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Tour Dates
10/10/12 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's
10/11/12 Washington, DC Black Cat 10/12/12 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle 10/15/12 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg 10/16/12 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall 10/19/12 Buffalo, NY The Tralf Music Hall Read More Hitting the 400 Bar on September 21st is Canadian power-pop quartet Sloan, a band that has stayed mostly under the radar in the States despite churning out a catalogue of fantastic and catchy songs over the years.
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The boys of Sloan kindly stopped by the 400 Bar Friday evening and charmed a small, but excited collection of fans, new and old. The guitars were huge, the stage was hot and the lyrics were echoed by the crowd the whole night through, making it one of the most enjoyable gigs I’ve been to this year. Having been frustrated by the Jesus and Mary Chain’s mediocre set Tuesday night (9/18) at First Avenue, I was looking forward to seeing a band that were relaxed and rehearsed, absent of cadillac-sized ego (I’m looking at you, William Reid) and actually having a good time playing their songs. Sloan did not let me down, in fact they practically turned me into a frothing superfan.
The band started out with Twice Removed in its entirety, a real treat for longtime fans of the album (myself included). This being my first time watching the band, I was surprised at who sang what song. All the members share singing duties with my favorites being sung by lead shredder Patrick (“Loosens” and “I Can Feel It”) and bassist Chris Murphy (“Worried Now” and “Deeper Than Beauty”). Even drummer Andrew Scott came out from his kit to play two songs (“People of the Sky” and “Before I Do”) while Chris comfortably took his spot behind the skins. Guitarist Jay Ferguson did not disappoint either, taking over vocals for “I Hate My Generation” and “Snowsuit Sound.” Chris quipped early on that they weren’t doing much talking because they wanted it to sound seamless, and there’s no talking in between songs on the record!
After a short break, Sloan took the stage for their second set. The Twice Removed part of the show was definitely a great success, but I feel like the band really came alive on this half, busting through classic stompers like “Who Taught You to Live Like That?” (2006’s Never Hear the End of It) and “The Good in Everyone” (from 1996’s One Chord to Another) and infectious ditties like “Shadow of Love” and “She’s Slowing Down Again” off their latest record Double Cross. When hips and heads weren’t shaking, the crowd eagerly participated in the various “ba-ba-ba” sing-alongs and arcing hand claps. The band wrapped up with a one-two sugar punch to the gut including Patrick-fronted “Losing California” (1999’s Between the Bridges) and ended righteously with their first big hit “Underwhelmed” from 1992’s Smeared.
It’s no small feat for a band to weather twenty years of touring and recording on top of running an independent label (Murderecords). The quality of the music and the enthusiasm exuded while playing those songs live speak volumes about just how this band has existed and continues to exist. In short, Sloan sounds as fresh and exciting as they did years ago. Their music only gets better with age.
The band started out with Twice Removed in its entirety, a real treat for longtime fans of the album (myself included). This being my first time watching the band, I was surprised at who sang what song. All the members share singing duties with my favorites being sung by lead shredder Patrick (“Loosens” and “I Can Feel It”) and bassist Chris Murphy (“Worried Now” and “Deeper Than Beauty”). Even drummer Andrew Scott came out from his kit to play two songs (“People of the Sky” and “Before I Do”) while Chris comfortably took his spot behind the skins. Guitarist Jay Ferguson did not disappoint either, taking over vocals for “I Hate My Generation” and “Snowsuit Sound.” Chris quipped early on that they weren’t doing much talking because they wanted it to sound seamless, and there’s no talking in between songs on the record!
After a short break, Sloan took the stage for their second set. The Twice Removed part of the show was definitely a great success, but I feel like the band really came alive on this half, busting through classic stompers like “Who Taught You to Live Like That?” (2006’s Never Hear the End of It) and “The Good in Everyone” (from 1996’s One Chord to Another) and infectious ditties like “Shadow of Love” and “She’s Slowing Down Again” off their latest record Double Cross. When hips and heads weren’t shaking, the crowd eagerly participated in the various “ba-ba-ba” sing-alongs and arcing hand claps. The band wrapped up with a one-two sugar punch to the gut including Patrick-fronted “Losing California” (1999’s Between the Bridges) and ended righteously with their first big hit “Underwhelmed” from 1992’s Smeared.
It’s no small feat for a band to weather twenty years of touring and recording on top of running an independent label (Murderecords). The quality of the music and the enthusiasm exuded while playing those songs live speak volumes about just how this band has existed and continues to exist. In short, Sloan sounds as fresh and exciting as they did years ago. Their music only gets better with age.
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Sloan at 400 Bar, Minneapolis (09/21/12) photo by Lori Jean Richards |
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