Brought to the table

I've seen Holy Fuck a couple of times before, but I think their Bluesfest 2009 set was the first time I've seen the same lineup twice in a row - usually their rhythm section has changed a member. The previous occasion was a headlining gig at Barrymore's with locals Squelchbox and Crush Buildings in July 2008, with really good sets from all concerned. They didn't seem to thrill me as much this time - maybe I should stick to seeing them once every two years so I don't become jaded.

Matt Schulz (ex-Enon) and Matt McQuaid flank Graham Walsh.



Brian Borcherdt rolls film.



Graham sings!



Matt McQuaid was definitely the guy jumping around the most .. course, it is a bit easier for him.



Brian sings!



Knob-twisting action!



Somewhere in the back of the tangle is Matt Schulz.



The whole lot!



Right now they're out west for Bumbershoot, then they'll skip back over the continent for another festival in Quebec City.

• Show reminder: See Joe Smile and Tyler Kealey perform at Zaphod Beeblebrox. The Elmdale House hosts Extra Happy Ghost and Jane Vain and The Dark Matter.

Pop, not pop, pop

There seems to have been a lot of house shows in town lately; I finally got around to seeing one on a Saturday evening crowded with worthy gigs. I could have headed off to the Dom or Mavericks, but I wanted to see The Smith Westerns again and catch the debut of Allie Hanlon's new combo Peach Kelli Pop.

Peach Kelli Pop only played a half-dozen songs of lo-fi pop (there's a word that's going to see a lot of us in this writeup) but made a very positive impression, and not just because they brought cupcakes.


Cupcakes, 854 Bronson Ave., August 29, 2009

In addition to Allie, PKP features her White Wires-mate Ian Manhire on drums, her twin sister Emily and Davey Quesnelle of many other bands.


Peach Kelli Pop, 854 Bronson Ave., August 29, 2009

Up next were the Suppositories, who were also releasing their new 7-inch.


The Suppositories, 854 Bronson Ave., August 29, 2009

Finally The Smith Westerns wowed the crowd with their beguiling boy-jangle. They brought their smoke machine, and near the end of the set Max kicked over the one remaining light - it was pretty dark and smokey in there.


Smith Westerns, 854 Bronson Ave., August 29, 2009

Always a good time in the basement!

• Show reminder: Pull The Trigger, Brixton Robbers, The Valveenus and Gusto Fiasco rock Cafe Dekcuf.

Loud crowd

Thursday was Justin Considerate's birthday - you may know him from his frequent soundman duties at Babylon, The Long Timers, Death March Volunteers or his duo with drummer-about-town Pat Johnson, Army of Saint Joan. Justin decided to celebrate the day with music and drinking, and since Pat is back from his travels with The Acorn and they have a tape ready to be mastered and released by the folks at Bruised Tongue, it was time for one of The Army of Saint Joan's rare shows. A couple of other folks were on the bill, including Alaskan and Did You Just Hex Me?, but I got there too late to see 'em.

As I walked through the door, AOSJ were preparing to eviscerate some eardrums. They had moved some sofas and a sheet so the space off to the left of the bar functioned as the stage.


Army of Saint Joan, Babylon, August 27, 2009

Mountanaka finished the night off with some ultraheavy, Hydra Headbanging sounds. You've seen all these guys before in different outfits on National Capital Rock - guitarist Chuck Saso in Last Communion (he was also in The Grey), Bill Greene in Embassies of Denmark and Jay Rasia in Robot Kill City. They really rocked so I picked up their 7-inch.


Mountanaka, Babylon, August 27, 2009

It was a good night to have earplugs.

