The Last Town Chorus and The Weakerthans Marquis Theater September 27, 2007
Better Than: Waiting in line at the DMV.
Lead singer of the Last Town Chorus, Meghan Hickey, has a voice that is both sultry and seductive. Hickey's ability to handle her slide guitar is like watching the best flamenco guitarist strum with the ease of a swinging hammer. I never knew a slide guitar could make the kind of music she was creating from her own lap. It was hypnotic and set the kids into a spell. I never thought that the very young and rambunctious crowd was capable of standing in one spot for more than a couple of seconds. The Last Town Chorus was immediately transformed into the Last Town Trance. I found myself hanging on every word, whereas the album does the duo zero justice.
I found it a bit harder to get into the Weakerthans. The crowd made it almost intolerable to suck down the cheap Natural Light that I was consuming for the majority of the evening. First, the younger than usual crowd sung every note from John Samson's earlier work, making it a bit distracting for those that don't sing along. There was definite energy there, considering this show was the first on a very long tour, but the new material felt a bit unrehearsed and forced, and the audience reacted accordingly. Any goodwill the band had to offer was drained by the crowd as they withdrew from the unfamiliar new stuff. It was as if they expected the entire show to have highlighted the first album. -- Julio Enriquez
Personal Bias: Who said yukking it up during a show was cool? Do yourself and your neighbors a favor, go to the bar if you're going to be disruptive.
Random Detail: The venue held each act accountable to their time schedule. Brilliant!
By the Way: Never judge a concert by the kids waiting in line to get in.
