tour that the band really kicked it into (full tempo) gear. THANK YOU THANK YOU! (PS: Seeing Chris all over the drumkit for the drum solo intro to HFXNSHC was absolutely priceless while unbelievably rocking. Someone needs to film that and post it on YouTube.)

The band was in fine form (although being right in front of the stage, I was missing parts of the keys as I was only feet away from the huge Traynor and Hi-Watt guitar amps... Focusing my hearing on the keys, I could place what was going on and how it was coming along without problems). This is perhaps the first gig I've been to where I can stand right in front of the band (well, third or fourth row standing) and still enjoy the volume at a non-dangerous level (i.e. no headaches, no ringing ears... Heck, I can even still sing today! ...Well, almost, I haven't fully tested out my voice yet, it still being morning and all. ;) ).

Oh God, how am I gonna remember the set-list? This is a partial one.. And what's going to mess up recollections is the band's (much appreciated, much enjoyed) way of segueing between songs from the new album that aren't in sequence on the new album itself.

Flying High Again (opening the gig)
Who Taught You to Live Like That?
Someone That I Can Be True With
(ah heck, I can't remember the order, let me just throw the song names at you in no given order)
Ill Placed Trust
You Know What It's About
The Other Man
The Lines You Amend
Fading Into Obscurity (introduced by Chris as (paraphrase) "One of the weird songs on the new album, which kinda goes into different places" (something like that, anyone else remember more clearly?))
Everybody Wants You
The Good in Everyone
Keep On Thinkin'/Money City Maniacs
(intro to The N.S. on keys, suddenly mucked up by bass and both guitars (intentionally?) going scatter-shot into "Hey, I gotta check my tuning, lemme ring out some type of chord" mode)/Golden Eyes/Love Is All Around (I think these three were connected)
Something's Wrong
Living with the Masses/HFXNSHC (!!!!)
I Can't Sleep
Blackout (which I believe was followed by)
I Know You
I've Gotta Try
I Understand (with album coda)
Before the End of the Race
Don't You Believe a Word
Everything You've Done Wrong
Another Way I Could Do It

Encores:
Rest of My Life
If It Feels Good, Do It

By the time the last song came on, seemingly no one was resisting the power of the music of Sloan on a great night. The dancefloor suddenly re-enacted the livelier crowd shots of the IiFGDI video, and I found myself dancing with a girl with whom I'd never spoken before, all because I think I bumped her with my elbow. All of a sudden, it was hugs and dancing all around. That's how I like my gigs! :D

Interesting to note that nothing from Smeared was played (not that I missed the songs, of course ;) ), and basically only the hits from "Action Pact" and "Pretty Together" graced our ears that night (although I will always love "False Alarm" as the single that could have been). The focus was pretty much the new album (as it should be). The inclusion of a fifth member (Greg aka *****, those who know, know, I don't know if it's a "Hey, I've met you, people call me *****" or "Everybody can call me *****" so I'm censoring it here) really, REALLY rounds out the sound and allows the group to do songs that otherwise would just have been tossed aside (ex: "Don't You Believe A Word"). Like I said before, I'm so happy for Greg being in the band (and he's doing such a great job) that I can't be jealous. (A statement to which Greg started laughing when he heard me say it, face to face.) Rock on, guys.

From the guy with the Fleetwood Mac shirt and the pun-on-words sports warmup jacket,
KGB

Oxygen was packed - Sloan rocked (the sound was awesome). Setlist was as follows (PS - Thanks Greg!):

Flying High Again
Who Taught You To Live Like That?
Someone I Can Be True With
Ill Placed Trust
The Other Man
The Lines You Amend
Fading Into Obscurity
Golden Eyes
Love Is All Around
Living With The Masses
HFXNSHC
Blackout
The Good In Everyone
Don't You Believe A Word
Everybody Wants
I Understand
You Know What It's About
Keep On Thinkin'
Money City Maniacs
I Can't Sleep
I Know You
Something's Wrong
I've Gotta Try
Coax Me (Drumless due to a "snare malfunction" - very cool though)
Before The End Of The Race
Ana Lucia
Everything You've Done Wrong
Another Way I Can Do It
I Was Wrong

Encore Break

The Rest Of My Life
If It Feels Good Do It
Although Fredericton's show was great on Friday, the vibe in Moncton was awesome. Go see Sloan!

Oh, and I almost forgot... PATRICK SMILED! MORE THAN ONCE! He was able to "goofy face" off a bum note on the guitar, and I've seen him smile several times during the night.

WHOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA YEAAAAAAAAAH!
(And it _was_ yelled last night, you just didn't hear it.)

KGB

Dear Sloan,

I had such a great time at the concert. I Loved "Who taught you to live like that." It was actually the first time I got to see Sloan up close. I went to the Rolling Stones in Halifax, but was disappointed that you guys didn't play longer. I traveled from Maine to see you play and I wasn't disappointed at all. LOVE the album...Keep rocking!

Susie

Quick comment to support Del's setlist... "I Was Wrong" might have been slated to be played, but it wasn't. The "regular set" (actually, quite a long one, much enjoyed) ended with "Another Way I Could Do It", and the band returned for the two mentioned encores.

And "Don't You Believe a Word" was very, VERY well done. Here's to the five-man Sloan lineup!
KGB

Great show at the Oxygen! It had been a couple years since I had seen the guys play live, so I was more than excited by the time they got on stage! The one (and only!) disapointment was that they didnt play one of my favs She says what she means.. but I guess it would be a pretty long show for them to play ALL of their amazing songs! Keep rocking guys, can't wait until the next one!

PS - The new album is amazing!