• Show reminder: Huntley Slim & the Suburban Cowboys, Use Every Part of the Deer and rehevoli. play Zaphod Beeblebrox; in an unfortunate case of scheduling conflicts, Maximum R'n'R, Four-Stroke, The Bella Bombs and Thunderuncle rock Mavericks at the same time as Tokyo Sex Whale, Starvin Hungry and The Mercy Now play the Dominion Tavern. To add insult to injury, The Smith Westerns are returning for a basement show at 854 Bronson with Peach Kelli Pop (a.k.a. Allie Hanlon, backed live by her twin sister Emily, Davey Quesnelle and Ian Manhire) and The Suppositories (who officially release their 7-inch). Melwood Cutlery perform at the Elmdale House. As I mentioned yesterday, The Brothers Chaffey play Irene's. Cafe DeKcuf hosts The Courtship, Burn Us Both, To The Rescue and Not Even Death.

Blues brothers

I was thinking of leavening my Bluesfest posts with some outside material - and so I shall! - but I'm making an exception for The Brothers Chaffey's Bluesfest gig on the Subway Stage because in a remarkable timing coincidence they're also playing in town tomorrow.



Curtis gets a little sun.



Dave MacDonald and Adam Puddington kick out some jams.



Them brothers!



It's getting hot up there.



Rocking action!



Full contact guitar action!



Nick Diak on the drums looks a little sunburnt.



Adam sings and sweats.



As before, Kelly Sloan (I think?) was on hand to provide backup vocals.



More Dave!



Curtis frets.



Clapping and keyboarding action!



Matt dispensed with the guitar later in the set, as is his wont.



Singalong action!



Pointing action!



The Texas Horns also showed up to add some extra oomph.



A typically swell set. You can see them tomorrow night in a somewhat more intimate setting - Irene's.

• Show reminder: Speaking of Irene's, Male Nurse releases his shiny new tape there tonight along with ROFL and Uncle Cat; Braids, Knots and Videotape play the Avant-Garde; Truth Or Scare, The Rookers, The Rebel Spell and Machine Gun Dolly rock Cafe Dekcuf; TokyoSexWhale, Starvin Hungry and The Mercy Now unleash vast heaviosity at the Dominion Tavern; The Video Dead, Hellbros and Carvello play loud at Zaphod's; there's more rocking at the Elmdale House with Micarza Camaro, The Bruitals and Fury Said.

Sergent's mess

After wandering away from Van der Graaf Generator I paused for a few moments to see Jeff Beck at the MBNA Stage (too distant to have much appeal) and Eric Lindell at the Hard Rock Cafe Stage before going over to the Black Sheep Stage. If you don't have any particular plans at Bluesfest it's usually your best bet. That goes double for the world music acts, which always seem to punch far above their weight. Sergent Garcia was no exception. Mainman Bruno Garcia used to be in French drum machine punks Ludwig von 88. Now he's gone Cubanismo with his new combo, named, not surprisingly, Sergent Garcia.

Sergent Garcia!



He tried to get keyboardist Aldo Santiago Medina Caballero up to the microphone ... it wasn't easy!



The beauteous Yaite Ramos Rodriguez is more persuasive.



Lino Michel Belet Fernandez rocks the nylon strings.



Yaite also plays the flute.



Singalong action!



Jumping action!



Hector Gomez Guilbeaux, right, injects some rap vocals



Bruno breaks out the guitar.



The whole lot! Yes, there's a brass section and a couple of percussionists as well.



Brassy action! With trumpeteer Philippe Anicaux and trombonist Pierre Dandin.



Zaf the bassist handles the low end.



Lino plays some hot guitar!



Garcia mikes the audience.



Can percussionist Ivan Darroman Montoya have this dance!




Apparently so.



Extra Hector!



Thank you and goodnight!



Everyone take a bow! Drummer Lukmil Perez Herrera, of whom I did not get a good photo, is on the left, obscuring Zaf.



They played the next night as well in the Byward Market ... I missed all those shows, but will try to make up for it next year (why I skipped on Peter Murphy I'll never know).

• Show reminder: Doll, Hemi-Loco, Botched Suicides and Whiskey Trench rock Cafe Dekcuf; Mountanaka, Alaskan and Army of Saint Joan, Did You Just Hex Me? and possibly Get Wrecked play Babylon for Army guitarist Justin's birthday); Latefallen and Smaller on You perform at Zaphod's.