Whisper to a scream

Last night I was at Mavericks. Julie Doiron was touring through, bringing with her hotly tipped Montreal performer Little Scream, locals The Allrights opened things up.

For this show they performed as a quartet (as they did the last time also at Mavericks, I'm just recalling). As I said a couple of posts ago, we had a bunch of folks from The Mnemonics on stage - Mel Sturk rounded things out. They sounded a bit more countryish this time around. Either they're returning to their roots or they decided to get a little more twangy on account of the folkier leanings of the headliner. (I forgot to add because they're either all sick or all sobre.) They finished things off with a fairly hot version of Guided By Voices' The Best of Jill Hives.


The Allrights at Mavericks, February 4, 2011

Here's a bit of Dave, off to the left.


The Allrights at Mavericks, February 4, 2011

Little Scream - a.k.a. Laurel Sprengelmeyer - likes her looping pedals, and has gathered a comparison or two to Tune-Yards (not entirely deserved, despite the similar tech).


Little Scream at Mavericks, February 4, 2011

She made me think of Kate Bush a little, if Bush performed with only a drummer (in this case a chap named Jamie Thompson) for accompaniment. (I'll just add here before the commentators get to me that yes, I know it's the guy a.k.a. J'aime Tambeur from Unicorns, etc.)


Little Scream at Mavericks, February 4, 2011

Julie Doiron was as mesmerizing as ever. Her stream of consciousness extended from her songs to some between-tunes pondering the pointless of city-bashing triggered by someone's cocking a snook at Toronto. Like Laurel she had a drummer on hand, in this case Will Kidman of The Constantines, who also performs in a quieter vein as Woolly Leaves. He switched spots with Julie for a cover of Neil Young's Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere.


Julie Doiron at Mavericks, February 4, 2011

She was also pretty active, hopping about during her performance


Julie Doiron at Mavericks, February 4, 2011

I'm amazed I haven't seen her performing her own stuff since 2006 ... but then again she's been through town with Blue Heeler, Eric's Trip and joining Attack on Black on stage at Zaphod's, so perhaps that's why it doesn't seem so long.

• Show reminder: Sarah Harmer and Gentleman Reg perform at the Bronson Centre Theatre; Cuff The Duke and The John Henrys play Mavericks ... they'd better play loud, because Deamon, Immersed, Accursed Spawn, Mythosis, Mortor and Killitorous are upstairs at Cafe DeKcuf. The Tammy Jones Band, The Powergoats and The Liquid Edge roll into Zaphod's; The Maria Hawkins Band is feeling blue at The Rainbow; Garaga and The Shakey Aches will be testing the structural solidity of Raw Sugar; The Mumbo Jumbo Voodoo Combo casts a spell at Irene's; Brothers Through The Hill release their new CD at the Elmdale House with opener Alyssa Munaretto.