Dears caught in the headlights
Montreal band brings back the melodrama with excellent stage lighting
TIMOTHY BROWN STAFF
Last Tuesday, The Dears came to town. No, not “deers,” as in: those animals that would love nothing more than to jump in front of your car and scare the shit out of you (and cost you $1,100 in damages just for a dent in the hood and some cracked glass, what do I look like, a sap?): it’s the Dears. They’re from Montreal, and instead of jumping out in front of oncoming traffic, they play music.
The Dears, originally scheduled to play at the Garrick Theatre, were moved at the last minute to the West End Cultural Centre. The reason behind this is unknown to me, but the change of venue was a welcome one, at least by me. After attending concerts at both venues, I have to say that the sound at the West End is superior to the Garrick.
Opening for the Dears were the Bloodlines. There’s really not much to say about them except that they come off as an indie music-by-the-numbers band that left me somewhat bored. They all played well, it’s just that I’ve seen this sort of band before, time and time again. There’s nothing that really stands out about them. A few of their songs were decent, such as “Modern Science,” which was moderately catchy and managed to keep my attention. But the band seemed chock-full of clichés: you had the pretty girl on keyboard, the effeminate hipster boy on bass, the typical indie-rocker on guitar and lead vocals, and the I’m-just-here drummer. As previously mentioned, they’re not a terrible band, they just lack originality.
Next were headliners the Dears, whose set was kicked off by a song playing on the PA as the stage lights turned on. The band then filed on stage, while people started yelling, cheering, clapping, and all the other stuff people do when someone even remotely famous walks onto a stage. The first portion of the set was newer material, stuff I wasn’t too familiar with, but it was good. I know saying it was “good” isn’t exactly painting a picture for you. How about a simile? It was good, like on the porch back on the farm, sipping a cool glass of lemonade, watching the sun fall from the sky and sink into the void of night. Better?
It wasn’t until they started playing stuff like “Lost in the Plot” and “We Can Have It” that I really got into the show. The haunting, sombre lyrics for “We Can Have It” are wonderful enough, but to hear it live showcases the song on a completely new level. There really wasn’t anything spectacular about the concert, aside from the fact that the music was consistently good (you only get one simile).
The chemistry on stage was interesting. Live shows can be tough for a band with six members — both physical and musical overcrowding can become a problem — but the Dears were able to make it work; everyone played their parts well and their internal dynamic kept the set rather tight. Everyone except the drummer looked like they had dressed nicely for the show. However, I do miss bands with uniforms. They’re seldom seen these days and it would be nice to see that come back. Of course, uniforms or not, the Dears still put on a fun show. So, if you get a chance to see them live, I suggest you do so, they’re definitely on the higher end of modern Canadian musical entertainment.
