All this and rabbits, too

Rebekah Higgs played a very sharp set. I certainly enjoyed it more, and not just because Jon Epworth and Bloodlines weren't around to put everyone else in the shade. I'm not sure if it's working in a trio with occasional Epworth sidemen Sean McGillvray and Jason Vautour (who were alongside last time) or plenty of roadwork that's made the difference, but less was more.





Sean started off on bass, but after a couple of tunes switched to drums.



His replacement, Jason.



He also played some slide guitar, and later activated the pickups using a cellphone.



Sean on the skins. Higgs said he "fortunately happened to be in Ottawa," I'm wondering if he was here with Jenn Grant, who played at the Capital Music Hall the night before.



Singalong action!



Higgs had a couple of papier-mache (or something like it) rabbits, Bernard and Stacey. "They've kind of been hogging the attention," she noted.



Bernard or Stacey.



And so on!



Hopefully she'll return soon with her cuddly hand-crafted merch.

• Show reminder: Relief Maps, Woodhands and Kwiz Massturz perform at Zaphod Beeblebrox.

Getting better all the time

My first impression of Jon Epworth and The Improvements, after listening to the bouncy anti-war ditty Please Stop Celebrating, was that they would have fit great on a bill with Ted Leo and The Pharmacists. The other stuff on their excellent CD Wet On Wet - purchased directly after their set - isn't quite so early-Elvis Costello-ish. It's just as issue-oriented, though not in a way that makes you feel you're being bludgeoned by one man's opinion. Musically though, there's a bit more going on, with post-'77 alternative and indie rock making a stronger showing. Live the group is ace. They're obviously having fun and are easily amused by the consequences of occasional exuberance, as when Jon leaped off the drum riser "and totally missed the strings" or made a funny face after a particularly superfluous rock yell.

Jon sings!



Jon sings quite a bit!



Shane Kerr basses!



Jason Vautour plays guitar - a role he also filled for Rebekah Higgs in the next set. Sean MacGillivray of The Burdocks shows up for harmony vocals.



Mike Belyea on drums.



Shane and Jason also filled in a few harmonies.



Improving action!









Big finish!



That was definitely one of the better sets I've seen this year. Pity it was a bit short. Definitely a must-see when they roll through your town.

Cross crountry checkup

One of the great things about going to see four unknown bands for free is that the worse that can happen is that you get your money's worth. Well, not quite unknown; I've already seen Rebekah Higgs praised in print and given a listen on Myspace to her and Jon Epworth (Please Stop Celebrating, a quite energetic tune that sounded a bit like early Joe Jackson). It was all quite promising, really ... on the downside, as far as I can tell for most of the evening the rest of the audience was either in a band or an employee of Zaphod's. I guess everyone else was off watching Dying Fetus at Mavericks.

First up, local trio Jacko. Alt rock with a bit of a funky rhythm.



Jon Epworth and The Improvements were up next; I'm not sure their performance could actually be improved on, except to be made significantly longer. A dynamite set. Epworth has a great voice, great players in the band, fine songs. These guys could have been on Stiff back in the early 1980s with Elvis Costello and that lot.



Rebekah Higgs was also very good; her rootsy sound garnished with electronic sounds made me think a bit of Jim White.



Finally Bloodlines; sometimes they made me think of Soundtrack of Our Lives, at others The Webb Brothers. You can get a better recommendation from me, but it's not easy.



As per usual, more on this at a later date.

• Show reminder: The Clientele, Beach House and My Dad Vs Yours play Babylon.