Live:: In-Flight Safety @ The Marquee

First things first, I have to apologize for the lack of media accompanying this post, as these days when we post a show review, they are usually enhanced by some stellar grainy pics and scratchy audio clips. For this past Friday's In-Flight Safety record release show however, we didn't manage to get either of those. My cameraless-ness was due to attending the SMU Time for Wine festivities (after drinking beers in the dark due to a car vs. power pole accident on Barrington street in Halifax) and the Ack didn't make it down to the show because he suffered some knee trauma earlier in the evening at his soccer game.

Don't fret folks, the Ack assures me it's just a sprain and he'll be fine. So despite the lack of media, and despite the fact my recollection of the evening is clouded by the effects of the wine tasting and beer consumed both before and after that event, I wanted to write a little something. After all, the Marquee is closing, and that was likely the last event I will be attending there - well at least in it's current form, it will be re-opening as the Paragon theatre.

So with the Ack on the DL, it was left to me and herohill associate MRC to scope things out. We arrived as PEI's Boxer The Horse were cranking through Jackson Leftfield and although the crowd was still a little small and interested in gabbing and drink-getting, folks were still very appreciative of the young islanders efforts. As they proved during HPX, BTH knows how to handle any fat heckler that might decide to crack wise, but I was happy to see them get a warm response. I think they played most of the songs from their EP from last year, and the bounce of songs like Rock n' Roll band did nothing to dissuade me from thinking they are one of the Maritimes best up & coming bands.

Friday marked the first time I'd seen Dog Day play live, which is a bit odd considering they've played in Halifax a lot over the past year or so. This 2 boy, 2 girl foursome is one of MRC's favorite Halifax bands, and he was excited to see them play the Marquee one last time, and I was a fan of the band's last album, so we were looking forward to the set. And we weren't disappointed. I think the nature of the band's sound, the lo-fi, fuzzy rock that they play, doesn't lend itself to theatrics, but the touring they've done since Night Group's release in '07 shows in their performance. Frontman Seth Smith and diminutive bass-master Nancy Urich provided what little banter there was to be had, while keyboardist Crystal Thili appeared to be extremely annoyed with the brightness of the stage-lights. The old songs like Lydia sounded great, and the songs they identified as new ones were also solid, and seemed to have a few different elements. Or maybe that was how all the wine coursing through my veins felt about them, it's hard to say.

In-Flight Safety were just awesome. For whatever reason, it seemed like the sound system was turned up to the max for their set, and they also had a light show behind them, which I enjoy more than I might've had I been booze-free. Unless I'm mistaken, Dave Casey from Gloryhound and the Skyhawks joined the band onstage to add some more guitar power, and that might help explain the large sound. I believe IFS' latest record We Are An Empire, My Dear was recorded around this time last year, so they've had plenty of time with their new songs, and it shows. They were incredibly tight through all their songs, old and new, and the crowd, which had grown very large by this time, was very appreciative. I was certainly in that boat, as songs like Actors and Cloudhead had me singing along, which isn't an everyday occurrence. Just an excellent show.



So, if you're looking to see an excellent show, and you live in one of the four cities below, then you now know what to do.

10 Feb 2009 21:15 The Capital Fredericton, New Brunswick
11 Feb 2009 21:15 The Akhord Saint John, New Brunswick
12 Feb 2009 21:30 Manhattan Moncton, New Brunswick
13 Feb 2009 21:30 The Wave Charlottetown, Prince Edward